Michael Tobias founded Tobias Guitars in 1977 in Orlando, Florida. Tobias were best known for their neck-through bass guitars and were one of the first manufacturers to use an assymetrical neck profile (thinner on the lower side). Combinations of exotic tone woods gave bassists a wide range of natural tonalities to choose from, so that each instrument could be tailored for the individual player. Ergonomic improvements, such as the deeply sculpted body and the asymmetrical neck, enhanced the fit to the individual player. Tobias relocated to California in 1980 and eventually settled in the Hollywood area. By 1990, with demand for Tobias basses growing far faster than production capability, Gibson bought the company and moved production to their Nashville factory. Michael Tobias left in 1992 to establish Michael Tobias Design (MTD).  In 2003 Gibson launched a new generation of Tobais basses made in Conway, Arkansas. Gibson has since stopped making Tobias basses in the USA and instead began to use the brand name for the budget Epiphone Tobias/Toby range.

Source: Tobias website (archived 2003)