Stock MIM Fender J or OLP MM2 stingray?

Noose · #1 03-29-2011, 05:20 PM

Take price out of the equation. Which is a better bass? Is this an apples and oranges type comparison?

I can get either one. Not looking to spend a lot of money, but I don't want a peice of junk either. Thanks for helping me decide.

kaiuk · #2 03-29-2011, 05:26 PM

Ive had a MIM J for a year (ish) i love it and i got a really, really good one
i just got an OLP 5 string from a friend of a friend for 20 bucks. its awful. the electronics were crap and i had to replace them. The neck is chunky and the pickup sounds cheap. not bashing Stingrays just the OLP ones. i would totally say the Jbass because of tone versatility and overall better quality.

scolba · #3 03-29-2011, 05:49 PM

I had a MIM J (black logo), and traded it for an OLP that was in exceptional shape. The necks are considerably different, so if you like the thicker neck, the OLP is good. The OLP does have some electronic weirdness, but even so, I still think I got the better end of that deal. The OLP's are hit and miss quality wise, and I got a hit, while the MIM J is also hit and miss....at least that particular series. That and I just wanted something different.

Get your hands on em both, and see what seems better to your hands/ears.

redlikejazz · #4 03-29-2011, 05:52 PM

I had an MM2 4 string, and now have a MIM Jazz, also 4. You can't get that jazz bass growl from the olp, but you also can't get the bright punch that you get from that humbucker, out of the J. I paid $220 for my olp and had it for years, but I like the feel of the thinner j neck personally. For the money, they seem to be pretty good basses, but either one would probably need a p'up-grade to get serious sounds.

Noose · #5 03-29-2011, 06:50 PM

So is it fair to say they are both decent but neither are great? Should I worry that the OLP will fall apart in a year or two?

4Mal · #6 03-29-2011, 07:04 PM

Neither one is really a keeper. Both of them will gig for you for a couple of years. Then assuming that playing the bass either remains or becomes an obesession, you'll uprade to someting better. Go with what feels better and with what sound better to you for now.

meatwad · #7 03-29-2011, 07:08 PM

I once played an OLP guitar that smoked every other guitar I played that day, including many higher-end Fenders, MM, Jackson, and Ibanez. It was the setup that impressed me, but the fit and finish was reflective of the pricetag... Cheap.

My point is, either bass you mentioned could be great if setup to your liking. Which one will depend on your preference. I would research things like body woods, because I personally don't care for multi-laminate plywood or composite materials, mainly because the screws are more prone to stripping out their holes.