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OLP MM3 5-string

Ive been looking at these and they look great and are super cheap. Does anyone have one? How does it compare to a real ernie ball? Any info you have on it would be appreciated. I'd also like to see what the blue pearl looks like if anyone has pics. Sounds clips would also be awesome!
 
It was my first bass, and for some reason I didn't really like it. It seemed like I couldn't get the sound I wanted out of it at all, but that's all opinion, there were other issues. The low B didn't seem very good, I could never get a very clean sound out of my strings, even a fresh set, and if you change the bass or treble knobs, it'll hiss.

In response to durability, I never really took that much care of it and it's held up. It seems like it could take a beating, and yeah it looks just fine.
 
Honestly these are the most random basses in terms of quality. I've played a few that were absolute suck, and one or two that were okay. What you might do is buy the equivalent SX model http://www.sxguitarspain.com/sx2.htm <- and then upgrade the electronics when you have the cash. The OLP's are just so dodgy that it's probably not worth your money. What really would be would be a used Musicman SUB - I have one and it's 95% of the real twice the price deal.
 
id get the sx hands down, but i dont like the finish, and the pickguard is different(same as four string). ill probabaly just go to GC and try one. if its a good one, i might get it, if its a bad one, i obviously wont. and as for the SUB. WAY out of my price range. I only have $200, which is not alot to buy a decent bass. Anybody know some other cheap, good 5-string basses?

PS: If anyone has a MM3 that they dont like, can i hear a sound clip so i can determine if its that bad sounding in my opinion.
 
I will have to disagree w/ the B-string comment as it is one of the nicest sounding B-strings I've heard compared to many other basses (IMO the B-string sounds better then the one I played on fender jazz, G&L's, etc.)

I bought mine which was actually my 1st instrument purchase, bought it off musicians friend. Right out the box it sounded good (to me, and this was before I knew anything about setting up a bass) and it became my main player for a long while until I got my sx.

Since then, I've changed the pots and did a series/parallel switch that really opened up the sounds that are retreivable. While it was still fretted it would literally sing at certain settings. Just recently I defretted it, and I need to get some new strings for it.

Others are still right though, the quality on these bad boys aren't constant, some are good, many are possibly bad. It wouldn't be wise to order these from the net, I was fortunate w/ mine. I'm about to get a new pickup and pickguard for it shortly, and do some cavity shielding. Neck stays pretty straight and it can take a beating. All in all a pretty decent instrument... resale value blows so it can quickly turn into a beater/project instrument. Decent foundation.

Gotta play em' before purchasing though.
 
i own one of the OLPs. It is my first 5 string, it's a decent bass (nothing spectacular) but considering i got mine at MF for $120, it was a pretty good deal. My only real complaint is the electronics are a little weak. Not much punch to them. By all means a decent bass, but you just can't compare them to an EBMM. 120$ VS 1200$....... i'll let you take a guess at which sounds better :smug:
 
the stingray series are sold in the US by rondo. they are just currently out of stock.

i think you guys have given me a good amount of info, but id really like to hear a sound clip. and since they arent fery consistant, tell me if the clip is of a better one or a not so good one. I'd like to hear both if you guys have them. thanks in advance.
 
I have an OLP MM3 5 banger. Natural finish with a black pickguard.

It is modded with a Duncan Basslines pickup and the Duncan 3-band 9 volt preamp. Sounds GREAT! About as close to a real Ernie Ball Musicman Stingray 5 as you can get (especially with Duncan pickup and preamp combo). Out of the box they aren't half bad.

If I knew I was going to mod mine, I would've just bought the Tony Levin version - it has a nice active preamp system and a great pickup. They also look great.

I made some clips not to long ago to compare the X2 wireless system to a wire using it. I'm plugged into a SansAmp RBI into a MOTU 24io recorded in Logic Pro 7:

http://www.macpulse.com/bass/wired.mp3
http://www.macpulse.com/bass/wireless.mp3

Apologies in advance for the poor playing and technique, I was just trying to do a QUICK A/B.