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Musicman clones

#41
I just picked up a 5 string Maestro Stingray clone for $140. It is a really nice bass. It needed a little work. I added a string tree, leveled the frets, added straploks, and put in a preamp. (Sorry I haven't taken any pics yet.)

I used to own an OLP a 5 string olp. I didn't like it.

Bass5-0127.jpg


I also used to own a Dillion 5 string Stingray. I didn't like that one either.
 
#43
Crystalman85 said:
So you guys had OLP basses, huh. okay. a friend of mine who plays musicman strerling basses warned me about OLP basses. he told me that these basses are not real musicman basses. I don't plan on buying an OLP bass, but at least he gave me the heads up about them. If I was going to purchase an actual musicman bass, I would go with a musicman sterling. it's a shame that not many bass guitar companies make musicman clones. the only companies I know that makes musicman clones are arbor, stagg, and jay turser.
Click to expand...

OLP were not MusicMan, of course.
But neither are Stagg, SX, etc.
The OLPs were not fantastic, but were pretty good compared to other copies I've had the chance to try.

however... they really need a new pickup to start being Stingray-ish. I favour the alnico Seymour Duncan SMB4A pickup.

I have a Stagg 5-string. I bought that because it was the only one I could find with a wide string spacing. The pickup was bad, and wasn't proper MM size. Fretwork needed a *lot* of work. I put a SD pickup in (SMB5A) after routing body and pickguard, and a 3-band preamp. This time just a cheap one from eBay. It does the job. It's ok. But needed a lot of fettling. Ilike doing that but... it's not even close to OLP quality.

I have 3 OLPs.
I owned a fourth, but it was poor and let it go.
One of them is a newer OLP (smaller bridge, smaller logo). I put a SMB4A pickup and a Seymour Duncan 3-band preamp. I have used it extensively and it's a fantastic bass. It was nice from the beginning, better than any Stagg, Vintage, Westfield etc... and with the electronics change it sounds mighty.
The other two are older, with the larger bridge plate and the body is rounder, more Stingray-like.
One of them I simply put a SMB4A pickup on and left it passive. It's amazing just how much it improves simply after changing the pickup. The other one was converted into fretless, put a Nordstrand MM4.2 pickup there (I prefer the Seymour Duncan though) and the 2EQ preamp from a real MM Stingray (my 2002 'ray, which now has a John East preamp).

There are pictures of them all in the OLP club thread.

Are they as good as a real MusicMan Stingray.
A very firm *NO*.

But they're better than any other copies around.

The 5 string OLP version is pretty sweet, especially the Tony Levin model, active too.

However... there are other MusicMan basses, the SUB. You can grab a 2-band EQ SUB4 for not a lot of money, and THAT is much better quality.
I have a 5-string SUB5 that is just amazing. I can't believe I was able to get so much bass for so little money.
The only thingis that some are wired with the pickup coils in series rather than parallel... which is not so Stingray... But mine was alnico and parallel, so I did nothing to it and it's fantastic.

So... consider SUBs.
 
#44
Matt-77 said:
I owened an OLP a few years back just co's a guy I knew was selling it uber cheap, I didn't have it long as the action was so high you needed a bionic hand to hold the strings down. Even when I got it as low as possible you could drive a bus under the dam strings lol. It sounded ok to take jamming but I wouldn't gig with it. I know its been sold on at least twice now so I bet the bloody thing still doing the rounds on ebay.
Click to expand...

My second OLP was like that. The guy asked £120. I checked it... it was in good order... just amazing high action... but neck was good and truss rod worked. I said I'd take it. He said (without my saying anything) that he just wants £100, given that it has high action and needs strings etc. Fine.
It just took a usual set up, including a bit of fret levelling in a couple of spots (hardly rocket science!) to get it playing beautifully.

I love when people don't bother to have their instruments set up (or learn to do it), because it's allowed me to grab bargains for years :lol:
 
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#45
Ric5 said:
I just picked up a 5 string Maestro Stingray clone for $140. It is a really nice bass. It needed a little work. I added a string tree, leveled the frets, added straploks, and put in a preamp. (Sorry I haven't taken any pics yet.)

I used to own an OLP a 5 string olp. I didn't like it.

Bass5-0127.jpg


I also used to own a Dillion 5 string Stingray. I didn't like that one either.
Click to expand...

whoa, Is the bridge protruding at the bottom???
The picture makes it look that way, but I'm not sure it's just because of the angle...
 
#48
mcnach said:
OLP were not MusicMan, of course.
But neither are Stagg, SX, etc.
The OLPs were not fantastic, but were pretty good compared to other copies I've had the chance to try.

however... they really need a new pickup to start being Stingray-ish. I favour the alnico Seymour Duncan SMB4A pickup.

I have a Stagg 5-string. I bought that because it was the only one I could find with a wide string spacing. The pickup was bad, and wasn't proper MM size. Fretwork needed a *lot* of work. I put a SD pickup in (SMB5A) after routing body and pickguard, and a 3-band preamp. This time just a cheap one from eBay. It does the job. It's ok. But needed a lot of fettling. Ilike doing that but... it's not even close to OLP quality.

I have 3 OLPs.
I owned a fourth, but it was poor and let it go.
One of them is a newer OLP (smaller bridge, smaller logo). I put a SMB4A pickup and a Seymour Duncan 3-band preamp. I have used it extensively and it's a fantastic bass. It was nice from the beginning, better than any Stagg, Vintage, Westfield etc... and with the electronics change it sounds mighty.
The other two are older, with the larger bridge plate and the body is rounder, more Stingray-like.
One of them I simply put a SMB4A pickup on and left it passive. It's amazing just how much it improves simply after changing the pickup. The other one was converted into fretless, put a Nordstrand MM4.2 pickup there (I prefer the Seymour Duncan though) and the 2EQ preamp from a real MM Stingray (my 2002 'ray, which now has a John East preamp).

There are pictures of them all in the OLP club thread.

Are they as good as a real MusicMan Stingray.
A very firm *NO*.

But they're better than any other copies around.

The 5 string OLP version is pretty sweet, especially the Tony Levin model, active too.

However... there are other MusicMan basses, the SUB. You can grab a 2-band EQ SUB4 for not a lot of money, and THAT is much better quality.
I have a 5-string SUB5 that is just amazing. I can't believe I was able to get so much bass for so little money.
The only thingis that some are wired with the pickup coils in series rather than parallel... which is not so Stingray... But mine was alnico and parallel, so I did nothing to it and it's fantastic.

So... consider SUBs.
Click to expand...

I know they're not actual musicman basses. they're clones of musicman basses. but honestly who cares. if they sound pretty cool, that all it matters.

Also this thread is dedicated for those who own musicman clones. rather if they dig them or not.
 
#49
Crystalman85 said:
I know they're not actual musicman basses. they're clones of musicman basses. but honestly who cares. if they sound pretty cool, that all it matters.

Also this thread is dedicated for those who own musicman clones. rather if they dig them or not.
Click to expand...


My point is that the MM SUB is often ignored, and sometimes we can spend more $$$ getting a clone and modifying them, when we could have obtained a MM SUB and already own a better bass.

I've done that! Like I said, I have 3 OLPs which I love... just adding something else to the discussion: if you're looking for a "Stingray type bass", add the MM SUB to the list of "clones" you may want to look at, especially if you're likely to want to start replacing pickups etc.

My point is not about the brand (I don't care), but about having a good bass that really sounds good for live and recording purposes.
 
#50
mcnach said:
My point is that the MM SUB is often ignored, and sometimes we can spend more $$$ getting a clone and modifying them, when we could have obtained a MM SUB and already own a better bass.

I've done that! Like I said, I have 3 OLPs which I love... just adding something else to the discussion: if you're looking for a "Stingray type bass", add the MM SUB to the list of "clones" you may want to look at, especially if you're likely to want to start replacing pickups etc.

My point is not about the brand (I don't care), but about having a good bass that really sounds good for live and recording purposes.
Click to expand...

Yeah...point taken. I did wonder about the musicman SUB basses at one point. I once saw a youtube clip of some guy playing bombtrack by rage against the machine on his musicman SUB bass. it sounded pretty cool. a good bass for recording a live performances is important. even if it's a musicman clone. the arbor musicman clone I use to own sounded pretty cool for live performances and recording. I did record an instrumental demo of songs I've came up with for my brother band and it sounded pretty cool for recording.

In case you're wondering what happen to the musicman I use to own, I sold it on craig's list because I've felt that musicman-styled bass guitars wasn't the right bass guitars for me. right now I own a passive peavey millennium bass and a schecter stiletto bass for my brother's band.
 
#54
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#56
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#60
Crystalman85 said:
...I'm talking about musicman-styled bass guitars made by companies like arbor, stagg, jay turser, and sx(they did made musicman clones at one point). I've owned an arbor musicman clone and it's actually pretty good sounding bass. and it does sound totally awesome when I put on a set of dunlop stainless steel strings on the bass. anyways, I was wondering has anyone here ever owned a musicman clone?
Click to expand...

Zombie thread!

Resurrecting it because I just snagged an Arbor Stingray copy earlier this week.

Like the OP, I'm surprised by mine. Got it CHEAP.

Aside from looks, it's nothing much like the real deal. Passive, for one thing.

But it's a decent bass for an MIC El Cheapo knockoff.
 
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