Question: Please help me re: Newer EBMM vs. Older

[drTStingray]

They are all great - there are differences but from what I've seen, they are all v high quality.

If you're lucky, a late 80s/90s EBMM bass may have a figured birds eye maple neck which adds beauty to a great instrument. That said, the later gunstock oil/wax finish necks age to a lovely colour - my 2003 SR5 has changed to quite a dark wood and looks great.

From a sound angle, the later basses have more flexibility in multi pick up variants.

As several people (outside of this forum) have said to me over the years, you can't go wrong with a Musicman -from my experience I believe that to be totally true. Everyone here will say they're great but we're all addicted anyway!!

[Musicman Nut]

I voted for: Currently made EBMM Sterling basses are a little better

According the wood and final handcrafted work there's not much you can really improve, but pickups and preamp are another story!

I'll give you example from my point of view:

First of all I wanted Sterling 5 with piezo, but wasn't available?

Compromise was HS which I own right now!

I tried a few older Sterling 4 bangers and think that mine have better pickups and preamp, maybe 'cause 5 stringer pups are better anyway? (however, plastic covers of pickups are different, better for thumb position!)

I must write this: I still miss full gloss neck finish!

What I would like on the next Sterlings:

1. Don't change nothing according the wood matter!

2. Finish necks with transparent satin/gloss (I don't know) finish! (or add in offer both versions!)

3. Built in Bongo's preamp, and 25th switch system (all coils combination + series/parallel mode)!

4. Don't change pickups, ceramic rules!

5. Add Sterling 5 piezo option!

Evolution must go on, but slow and decent!

P.S. ...hope my opinion will help to improve EBMM offer!

See this sounds like personal preferences over quality, with all the ones I own the quality is 100%, now do i prefer some changes over others, well again that's a Personal Preference, has nothing to do with how the Basses are Made, it's just what I like better.

Still the best Basses Made Period.

[keko]

See this sounds like personal preferences over quality, with all the ones I own the quality is 100%, now do i prefer some changes over others, well again that's a Personal Preference, has nothing to do with how the Basses are Made, it's just what I like better.

Still the best Basses Made Period.

I agree!

That's why I wrote "my point of view", remember?

We all must admit there are no two equal persons in the world, right?
The whole life is one big compromise, but this fact do not disturb EBMM basses 100% top quality at all!

[JessRobinson]

I own a '95 Sterling - natural velvet finish, lots of birdseye maple on the neck. It's a fantastic instrument with a very aggressive tone and tremendous playability.

Unfortunately I can't make a true comparison to newer Sterlings because I've only had the pleasure of playing them at the local GC, certainly not a true test since I can't crank the suckers up through my SWR rig under normal playing conditions. However I do have to say that they sure felt good in my hands and the workmanship appeared to be top-notch.

BTW I love the natural velvet finish ... nicer than the current glossy natural IMHO... that's one thing that separates old Sterlings from new. The old natural velvet with a black PG reminds me of a butterscotch blonde Telecaster.

In any case, there's no doubt in my mind that EBMM is the best manufacturer in the game.

[syciprider]

Today's Sterling 5s are far superior to the Sterling 5s from 10 years ago. FACT!

[Datta]

. . . you can now get a Sterling with two humbuckers or a humbucker/single coil electronics package. Just something you might want to consider!

I've looked at the options (and tried them out), and frankly while the new pups add new and different sounds, to me they are not better than the single H. I almost traded my Sterling for a Bongo HSP once - I was amazed at how versatile the sound of the Bongo is, and also like the way it played. However, I could not make it sound as good as my Sterling, which is not nearly as versatile sound-wise, but has my favorite sound, in my highly subjective opinion. Over the years, I've received a lot of favorable comments about my sound, especially from bassplayers and other musicians, so it's not just me .

I'm inclined to go with the HP option, because that leaves me all the original H sounds as well as a new dimension, and leaves that center real estate clear. I like to have room to play rough.

(I still want a Bongo, when I can afford it )

[kubš]

They are all great - there are differences but from what I've seen, they are all v high quality.

If you're lucky, a late 80s/90s EBMM bass may have a figured birds eye maple neck which adds beauty to a great instrument. That said, the later gunstock oil/wax finish necks age to a lovely colour - my 2003 SR5 has changed to quite a dark wood and looks great.

From a sound angle, the later basses have more flexibility in multi pick up variants.

As several people (outside of this forum) have said to me over the years, you can't go wrong with a Musicman -from my experience I believe that to be totally true. Everyone here will say they're great but we're all addicted anyway!!

My friend had beautiful 89´ SRay....Birdseye, mutes (of course), Olympic white but...it was probably lemon, I didn't have much time to fiddle with it so I didn't find any significant problems-maybe it was harder to get out "MM Character"...but it was such nice piece that whne my friend decide to sell it new buyer was happy with it...for one month....next buyer same...after month it hangs at "craiglist" again...

So whats conclusion??? I hate that PRE-EB, post-iraqi war, pre-09/11, "good old EBMM from 80´s", post-britney spears quality time-quantification...I don't understand why there are such interest in hyping price and selling factor of "birth date"...

[syciprider]

the later gunstock oil/wax finish necks age to a lovely colour - my 2003 SR5 has changed to quite a dark wood and looks great.

Yup. My 07's neck has turned darker too.

[RoboChrist]

The older ones with the satin lacquer neck will always be better than the newer finish. I'm not sure what to think when I see "new" stingrays hanging in a shop with dirty marked up fingerboards; and then there's the cleaning maintenance, steel wool on a new bass? I'm a bass player not a furniture refinisher.

[bovinehost]

The older ones with the satin lacquer neck will always be better than the newer finish.

Except for those of us who think the oil/wax finish will always be better than the lacquer finish.

See how that works?

[five7]

except for those of us who think the oil/wax finish will always be better than the lacquer finish.

See how that works?

+1

[oli@bass]

The older ones with the satin lacquer neck will always be better than the newer finish.

AFAIK, Sterlings never had satin lacquer necks.

[RoboChrist]

Except for those of us who think the oil/wax finish will always be better than the lacquer finish.

See how that works?

No, actually I don't

[fidooda]

No, actually I don't

and that's why we are knuckleheads

[sitonmybass]

When Sterling 4's came out in '93 I preferred them to StingRays which I had played since '81! When Sterlings became available as a 5-string I immediately sold my StingRay 5 to get a Sterling 5 single H model. In answer to this thread's poll/question I voted that the quality has remained consistent.