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Music Man Session Series

#61
Geri O said:
Oh, and lest you high-and-mighty types think I'm a high-brow buyer with expensive tastes, let me show you my $300 6-string Squier Jazz that has to be one of the best deals on a bass ever! With an Audere preamp (whew, just under the wire with that one), it has a great Jazz bass tone.

So there. Carry on. My shields stay up.
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I think the issue was more with how you came off to another user, nothing to do with what you own. Your words don't own your basses.

Geri O said:
But again. it's okay for folks to insinuate that folks buying expensive basses are doing it only for a self-gratification or bolstering a need to feel important? A lot of you guys think so. Fair enough.

I responded to that (did you even read that?). I didn't make an assertion. There's a difference.
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I think you are misinterpreting them on purpose at this point. We aren't saying that here. If you wanted to argue against what they said, it'd be "a person who spent $3.5k on a bass SHOULDN'T have the right to feel good about their purchase." Just as ridiculous.

In all seriousness, are you ok? Stuff happens in life and we all have a bad day, but you seem to keep digging...
 
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#62
ninjatanzen said:
From what I read, they mentioned people should be able to feel like they have something special when they spent $3,500. That doesn't mean someone can't feel special with a less expensive bass. Only that, for the money, someone should probably be getting a good experience.

Calling an inanimate object cheap vs less-expensive isn't the same as shaming a living, breathing human.
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Like I keep saying ad nauseam, you didn't read what I responded to or you did and don't care.
 
#64
I think the fashionable word for the defendant's defence is Whataboutism.

Anyway, when I was a full-time professional musician, I would have had trouble affording $350 for anything, never mind $3500 for a brand new version of something readily available for less than half that used, so I'm not sure that, in the context of a musicians' forum, it was quite the flex it supposed itself to be.
 
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#70
Geri O said:
Why insinuate that someone buys expensive US basses to only make themselves feel better and can't really tell a difference in that and the less-expensive instruments? Then turn around and brag about how many basses they have and how much they cost? Do they even know which way is up?

All of you getting on my case seem to be perfectly fine with that. But I'm the bad guy?

Whatever. No surprise.

(At least I am respectful enough to call them "less expensive" and not "cheap"…..)

Oh, and lest you high-and-mighty types think I'm a high-brow buyer with expensive tastes, let me show you my $300 6-string Squier Jazz that has to be one of the best deals on a bass ever! With an Audere preamp (whew, just under the wire with that one), it has a great Jazz bass tone.

So there. Carry on. My shields stay up.
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Ever think it may not be EVERYONE else and just maybe it's you?
 
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#71
MIJ Fender Guy said:
no there are other changes. They are listening to in this thread.
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The only thing I saw in the thread is someone says they heard they're using the same supplier for the preamps that they did in the 90s.

Only difference that I can see visually other than the logo is that these use a compensated nut and the older 2 nub pickup housing.

This was the ash/roasted maple Ray34 and to me the body looks identical.
Ray34_Ash_M2_Front_web_CROP_700x700.png
 
#72
primussucks9126 said:
The only thing I saw in the thread is someone says they heard they're using the same supplier for the preamps that they did in the 90s.

Only difference that I can see visually other than the logo is that these use a compensated nut and the older 2 nub pickup housing.

This was the ash/roasted maple Ray34 and to me the body looks identical.
View attachment 7423339
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Other differences. Tuner upgrade: Short stem MM-branded Schaller Tuners. Not an upgrade, but also MM branded neckplate and bridge.
 
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#73
primussucks9126 said:
The only thing I saw in the thread is someone says they heard they're using the same supplier for the preamps that they did in the 90s.

Only difference that I can see visually other than the logo is that these use a compensated nut and the older 2 nub pickup housing.

This was the ash/roasted maple Ray34 and to me the body looks identical.
View attachment 7423339
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There's still a bit more that's different as well. Such as the neck finish. And I am sure they will have better QC. But yea, of course it will be similar. Both made in the same factory. I am not saying it's anything groundbreaking - but I would purchase it over a Ray34. It's a nice little step up. Is the value good compared to a Ray34? No. But getting it for like $1300 or so after a deal is made? It's just the right Stingray at the right price for me. I want the Music Man logo if nothing else haha. Yep.
 
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#74
This Music Man Session series looks great to me. As a Stingray fan, I would be happy to try one out and buy it if I liked. Personally, I got in serious credit card trouble about twenty-three years ago and paid off enough debt to buy a luxury car at 2026 prices. I will never put myself in the hole over a bass again. A $1,600 SR5 sounds really good to me!
 
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#75
Dr. Cheese said:
This Music Man Session series looks great to me. As a Stingray fan, I would be happy to try one out and buy it if I liked. Personally, I got in serious credit card trouble about twenty-three years ago and paid off enough debt to buy a luxury car at 2026 prices. I will never put myself in the hole over a bass again. A $1,600 SR5 sounds really good to me!
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I remember when I was a broke student, I got fixated on a spectacular blue StingRay 5 at the Bass Centre in Birmingham. I used to go in there, any chance I got, and play it.

The salesman, Dave AKA "Kink" knew how much I wanted it, and how broke students we're back then, and he eventually flat-out refused to sell it to me, saying there was no point me having it, if I was to weak to even lift it, having spent every penny on the bass instead of on food.

That really snapped me out of the whole GAS thing, changed my whole outlook, and turned me fully utilitarian pragmatist.

Too bad there aren't more salesmen like that; I owe him.
 
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#77
Wood and Wire said:
I remember when I was a broke student, I got fixated on a spectacular blue StingRay 5 at the Bass Centre in Birmingham. I used to go in there, any chance I got, and play it.

The salesman, Dave AKA "Kink" knew how much I wanted it, and how broke students we're back then, and he eventually flat-out refused to sell it to me, saying there was no point me having it, if I was to weak to even lift it, having spent every penny on the bass instead of on food.

That really snapped me out of the whole GAS thing, changed my whole outlook, and turned me fully utilitarian pragmatist.

Too bad there aren't more salesmen like that; I owe him.
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I've seen this movie before…somewhere…
1770044235157.jpeg

[after playing the fist 2 bars of "Higher Ground"]

"Can I help you?"
"Yes, I'd like to check out this Stingray 5…?"
"Again…?"
"….yes…?"
 
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#78
If these are built at Cortek its not a guarantee that its the same factory as the SBMM stuff. Cortek is huge and has a bunch of factories that build at different tiers of quality and price. SBMM sells stuff at a price that I would guarantee is at one of the lower tier factories. Someone mentioned PRS but they actually have their own special factories just for them. No other brand is made at their factories. I am a bit shocked they were able to get the oil finish done. That's a nice feature. I think this makes a lot of sense for them because US manufacturing is only going to go up in price and there is such a huge gap in price and quality from the bottom end SBMM stuff and the USA stuff. Fender has Squier, MIM, and USA to cover the different ranges.
 
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#79
Johnny Alien said:
If these are built at Cortek its not a guarantee that its the same factory as the SBMM stuff. Cortek is huge and has a bunch of factories that build at different tiers of quality and price. SBMM sells stuff at a price that I would guarantee is at one of the lower tier factories. Someone mentioned PRS but they actually have their own special factories just for them. No other brand is made at their factories. I am a bit shocked they were able to get the oil finish done. That's a nice feature. I think this makes a lot of sense for them because US manufacturing is only going to go up in price and there is such a huge gap in price and quality from the bottom end SBMM stuff and the USA stuff. Fender has Squier, MIM, and USA to cover the different ranges.
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Yep. This tier has been missing for a while now. Too bad it had to happen in 2026 where it has to be $1500 and not 1100.
 
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