I have a clear guard on the way for one of mine, but I have to say the tort looked really nice on that. I liked how it contrasts the green but goes nicely with the roasted maple neck.
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EBMM StingRay Special Club
- Thread starter MultiScaleMale
- Start date
I have a clear guard on the way for one of mine, but I have to say the tort looked really nice on that. I liked how it contrasts the green but goes nicely with the roasted maple neck.
I agree. Admittedly I'm not normally a huge tort fan and my first impression was that it was kind of too much or "busy".
How much is the price increase on the new specials in the USA? Just seen some of the new models have come up on the Andertons website in the UK and they are about 40% more expensive than last years models. £3K for a Stingray, that's insane. 
How much is the price increase on the new specials in the USA? Just seen some of the new models have come up on the Andertons website in the UK and they are about 40% more expensive than last years models. £3K for a Stingray, that's insane.
View attachment 4136788
That's pretty crazy, entering boutique territory. They are outstanding basses, but I wonder if this price increase might be pushing it a little too far.
Well, I was gonna get a Special 4HH, thinking it would be roughly £2200 tops. Not getting one anymore at this actual price. They’ve lost me as a customer.
Now, you could be like “who cares”, and think they’ll still have loads of customers to buy their instruments.... fact is: they won’t. It’s 2021, we’re in the middle of a freaking pandemic, and some of the most impacted people are musicians. What we love to do, which is playing music for audiences, cannot happen. Some of us (not me) do that for a living. There’s no job in that field at the moment.
So, how can you justify a 43% price increase on an instrument which has NOT evolved since last year (except new colors)?
What has changed in their building process and costs, to justify that increase?
Consequently, how can you expect severely impacted musicians, who have no idea when live music (or even practice) will resume, to swallow up a 43% price increase when.... well it’s the same instruments as last year!!!! Again I don’t consider a new color as innovation.
So yeah, they won’t have my money, but they won’t have a lot of people’s either, because it’s the worst time in years to be forking out 3 grand on an instrument.
Again; had they been more reasonably priced, I would have made the effort probably. But I cannot accept the idea of spending 3 grand on a kind of mass-produced instrument that gives me ZERO customisable options.
For the price of one Stingray, I can get two fully customised to my specs Maruszczyk basses. Not mass produced in Poland.
Or even, a Valenti bass, with great advice from Nino himself, and options available to choose from. And that leaves me with another grand to go on a nice holiday when it’s doable to do so.
Yes. I’m frigging annoyed at this policy of ramping up prices like mad. I know they’re not a charity and their aim is to make money. But not to that ridiculous extent.
Now, you could be like “who cares”, and think they’ll still have loads of customers to buy their instruments.... fact is: they won’t. It’s 2021, we’re in the middle of a freaking pandemic, and some of the most impacted people are musicians. What we love to do, which is playing music for audiences, cannot happen. Some of us (not me) do that for a living. There’s no job in that field at the moment.
So, how can you justify a 43% price increase on an instrument which has NOT evolved since last year (except new colors)?
What has changed in their building process and costs, to justify that increase?
Consequently, how can you expect severely impacted musicians, who have no idea when live music (or even practice) will resume, to swallow up a 43% price increase when.... well it’s the same instruments as last year!!!! Again I don’t consider a new color as innovation.
So yeah, they won’t have my money, but they won’t have a lot of people’s either, because it’s the worst time in years to be forking out 3 grand on an instrument.
Again; had they been more reasonably priced, I would have made the effort probably. But I cannot accept the idea of spending 3 grand on a kind of mass-produced instrument that gives me ZERO customisable options.
For the price of one Stingray, I can get two fully customised to my specs Maruszczyk basses. Not mass produced in Poland.
Or even, a Valenti bass, with great advice from Nino himself, and options available to choose from. And that leaves me with another grand to go on a nice holiday when it’s doable to do so.
Yes. I’m frigging annoyed at this policy of ramping up prices like mad. I know they’re not a charity and their aim is to make money. But not to that ridiculous extent.
How much is the price increase on the new specials in the USA? Just seen some of the new models have come up on the Andertons website in the UK and they are about 40% more expensive than last years models. £3K for a Stingray, that's insane.
View attachment 4136788
it doesn’t look like the us price is more than last year... At least according to the ebmm site.
Price was $2199 for black/maple back in Oct 2018. It's now $2399. (U.S. prices.). That is no where near high-end boutique category IMO. I think it's still a very good value for the quality of the instrument.
We need to account for price differences between H/HH and four vs. five strings.
Well consider yourselves lucky in the US, coz here in the UK, a black Stingray that was £2099 is now £2749....
Find a used EBMM. I currently own 6 EBMM bass guitars and not a single one was purchased new. We also don’t know if their overhead went up, distributors/suppliers went up...profit is always important but not always the sole reason prices go up.
I'm very picky and finding the exact one I want used is tricky. Especially over here. Plus I usually like my basses spanking new 
Already went hunting
I believe the H vs. HH was always 100.00 (at least in the age of the Special).
I meant to say, "it might cure your GAS," not bass. Grrr.Nope!! That is a beautiful bass but I’m a jazz bass lover.
But if anyone would rather have one of these instead of their purple Adam Clayton , message me and we can work out a deal.Seriously!! We can do a deal and you’ll get a brand new StingRay.
The list on my black/maple 4H special in 2019 was $2200, but I think I brought it home new/unopened for around $1900. I think it's unreasonable to assume that the price won't increase some, but there are no 2021 color options that would prompt me personally to buy at the current price. For what it's worth, I prefer more traditional/classic color options. I think lack of quality swamp ash is driving EBMM to produce more solid colors. While I love the traditional black, I thought they did a really good natural, 3TSB, and semi-transparent colors like the old 90's teal and red.
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The 90s trans teal was one of my favorite colors, for now I think I will be satisfied with my black and maple 5 string from 1990. If I get to gigging more often like before maybe I could justify a special.
I wrote to EBMM about 7 years ago and they provided the build date and confirmed that my 1990 had alnico, I know they switched to ceramic a little bit after that. I never tried any other Music Man basses after that. So what do you like about the ceramic.
