Musicman- pros, cons?

[danbass007]

Hey everybody!
A friend of mine just picked up a musicman sterling bass and it sounds phenominal through his gk 700rb rig. Does anyone here have a musicman bass? I've heard great things about them and alot of pro players use them. Can you guy's give me the lowdown and your opinions on the basses?
thanks alot!

 

[BartmanPDX]

IMO, they are perhaps the most consistent "affordable" American production basses in terms of construction. Great value for the money.

Tone and feel are not for everyone, though. Many people don't like them at all, mostly for those reasons.

 

[Chronicle]

IMO, they are perhaps the most consistent "affordable" American production basses in terms of construction. Great value for the money.

Tone and feel are not for everyone, though. Many people don't like them at all, mostly for those reasons.

What about Rickenbacker?! This whole post can be said as well as for Ricks


I like the MM tone though, they are good basses and easy to obtain unlike a Rick :x

 

[punkbassistfc]

Awesome basses, i own a sterling. Definately better then current Fender.

 

[markjazzbassist]

awesome basses, own a Stingray 5. It's my main axe.

 

[mikeswals]

High quality and craftsmanship, most consistant production bass, best american bang for the buck.

 

[lefty007]

They play nice and have great quality for the price, but they don't sound as nice as a Fender.

 

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Decently priced basses. Better build than most basses which arent custom made.

The problem is the sound, its kind of like Marmite. You either Love it, or Hate it.

Personally, I love it, think the MM sounds are far superior to any Fenders (well, that ive heard).

 

[Alvaro Martín Gómez A.]

IMO, the price you pay for a MusicMan is a steal for what you get: An excellent-sounding, 100% U.S.A. made instrument from a company with top-notch quality control and superb customer service. I love my Bongos!

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[BartmanPDX]

What about Rickenbacker?! This whole post can be said as well as for Ricks


I like the MM tone though, they are good basses and easy to obtain unlike a Rick :x

You could say that. Rics have really good construction.

Still, I'm starting to think of them less and less as production basses, since I almost never see one new in a store any more. EBMMs are pretty easy to find in comparison.

 

[bman]

Like everyone says - great quality, readily available, sounds great, price isn't bad.
But personal preference will come into play.

I picked up an HH 'Ray a while back. I'm not totally enamored with the looks, and I'm a shallow bastid when it comes to basses so I figured I'd trade it in again someday.

It's now a little more than a year after getting it and I would never DREAM of parting with it. It feels so natural in my hands, I'm in love with the tone through my Ampeg B2re/1x15 and it has never, ever let me down.

To compare, I got a Ric 4003 not long after I picked up the 'Ray. I love the Ric for different reasons. But ever since I got the Ampeg rig, I can't - for the life of me - find a sound I like with it.
The 'Ray on the other hand? Plug and play. HUGE bottom that cuts right through.

When I pick it up at a gig, it feels like I'm home.

 

[Metropolis_488]

Hi build quality. Tone is based on preference. Unlike alot of people, I hate the oil finish on the neck.

 

[Lord Henry]

I play a SUB5 as my main bass.

As mentioned above, probably the best quality bass for the money out there (even in the SUB range).

Sound, well that's mostly a personal thing. For Rock/Metal etc I think it's the business. For a more mellow bluesy sound I tend to turn to my Ibanez P.

I'm also starting to think that the neck is a touch thin. I have pretty average sized hands but I'm feeling that I want a bit more chunk in the neck. Again a personal issue.

The last point I'd make is that some people will tell you that MMs are limited in terms of tone. The phrase 'one trick pony' tends to pop up a lot. I would disagree. Ps/Js/PJs/MMs/etc all have their own sound but I don't think you get any less range from an MM, especially with the tasty pre-amps that they come with.

Best thing to do is pick one up second hand. If you don't like it there will be plenty of players willing to take it off your hands and you won't lose any coin.

Cheers

 

[Dr. Cheese]

To me, there are no real downsides to Stingrays. Some don't like the string spacing on the SR5, but that is pure preference, not quality. Some don't like the fact they can be heavy. I say do some situps and get a wide strap.

 

[ggunn]

IMO, the price you pay for a MusicMan is a steal for what you get: An excellent-sounding, 100% U.S.A. made instrument from a company with top-notch quality control and superb customer service. I love my Bongos!

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Dang! I just drooled all over my keyboard...

 

[fullrangebass]

the MM sound is too one-dimensional fo my taste (very subjective and I am aware of it)

 

[Ampeg SVT]

Well my previous 'Ray's pros were that it could cut through well, it was very light, it played fast, and it looked good.
The cons however were the unfinished neck that dirtied very fast and the one dimensional sound. However I do love the HH and HS Musicmans but I dont like the H Musicmans as much.

 

[Barkless Dog]

Great basses, but have a very modern active tone. It has it's place and certainly is a great bass.

 

[nad]

Amazing basses. Unmistakable sound is the only downfall, but only if/when that sound is not for you.

My Sterling has been my #1 for years because 298.45 days of the year, I love the MM sound. For those other times, I use a different bass.

 

[Would'e?]

What about Rickenbacker?! This whole post can be said as well as for Ricks

That goes for Peavey Cirrus too. MM, Cirrus and Rics are all round about the same price and all quality USA made production instruments.

Specifically regarding the MMs (at least the 'Rays), I like the sound if run through a good amp with proper EQ, but I find them heavy, the necks a bit chunky and their looks a bit dodgy.