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Quality or quantity?
- Thread starter Dougflores
- Start date
gimme a million basses
but I just need one good one to stay:
TBH I don't get the hoarding of instruments & how folks justify the Hell out of it everywhere you look.
There's a meme out there that is funny, because it's true, & I can't find it when I want it:
At one window there's a long line of people waiting to buy new stuff/gear.
The other window has no one in line & it's for those who want to learn how to use the gear they already have.
but I just need one good one to stay:
TBH I don't get the hoarding of instruments & how folks justify the Hell out of it everywhere you look.
There's a meme out there that is funny, because it's true, & I can't find it when I want it:
At one window there's a long line of people waiting to buy new stuff/gear.
The other window has no one in line & it's for those who want to learn how to use the gear they already have.
Yeah, Stingray EX. Made sometime in the mid/late 90s to early 2000s. Pretty much 90s components Stingrays (non beveled magnet edges, big pots on preamps, etc) - basically pre 2003 or so pickups and electronics.
There's even the pre-eb 80s Japanese MM era, where the headstock simply said "Music Man". Those were called Stingray XV.
There's not a whole lot of info on Japanese Rays online, but there is some if you dig it up.
I compared my EX to the USA versions I had - it's pretty much the same thing with slight differences. For instance, I have a maple neck version, and the back of the neck is typical EBMM Tru Oil & Wax finish, but they added lacquer on the front of the neck (EBMM's maple necks were entirely oil&wax).
Second biggest difference is the neck shape at the back where it connects with the heel on the body. It's more of a Fendery shape, while USA Stingrays have a shaved down "V" type of shape. You can actually spot it if you search for images online and really look for that difference. Even the XV pre-eb Japanese had that shape, which leads me to believe - Japanese EX Stingrays were made from the same blueprint as the Japanese pre-Ernie Ball Stingrays.
EBMM doesn't have much info on them, I contacted them.
Yes, there is a difference, but other than finish, there is not much. Maple is maple, basswood is basswood, tuners are tuners. A little difference in pickups, a few dollars in electronics. One is hand cut, other is cut with a CNC (which is more accurate). Main cost is labor.
No choice for both?
Some people did allude to that & some mentioned it outright.
So I wouldn't get a $2000 just because I could.
I wouldn't mind a Rickenbacker but around here the price limit isn't enough to get one I like.
Most likely I'd get an Ibanez SRH500F & a Jazz bass--or maybe something offbeat.
So two basses - more quantity than one, and quality.
Some people did allude to that & some mentioned it outright.
So I wouldn't get a $2000 just because I could.
I wouldn't mind a Rickenbacker but around here the price limit isn't enough to get one I like.
Most likely I'd get an Ibanez SRH500F & a Jazz bass--or maybe something offbeat.
So two basses - more quantity than one, and quality.
I was wondering about that. Why do you have to choose? Get a little of both. A cheap bass with some charm to it can be a wonderful thing. And who doesn't love to play a good bass with finer appointments and a more overall craftsmanly feel that might run a few bucks more? Or something they customized to get it just right for them? I've got sub-$200 basses co-existing quite nicely with custom jobs and American Fenders.
I think it all depends on my progression as a player what I'd do if someone handed me $2000. Today I'd probably get a few distinctive vintage but not too expensive old Japanese cheapos. But if I was a relative newb who felt himself progressing beyond the intermediate stage and starting to take it seriously, I would want one solid quality bass before I bought anything else. I seriously doubt I'd spend $2000 on one, though. But I did buy one that cost $1500 25 years ago, and that works out to about $2500 today with inflation rate, so I get those who pay a lot, even though I'll never come close to paying that much again. And I rarely use that bass anymore. Still love it, but I always go back to Fenders or "tributes," and the most I ever paid for an American Fender is $950 and that's about as much as I'd ever pay for one. And I'd buy maybe two good cheapos with the rest.
That is, if someone was handing me $2000 and insisting I buy basses, that's what I'd do. But nobody's doing that and I have enough basses.
Fretwork and setup is where the difference is, and what makes it worth the price. You're not getting handmade for under 2 grand, and there's nothing wrong with CNC machining. I don't care all that much about finish, but it's nice when that's perfect, too. The neck is where almost ALL the money is, in my opinion.
I have to say, that's really apparent on my jaco pastorius. It's very evident that most of the work on it went into the neck and fingerboard. The rest of it is basically a '62 jazz bass with regular old pickups and Alder tabletop wood, etc.
But having done FL conversions on a fretted neck myself, which is kind of what this is without the cleanup after tearing it all up pulling actual frets, I recognize there's clearly a ton of work that went into it. The slab board, 12" radius and then getting the finish on it with it almost perfectly smooth. After setting it up, the action on it is more or less what you'd expect on a $1800 instrument. Before I started finding the inevitable low/buzzy spots, there's only two and it's at a very low action with almost no relief, it's definitely very near if not at the $2000 FL instrument level.
It certainly looks like a neck "custom" made for this particular bass, which is otherwise just your regular old '62 reissue of your regular old Jazz bass.
So I agree and that's probably true across the board with not just Fender but I'd say all instruments. My Carvins had impeccable necks and fingerboards too, though they weren't quite as expensive IIRC.
L
This Epi EB-0 is about the lowest priced bass I had in a long time. But I won't change it out for any other bass. It sounds great, and is a fine player. Everything I need in a bass.
Yes, these boutique basses boast a hand made neck. Hope that guy is having a good day. CNC is perfect every time. My cheap sterling has a perfect setup and great fret work ....go figure???
Well let's face it...long before CNC was a thing, people were able to make wood products with amazing consistency, too
Yes! 40 years I used to work for a guy who built racecar engines, we would hand bore the cylinders. Then we started using a big CC boring machine. Did it perfect every time!Well let's face it...long before CNC was a thing, people were able to make wood products with amazing consistency, too
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We're not talking about boutique basses, and you can't get them for two grand. Ask Gibson whether the CNC is perfect every time. CNC or no, fretwork is done by hand and experience absolutely counts when finishing a neck off. Experience costs money. I've played a few of the import Sterling by Music Man instruments, they're REALLY good for their price point and some of the best values available, and I'm glad you got an extra good one and enjoy it. I hope it serves you well, for many years. Compare it back to back with a US Music Man, though, and you'll see what I mean. Is it worth it? That's a matter of personal opinion/preference.
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You are right, i want a USA musicman. Its on my bucket list. I am not exactly young, only gig out 1 or 2 times per month, i cant justify it. Also, I like taking a different bass to a different gig. My Fender P plays better at our outdoor gig, the Ray4 is better at our indoor gig. Seems the P is muddy at the indoor, but has a good big sound outdoors.
I hardly ever have a real gig anymore, but get together for jams and sit in with friends' groups pretty regularly, plus jam at get-togethers when we have them. I can't justify them either, but I have some pretty nice basses. They bring me joy, so I don't care whether I need them, haha!
Nothing boutique, just two US Music Man Sterlings, one being converted to passive sorta like the Joe Dart Sterling, a fretless pre-Fender Thunderchief, and a fretless Japanese Fender/Warmoth 'Jazzcision' ('88 E-Serial Jazz Bass Special neck defretted with maple lines inlaid on a Warmoth flame maple over alder Dinky J body with an EMG GZR-P pickup and Hipshot brass A-style bridge and ultralige tuners) which will soon be joined by a fretted sister bass. I've also had US Lakland, German Warwick, and US G&L basses over the years, all wonderful, but none quite for me so they left.
I could absolutely get everything I needed and much more out of far less expensive instruments, especially these days (you can get REALLY good quality stuff for reasonable prices now), but I make an alright living and don't have kids, so I treat myself to nice gear and a few other niceties when I can. The difference is small, but for some it's worth it. That last 10% takes 300% more time, so it's expensive.
I would purchase one good quality bass that is versatile.
Something like an active 5 string with two pickups, active/passive switch and a good preamp would be ideal for covering as much ground as possible in my opinion.
Something like an active 5 string with two pickups, active/passive switch and a good preamp would be ideal for covering as much ground as possible in my opinion.
I've had a mad desire to build my own from scratch ever since I first picked one up, so that's what I'd do; use the cash to buy quality components and a couple more tools to do the job right, and start the labor of love.
You could buy a brand new one for not much more than half the budget the OP is using as a basis for this thread.
