I just got a used Stinger bass by Martin. This company is well known for acoustic guitars, but I dont know squat about them as electric. Anybody know much about the quality or anything else about em?
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CF Martin electric bass?
- Thread starter jaymeister99
- Start date
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All I remember is that they didn't catch on! Oh, yeah...I believe they were one of the first to incorporate a curved / arched body style to accommodate the beergut.
Riis
Riis
The Stinger line was intruduced by Martin int he late 80s. It was mostly mid priced Fender style guitars. They were discontinued, as they didn't catch on.
I remember reading an interview with C.F. Martin IV, saying that they missed an opportunity to enter the electric market in the 60s when it was starting to boom because they were having enough trouble keeping up with the demand for acoustics, and added that, had they jumped at the opportunity then, they'd have a strong presence in this market today.
I remember reading an interview with C.F. Martin IV, saying that they missed an opportunity to enter the electric market in the 60s when it was starting to boom because they were having enough trouble keeping up with the demand for acoustics, and added that, had they jumped at the opportunity then, they'd have a strong presence in this market today.
Gotta get one of those!Panda Licker said:
Not quite, its all black without a pickguard. P-Bass style pickups, P-Bass shaped body, with a rosewood fretboard. Its a nice looking bass.
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I did some more research and found a bit more on these. This is the sbx model I have, it was made around 1985-1989. Retailed at the time for about $369. I would imagine that back then this would have made it either a high end beginners bass or a "low end intermediate".
Basically its a P-Bass copy but with the routing done on the back, no pickguard. Nice rosewood neck. Unfortunately its a P-Bass contour neck, Im trying to find a cheap place to get a replacement j-bass neck I can throw on it.
Basically its a P-Bass copy but with the routing done on the back, no pickguard. Nice rosewood neck. Unfortunately its a P-Bass contour neck, Im trying to find a cheap place to get a replacement j-bass neck I can throw on it.
The Stingers were cheap, foreign-made basses I believe. The good Martin electric basses, the EB-18 & EB-28, were made in the USA in the late 70's to very early 80's.
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I would quite like a Martin EB-18.
Very much of the era! The ultimate '70s bass perhaps. I guess Martin are just too typecast as an acoustic builder. It would be like Gretsch making 7-string pointy metal guitars. They could make excellent examples, but it isn't what they are known for.
Very much of the era! The ultimate '70s bass perhaps. I guess Martin are just too typecast as an acoustic builder. It would be like Gretsch making 7-string pointy metal guitars. They could make excellent examples, but it isn't what they are known for.
I found them a little on the heavy side but was okay with the looks and the sound of the DiMarzio pickup. The copies that for one year (1980) carried a Vega badge IMO may have been better: laminate neck-through and a DiMarzio split P pickup. Some of the Martin basses had a ?? (German name) pickup.
Had they been launched five years sooner they might have made a bigger impact. But by the time they were launched, other makers were in the same game.
Had they been launched five years sooner they might have made a bigger impact. But by the time they were launched, other makers were in the same game.
Neck-thru, check
DiMarzio pickup, check
Leo Quan Badass bridge, check
Copious natural maple on display, check
Late-1970s vintage, check
So why did Pedulla and Spector succeed with that exact formula, and Martin didn't? Too much baggage with their history as an acoustic guitar builder? By all rights that bass should be fabulous!
Many years back, I looked at a Martin bass.
About all I remember was that it was a bit heavy, had a thickish neck
and seemed to be built to Martin standards.
I would say that, all in all, if you get along with the feel and the weight,
no one will fault you for owning a Martin and you can likely sell it
without a big loss, if you need to.
About all I remember was that it was a bit heavy, had a thickish neck
and seemed to be built to Martin standards.
I would say that, all in all, if you get along with the feel and the weight,
no one will fault you for owning a Martin and you can likely sell it
without a big loss, if you need to.
I had one of these as my first bass as a kid. I was maybe 13. It was the 80's.
I can't believe I tried to learn on it. Thing was heavy and the neck was a beast. I think that why I'm not too shabby now. I had a black stinger sbx, and a crate amp. I thought it was so cool.
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I had a black one when I was a kid. That neck! I can't believe I tried to learn on that neck. I didn't know it was such and expensive bass at the time. My pots started cramping out by the mid 90's, but, I'd stopped playing it for a few years. I hat a jazz bass when I got into playing again. The stinger was a stinker by 96.
