19mm EBMM 5 string: fact / fiction?

[odarellmc]

That he didn't want to do it? How many bands can sell 125 preorders of a $2k-ish bass in 2 weeks?

Is that a real question?

 

[odarellmc]

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I present the Gamechanger.

I'm not following, im saying despite him knowing the answer, he chose to engage his audience instead of being difficult, which is what he eventually wound up doing, but that doesn't take away from the fact that he was right.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

I'm not following, im saying despite him knowing the answer, he chose to engage his audience instead of being difficult, which is what he eventually wound up doing, but that doesn't take away from the fact that he was right.

Ok, You're right, Sterling is right, but this thread has talked me out of buying the EBMM Sterling 4HH that I was eyeing. There are companies that like customers.

 

[bigtone23]

Had I been in the 5 string stingray market when that initial offering was up, I would have been 90% happy with the black offering. 100% if it was green. I really don't like to spend more than $1K on a bass, but that would have been a rare bird and a unique thing to have, nonetheless. Oh well...

Since it's apparent that EBMM won't do it, and there are plenty of other brands and builders that offer a wide spaced 5 string SR type. The elephant in the room is Fender's blatant Stingray foray: the Deluxe Dimension V H. The US version sells used for around $950, the MIM around $500, the Squier around $250. I have the MIM and it punches above it's weight class-has the same bridge and electronics as the US version.
Does it have the classic look of a SR? No, but neither does the MTD or any of the others. It's funky in a early 80s Electra/Westone kind of way.
Does it sound like a SR? Pretty close to the 3EQ version, the pickup is in parallel and in the proper spot. A little EQ tweak brings it right into the SR sound. A preamp and/or pickup mod would nail it.
Did it enjoy a long, successful production run? No-makes one ponder a little about Sterling's crystal Ball. Or that it's hard to cross compete with iconic tradition (see the EBMM Cutlass bass).
Does it have a pretty solid fan base? Yep. It offers the proper feel and is a value in the used market. It's love/hate. I'm not getting rid of my MIM Dlx V.

 

[mmbongo]

Yep, it was a real thing but as explained it was designed to fail. Worked out fine for me, I just took that money and bought a Spector. Also sold my namesake Bongo and will never have another Music Man product.

 

[bovinehost]

....sold my namesake Bongo and will never have another Music Man product.

Unfortunate choice of name there, Ace.

Just used my Bongo on a recording. Shockingly, my fat stubby fingers didn't get all tangled up in the strings, requiring gruesome home surgery.

I read as much as I could of this thread. Some of it was pretty funny. Some of it made me feel sorry for a few people. There was certainly a lot of bogus information! Fortunately, we can't be fined or arrested for spreading misinformation on Ye Olde InterTubez. Good thing, eh?

I will say: I didn't for one second think the proposition to build the bass was designed to fail. Sterling is - much to the chagrin of some - a straight shooter. You may not like how he shoots but he isn't a BS artist. If he says he will do it, he will. You can argue against this all you like, but I have personal experience with this. Had people ponied up the deposits, the bass would be reality.

And you have to admit: Music Man seems to know what they're doing. If it looked as if a larger string spacing instrument would be worth the initial investment, they'd have done it already. No one can say they're not willing to take a shot. (Big Al, Bongo, Caprice, Cutlass, etc.) I personally think we should be glad that there is one last American instrument builder willing to occasionally stir things up - and give us new tools in our toolboxes. Nothing wrong with a P bass (I have two) but it is what it is.

One other thing I know for sure: never say never. EBMM wasn't going to build a Big Al bass. Sterling might have been slightly influenced by guys like me on the forum, screaming about what a great looking thing it would be, how many we would buy (four or five here) and so on. But he'll also tell you that if he had listened to internet experts, he'd now be asking if you wanted large fries with your combo. It's business. It's also sometimes an adventure, but the bottom line dictates whether or not those adventures survive long-term.

We get Joe Dart basses. We get the occasional batch of BFR instrments. Have you seen my Orange Crush Albert Lee guitar? It is an amazing thing to behold. There are so many options available to us now - it sure wasn't like that when I was first playing in stinky beer palaces in the American South.

Anyway, how about the Cliff Williams bass?

 

[Blankandson]

. . . There are companies that like customers.

Absolutely. Robert A. Gallien at GK. I'm amazed at the GK Forum at times when people ask a question and RAG answers - like within a minute sometimes. I had an ongoing 'conversation' over a year ago when the Legacys were first released. I got one of the first ones and Jason in CS asked me if I'd do different basses and settings in a private recording studio here in Gallatin. I did and got back/forth comments for several days about how it sounded, etc. Even today when you spend time in that forum RAG pops in and makes comments or suggestions. It's not only his company, he designed everything they sell. He's the walking encyclopedia for all their products. And he really likes customers.