The gear snob in the audience

[mcnach]

I played this gig at a local bar once and I brought my trusty OLP MM2, a stingray clone. I had put a Seymour Duncan pickup and a 3-band preamp in it and it was (still is!) a sweet bass that sounded huge.

I do own a MM Stingray (2-band EQ version) and the OLP doesn't feel a million miles different and sounds great. But some people would just look at the headstock and say "bah, a copy".

So I play in thsi place, and afterwards I'm hanging out for a while and this guy comes to me, he compliments me on my playing and sound (always nice ) and goes on to say that of course, a Stingray is the best bass blah blah blah. He continues this monologue about Stingrays while I listen and nod politely just waiting for him to go and let me keep talking to my friends. Then he says that of course I have good taste, a real Stingray, because so many other peple would play a copy and it's nothing like a Stingray even if it looks like one, and continues this rant against Stingray clones... So I just listen, smile and let him talk.
When he finished, I tell him "actually, I was playing an OLP tonight".

His face! I wish I could have taken a picture. After he said mine sounded so good, he couldn't now say that it was a bad bass. Gotcha!
He didn't say anything else, just gave me a weird look and walked away.

I loved it.

I love my Stingray, but I also have two OLPs that are *fantastic* (with some not too expensive upgrades).
I hate gear snobs.

[TomA1234]

I would have loved to have seen that.

[MNAirHead]

At least you dind't bring in a $$$$$$ botique for the dude to go "when are you getting a fender"

[Oren Hudson]

Originally Posted by mcnach

I played this gig at a local bar once and I brought my trusty OLP MM2, a stingray clone. I had put a Seymour Duncan pickup and a 3-band preamp in it and it was (still is!) a sweet bass that sounded huge.

I do own a MM Stingray (2-band EQ version) and the OLP doesn't feel a million miles different and sounds great. But some people would just look at the headstock and say "bah, a copy".

So I play in this place, and afterwards I'm hanging out for a while and this guy comes to me, he compliments me on my playing and sound (always nice ) and goes on to say that of course, a Stingray is the best bass blah blah blah. He continues this monologue about Stingrays while I listen and nod politely just waiting for him to go and let me keep talking to my friends. Then he says that of course I have good taste, a real Stingray, because so many other people would play a copy and it's nothing like a Stingray even if it looks like one, and continues this rant against Stingray clones... So I just listen, smile and let him talk.
When he finished, I tell him "actually, I was playing an OLP tonight".

His face! I wish I could have taken a picture. After he said mine sounded so good, he couldn't now say that it was a bad bass. Gotcha!
He didn't say anything else, just gave me a weird look and walked away.

I loved it.

I love my Stingray, but I also have two OLPs that are *fantastic* (with some not too expensive upgrades).
I hate gear snobs.

While I've not had the scenario with a person like you describe, I do have 2 OLP MM Stingrays. And, like you, find that they are both excellent basses. One I bought new at GC years ago. With that one, I had the opportunity to compare it directly with the a "real" MM with the same amp side by side. Actually liked the OLP better. Then after a little research discovering that the early OLPs were actually well built quality guitars, I found another one on Ebay. Never been disappointed in either.

[mcnach]

Originally Posted by Oren Hudson

While I've not had the scenario with a person like you describe, I do have 2 OLP MM Stingrays. And, like you, find that they are both excellent basses. One I bought new at GC years ago. With that one, I had the opportunity to compare it directly with the a "real" MM with the same amp side by side. Actually liked the OLP better. Then after a little research discovering that the early OLPs were actually well built quality guitars, I found another one on Ebay. Never been disappointed in either.

As well as my 2 OLPs, I've owned a third, and tried a couple more. They're variable. The OLP I sold was an early one and it was very heavy and not very good. The two I still own are both great, and one is an early model while my usual one is a late model... You never know!

I find that they're not as nicely built from a cosmetic point of view. The MusicMan just oozes quality in everything: finish, hardware... The OLP betrays its (much) lower price there. But I'm talking not-so-important things here.
The OLP pickup is not very nice, in my opinion. That's teh first thing I change. A Seymour Duncan (I like their alnico versions) or a Nordstrand will improve teh bass a lot. Then, a HUGE part of the Stingray's sound is the preamp. Play the MusicMan flat, and it's nice, and not too far from the OLP like you say... put a good pickup there, and the difference is minimal... or non-existent.
Then, if you put a preamp... it depends on what you put in there. The Seymour Duncan STC-3M3 I think sounds better than teh Stingray's 3-band. One of my OLPs has that one is is my main bass (that's teh one that got me the compliments).
My second one is still passive, I only replaced the pickup. I have the board for a 2-band EQ clone of the original Stingray and one of these days I'll buy the components and build it. Then I'll be able to compare that to my MusicMan Stingray with 2-band EQ (which I love!)
If the OLP sounds as good as the MusicMan, I might be tempted to sell the MusicMan ("oh, blasphemy!" I hear some people cry )

[champbassist]

A bit off-topic, but, apparently the OLP brand has been retired as of 2009: any idea what happened?

[*smb]

Yeah it's been replaced with "Sterling by Musicman"

[Busty]

I set up, check out the volume on each pedal. i just made a single note with the BOSS Metal Zone on and i hear "Oh, a Metal Zone!" from a guy sitting at the bar. ?

[isher1992]

I knew a guy that snobbed me for using a Grunge pedal for my "dirty-wall-of-dirty" fuzz tone. He kept going on and on how the Sovtek Big Muff was the best bass fuzz, because it could get really heavy and didn't lose any lows and sounded really great on both high and low register, and plus "It's EHX, you can't go wrong, it's true bypass!" I said, "Go open that box, tell me if you see a true-bypass switch." (It was a black Russian Muff reissue). He opened the box, and not a single word, just this defeated look. Granted, DigiTech isn't necessarily "True Bypass" either...

But it's just so fun to make someone eat their words.

[ahbassman]

Originally Posted by *smb

Yeah it's been replaced with "Sterling by Musicman"

Which are also very good instruments.

[totallyfrozen]

Originally Posted by Busty

I set up, check out the volume on each pedal. i just made a single note with the BOSS Metal Zone on and i hear "Oh, a Metal Zone!" from a guy sitting at the bar. ?

Well, I don't know. Did that come across as snobby to you? To me it just sounds like a guy who recognizes (and maybe even appreciates) the sound of a Boss Metal Zone pedal. Of course, I wasn't there.

[Dr. Cheese]

Any time a guy in the audience tells a guy with a gig about gear, one has to take it with a grain of salt unless it is a known player with a night off.

[otis_thick]

I just had the very same thing happen this past weekend with my Fernandes Jazz copy $250.00 NEW I added EMGs and bass/treble circuit and Baddass II bridge...this DUDE thought it was a boutique! Again I say ..its more the WIZARD NOT the wand!

[otis_thick]

Originally Posted by champbassist

A bit off-topic, but, apparently the OLP brand has been retired as of 2009: any idea what happened?

IMHO They Sold too well! Especially when they started active and the HH series!

[faulknersj]

My 2009 MIM Fender 70's Reissue Jazz always gets loads of attention when I play her. She sounds as vintage as any real passive 70's Fender Jazz bass (and better than some I have played), but the curiosity seekers are always pretty shocked when they find out it is is not a true 70's J-bass. Sometimes it's fun just to let them keep gushing about how they have always wanted a 70's J etc...before I pull the honesty trigger! Maybe we are all gear snobs in our own way, but I suppose it's the dudes that need to tell u how they have 'this' and it does 'that' blah. Lah blah, that truly earn and deserve the title of 'gear snob'. One man's perfect tone can certaimly be another man's tonal nemesis.

[mike.b]

Originally Posted by mcnach

I played this gig at a local bar once and I brought my trusty OLP MM2, a stingray clone. I had put a Seymour Duncan pickup and a 3-band preamp in it and it was (still is!) a sweet bass that sounded huge.

I do own a MM Stingray (2-band EQ version) and the OLP doesn't feel a million miles different and sounds great. But some people would just look at the headstock and say "bah, a copy".

So I play in thsi place, and afterwards I'm hanging out for a while and this guy comes to me, he compliments me on my playing and sound (always nice ) and goes on to say that of course, a Stingray is the best bass blah blah blah. He continues this monologue about Stingrays while I listen and nod politely just waiting for him to go and let me keep talking to my friends. Then he says that of course I have good taste, a real Stingray, because so many other peple would play a copy and it's nothing like a Stingray even if it looks like one, and continues this rant against Stingray clones... So I just listen, smile and let him talk.
When he finished, I tell him "actually, I was playing an OLP tonight".

His face! I wish I could have taken a picture. After he said mine sounded so good, he couldn't now say that it was a bad bass. Gotcha!
He didn't say anything else, just gave me a weird look and walked away.

I loved it.

I love my Stingray, but I also have two OLPs that are *fantastic* (with some not too expensive upgrades).
I hate gear snobs.

i cut my teeth on a 5 string olp.it sounded great even though the body was crap.i've recently had a 'jazz look alike' body(mahoghany and sapelle)made.its all routed out and all i got to do is buy the preamp and add it to the body and hey presto......a brand new home made axe c/w olp neck.can't wait to start playing it.

[SMILEYSIXX]

I had the same thing happen. I was playing my modded Squier P with seymour duncan quarter pounders and a few other mods, and some guys like "Dude, I love fender Precisions, but squiers suck blah blah blah..." After his rant, I grabbed my bass and told him to look at the headstock. He didn't even say anything. He just walked away pissed.

[Valerus]

Originally Posted by faulknersj

My 2009 MIM Fender 70's Reissue Jazz always gets loads of attention when I play her. She sounds as vintage as any real passive 70's Fender Jazz bass (and better than some I have played), but the curiosity seekers are always pretty shocked when they find out it is is not a true 70's J-bass. Sometimes it's fun just to let them keep gushing about how they have always wanted a 70's J etc...before I pull the honesty trigger! Maybe we are all gear snobs in our own way, but I suppose it's the dudes that need to tell u how they have 'this' and it does 'that' blah. Lah blah, that truly earn and deserve the title of 'gear snob'. One man's perfect tone can certaimly be another man's tonal nemesis.

The Classic 70s does sound wonderful, doesn't it?

[isher1992]

Originally Posted by SMILEYSIXX

I had the same thing happen. I was playing my modded Squier P with seymour duncan quarter pounders and a few other mods, and some guys like "Dude, I love fender Precisions, but squiers suck blah blah blah..." After his rant, I grabbed my bass and told him to look at the headstock. He didn't even say anything. He just walked away pissed.

I changed the pickguard to black, and put strat knobs on my Squier P. I haven't even changed the pickups, but I did change the tone pot and strengthened up the connections to the pot and jack...Everyone asks me if it's a real Fender, and its fun to say no.

[Edward G.]

Originally Posted by mcnach

I hate gear snobs.

The proof is always in the pudding, aka 'the mix'.

At the end of the game, it's two pieces of shaped lumber joined together and combined with VERY interchangeable parts, and subject to infinite variations.

Pretty hard to totally screw up.