Looking for a Music Man Sterling Neck

[dcook68]

Hey all, I have a really nice EBMM Stingray that sounds and plays great - but I love the EBMM Sterling necks better given the slimmer jazz-ish profile and nut width. Given that EB doesn't out license necks, how does one go about getting a replacement? Pics below of my bass for your enjoyment

 

[nebadon]

You can sell yours and buy New one with smaller neck using the new Custom order site

Or call CS and ask if they will sell you one

 

[dcook68]

You can sell yours and buy New one with smaller neck using the new Custom order site

Or call CS and ask if they will sell you one

thanks! I didn't realize they had that option.

 

[dcook68]

You can sell yours and buy New one with smaller neck using the new Custom order site

Or call CS and ask if they will sell you one

oh - you mean sell the whole bass, not just the neck. yeah I know that's an option.

 

[nebadon]

oh - you mean sell the whole bass, not just the neck. yeah I know that's an option.

The CS part of my post was just neck
They seem to be more accommodating lately
Worst is only a No

 

[mynan]

Looks like your Stingray has 21 frets and I think all Sterlings have 22 frets. I'm not sure what that does to the geometry as far as tuning, but you may want to look into it before you invest any $$$.

 

[Golem]

Looks like your Stingray has 21 frets and I think all Sterlings have 22 frets. I'm not sure what that does to the geometry as far as tuning, but you may want to look into it before you invest any $$$.

Absolutely ! Ive swapped many MM necks but always SR to SR and Sterling to Sterling. You cannot swap across the two designs.

You might consider a custom cut nut to get nearly almost what you want. I would keep the G notch right where it is and gather the other three progressively closer to the G.

You can also just buy a Sterling nut. Theres no restriction on buying nuts, tuners, saddles, battery boxes, etc. I would still endeavor to mount that nut with the G notch right where the previous G notch was.

Seems to me that if (huuuuuge "if") anyone has a neck to sell you, you DO NOT want a Sterling neck. The neck you want, *IF* Im not mistaken, is from a StringRay Special. But thaz a nearly hopeless quest, and easily $500+ .... if you get lucky against the absurdly steep odds. Swapping your SR for a Sterling should cost far less than that $500+ price of a neck that no one is selling anywaze !

Keep in mind that if you were to sell your SR and buy a Sterling you would be changing far more than just the neck guage. The PU and associated electronics will be noticeably different as well.

Sterling tone is brighter than SR tone but, TO MY EARS, my Sterling SH can mimic my SR 1H quite nicely, due to the incusion of the neck PU on the Sterling SH. YMMV.

 

[tbonesullivan]

Isn't that what the SLO special necks on Stingray basses were? Neck with the thinner / narrower sterling profile?

Anyway, I don't know if EBMM makes those necks anymore, since the new stingray special has a 22 fret neck. You can contact them, but probably looking for a stingray 4 with a SLO special neck would be your best option to get what you are looking for.

 

[Golem]

There is one other bass that puts a Sterling neck on a StingRay. The name of it can be confusing. The EBMM (USA) S.U.B. Sterling.

Most USA SUBs are essentially StingRays, but a few are labeled Sterlings. Those differ significantly from non-SUB EBMM Sterlings in that they DO NOT have Sterling PUs and electronics. They have standard StingRay PUs and electronics (3band). HOWEVER ! They have the Sterling neck that you want !

Sooooo .... bottom line, if you can find an EBMM S.U.B. Sterling youve got StingRay sound and a Sterling neck. I just measured the width of the string set on mine, at the nut, and its 30mm across the 4 strings. Then I checked a StingRay and it measured 37.5mm. If you can find one of these its way less $$ than an SLO or a StingRay Special.

Finding one is tricky, partly cuz its kinda rare but grossly cuz the word "Sterling" is so problematic, and adding "EBMM" and "USA" will NOT help in the least cuz google will ignore those. If you hunt for one online watch for the black headstock and black neck. Those are the reliably trustworthy signs of the real thing. If you can filter your search for prices over $599 that would knock out most of the false hits.

 

[Park]

You can sell yours and buy New one with smaller neck using the new Custom order site

Or call CS and ask if they will sell you one

Thanks for this info I’ll try it … I’ve had a problem with one of my two Albert Lee artist guitars and have been racking my brain for a solution : I don’t want to order counterfeit which I know there is an option for that and I don’t want to put a Clapton fender Stratocaster neck on it so I will phone them. My guitar tech of 36 years was flabbergasted by it and could not fix it - he could feel the problem I described so at least it wasn’t me loosing my mind or religion over it.
Parker

 

[Golem]

Heres a USA SUB Sterling for sale on Reverb. The black headstock reads "SUB Sterling Bass" in white.

Its in the rarer color. You get a Sterling neck with normal StingRay PU and 3 band electronics. The SUBs are "slab body", no contours. AFAIK they are always poplar wood.

Its listed on Reverb for $1000 with case.

The black one, with an upgraded pick guard, is mine. Its NEVVVVVUH for sale cuz it was built on my birthday, but its a much clearer picture than the Reverb listing. BTW mine cost $700 very many years ago so I guess that the $1000 Reverb price is fair today.

 

[five7]

I bought one years ago for 285 used, killer bass.

 

[Mu5icM@n]

The neck on the above bass still has 22 frets, making it incompatible with the pre-2018 Stingrays.