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SBMM SUBs..yes, it's about to become even more confusing
- Thread starter SubSectorSucker
- Start date
Interesting points. I have never experienced so much disparity in tone and playability as I have with 'Rays. I frankly believe that if they're not set up well, to the player's discriminating taste and needs, they can be very disappointing. When I first got curious about them, I auditioned several and couldn't put them down fast enough. They were so bad that I could not understand why the pros I had heard use them would chose such an instrument.
So much for auditioning basses at the local music store and passing judgment on an entire brand.
Then I finally played one that had been well-maintained, and I saw the light.
According to a post by one of the main SBMM guys:
"the Hardwood solid body is made of Jabon. It's a local Indonesian hardwood used by many top brands. It's light in weight and is very similar to Basswood in tone and weight. "
There's a lot to be confused about, especially to people not as bass-savvy as Talkbassians. Firstly, Sterling by Music Man shares the same name as an Ernie Ball bass. And second of all (what really puzzled me) is that they were acting like this was completely new, yet they had a line of SUBs years ago. It wasn't until someone here told me that these are now made under Sterling by Music Man instead of EB.
No no. I have owned 5 4 string SUB's and 1 5 string SUB. Not just a 5 string model.
Looks great for the $$$ but Squier CV and VMs do too.
I get all the Stingray I need out of my '78 though.
I get all the Stingray I need out of my '78 though.
I saw on the Musicman forums that they are bringing out the Silhouette in the Sub series. $199 street price.
It actually sounds more and more like the old OLP line.
The Silhouettes have been sold as EBMM Sterling Silos for a while. I had the first version of Silo 30, really nice guitar, locking tuners and so on. However, they trapped down the hardware for later versions, no locking tuners and I suspect that the tremolo system is not the same build as well. But they will indeed be cheap. Not that I got my Silo30 for $300 as GC didn't now what to do with those $550 guitars. And the one they had on the wall had a terrible setup so nobody picked it up. It was a 30 minute tweak back home and it plays really well now!
D
I remember the old SUB's. I liked how they had that satin finish that seemed like it wouldn't ding up as easily.
This line of SUB's seems to be what the others have said. EBMM being the equivalent of USA Fender, Sterling by MusicMan being the equivalent of a MIM/MIJ Fender (haven't played one lately myself), and finally the SUB by SBMM being Squier.
I remember thinking that the old OLP's felt good, but didn't sound anywhere close. The SUB's felt and sounded nearly identical to me-just with a different paint job.
This line of SUB's seems to be what the others have said. EBMM being the equivalent of USA Fender, Sterling by MusicMan being the equivalent of a MIM/MIJ Fender (haven't played one lately myself), and finally the SUB by SBMM being Squier.
I remember thinking that the old OLP's felt good, but didn't sound anywhere close. The SUB's felt and sounded nearly identical to me-just with a different paint job.
No. That is what I was saying earlier. These obviously have nothing to do with the US Sub line. They just used the name again. Apparently no one at Ernie Ball has any idea about marketing and continue to make their budget line as confusing as possible.
Meh. These are 279 new and you can find a RAY34 on the GC used site for 299 in great shape every once in a while. SUBS for 379ish.
They certainly should hire someone to define their naming strategy. Ernie Ball Music Man Sterling Sub (+Ray) and so on and so on is getting so confusing concerning their branding.
$279 new means $140-$150 for slightly used one purchased to a family where the kid doesn't want to play bass after a month.
Good for them tapping into the entry market. They make fine stuff and deserve the success.
At a glance these look like new renditions of the OLPs. Note the oversize bridge. And these have contoured bodies unlike the original subs which were slab bodies. They also seem to have abandoned the goose dung finish.
Interesting but highly confusing.
Anyone know where we can read more?
At a glance these look like new renditions of the OLPs. Note the oversize bridge. And these have contoured bodies unlike the original subs which were slab bodies. They also seem to have abandoned the goose dung finish.
Interesting but highly confusing.
Anyone know where we can read more?
I guess we'll have to agree to disagree, then - my SUB5 pretty much sounds just like my SR5 HH, using just the bridge pup - and plays EXACTLY like it, and my Sterling SUB sounds just like the "real" Sterlings I've played...
I think that the newer imports are *very good*, but not as good as the SUBs or the "real deal" - YMMV, though...
- georgestrings
electracoyote said:Interesting points. I have never experienced so much disparity in tone and playability as I have with 'Rays. I frankly believe that if they're not set up well, to the player's discriminating taste and needs, they can be very disappointing. When I first got curious about them, I auditioned several and couldn't put them down fast enough. They were so bad that I could not understand why the pros I had heard use them would chose such an instrument.
So much for auditioning basses at the local music store and passing judgment on an entire brand.
Then I finally played one that had been well-maintained, and I saw the light.
Interesting, that sums up my experience too.
Even the same well set up bass, with some strings seems a noisy beast, or dull and lifeless... but with the right strings it just sings.
What is the definition of right strings? I suspect it is subjective too.
Then, I felt the same way about Precision basses. I hated them. Then I "discovered" the tone control and flatwound strings...
