tell me about Musicman basses...

[mcnach]

Originally Posted by hernameisrio

I'm just a bit confused about all the different models. Sterling took over from Ernie Ball...? Or they're the lower-end company like what Squier is to Fender? I found a USA-made SUB for $480 on Ebay, should I just freakin do it? If I'm looking at the same bass, these seem to retail everywhere for more like $700. I mean, $500 right now is a littttttle bit of a crunch for me, but that's a really good deal, right?

Yeah, the fretless thing is...it's a long story which I'll post about in a different thread once it's resolved and once the darn thing is actually in my hands!

Ha, you´re not the only one confused!

EBMM produced a SUB bass between 2003 and 2006. It was USA made, and they did a number of things to reduce costs, mostly to do with the finish, and the body wood, in addition to doing away with body contouring, so it´s a slab body like the very first Stingrays. They came in active and passive models, with the active ones being 2-band.
These basses are REALLY good.
The pickup and electronics are the same used in the more expensive brethren... but for some reason the SUB has the pickup wired in series rather than in parallel, which gives it a punchier sound. I actually prefer it that way, I think it complements the 2EQ preamp nicely.

A couple of years ago or so Sterling By MusicMan (SBMM) came along. This is a different company, producing MM models under license, covering a lower price range of the market. Electronics and pickups are not the same, and several other differences... They are nice basses as far as I can tell. The QC is not as stringent, as may be expected... but they can be pretty cool.
Now, recently they came with their own SUB range, which is even cheaper... but it seems they are still nice, although I have not tried these, and have a thinner neck, which may appeal to some who disliked the wider Stingray necks.

Don´t mistake the two SUBs.

If that´s not confusing enough... EBMM makes a bass called Sterling. And SBMM also make a version of it, so it would be a kind of Sterling By MusicMan Sterling... but they called it SB14 instead :lol:

The original SUB can be found second hand for 400-500 dollars sometimes, and they are fantastic. If you are not sure whether you will love that type of bass, it´s a good buy because you will be able to sell it on without losing any money. Perhaps you can even make some! While second hand SBMM basses just don´t retain their value.

For $480... I´d buy it. You may find cheaper, but I think that´s a good price for a great bass.
The finish is not to everybody´s liking... kind of rough. I had a 5 string in black, and own still a white 4 string one which is what I gig with mostly. The original pickguards are metallic, with a pattern like the floor of a truck bed... ugly as sin for many (including me) so many change it, as it will take a standard Stingray pickguard. I have a black one on my white SUB at the moment

[hernameisrio]

Okay. So today I went to Guitar Center and played an Indonesian Sterling Ray34 CA. They didn't have the SUBs but I'd seen a Ray34 on Ebay for $400 and was curious. I definitely like the general feel and tone...it gives my left wrist a bit of a break and balances better than my Cirrus (I can't say that too loud, she's sitting right next to me! :P). So, that's that.

THEN I dug around on Ebay some more and found what I am 99% sure is the same bass you're talking about...NOT the Sterling SUB, but the original EBMM SUB. Starting at $500 flat with a Buy It Now price of $550. Shipping is $40. And it comes with a hardshell case...not bad, right? To make things even more confusing, when I messaged the seller to ask if it was made in the US, he said, "Aren't all SUBs?" I should direct him to this thread!

Soooo, I don't know. Honestly, I'm hesitant to buy an import model, even if it's a little cheaper. At this point, a price difference of $100 seems inconsequential. I briefly polled a few older, wiser musicians and one says I should just keep working with what I have, while the other seems to understand my desire for something different and spoke rather highly of the Indonesian Ray34 series (like the one I tried today). He said the original US-made SUBs are simply "finished" in California but often made elsewhere.

It's sort of ironic that I'm splitting hairs over where it's made, when I'm typing this on an iMac that was made in China.

[chuck3]

hey hernameisrio - seems like you might like the bass on the left in this pic:

[mcnach]

Ha ha, I would agree that where it's made is ultimately not very important. If it is good, it is good :-)
I will not continue pushing the original SUB more, in case I get accused of being a fanboi or something... I just love those basses.
I'm very much a Stingray fan, and I have tried all sorts, real thing and copies, and owned a few... the original SUB is the best of the lot for me, just not the prettiest.

The one you saw with a Buy It Now, If it is in good condition it still sounds a bit on the expensive side...
But I personally paid above general market price for my white one, as I knew it was a good one and wanted a white one... so I paid £415 when they can be had for £300-350. You know what? I would have gladly paid £550 for it!
I paid £700 for my natural maple used Stingray with an original case... and it's prettier, but not a better bass.

[lizardwizard28]

Well, i own a real stingray 5 that i adore, but my main player/gigger is a "thingray" that is the culmination of 5 years of trial and error. It started as an OLP passive 4string stingray clone that i bought on a whim at GC for $170 bucks. Black basswood body and maple/maple neck. Sounded descent but it plays and feels excellent, probably one of the best playing ive ever tried. Its current incarnation has a nordstrand pickup and preamp, black schaller tuners, black babicz bridge, black knobs, straplocks, and a blue/gray pearloid pickguard. I love my "thingray", its a total beast. OLPs can be hit or miss, but if you find one try it out. Purchased for $170, added about $400 worth of upgradeds through the years.

[Caca de Kick]

Originally Posted by hernameisrio

He said the original US-made SUBs are simply "finished" in California but often made elsewhere.

No, he's wrong. The US SUBs were completely made in the California factory.

[hernameisrio]

Yeah, it's hard to pin down the price on these...especially on Ebay. I agree that the SUB I posted about before is kinda overpriced. My bass teacher says he has an Indonesian SB-14 that he loves and it's about $600 new. He said the neck is a little thinner, which I like, so I guess I'll try it out next time I have a lesson and just see.

I gotta tell ya, my Cirrus sometimes aggravates my left shoulder (I have some kinda rotator cuff issue or something, never got it officially diagnosed) and if only for the sake of ergonomics, I might be throwing down $600 sooner rather than later. :/

[jlepre]

You live in Brooklyn right? Go to any GC and they have a few for you to try.

EDIT: Never mind. I see you've already done that.

[leegreenman]

I'm playing my SUB SB 4 right now. Plays and sounds great. Purchased it for 225 bucks with a GC coupon. Not as nice as a "real" Sterling, but pretty sweet in its own right.

[ksandvik]

SUBS are nice but save money for a MM Sterling Ray4, much better.

[Down_Low]

I own a EBMM Stingray that's my main player, have have tried a good few SBMM Ray 34's. In my opinion, the electronics in the SBMM (that are not owned or made by Ernie Ball, just licenced) just aren't the same as what's in a real Stingray. I'm still to find a Ray34ca to try though, but would really like to give one a go.

My suggestion, go for an EBMM SUB (us made) or try and find a cheaper Stingray.

[Jeff Scott]

The greatest living MusicMan player:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ig6WOlsAYuk

[hernameisrio]

I think the key is to just keep trying out as many different models as I can find. Yes, I <3 Tony Levin!

I'm going to try out my bass teacher's SB14 and start there, and then go play an Ernie Ball Stingray assuming I can find one at Sam Ash or Guitar Center. I have a lead on a Stingray through this forum, actually. The price is quite a bit higher than what I was initially thinking of spending, but at the least, it gives me hope that they're out there.

I guess I'm just not sure yet if I'd be settling by getting something less expensive, or if I'd be making a smart choice. It's a little frustrating that price is an issue...the one I saw on this forum is basically an entire paycheck for me, which given that I've only had my job for a few months, is kinda daunting!

On the other hand, I held out for my Cirrus and got a great deal because I just decided to look around for one constantly and focus on getting exactly what I wanted. I must've spent every day on Ebay, Craigslist, and the used section of Guitar Center's website!

So I think once I figure out which one I want, the rest will fall into place. It sounds weird, but I'm a little superstitious when it comes to buying instruments...I feel like every instrument one buys should have a story behind it, a personal significance, a degree of serendipity that to me seems a little anti-climactic when one just walks into Guitar Center and throws down x number of dollars for something just like that. When I bought my Cirrus, I BARELY had the money and I was sweating when I clicked "Place Bid," but once I won it, I knew I'd made a good choice, if only because I knew how unlikely it was that I would ever see a similar deal (I still haven't!).