Is this a real USA MM?

[skycruiser]

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Not interested in buying, but seems to be crazy under-priced if real. What do the experts say?

 

[Gluvhand]

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Not interested in buying, but seems to be crazy under-priced if real. What do the experts say?

Yes US made SUB bass. Was a budget model that EBMM says they took a beating on. They saved money by not contouring the body and using a bed-liner type of paint. That is a fantastic price, btw. Great basses but very heavy.

 

[mercbass]

They came out around the time of the Highway One Fenders and faded Gibsons. Always regretted not getting one

 

[Maxdusty]

Can't seem to see the linked listing on my phone. If it's the US SUB, it's a true Musicman Made in the US. Sounds and plays like one because, well ...it is one.
There is an active version with a 2 band EQ preamp and one that's passive. The passive sounds great too btw, it has the MM bite but also has a little more warmth to the tone. I have one of these, great deal for the money.

 

[skycruiser]

Here's what we're seeing:

 

[Gluvhand]

I ran the serial number and it checks out. It's active according to EBMM. Probably just don't see the battery cover in the kind of blurry/dark pictures.

 

[Maxdusty]

For $300 ? Oh my goodness, that's a great price! I'd jump on getting that if the bass has no issues.

 

[sylvanbass]

Had one and it was great, but as mentioned it was pretty heavy and the paint had a grain to it that felt a little weird on the forearm. I'd buy it for that price in a heartbeat if it was on my local CL.

 

[_One//Man//Mutiny_]

The actual link says $900, which is right

 

[Maxdusty]

Just wanted to add the original pickguard looked like a metal grate cover, which was often quickly replaced by most people. That's the case with this bass.
This is my SUB, as mentioned they are on the heavy side but solidly built. The textured finish, while not the best actually makes it a little more durable in an industrial kind of way. The neck is also painted black on these basses.

 

[jbhaugh]

Just wanted to add the original pickguard looked like a metal grate cover, which was often quickly replaced by most people. That's the case with this bass.
This is my SUB, as mentioned they are on the heavy side but solidly built. The textured finish, while not the best actually makes it a little more durable in an industrial kind of way. The neck is also painted black on these basses.

There were also a small number with factory one-ply black pickguards. These are really great basses but the have some idiosyncrasies. The one I had for a while had a very fat neck.

 

[skycruiser]

The actual link says $900, which is right

Looks like it was a mistake or the seller realized they were way off base. I guess no one got away with a steal after all.

 

[_One//Man//Mutiny_]

Looks like it was a mistake or the seller realized they were way off base. I guess no one got away with a steal after all.

For $300 I would have high tailed it over there for sure! I had a red one that I really loved, had some funky active/passive push-pull volume knob and a 3 band, probably wasn’t original but it sounded killer nonetheless. $900 is still a good deal for what pretty much what became the classic stingrays, but with painted necks and rhino liner coated bodies. They used to be cheaper, but in comparison to everything else musicman related, still the cheapest and I would certainly put it right up there with, if not a little better than the high end SBMM Stingrays currently made.

 

[sylvanbass]

Looks like it was a mistake or the seller realized they were way off base. I guess no one got away with a steal after all.

Ahh, when I clicked the link it was $300. I retract my statement earlier in the post about being all over it. Still, not a bad price maybe. Those were built pretty solid. I'd have to play it first to be in at $900 though.

 

[madmaskbass]

USA Sub basses are so amazing! I love my 5. There are some known cut corners like poplar body, paint and no carve of of body, painted neck and weird pickguard. The big things are all US Musicman like hardware, electronics and high quality rosewood board and fretwork. The quality and tone of mine is unreal. I stripped the paint and gave mine a belly and arm contours and a matte army green paint job.It is now one of my main basses in a lineup of some very expensive basses it well and truly holds its own.

 

[Chrisk-K]

The price is $900 on my phone.

 

[Inertialsky]

Someone messaged the seller. Look at the details he added

 

[bigtone23]

$300 was a typical price for those before the pandemic induced used gear consumption put them on the radar.
$700-900 is typical now, especially since the Stingrays are nearly $3K new and $2K used. The US SUB is no joke.
I have a '05 4 string and '04 5 string US SUBS. Paid $600 total for both back in the Twenty-Teens. Amazing basses. Love the 2EQ.

 

[Maxdusty]

I bought my SUB Ray for under $300 something like 10 years ago. The previous owner was using it for the Rocksmith videogame. It had all these small stickers with numbers on them all over the fretboard. The neck also smelled of potato chips and was a tad oily. I think I got a pretty decent deal for it back then but had to get it back to something a bassist would use instead of a videogamer's axe.It was worth all the effort in degreasing the back of the neck of all that chip oil. Yuck! I have to say I'm rather shocked how much these basses typically go for now. First time post pandemic I checked the going rate for one.

 

[Eldon Tyrell]

I used to have a US SUB. Great bass. Built like a tank. I really liked the sound (2 EQ) but sold it as I did not like the slab body.