Still Awesome After All These Years: The Michael Tobias Journey…

Founder and Master Luthier Michael Tobias

At Michael Tobias Design (MTD), you will find some of the best luthiers creating some of the finest handcrafted instruments made right here in the good old USA. MTD world famous for the creation of custom bass and guitars, one of which I have been the proud owner of for many years now. With a craftsman focus on tone, ease of play, and of course, the look and style of each instrument for which they are known. All instrument they make are custom, built to endourance, and built to for the unique needs and desires of the payer for which it is personally created.

They build only ten instruments per month, But it’s not just electric basses, they also fabricate both acoustic basses and guitars. Most days you will find Michael Tobias, with his son Daniel Tobias, and “old” friend and associate Charlie Kniceley practicing their art.

With such a vast skill set and knowledge, the Team has been hired as consultants for many instrument brands such as Alvarez (with Joe Veillette) baritone acoustic and ABG, Modulus Genesis bass, Lakland hollow body bass, and a special project for American Showster (alongside Chris Hofschneider).

Michael Tobias has been building instruments since the mis 70’s. Humble beginnings working in “The Guitar Shop” in Washington, D.C., doing repairs , study the work and techniques of other luthiers’. Originally working in acoustic instruments, Michael laid hands on names like Fender, Martin, Gibson, Kohno, Ramierez.

After leaving Tobias Guitars at the end of 1992 and fulfilling my contractual obligations for consulting and non-competition with Tobias, I started building MTD instruments at the beginning of 1994. Music has evolved over the years but there are still a few basic and fundamental constants— rules that must be dealt with. The instrument must satisfy the creative and emotional needs of the owner and it must play in tune.

Charlie!

“Charlie Kniceley, a Hudson Valley native (of thirty years), is a long-time friend and employee. He is a fine luthier, exceptionally talented musician, and is a cherished member of MTD. Charlie has worked with a number of top-notch artists such as Al Martino, Jerry Bale, Ron Carter, Eileen Fulton, Joe Beck, Ed Summerlin, Danny Lewis, Randy Ciarlante, Jack Dejohnette, Mike DeMicco, Warren Bernhardt, Pete Levin, Connie Francis, Danny Brubeck, Honi Coles, Billy Reed, Jimmy Eppard, Brenda Buffalino, Machan Taylor, Mimi Hines, Hal Linden, Enzio Stuarte, Lucille Ricardo, Lew Soloff, Lou Marini, Rashid Ali, and the Hudson Valley Philharmonic. After retiring from the music scene in 1995, he has returned and has re-established himself in the musical fabric of the North East.”– M.Tobias

Tobias Guitars came into being in April of 1977, and were available at The Guitar Shop, in DC. The first Tobias Guitar was stamped with serial number 0178

The Guitar Shop was sold in 1980 and Michael relocated to San Francisco. He did a short joint venture with Sierra Guitars but that partnership never grew legs. Traveling on his musical path, he relocated to Costa Mesa California to run a repair shop. Next stop, Hollywood California and started making some custom instruments with friends, Kevin Almieda and Bob Lee.

It took about 12 months for Tobias Guitars to transition to only the fabrication of custom instruments. Bob McDonald and Makoto Onishi joined the Team after Kevin Almieda departure.

“The business grew by leaps and bounds. In June of 1988, we had so many back orders that we could not accept any new orders until the January NAMM show in 1990.”- M.Tobias.

Tobias Guitars grew rapidly and the need for a bigger and more equipped work space was require just to try to keep up with demand. On January 1st of 1990, Michael Tobias sold Tobias Guitars to Gibson.

TOBIAS and GIBSON

“Gibson was instrumental in moving us to a bigger shop in Burbank and setting us up with a great spray booth and dust collection system. We finally met So Cal safety codes. Basses built during 1990-1992 era were built initially by the same crew that had helped establish Tobias Basses, as one of the most sought after bass guitars on the planet. We added several people during 1990 and ended up with a great 10-man shop.”- M.Tobias

Gibson was able to obtain the work place required to have Michael Tobias meet the demand for his instruments. Business was good but keeping up with the increasing orders proved taxing. So they looked to out source some items with quality approved vendors, these produced the “Model T” and “Standard Tobias” basses. They relocated operations to the “Music City”, Nashville to better handle the increased demand.

Tobias Kingston Line

Michael Tobias left Tobias Guitars in December of 1992 but continued to give consulting services to Gibson. No Tobias original Team were involved in the instruments produced in Nashville.

“They had some trouble at first, but have since done a fairly good job making Tobias basses.”- M.Tobias

THE NEW INSTRUMENTS

Today you will find Michael Tobias carrying on his art in New York State. The first 50 instruments to come from the New York shop were mostly 35” scale bolt-ons with 3 neck thrus. They renamed the brad Michael Tobias Design (MTD) and thee adventure continues…

We at Back Stage Indie Report are excited to see the Tobias MTD booth at NAMM 2017 in Nashville. Got our airline tickets, hotel reservation, and Media Credentials. Michael and Daniel, as a Tobias Bass owner, we will be camping out at your booth and touching everything (that is a MTB instrument)!