I returned a bass cab to Sweetwater and they paid for the return shipping no questions asked. I always liked GC but like I said, they changed the way they do trade-ins and it's not good. The kid just entered the bass into a computer and it spit out a very low number. 40 percent of what I had seen for the same year/make/model (mint condition). I know it's COVID related but I've been going to that store for decades and probably spent 10 grand in there easy. Hopefully things get better.
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SBMM Stingray Short scale
- Thread starter dralionux
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- short scale bass
Not to throw a wet blanket, but it's not ended until you have the new keys installed, tuned up, and you're happy with them.
Best of luck with getting to that place soon!
The 2 new tuner keys arrived today from Sterling. I installed them, tuned up and everything so far is good. Sometimes (even before) it seems this bass is a micro tad out of tune like with a slight warble. I lowered my pickup again, lower than the suggested spec and I think that helps. For some reason they like to be set lower than the pick ups on my EBMM Stingray Specials which are also neodymium.
I hadn't noticed it before but one of the original tuners was put on at an off angle making it not parallel to the other tuners and the headstock. I had to redrill new holes to get it on straight and then do a bit of refilling, somewhat of a pain. I think I finally got this bass as good as it is going to get and the original nut was also replaced a few months ago. I like it a lot as it is now but it has been a bit of a hassle to get to this point. Seriously, if I had to do it all over again I would have waited, saved up and just gotten the USA version right from the start.
ALERT!!! Guitar Center's 15% off coupon works on Sterling. They have dropped copper in stock.
Saves like $82.
Your welcome (in advance)
Saves like $82.
Your welcome (in advance)
Took some getting used to, the transition from short to long. After a couple hours of playing, it felt like home. They sound pretty descent, like anything else from Indonesia you have to go through it and check everything is tight. Several screws loose on tuners. The tuners are its weak link in my opinion. For sure the best color out of the short scale is the dropped copper. Black pickguard would look better I think.
I like the dropped copper as well. Precision Guitar should regularly have a listing on Reverb where you could get a black pickguard. The dropped copper looks better with the white than the blue or white basses do in my opinion, but black would look pretty damn good on it.
Talked to Precision guitar and ordered the dark purple pickguard. For the record this is the one he calls violet.
Monday my white short scale shows up at guitar center. They have some deals going on, so I'm picking up one of these ray 34 black outs with roasty neck also.
If the ray 34HH was 30" scale they would fly off the shelves, I think at least.
.
Check out the SBMM Cutlass Series. Some come with roasted necks and locking tuners. I love the SSS in Sunburst.
Cutlass - Sterling by Music Man
I got a some sort of purple PG from Precision for a Mustang guitar I had.
My new white stingray arrived yesterday. Looks great, nice neck.
Looking around for a neck pickup, something slim? I'll post pics when my violet (dark purple) pickguard shows up.
Looking around for a neck pickup, something slim? I'll post pics when my violet (dark purple) pickguard shows up.
Continuing saga re the Sterling shorty and GC...
OK my new Sterling shorty arrived several days ago from GC after I returned the previous one. The UPS guy put it on my front stoop and took off quickly, not responding to my calling after him. -Because the friggin fugly box it came in was in even worse shape than the previous time! Dirty, dusty, it looked as if it had been laying on a warehouse dirt floor for a year or so, and it was also half torn open on the side. (See photo.)
But again, the bass inside it looked undamaged... (Other photo).
Anyway I took the previous Sterling back to GC because I didn't think the 'boost' control worked on it. A young salesman there tried it in the back of the store and then embarrassed me by saying it worked ok. I said I still thought it didn't, so they took it in for an exchange...
Well this new one, when I push the volume knob it pops up a good 1/4" and the volume increases (slightly). -Whereas the previous one's knob didn't pop up, always stayed in the down position, and there was never any increase in volume that I could hear! I think the sales guy probably just had no idea what the boost was supposed to do and only played a few notes on the bass and said "it works". (Which of course, played that way, it did...)
Anyway this new one is a keeper... There are annoying shave marks and some fraying around the pick guard's edges, but I don't much care about that as I intend to change the guard anyway. At least this one plays right, the boost works and all the strings sound evenly in volume over the pick up. So no sense pushing my luck here, right?
So I'm happy!
-And next comes a snazzy new pick guard, a Zero-Mod thumb rest, a nice set of LaBellas short scale white nylon tapewounds, and I'll be even happier! 
Enjoy,
Greywoulf
OK my new Sterling shorty arrived several days ago from GC after I returned the previous one. The UPS guy put it on my front stoop and took off quickly, not responding to my calling after him. -Because the friggin fugly box it came in was in even worse shape than the previous time! Dirty, dusty, it looked as if it had been laying on a warehouse dirt floor for a year or so, and it was also half torn open on the side. (See photo.)
But again, the bass inside it looked undamaged... (Other photo).
Anyway I took the previous Sterling back to GC because I didn't think the 'boost' control worked on it. A young salesman there tried it in the back of the store and then embarrassed me by saying it worked ok. I said I still thought it didn't, so they took it in for an exchange...
Well this new one, when I push the volume knob it pops up a good 1/4" and the volume increases (slightly). -Whereas the previous one's knob didn't pop up, always stayed in the down position, and there was never any increase in volume that I could hear! I think the sales guy probably just had no idea what the boost was supposed to do and only played a few notes on the bass and said "it works". (Which of course, played that way, it did...)
Anyway this new one is a keeper... There are annoying shave marks and some fraying around the pick guard's edges, but I don't much care about that as I intend to change the guard anyway. At least this one plays right, the boost works and all the strings sound evenly in volume over the pick up. So no sense pushing my luck here, right?
So I'm happy!
-And next comes a snazzy new pick guard, a Zero-Mod thumb rest, a nice set of LaBellas short scale white nylon tapewounds, and I'll be even happier! Enjoy,
Greywoulf
I sent mine back as well. It's a shame because it was a nice looking bass. The boost worked fine, but something started lacking in the tone pot. The tuners on these are really bad in my opinion. To much space between the gear and turn key. I liked the neck on it, but i dont think I will try any more short scales out. A long scale version of this that is active is probably really nice, but I'm not going to find out.
so has anyone other than @moderatelyfunky had their short scale defretted?? If so, what do you think about it as a fretless? I've been toying with picking one up for that purpose? I have an EBMM short scale and love it.. I think the fretless would be a good companion
Well I'll be a dang nabbed guitar player!! -You're absolutely right! Took the plastic film offer breast and now she's as lovely as can be...!
My defret has become my primary player. It's not perfect, but I don't think I'll ever return to a fretted as my main. Or a 34". I have a few long-scale fretlesses, but apparently I never bonded with them now that I know what it's like.
It's not a mwah master, but I think it's getting more tonal personality as time goes. Maybe I'm grinding the neck closer to to true with improper vibrato and constant moves to fix my lousy intonation.
The nut that the luthier cut for me is rattling now for G,D and sometimes E. Not sure if the weather has changed things or just playing time. Wished it were black anyway so, now I've got good reasons to replace it. She said that the neck has a hump in it around the 12th fret and it looks like she put a healthy shim in it.
No defret regret here!
It's not a mwah master, but I think it's getting more tonal personality as time goes. Maybe I'm grinding the neck closer to to true with improper vibrato and constant moves to fix my lousy intonation.
The nut that the luthier cut for me is rattling now for G,D and sometimes E. Not sure if the weather has changed things or just playing time. Wished it were black anyway so, now I've got good reasons to replace it. She said that the neck has a hump in it around the 12th fret and it looks like she put a healthy shim in it.
No defret regret here!
