MTD Beast 5 String Fretless Active Bartolini

“Hand crafted in the Czech Republic for Michael Tobias” - that’s what it says.  

Link to audio and video is below.

Apparently MTD Beasts were only made for a short period of time around 2001. This one has a low serial number so I would guess it was born around that time frame.
However, it has changed and grown since then.

Our Beast has lost its frets and gone active while developing 4-conductor dual coil Bartolini soap bars instead of single coils. It's voice changed abruptly with a Bartolini NTMB 9v preamp and grew a knob in the process.

Also, this Beast outgrew the economy style tuners and bridge and now shoulders brand new smooth Gotoh tuners and new Hipshot A-style brass bridge to complete the end-to-end string experience. Beast also adopted knobs similar to its American cousins, in addition to the Bartolini and Hipshot traits.

This Beast still wears the African Wenge fretboard with pride and style - Newly refreshed to a flat and smooth 20 inch radius. Its later Korean-made siblings were forced to go rosewood and other types, so the wenge has a special place for this bass.

I didn’t do the de-fretting and its not factory (zero fret clue), but it looks well done. The fretboard lines have been filled with a neutral wood tone filler.  The open grain of wenge doesn’t allow for precision clean lines, but photos galore show exactly what its about - picture/thousand words etc.

This Beast is a player’s bass and not for collecting. As such, it has many signs of good times, but no gouges, indentations, or ugly scars (not even cool-looking scars, actually).

Lots of photos to detail condition.

Here’s the Specs

• Color: black on black
  
• Pickups: Dual coil Bartolini P25 Classic Bass neck and bridge
  
• Preamp: Bartolini 4.5/918 2-band
  
• Bridge: Hipshot A-Style Brass black
  
• Controls: Vol/Blend/Bass/Treb
  
• String Spacing: Adjustable 19 mm
  
• Tuners: Gotoh
  
• Neck: Maple
  
• Fretboard: Wenge 24 ‘frets’
  
• Width at nut: 1.875in (1 7/8”)
  
• Body: Poplar
  
• Finish: Polyurethane
  
• Weight: 9lb 4.8oz
  
• Scale: 35 inch
  

Notes

• Completely upgraded electronics and hardware
• New flat wound strings
  
• New Gator gig bag