SBMM Stingray Short scale

[Hank Scorpio]

I personally doubt I could tell you if I was playing a rosewood or maple fretboard blindfolded. I've had basses with both, and they've sounded near enough identical after my pedals, amp and cab have come into play. I love the look of a dark rosewood, ebony, even a highly figured pau ferro in other people's pictures, too. I even have a Jazzmaster with a rosewood board.

For some reason though, when it comes to bass, I have like an 80/20 preference to maple boards. That alone will be a deciding factor choosing between instruments - I love the sherwood green Mustang PJ, but I don't know if I'd buy it over the butterscotch blonde, simply because of the pau ferro board vs the blonde's maple. Never used to be this way, I got no idea why it's become a thing for me.

 

[tbuslewicz]

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Where did you get your pickguard from? I went with the white perloid too - but yours looks nicer for some reason. Maybe the lighting.

 

[WestyBassBob]

I don’t find that the feel makes 1 ounce of difference to me. I don’t think the sound makes that much of a difference either. I’m not saying that there is no difference at all, but simply that I find them to be negligible and of no consequence to my playing. Everyone is different though.

So looks then. Don’t need to defend yourself. I was just curious what your motivation is. I am not about to start a debate on tone woods.

 

[WestyBassBob]

I personally doubt I could tell you if I was playing a rosewood or maple fretboard blindfolded. I've had basses with both, and they've sounded near enough identical after my pedals, amp and cab have come into play. I love the look of a dark rosewood, ebony, even a highly figured pau ferro in other people's pictures, too. I even have a Jazzmaster with a rosewood board.

For some reason though, when it comes to bass, I have like an 80/20 preference to maple boards. That alone will be a deciding factor choosing between instruments - I love the sherwood green Mustang PJ, but I don't know if I'd buy it over the butterscotch blonde, simply because of the pau ferro board vs the blonde's maple. Never used to be this way, I got no idea why it's become a thing for me.

I don’t think I’ve played more than a couple of maple FB basses but the last one I played just felt like the strings would slide across the board if I didn’t take care. But I have no idea if that is just the finish but maple does get very smooth when sanded. You’ll never get oak or ash that smooth not without a grain filler which I don’t care for.

 

[MWBass13]

Where did you get your pickguard from? I went with the white perloid too - but yours looks nicer for some reason. Maybe the lighting.

You’re right it could be the lighting where I took the picture. I ordered the “white pearloid” from precision guitar on eBay. I had communication with the seller and I wrote in the option for “WD muted white pearloid”.

 

[richwag]

I love this bass but still have a bit of trouble with it holding tune. Strings have been stretched, etc.
A few have mentioned the nut wasn't filed correctly. Others mentioned possibly the tuners.

I do have a spare USA G&L tuner that looks like it might be a fit. Might see if I could swap in a set of those.

 

[WestyBassBob]

I love this bass but still have a bit of trouble with it holding tune. Strings have been stretched, etc.
A few have mentioned the nut wasn't filed correctly. Others mentioned possibly the tuners.

I do have a spare USA G&L tuner that looks like it might be a fit. Might see if I could swap in a set of those.

When I changed the strings the nut didn't look particularly well filed. There was a lot of swaf left in the grooves and quite frankly the material seems pretty cheap for a bass in this price range. My Mikro came with a better nut. I guess it would be too much to ask for a sub $600 to be perfect.

 

[tbuslewicz]

You’re right it could be the lighting where I took the picture. I ordered the “white pearloid” from precision guitar on eBay. I had communication with the seller and I wrote in the option for “WD muted white pearloid”.

What does 'WD muted" mean? I ordered from them as well.

 

[richwag]

When I changed the strings the nut didn't look particularly well filed. There was a lot of swaf left in the grooves and quite frankly the material seems pretty cheap for a bass in this price range. My Mikro came with a better nut. I guess it would be too much to ask for a sub $600 to be perfect.

Ok. Did you file it? Is it possible to change the nut?

I'm ok with some issues on this bass. Obviously I'd like to have zero, but I've had issues with basses that cause much more. I love the sound and feel of it so it gets a pass from me.

 

[MWBass13]

What does 'WD muted" mean? I ordered from them as well.

My understanding is precision guitars orders some of their pick guard materials from WD music and cuts for this bass. The seller sent me a few examples of the white/cream pearloids on different basses and I selected the one I wanted which was labeled “WD muted white”

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[tbuslewicz]

My understanding is precision guitars orders some of their pick guard materials from WD music and cuts for this bass. The seller sent me a few examples of the white/cream pearloids on different basses and I selected the one I wanted which was labeled “WD muted white”

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Thanks for the info - may have to order another one.

 

[WestyBassBob]

Ok. Did you file it? Is it possible to change the nut?

I'm ok with some issues on this bass. Obviously I'd like to have zero, but I've had issues with basses that cause much more. I love the sound and feel of it so it gets a pass from me.

I rubbed the strings in it a bit to get the swaf out. I do have a tusq nut now but I can’t be bothered installing it right now. I find the tuners totally fine. But many people on here have told me that upgrading the nut is a cheap and easy way to improve a bass. So next time I take the strings off I’ll do that.

 

[AjCalderon]

I rubbed the strings in it a bit to get the swaf out. I do have a tusq nut now but I can’t be bothered installing it right now. I find the tuners totally fine. But many people on here have told me that upgrading the nut is a cheap and easy way to improve a bass. So next time I take the strings off I’ll do that.

I have two EBMM compensated nuts waiting to put on the SBMM but not until I’ve given up on the neck swap idea lol.

 

[RodRy]

Well I bought the pink EBMM with maple so since I have yet to find a SBMM to swap necks with my EBMM shorties are gonna get a neck swap. All maple starry night with black hardware and a hot pink with rosewood and black hardware will be mine soon!

It will be interesting to see how well the necks swap between two different models.

Still rooting for you and @Texican to do a SBMM neck swap!

 

[Spupilup]

I love this bass but still have a bit of trouble with it holding tune. Strings have been stretched, etc.
A few have mentioned the nut wasn't filed correctly. Others mentioned possibly the tuners.

I do have a spare USA G&L tuner that looks like it might be a fit. Might see if I could swap in a set of those.

Im in the same boat. I have a spare US G&L tuner and at $18 each for the other three, a swap wouldn't be too expensive. I've just got so many other things going on right now that the Sterling has taken something of a backseat in terms of my priorities. If you do decide to swap the G&L's let us know how it goes. I know I'm very happy with those tuners on my CLF L1000.

 

[richwag]

I rubbed the strings in it a bit to get the swaf out. I do have a tusq nut now but I can’t be bothered installing it right now. I find the tuners totally fine. But many people on here have told me that upgrading the nut is a cheap and easy way to improve a bass. So next time I take the strings off I’ll do that.

I just loosened my strings and noticed the same roughness. Did the poor man's nut file by pulling the string back and forth. We'll see how that goes.

You sort of know it's some sort of drag if you tune the string, check it a second later and it's out of tune right (assuming a stretched string).

 

[richwag]

G&L tuner fit in the pics. Rear screws match. Fronts don't but holes are far enough apart that drilling a new hole won't impact the old hole.

I also weighed the tuners and you'd save about 2.5 oz with the G&Ls.

 

[AjCalderon]

G&L tuner fit in the pics. Rear screws match. Fronts don't but holes are far enough apart that drilling a new hole won't impact the old hole.

I also weighed the tuners and you'd save about 2.5 oz with the G&Ls.

View attachment 4136579 View attachment 4136580

This is how imagine the old style Ernie Ball ones would fit

 

[richwag]

This is how imagine the old style Ernie Ball ones would fit

The SBMM headstock is almost 3mm thicker than the G&L.

 

[richwag]

So those of you who've been playing your Stingray short scale for some time, what do your long scale basses feel like in your hands now? What do you miss about them if anything?

I picked up one of mine today and it just felt enormously long. So what do long scale basses get us that short scales don't (besides more choices?).