S.U.B. Club

[GroovinOnFunk]

My new SUB now fully dressed. Lovin it.

What's the name of the color of that pickguard? that is a sexy looking instrument man. Congrats!

If all goes according to plan (and who's to say it will...) then I will have mine tomorrow. I could barely sleep last night I'm so excited. Just afraid somebody's going to offer him straight cash for it and snag it before I can make it to the shop.

 

[Holdsg]

What's the name of the color of that pickguard? that is a sexy looking instrument man. Congrats!

If all goes according to plan (and who's to say it will...) then I will have mine tomorrow. I could barely sleep last night I'm so excited. Just afraid somebody's going to offer him straight cash for it and snag it before I can make it to the shop.

That's what EB calls black pearl. Its the bomb.

 

[GroovinOnFunk]

That's what EB calls black pearl. Its the bomb.

Yeah, you can say that again. The one i'm (hopefully) getting comes with a white tortoise something-or-other pickguard. I'm assuming it's like the pickguard on that blue SUB on page 1 of this thread. when I have a few extra bucks I'll probably grab a black or red pearl pickguard.

thnx for the reply. everyone please cross your fingers that this trade works out tomorrow and I get the bass. a million things could go wrong or it could go perfectly smoothly.

 

[Randall]

So what were they priced new?. Were they supposed to be their least expensive bass or something like that?

 

[GroovinOnFunk]

So what were they priced new?. Were they supposed to be their least expensive bass or something like that?

Think of SUB as the Squier of Ernie Ball. Ok, now forget I said that because SUB basses are not as drastic in quality difference from the Music Man Stingray or Sterling than for example the difference between a Squier Jazz and a Fender Jazz.

Ernie ball essentially made the SUB bass to offer an inexpensive model of their popular Stingray and Sterling basses and as a sort of bait to lure those that may be curious about the Music Man sound. The real goal behind the SUB was to make a bass that was so good that the player would become hooked on EBMM basses and upgrade to the Stingray or Sterling depending on preference. What ended up happening, however, was that the SUB was so good and comparable in quality (given the remarkable price) that most people didn't really feel the need to upgrade. Hence Ernie Ball started making very little profit on these basses (as they had anticipated) but people fell in love with them and never upgraded (something they had not planned for). Ultimately the profit made from selling each SUB was not enough to make it worthwhile.

Nowadays they are highly guarded because they are so rare so the best thing to do is, as I have done, find somebody who doesn't know how valuable of a bass it is and make them think what they have is a cheap piece of junk

 

[dave_bass5]

Its also a good, cheap way of getting a 2EQ MM.
Even the SBMM Ray34 is 3EQ.

 

[JMac- Wiskerface Designs]

I have owned three of the SUB's, great basses..... I still have two of the three one being passive, and one being active.... I originally picked up the passive SUB for $250.00 to use as a beater as it was used and abused, it played and sounded so well that I started using it over my other basses. I couldn't get over the beat up finish, and plus I was GAS'n for one of the new stingray classics. So I decided to do a refin on it. I am almost finshed with it, but I am waiting on the pickguard to come in. Looking awesome so far though, will post pics of the refin when its done..... It is looking just like a ray classic minus the muted bridge, string through, and active EQ......

 

[yellofury]

I have owned three of the SUB's, great basses..... I still have two of the three one being passive, and one being active.... I originally picked up the passive SUB for $250.00 to use as a beater as it was used and abused, it played and sounded so well that I started using it over my other basses. I couldn't get over the beat up finish, and plus I was GAS'n for one of the new stingray classics. So I decided to do a refin on it. I am almost finshed with it, but I am waiting on the pickguard to come in. Looking awesome so far though, will post pics of the refin when its done..... It is looking just like a ray classic minus the muted bridge, string through, and active EQ......

cool what color?

If i ever refinish mine it would be capri orange

 

[ccmbassplayer]

I just bought my second sub 4 string.
This one is white withthe metal pickguard.
My last one was teal .

I have owner 2 EBMM sterlings and a EBMM Stingray 5 and the subs are just as much a REAL MM bass guitar as any of them.

I was gonna buy a stingray and just could not talk myself into the extra cost for it over the SUB.
An American MAde MusicMan Bass guitar for way less than a MM stingray.

I like to call the SUB 4 string bass guitars nothing but a EBMM Stingray in a Leather Jacket.

SUB Basses are AWESOME !!!

 

[Bongolation]

Ultimately the profit made from selling each SUB was not enough to make it worthwhile.

According to Sterling Ball, EB lost money on every S.U.B. they sold.

Your analogies with Squier are totally off-base: The S.U.B. was not a contracted-out cheap look-alike import, but just another model from the same EB production line, with relatively little to distinguish it from a Stingray beyond the industrial finish. It had a slab body and cheaper tuning machines with a Saber-style preamp (which many prefer), but beyond that, it was a Stingray. Same pickup, same hardware. The cosmetic grade of wood was supposedly lower because it was not seen, and the indestructible hosed-on paint saved a huge amount of production costs -- plus it was intentionally conceived as a low-markup promotion. The fugly pickguard was part of the industrial concept look.

AND it didn't come with a case.

When you consider the relative MSRPs of the EB models at the time, the S.U.B. wasn't that cheap or that different.

I picked up a new one on sale at GC for $329 when the color was mercifully discontinued (the ghastly wine-vomit metallic purple, no NOT the red) purely because it looked like a good deal to flip. I had no significant experience with EBs at that time and was amazed at what a great bass it really was.

Unfortunately, it's too heavy to play much...and that color, oy!

 

[GroovinOnFunk]

According to Sterling Ball, EB lost money on every S.U.B. they sold.

Your analogies with Squier are totally off-base: The S.U.B. was not a contracted-out cheap look-alike import, but just another model from the same EB production line, with relatively little to distinguish it from a Stingray beyond the industrial finish.

I'd heard that too but just found it really hard to believe that they were literally losing money on every bass sold. I have heard also though that EB actually lost money on the SUB.

I know the Squier comparison is off-base man, my very next sentence was "ok, now forget I said that because the SUB is much closer to the Stingray and Sterling" or something to that extent. Literally the very next sentence.

It was just to help him understand that in principle it's the "cheap version" of the Stingray. I then tried to explain how the SUB is actually almost as good. Just read the entire post.

 

[GroovinOnFunk]

It had a slab body and cheaper tuning machines with a Saber-style preamp (which many prefer), but beyond that, it was a Stingray. Same pickup, same hardware.

forgive my ignorance. what is a slab body and how is that different from what the actual EBMM Stingray has?

I had no idea that the electronics were the same. I really didn't know just how similar they were in terms of the specifics. That's so cool! Can't wait to get mine. Probably going to play it till my fingers fall off

 

[Bongolation]

forgive my ignorance. what is a slab body and how is that different from what the actual EBMM Stingray has?

No body contoured upper-back bout as opposed to body contour. Think '51 and '54 Precision.

Why they did that, I don't know. In these days of CNT body forming, I can't see it saved any money.

It did add some more much-UNneeded weight.

I had no idea that the electronics were the same.

They aren't.

The S.U.B. supposedly has the old Saber two-band EQ rather than the current Stingray three-band EQ.

There are also passive S.U.B.s, which is what I have, and I prefer passives, so I'm good with that.

 

[Bongolation]

I'd heard that too but just found it really hard to believe that they were literally losing money on every bass sold. I have heard also though that EB actually lost money on the SUB.

I read the actual post from Sterling Ball, which doesn't mean it couldn't still be total BS. [shrug]

I'm just saying that this was the explicit reason he gave for killing the S.U.B. line.

It was supposed to be a "real" MM with no meaningful, non-cosmetic compromises and they didn't want to make some offshore cheapy copy like everyone else was doing. Now, of course, they are making cheapy offshore MMs.

 

[Holdsg]

Yeah, but have you played any of the SBMMs? Play very well and show a fine level of craftsmanship. Tremendous value, and if EB can now make money because of the lower labor and input costs, everybody wins, right? The made in America purists crack me up. How many of them do you think drive imported cars, drink imported OJ, wine, and beer, and a watch an HDTV assembled in Vietnam?

 

[Bongolation]

Yeah, but have you played any of the SBMMs? Play very well and show a fine level of craftsmanship. Tremendous value, and if EB can now make money because of the lower labor and input costs, everybody wins, right?

Not necessarily, but that's a different question that I've addressed here many times.

The made in America purists crack me up. How many of them do you think drive imported cars, drink imported OJ, wine, and beer, and a watch an HDTV assembled in Vietnam?

Blah, blah...

That's not my point. My point was that he was making a big, sanctimonious deal about his no-imports position and then turned a quick 180 on it.

Me, I don't care. It's all about the deal for me.

 

[GroovinOnFunk]

I agree whole heartedly... I could care less where it's made. All I care about is how it sounds. If it's made in freakin' antarctica but sounds amazing, I'll use it. If it's made in Korea but sounds great, I'll use it.

 

[Bongolation]

If it's made in Korea but sounds great, I'll use it.

That'll be unlikely since Cor-Tek pulled the plug.

Stuff will be made in Indonesia for much less and be sold for little if any less to the consumer.

 

[Joey3313]

There's a minty Teal SUB at a local shop (SR4, no clue if it's active or passive as I think I remember the SUBs being) for $525. Good deal?

 

[GroovinOnFunk]

There's a minty Teal SUB at a local shop (SR4, no clue if it's active or passive as I think I remember the SUBs being) for $525. Good deal?

If it's in good condition: Yes, a good deal for sure.
Too bad it's that gross teal color but whatever, that's never worried me.

SUBs come in active or passive so it could be either one.