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Fall 2021 Ernie Ball BFR Stingray Special 5HH

#45
SgtHulka said:
Sorry, it's not a Stingray. I guess your comment is an example of what might have been the ultimate goal, to confuse the masses to think they are. It's a Ray34. Not a Stingray. It is not made by Ernie Ball.
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I am not "confused."

Who says it has to be made by Ernie Ball to be considered a StingRay? Certainly not Ernie Ball, who I think has more authority on the subject than any of us.

If you go to the SBMM web site, the titles of the basses all include "StingRay." It's officially a "StingRay Ray34 Ash Black" or "StingRay Short Scale" etc. Thus, a Ray34 is still a StingRay. Surely if that were not true, EB would not allow SBMM to use the term.

Saying SBMMs aren't StingRays is like saying that a Squier P bass isn't really a P bass simply because it doesn't say "Fender" on the headstock.
 
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#46
SunByrne said:
I am not "confused."

Who says it has to be made by Ernie Ball to be considered a StingRay? Certainly not Ernie Ball, who I think has more authority on the subject than any of us.

If you go to the SBMM web site, the titles of the basses all include "StingRay." It's officially a "StingRay Ray34 Ash Black" or "StingRay Short Scale" etc. Thus, a Ray34 is still a StingRay. Surely if that were not true, EB would not allow SBMM to use the term.

Saying those aren't StingRays is like saying that a Squier P bass isn't really a P bass simply because it doesn't say "Fender" on the headstock.
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No, it's not. But I applaud your effort.

First, a "P bass" is a type of bass, not a trademark. And you said it yourself, it says on their own website, "Stingray RAY34". It doesn't say "Stingray". You know why? Because that specific trademark belongs to Ernie Ball. It's called a "Stingray RAY34". If I'm a competing burger joint and make something called a Big Mac, it is also a McDonald's Big Mac if it is made by another burger joint? If I'm the other burger joint, I'm not allowed to called it a Big Mac, because it insinuates that I am serving the same burger made by McDonald's, which I am not.

And it is Ernie Ball who says it must be made by them to be considered a "Stingray". Ernie Ball does NOT let them use the term "Stingray" alone. They allow them to use it in conjunction with the other words as stated above. It's not even close to the same thing. And judging by your response, I'd say they did confuse you, and tons of other consumers out there. Do you really thing Ernie Ball would give up the exact very name of their flagship model over 40+ years to another company making cheap import versions?
 
#48
SgtHulka said:
No, it's not. But I applaud your effort.

First, a "P bass" is a type of bass, not a trademark. And you said it yourself, it says on their own website, "Stingray RAY34". It doesn't say "Stingray". You know why? Because that specific trademark belongs to Ernie Ball. It's called a "Stingray RAY34". If I'm a competing burger joint and make something called a Big Mac, it is also a McDonald's Big Mac if it is made by another burger joint? If I'm the other burger joint, I'm not allowed to called it a Big Mac, because it insinuates that I am serving the same burger made by McDonald's, which I am not.

And it is Ernie Ball who says it must be made by them to be considered a "Stingray". Ernie Ball does NOT let them use the term "Stingray" alone. They allow them to use it in conjunction with the other words as stated above. It's not even close to the same thing. And judging by your response, I'd say they did confuse you, and tons of other consumers out there. Do you really thing Ernie Ball would give up the exact very name of their flagship model over 40+ years to another company making cheap import versions?
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I'm not saying I like it, but :

IMG0805.jpg
 
#52
SgtHulka said:
And a real Stingray. Notice how neither of them say Stingray alone.

View attachment 4421341
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And mine says "StingRayBass"

Even different eras, and models have variations on the company logo, the placement of the elements of the company logo, and the model name, and in the spacing between each of the elements (check out the "Classic" 5 string, and the Timmy C Sig decals).

It's no wonder people get confused, when even the font is the same.
 
#53
Wood and Wire said:
And mine says "StingRayBass"

Even different eras, and models have variations on the company logo, the placement of the elements of the company logo, and the model name, and in the spacing between each of the elements (check out the "Classic" 5 string, and the Timmy C Sig decals).

It's no wonder people get confused, when even the font is the same.
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It's not the Ernie Ball company logo on the SBMM models. Again, the SBMM models are made by Praxis, not Ernie Ball.
 
#54
Who made what, when, where, what continent, etc etc. Semantics means something, I guess. More so if you love arguing with people about it.

All the nice new Music Mans (Men?) and BFRs aside, it seems to me that MM’s toughest competition is their older basses. The new basses are getting expensive and for $1500-2000 or so, one can get a really nice used Stingray. I’ve seen literally hundreds of used Stingrays, all in good to great shape and great choices for anyone. I did get to play a Special a while back and it was so fine, but I wouldn’t put it up over any of the 5 SR5s I’ve owned over the years, especially this latest, a geee-ooorgeous 2011 SR5. A little heavy, I can still manage it fine.

How does a company like MM compete with themselves on that level, other than appealing to those that simply want a new instrument (as good a reason as any, of course)?
 
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