Sterling HH copping a J bass? What CAN'T it cop?

Tunaman · #1 05-14-2011, 01:54 PM

I love me some J bass tones & I have a MIM Jazz thats a total piece of garbage (I got it free really beat up) Pickups are noisy, crackle, wide volume changes when using the tone knob, terrible slipping tuners... whatever

I'd love to get a GOOD Jazz... MIA Standard J or Lakland DJ or JO Skyline BUT I think my Sterling HH can come VERY close to my MIM J bass tone when I get creative with the pickups, EQ, technique & tweaking the amp too

Does anybody else find that a Sterling HH gets so close to a J bass they would be better off finding another bass the Sterling HH can't sound like?

I guess a dual pickup versatile warm bass would be something the Sterling HH can't cop as well as a Jazz, recommendations?

Kwesi · #2 05-14-2011, 01:58 PM

Musicman get close to a Jazz? Based on my experience I find that extremely difficult to believe.

thedude77md · #3 05-14-2011, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kwesi

Musicman get close to a Jazz? Based on my experience I find that extremely difficult to believe.

I had a Sterling HH for a while and it came pretty darn close to a J with both pups cranked.

Tunaman · #4 05-14-2011, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thedude77md

I had a Sterling HH for a while and it came pretty darn close to a J with both pups cranked.

If you go back & forth it can be done... the EQ is tricky & unconventional.... I had both P\Us (Mid position) cut my bass, raised my mids & added some treble & was close. Of course there will always be a difference

BUT

The question is... is there a versatile "warm" bass the Sterling HH can't cop? I want a different sound & the jazz isn't that different surprisingly.

bovinehost · #5 05-14-2011, 03:55 PM

Add drums, keyboards, ukelele, marimba, a chick singer, people ordering girly flavored martinis at the bar and the AC running full blast, no one will ever know.

Tunaman · #6 05-14-2011, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bovinehost

Add drums, keyboards, ukelele, marimba, a chick singer, people ordering girly flavored martinis at the bar and the AC running full blast, no one will ever know.

You are 100% right... vs a jazz

but the Sterling HH will NEVER be mistaken for a "warm" bass so I'm still a searching for that bass to compliment this one

A Genz Benz Shuttlemax vs a Streamliner will NEVER be confused... I want that type of difference in my next bass... the Jazz is too close.

Dual pickup, 3 band, versatile warm bass anyone?

Kwesi · #7 05-14-2011, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bovinehost

Add drums, keyboards, ukelele, marimba, a chick singer, people ordering girly flavored martinis at the bar and the AC running full blast, no one will ever know.

I find it hilarious how often this is used to justify how little some people think the tonal difference between basses matter in a mix.

Tunaman · #8 05-14-2011, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kwesi

I find it hilarious how often this is used to justify how little some people think the tonal difference between basses matter in a mix.

If the tone difference is subtle then those things will ABSOLUTELY wipe that out... add the soundman\board variable too

These things will NOT wipe out the difference of a Streamliner 900 vs a Shuttlemax 9.2, these are VERY different

Jonathan1990 · #9 05-14-2011, 04:14 PM

Quote:

The question is... is there a versatile "warm" bass the Sterling HH can't cop? I want a different sound & the jazz isn't that different surprisingly.

Any P with a John East preamp installed.

KeithPas · #10 05-14-2011, 04:32 PM

Put just a little money into the MIM jazz and it can potentially be a very nice bass. (Unless it is beat up beyond fixing)

Craig_S · #11 05-14-2011, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tunaman

If the tone difference is subtle then those things will ABSOLUTELY wipe that out

The tonal difference between a Sterling and a Jazz Bass isn't subtle. If the band wipes out the varying tonal characteristics of a bass, then we can all get by with an old plywood Kay, cant we? Why bother worrying about tone at all, just strap a rubber band to a wash tub, throw a 57 on it and go!

*silly...*

Kwesi · #12 05-14-2011, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tunaman

If the tone difference is subtle then those things will ABSOLUTELY wipe that out... add the soundman\board variable too

These things will NOT wipe out the difference of a Streamliner 900 vs a Shuttlemax 9.2, these are VERY different

If you say that you wouldn't be able to hear it, fine, that's all you. But don't try to make it sound like the difference between a Jazz and any Musicman is small because then you'd just be wrong.

Tunaman · #13 05-14-2011, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kwesi

If you say that you wouldn't be able to hear it, fine, that's all you. But don't try to make it sound like the difference between a Jazz and any Musicman is small because then you'd just be wrong.

Maybe not any musicman, but I was sure close today... I was in your camp prior to spending some quality time really trying. My point isn't to start a flame war but its to find a bass that would be a bigger difference vs my Sterling HH than a J bass.

Craig_S · #14 05-14-2011, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kwesi

If you say that you wouldn't be able to hear it, fine, that's all you.

I think a lot of people (honestly) can't hear it.

A "bigger sounding" bass might be a Precision--might be.

jongor · #15 05-14-2011, 04:54 PM

L-2000

Kwesi · #16 05-14-2011, 05:05 PM

To me differences don't get much bigger than between a Jazz and a Musicman (of any kind). But for varieties sake, I'd wager that you couldn't cop a similar tone to an Elrick with a Sterling HH.

Selta · #17 05-14-2011, 05:07 PM

If anyone wants to send me a Jazz, I'll gladly directly A/B the two.
With my Sterling 5 HH, with the two outmost coils selected (1 and 4), does it cop a J-like tone? Sure. It still has the inherent MM tone though, and I don't think you'd really get away fooling anyone that you're playing a Jazz. It's definitely a LOT more Jazzy than the typical Sterling/Stingray, bridge pup solo'd tone, though.

I honestly believe that my L-2500 would get more "Jazz tone" ish than the Sterling HH. I'll still do my round-up of MM Sterling 5 HH, MM Stingray 5 H, MM Sterling 5 H, MM Bongo 5 HH, and G&L L-2500 for you sometime next week. If I had to tell you which one to get right now, to differentiate the most etc., I'd lean to the Bongo.

Joe Gress · #18 05-14-2011, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tunaman

My point isn't to start a flame war but its to find a bass that would be a bigger difference vs my Sterling HH than a J bass.

Maybe something completely different like a Gibson Grabber, Ripper, or the like? Maybe something even warmer and more vintage sounding like a Ric?

Tunaman · #19 05-14-2011, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray Salamon

If anyone wants to send me a Jazz, I'll gladly directly A/B the two.
With my Sterling 5 HH, with the two outmost coils selected (1 and 4), does it cop a J-like tone? Sure. It still has the inherent MM tone though, and I don't think you'd really get away fooling anyone that you're playing a Jazz. It's definitely a LOT more Jazzy than the typical Sterling/Stingray, bridge pup solo'd tone, though.

I honestly believe that my L-2500 would get more "Jazz tone" ish than the Sterling HH.

Cool, what mass produced dual pickup, 3band EQ, warm & versatile bass sounds NOTHING like your EBMMs?

bovinehost · #20 05-14-2011, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kwesi

I find it hilarious how often this is used to justify how little some people think the tonal difference between basses matter in a mix.

FTR, professor, I didn't say I wouldn't know. I was referring to those people, the little people, the ones ordering the girly martinis and stuff.

And the drummer. Probably the drummer. They hardly ever notice anything if it isn't smacking them in the head.

Played a gig with my Big Al sss in Austin last night and got a pretty decent J-type tone out of it. No one really said anything, though. Crazy people.