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NBD: Ernie Ball Music Man Caprice
- Thread starter Inara
- Start date
Thanks, but I really don't like black pickguards, lol. I do have a silver Ray34 fretless with black, but that's because it came that way and I've gotten used to it and not figured out what to replace it with yet. A black fretless with ebony unlined fingerboard, black guard, and black hardware would be awesome, though. But I won't be putting a black guard on this Caprice.
EBMM is saying they plan a 5 string version for 2018. If it has their narrow 5 spacing like the Stingray 5, I'll consider it. If it's 19mm, I probably won't, though I know that would make a lot of others very happy. For my hands, I just don't like how wide the necks get with 19mm spacing on a 5 string.
Torts not horrible, personally i like the white on that bass.. mint might be cool tooHave fun, great bass!!
I like the white over the tort too.
Agreed. EBMM's 17.5mm 5-string spacing is ideal — in my opinion at least. That's what I'm hoping for with the 5-string Caprice.
From what I know of Sterling Ball's history, you will get pretty narrow spacing. Personally, I think 18mm spacing, like my Ibanez, would be a good compromise. The big man might consider this because my guess is that the market for the Caprice is a little different from the typical Music Man user.
Would be very surprised if it was different for a 5 string caprice. String spacing is one of those things that some people like narrow, some wider, and some don't care. If they did do something different, they would get complaints it was different, and additional complaints about why they can't do the new spacing for the other 5 strings. I like the string spacing on my EBMM 5 strings.
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Bzzzt...wrong answer!
The correct answer is white pearloid.
(Great looking bass BTW, Inara. Enjoy!)
Thanks! White Pearloid is a definite possibility!!Bzzzt...wrong answer!
The correct answer is white pearloid.
(Great looking bass BTW, Inara. Enjoy!)
That makes sense. My idea was that the Caprice will attract people who like Fenders and boutique Fender style basses, and most of those people like wider spacing.
That's probably true. But the Caprice still gets a lot of love and interest even though passive from the active bass fans on the EBMM forum. Hopefully we do get to find out what spacing a Caprice 5 comes with!
Whatever you do, don't ruin it with a tort guard. Tort works great with white, blonde, black, sunburst and some reds but on blues and greens it's pretty horrible.
Inara, have you recorded any clips with the Caprice yet? It's been on my "gotta check it out list" lately but I haven't gotten my hands on one yet, and I'd love to hear it; I've checked out the video posted earlier in this thread, but I'd love to hear more.
Enjoy the new bass!
Irrelevant content: For tonight's gig I will being a MM Sabre and a G&L L2000. See avatar at left. I really like both MMs and G&Ls. I've become a fan of both of those much to the dismay of the Fenders and other basses hanging around here. I've got this nagging feeling that a Caprice might give my G&L SB-2 a run for its money.
Enjoy the new bass!
Irrelevant content: For tonight's gig I will being a MM Sabre and a G&L L2000. See avatar at left. I really like both MMs and G&Ls. I've become a fan of both of those much to the dismay of the Fenders and other basses hanging around here.
I've got this nagging feeling that a Caprice might give my G&L SB-2 a run for its money.
Our local bass player facebook group has a fellow that works at Long & McQuade who is very active (Long & McQuade is a Canadian music store chain if you don't know). Anyway, he posted a photo of the blue and the tobacco burst Caprice basses a week ago Monday, I saw the blue one and had to take a look. I had not heard of the Caprice before.
After some internet readings, I found myself down there on the Wednesday looking for the blue one. It was already sold. The burst didn't look as good in person as some burst do (at least to me), but after trying it in store I had to rent it for the week. I've never heard or played such a wonderful bass. I've spent quite a few hours trying to decide between the 6 colour choices.
I returned the burst today and now have a Coral version on order. But if that blue one had been in stock, I would likely already own it.
If the rumours of a 5 string are true, then there's a good chance I'll own a white one some time next year. Just a fantastic instrument.
After some internet readings, I found myself down there on the Wednesday looking for the blue one. It was already sold. The burst didn't look as good in person as some burst do (at least to me), but after trying it in store I had to rent it for the week. I've never heard or played such a wonderful bass. I've spent quite a few hours trying to decide between the 6 colour choices.
I returned the burst today and now have a Coral version on order. But if that blue one had been in stock, I would likely already own it.
If the rumours of a 5 string are true, then there's a good chance I'll own a white one some time next year. Just a fantastic instrument.
Hi Jack - I haven't yet, sorry. I've been playing my fretless Ray34 and my Ibanez 5 string more the last few days, as I had an audition for a sort of goth / NiN influenced band last night, and those two fit the music and the image better.
I don't actually have a good way to record clips other than just my iPhone right now anyway, sadly. I just played it some more this evening, though, and I'm still in love.
I really wish my Ray34 fretless was this light ... I really felt that bass after two hours playing last night. So much so that I ordered a Slinger harness strap system today.
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I played the Caprice in a mix for the first time tonight, though not with drums. It was an audition for a cool project, a fun sort of blues/rock/Americana mix, with some Neil Young, Alman Brothers, Rory Gallagher, and Led Zeppelin mixed in with a lot of really cool originals. The two guys who started it have been playing for a few months as a duo (they switch around on electric and acoustic guitars, and one of them also plays mandolin), and are fleshing it out to a full band now. they haven't found a drummer yet, so the audition was the three of us.
Anyway, I took the Caprice, my fretless Ray34, and a Carvin AG100D combo (100 watts into a 12). I never even played the fretless ... This is a perfect P bass gig, I realized almost immediately. I had the P pickup soloed, tone all the way up, the amp set close to flat, and it just killed. Easily as good in the mix as my old '74 Precision, which was the best playing and sounding bass I had ever owned until now.
Super happy! And the audition went really well. I'll find out in a few days, but they were very complimentary of my playing and the tone.
Anyway, I took the Caprice, my fretless Ray34, and a Carvin AG100D combo (100 watts into a 12). I never even played the fretless ... This is a perfect P bass gig, I realized almost immediately. I had the P pickup soloed, tone all the way up, the amp set close to flat, and it just killed. Easily as good in the mix as my old '74 Precision, which was the best playing and sounding bass I had ever owned until now.
Super happy! And the audition went really well. I'll find out in a few days, but they were very complimentary of my playing and the tone.
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