Pics of my '91 SR4

**flywheel** · 10-20-2005, 08:14 PM

This is the bass I spoke of earlier with all the birdseye in the neck

**midopa** · 10-20-2005, 08:22 PM

Niiiiice!

**Randracula** · 10-20-2005, 09:23 PM

**pattiejay** · 10-20-2005, 11:52 PM

wow

so nice and shiny too - you play it much?

**AnthonyD** · 10-21-2005, 12:08 AM

Quite lovely...

**Psycho Ward** · 10-21-2005, 04:29 AM

Originally Posted by pattiejay

wow

so nice and shiny too - you play it much?

It is to never be played... don't even look at it...

**Rod Trussbroken** · 10-21-2005, 04:35 AM

Very nice!

**Bill** · 10-21-2005, 05:42 AM

That's beautiful!! Looks like it's in mint condition, too.

**flywheel** · 10-21-2005, 07:26 AM

actually this bass looks very Minty in the pics but up close and personal it has more dings than my other two Rays. The guy that owned it before me played in a cover band that gigged every weekend or so...he dinged it up here and there. I've taked really good care of it but I gig on it almost everytime I play out. It's the most punchy and bright of my basses and this sound really cuts through the mix well for me on stage. It is also the most stable neck of any bass I've ever owned. I can tune it up at a gig, play the gig, put it in it's case not play it for 2 weeks and take it back out completely in tune still. She's a real player.

**bdgotoh** · 10-21-2005, 09:48 AM

I love my 91 Ray, has that great birdseye neck and even some figure to the ash body.

**Mahlon** · 10-21-2005, 09:55 AM

Was that neck a special order back then or what?

**Moondog** · 10-21-2005, 10:43 AM

nice . . my '92 has a very cool birds-eye/flame neck:

My '95 looks like yours, closely concentrated and dark.

**flywheel** · 10-21-2005, 12:43 PM

Originally Posted by Mahlon

Was that neck a special order back then or what?

No...these are how several of the necks were back then. There are several explainations as to why EB quit using so much birdseye in their basses that I've heard. My guess is that Birdseye became more popular with furniture makers, woodworkers, etc. The price likely escalated and EB had to quit using it as often to make a certain profit. I'm sure the EB folks would likely argue this theory but in my mind...it makes perfect sense.

**Rod Trussbroken** · 10-21-2005, 06:58 PM

As to figured necks, here's BP's explanation:

When we first started the furniture world cabinet makers, and the rest of the industries that used fine wood could give a hoot about birdseye maple. Why use birds eye maple when there is a perfectly good rain forrest to rape?

The cost and availability of birds eye back the was not sigifigantly more that normal maple. It was no brainer #22. Pay a little more and get cool figured necks, dont charge a premium just do it. That worked for awhile until it became politically incorrect for those other industries to use the exotics coupled with various governments restrictions prohibiting the import and or export of the exotics. Now there was enough for boutique instrument builders but not enough for all of the other industries to go around.

We do reserve the figured maple for the higher price signature models. If there was a material difference between figured and non figured we certainly wouldn't use them for our artists guitars. Some people think differently, but I dont think there is much of a difference.