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NBD: Vintage (?) SBMM SB14

pb9717

pb9717

Supporting Member
Aug 18, 2006
2,514
5,646
#1
IMG_2698.jpeg


A wonderful guy and lifelong friend of mine recently allowed me to borrow one of his two early SB14’s. This particular model is a one off prototype that was one of two different tops. The other was a cherry burst quilt. The top on this one is of an unknown wood type to me, and i welcome any guesses as to what it is. I found it to weigh 9lbs 9oz with the strap, but have installed lighter aluminum sadowsky style knobs, and will be installing hipshot lic ultralite tuners to go with the ultralight D-Tuner already installed. I also prefer knobs with indicators so these knobs are going to make seeing where everything is much easier. Its also the older, no longer made SB14 with the 3 way switch, and it pretty darn close in quality to a US Sterling.

NOTE: My sweetwater rep recently hipped me to the news that MM has stopped offering a Sterling in the US lineup. So if you dig OG Sterlings, the used market is your only route to get one ( bummer). SBMM (praxis) is selling a few different models ( SB4, SB14) but none with the OG switch.

Used it last night on a (2) 90 minute set gig and it was just great. I haven't had a MM bass ( I know its from Praxis ) in years, and it was a real treat to hear that snappy cutting “pop” you get from an MM bass. Sterling or Stingray, they are completely unique, and excellent sounding Instruments, and can be recognized instantly from their tone. I have A/B’d many other basses vs my #1 Sadowsky Japan Modern, and this one actually competes. So thanks to my good friend, and I hope he never asks for it back.
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#3
Now that I look at it,
IMG_2701.jpeg


You may be right but all the Koa examples i find are a tad different, with either flame or simply not as uniform in direction….But I know theres a variety of Koa grains too….
 
#4
Does the headstock say SB14? I know Sterling did a test run of SB24 basses, which were basically just SB14s with premium top woods. I hesitated too long on a cherry burst quilted maple SB24 on Reverb, still kicking myself for that. It was gorgeous, but it had "SB24" on the headstock.
 
#7
pb9717 said:
View attachment 7534883

A wonderful guy and lifelong friend of mine recently allowed me to borrow one of his two early SB14’s. This particular model is a one off prototype that was one of two different tops. The other was a cherry burst quilt. The top on this one is of an unknown wood type to me, and i welcome any guesses as to what it is. I found it to weigh 9lbs 9oz with the strap, but have installed lighter aluminum sadowsky style knobs, and will be installing hipshot lic ultralite tuners to go with the ultralight D-Tuner already installed. I also prefer knobs with indicators so these knobs are going to make seeing where everything is much easier. Its also the older, no longer made SB14 with the 3 way switch, and it pretty darn close in quality to a US Sterling.

NOTE: My sweetwater rep recently hipped me to the news that MM has stopped offering a Sterling in the US lineup. So if you dig OG Sterlings, the used market is your only route to get one ( bummer). SBMM (praxis) is selling a few different models ( SB4, SB14) but none with the OG switch.

Used it last night on a (2) 90 minute set gig and it was just great. I haven't had a MM bass ( I know its from Praxis ) in years, and it was a real treat to hear that snappy cutting “pop” you get from an MM bass. Sterling or Stingray, they are completely unique, and excellent sounding Instruments, and can be recognized instantly from their tone. I have A/B’d many other basses vs my #1 Sadowsky Japan Modern, and this one actually competes. So thanks to my good friend, and I hope he never asks for it back.
View attachment 7534893
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That's really beautiful. I love Sterlings but can't deal with the skinny neck. That 3 way switch is awesome though, which is why I prefer Stingray 5H over the HH models.

You can still get USA Sterlings from EBMM, you just have to contact them directly. They are not mass producing them and selling them through dealers anymore though.
 
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#9
CoughSyrup said:
Does the headstock say SB14? I know Sterling did a test run of SB24 basses, which were basically just SB14s with premium top woods. I hesitated too long on a cherry burst quilted maple SB24 on Reverb, still kicking myself for that. It was gorgeous, but it had "SB24" on the headstock.
Click to expand...
Headstock says SB 14. The cherry quilt model you referred to, I did have in my possession for a brief time. That one was an SB 24.
 

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