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My OLP is now a REAL Stingray!!
- Thread starter KenToby
- Start date
Yeah turn this into a canada/USA battle? man I was listening to you and thinking about what you had to say before, but if you think people are ignorant because they are from canada, you may as well just no longer continue posting cause I won't be able to take your opinions seriously... although thanks for the "guess" that we would also be allowed to voice our opinions.
- Aug 13, 2000
- 2,016
- 19
- 46
- Disclosures
- Audio Pro - Ecuador
WHERE IS HE SAYING THAT?
Where did you learn to read?
He is stating about WHY he HAS THE RIGHT to say things like "My OLP is now a REAL Stingray" he is citing the fact that in the U.S. freedom of speech is part of the constitution.
Dont tergiverse his words in that way!
gean simminds totally rocks, he is the bestt
and he makes mor mney then aneyboddy here
so how badd is that d00d!!
and he makes mor mney then aneyboddy here
so how badd is that d00d!!
As a neutral observer here, it seems all Canadians are super sensitive and all Americans are arrogant. It's a good thing I know better......... you all need to take a chill pill!
jive1
Commercial User
It seems that whenever someone has a project to soup up a cheap bass, you get the old "with the cost of the parts, you may as well get the real thing". Sometimes it's true, sometimes it's not. Hey I'm all for saving money. I'm one of the biggest cheapskate GASsers you'll ever meet. But, sometimes a guy doesn't want something that is just like everyone elses. In some ways it's just too easy to slap down $1000 and get a great bass. There is a certain joy and sense of accomplishment to make a cheapo bass play or sound like a more expensive one. I glow when I play my Essex P Bass at a gig, and someone comments me on my nice sound. They'll ask what kind of bass I play, and I tell em it's a bass made in China that I bought for $100. I don't tell them that I put in an aftermarket pickup because I just love the incredulous look they give me. It also makes them think that all the tone must be in my fingers (which it mostly is), not the bass. I'd rather have someone notice my playing over the kind of bass I play. It's just easier to do with a cheapo.
Sometimes parts can be bought cheap, and pickups are some of the easier parts to find on E-bay. Now I hear plenty of people say that you can get the real thing on e-bay for a cheap. But sometimes we don't want to take the time searching, when we can use that time tweaking what we already have. Believe it or not, some of us just like tweaking our basses.
As far as playability is concerned, I have played plenty of expensive basses with a poor setup. Now the construction and materials may be great, but if someone didn't adjust it right it is no more useful to me than a cheapo, other than resale value. Pickups that are not set to a players preferred height, or action that is too high or too low, intonation that is off, a necked that is bowed, uneven frets, or a nut that is improperly cut are more prevalent in a cheapo bass, but it doesn't mean they can't be fixed or that these symptoms can't exist in a more expensive bass. Even with expensive basses, I tweak them until they play right to me. The OLP is not likely to play like a Stingray out of the box. But that doesn't mean that you can't improve it's playability with just a couple of allen wrenches.
Now old KenToby ruffled some feathers by saying he had a REAL stingray. The truth is that it is not a REAL Stingray. It might sound like a real stingray, but it isn't a real one. The headstock logo, 4 bolt neck joint, basswood body, bridge, pickguard, tone controls, pickup and serial number should tell you it's not a real Stingray. Sound on the other hand is subjective. Some of us just hear stuff that others don't. That's why some producers have a magic ear, and others don't. Same reason why some people can tell if their bass lines are off pitch, but not when their singing is off. Some of have hearing loss in certain frequencies. Some of us have different memories or ideas as to what the Stingray sound is. Also, since the consistency of quality of the cheapos can dramtically differ, who's to say that Ken doesn't have one with "mojo" and others have played OLPs that didn't. If the thing sounds like a Stingray to him then it does. If the thing doesn't sound like a Stingray to someone else, then it doesn't. For most people in the audience, it just sounds like a bass.
Tone is in the ear of the behearer.
Sometimes parts can be bought cheap, and pickups are some of the easier parts to find on E-bay. Now I hear plenty of people say that you can get the real thing on e-bay for a cheap. But sometimes we don't want to take the time searching, when we can use that time tweaking what we already have. Believe it or not, some of us just like tweaking our basses.
As far as playability is concerned, I have played plenty of expensive basses with a poor setup. Now the construction and materials may be great, but if someone didn't adjust it right it is no more useful to me than a cheapo, other than resale value. Pickups that are not set to a players preferred height, or action that is too high or too low, intonation that is off, a necked that is bowed, uneven frets, or a nut that is improperly cut are more prevalent in a cheapo bass, but it doesn't mean they can't be fixed or that these symptoms can't exist in a more expensive bass. Even with expensive basses, I tweak them until they play right to me. The OLP is not likely to play like a Stingray out of the box. But that doesn't mean that you can't improve it's playability with just a couple of allen wrenches.
Now old KenToby ruffled some feathers by saying he had a REAL stingray. The truth is that it is not a REAL Stingray. It might sound like a real stingray, but it isn't a real one. The headstock logo, 4 bolt neck joint, basswood body, bridge, pickguard, tone controls, pickup and serial number should tell you it's not a real Stingray. Sound on the other hand is subjective. Some of us just hear stuff that others don't. That's why some producers have a magic ear, and others don't. Same reason why some people can tell if their bass lines are off pitch, but not when their singing is off. Some of have hearing loss in certain frequencies. Some of us have different memories or ideas as to what the Stingray sound is. Also, since the consistency of quality of the cheapos can dramtically differ, who's to say that Ken doesn't have one with "mojo" and others have played OLPs that didn't. If the thing sounds like a Stingray to him then it does. If the thing doesn't sound like a Stingray to someone else, then it doesn't. For most people in the audience, it just sounds like a bass.
Tone is in the ear of the behearer.
Great, now that we're back on track I'd like to ask a question. Can anyone point me towards a cheap but reasonably well made bass with Jazz style pickups?
The reason I ask is because I won some Alembic pickups last night. Now I have a problem, abliet a good one. I can't decide wether to buy a cheap bass and use the Alembic's to hot-rod it, OR to go the whole hog and get a custom made bass built sans-pickups and install the Alembics. Buy the sounds of it, it looks like hot-rodding a cheap bass certainly works.......
The reason I ask is because I won some Alembic pickups last night. Now I have a problem, abliet a good one. I can't decide wether to buy a cheap bass and use the Alembic's to hot-rod it, OR to go the whole hog and get a custom made bass built sans-pickups and install the Alembics. Buy the sounds of it, it looks like hot-rodding a cheap bass certainly works.......
jive1
Commercial User
I would go with the cheapo, but that's me. How much are you looking to spend Pete? I am not sure what is available down under, but I believe they sell Essex down there. If you want something of better quality, I would suggest a older Japanese make like a 70's/early 80's Ibanez, ESP, Tokai or a Fernandes. These companies also have guitars made in Korea or elsewhere that are of lesser quality, so make sure where they are coming from. If you're willing to spend a little more, the MIJ Fenders are really well made, but might cost you a little more than the before mentioned basses. You'll get decent bang for the buck, and the Japanese guitars may be easier to find in your half of the world.
One thing you might consider, if the Alembics are active, make sure the control cavity is large enough for the elctronics (unless you don't mind carving up the body a bit).
How cheap are we talking. SX, Squire, and Hamer come to mind. ESP or Yamaha probably wouldn't be a bad choice either.
HOw cheap? I don't know yet. The pickups were an unexpected prize. For perspeactive, a MIJ Fender Jazz in Australia is about $1600, a Squier Jazz is $699. A peavey Milestone III is $549. Looks like the Essex Jazz copy is about $299, so I guess it's winning the race at the moment.
Does Essex have a website? I can find heaps of reviews (almost all good) but I would like to look at pics and specs.
Does Essex have a website? I can find heaps of reviews (almost all good) but I would like to look at pics and specs.
Pete,
Essex have a website, but I can't remember the URL..you can get them from a number of shops in Sydney, however I have the email address of a guy in the blue mountains who was very helpful and the total cost was like $305 shipped to my work.
I have one if you want to know anything about them (or at least mine) PM me (or check out the Essex megathread). The choices in Australia (ie the Essex models) are pretty limited.
Essex have a website, but I can't remember the URL..you can get them from a number of shops in Sydney, however I have the email address of a guy in the blue mountains who was very helpful and the total cost was like $305 shipped to my work.
I have one if you want to know anything about them (or at least mine) PM me (or check out the Essex megathread). The choices in Australia (ie the Essex models) are pretty limited.
Petebass, One of the best overlooked basses for relativly cheap cost (not as cheap as OLP or Essex) is the HAMER Cruise bass. You can pick 'em up on e-bay for a steal. The ones with the 2tek bridge go for a little more, but i've seen them below $400.00.
I have a 2tek cruise and it's awesome. Everyone who has played my bass walks away amazed. They are a bit heavy, but I knda like the weight myself.
I don't think Toby was insulting Canadiens but his tone was a tad caustic. I do believe Canadiens are aforded free speach as well last I looked (as long as it is in French and English
)
Jive made some great points.
Noname, maybe it's YOU that makes that bass sound so groovy and not just the bass.
I think some folks here place way way to much emphasis on gear. Great gear no matter how great and expensive will not make you sound good or play good. I love the bit on the Simpsons when Bart get's a guitar and thinks it's broken until Otto picks it up and makes it wail. I'll bet our bass hero's could make a cheap teisco sound like a stellar axe.
Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters didn't have great gear when they started out, but man did they make that stuff sing.
As far as resale goes I see that a new Stingray goes for about $1,100 to $1,300 US on MF, now folks here are saying you can pick them up used for $600.00, thats quite a bit of depreciation. An OLP will sell new from $169.00 to a couple hundred and they resell for around 120.00 to 150.00 holding their initial value rather well.
Again I don't imply that an OLP is a Stingray, just a great value.
I have a 2tek cruise and it's awesome. Everyone who has played my bass walks away amazed. They are a bit heavy, but I knda like the weight myself.
I don't think Toby was insulting Canadiens but his tone was a tad caustic. I do believe Canadiens are aforded free speach as well last I looked (as long as it is in French and English
)Jive made some great points.
Noname, maybe it's YOU that makes that bass sound so groovy and not just the bass.
I think some folks here place way way to much emphasis on gear. Great gear no matter how great and expensive will not make you sound good or play good. I love the bit on the Simpsons when Bart get's a guitar and thinks it's broken until Otto picks it up and makes it wail. I'll bet our bass hero's could make a cheap teisco sound like a stellar axe.
Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters didn't have great gear when they started out, but man did they make that stuff sing.
As far as resale goes I see that a new Stingray goes for about $1,100 to $1,300 US on MF, now folks here are saying you can pick them up used for $600.00, thats quite a bit of depreciation. An OLP will sell new from $169.00 to a couple hundred and they resell for around 120.00 to 150.00 holding their initial value rather well.
Again I don't imply that an OLP is a Stingray, just a great value.
