What a collection. But that fretless… WOW!
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Stingray Classic Returns
- Thread starter LadyLoveStingRay5
- Start date
It’s definitely as almost seafoam as the classic is almost fiesta (but not quite - see attached comparison with 60 P). Here it is with its pastel shade sibling!!
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I'm a huge Music Man fan boy, but the price on these is frankly eye-watering. I'm not sure how I feel about paying this much for features that are objectively worse than modern Stingrays. The long pole pickup can allegedly cause warbling that even Leo Fender, who was deaf as a post by this point, could hear. (Never played one so please correct me if I'm wrong).
What I kind of want to do instead is pick up one of the ubiquitous used Stingray Specials and swap in an East 4 knob and a retro alnico like a Novak. It would probably sound identical, be a superior instrument by many metrics, and would cost about $1000 less when you factor in not having to pay sales tax on a new $3300 bass.
What I kind of want to do instead is pick up one of the ubiquitous used Stingray Specials and swap in an East 4 knob and a retro alnico like a Novak. It would probably sound identical, be a superior instrument by many metrics, and would cost about $1000 less when you factor in not having to pay sales tax on a new $3300 bass.
These things are priced below the cost of a Fender CS bass and many other top makers. Olinto? Sadowsky? I've always heard EBMM quality is second to none. Why is the price for this throwback such an issue?
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You make a good point. I am one of those hesitant about the price and I would never pay Lull or Sadowsky what they are asking for a jazz bass, the value just isn't there for me.
I think it's just that these are the most expensive production Stingray we have ever seen. In the before times you could walk out of Guitar Center with a beautiful Old Smoothie or Stingray Classic for $1800, and the prices have just been running away since then. The Retro also costs more than basically every BFR, and I'm not sure why? I own one BFR and I would put it head to head with any other bass out there, it's that good. And was significantly cheaper than this.
I'm still probably going to get one of these though.
There is no way to know how "worth it" these will be until someone has one in their hands and can give an honest review. I recall a video (maybe the Smoothie 40th anniversary) where Sterling said he doesn't do reissues. I guess that has changed. Ultimately, the good of the company and it's employees dictate what items need to be created and sold. I have no doubt that any product from EBMM won't be anything but stellar.
Yes I have, and I fully understand the problem. I did some work as a photographer documenting old buildings and architecture many years ago - if you think a few basses are tricky ...
Anyway, it isn't the bridge but the control plate. It is clearly out of alignment. A few degrees of parallax and slightly skewed perspective can't distort the appearance of flat things in the same plane to that extent. There is no angle from which I can view my StingRay and make it look like this:
The control plates were positioned this way during early production in 1976.
In addition to my post #228 (directly above), the control plates on the 2016-2017 "Old Smoothie" Basses are also positioned the same way due to their being based on Sterling Ball's early production1976 Sting Ray number 26.
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Fernando Rosa managed to create a fantastic profile for himself during the covid lockdown with his videos. Music Man could not have a better pitchman for Classic Stingrays!
These cost $4,000 (£3,300) in the UK.
Folks are probably sick of me saying it, but every time I see the new prices, it makes me wish I had kept that original I bought for $250 back in the late Eighties.
One of several reasons I still have mine. Bought it slightly used in '83 (if memory serves) for $300. With OHS case.
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It’s a beauty. Although it will never be worth what a Stingray is, my history of regretting selling cool basses is why I will never sell my Peavey Forum Five AX. I know if I bought an equivalent new American made factory bass, it would be $2,200-$3,000, and my Peavey was a gift.
To my eye, the white and walnut look the best of the bunch. So clean with that maple neck.
I have two US SUBs: a '04 5 string and '05 4 string. I have contemplated selling them when a good priced Stingray pops up, but these are so good that it's nearly impossible to justify the price difference.
Plus, they are 2EQ slabs, so they are much like the original recipe Stingray, which I prefer, anyway.
Kind of perplexing with all the effort to be pure 'Retro' they ship with Super Slinky Rounds
Well... strings are fairly cheap (except TIs). Pick your poison and slap 'em on there. I rarely buy a bass that I don't immediately change the strings on. Even if they are string brands I like, they are often deader than doornails. I've always wondered if they put "factory second" strings on new basses. They nearly always manage to suck. Of course, if the new bass has been hanging in a music store... forget it. Automatic string change time.
