Boutique Basses vs. Music Man Basses...

[DTG]

Bingo!

Depends on what part of the world you live in

 

[Holdsg]

For 4 Gs you can buy 2-3 EBMMs, talk about value!

 

[DTG]

For 4 Gs you can buy 2-3 EBMMs, talk about value!

Again depends on where you live, I certainly can't.

Look my sr5 is the best bass ever built end of story and I picked it up second hand from a guy who looked after it really well for a great price. But they are a high end bass here and a kick in the arse off a boutique bass.

You get what you pay for, now far enough off topic ! Back to coffee tables

 

[Jason Hebert]

I have an artist deal with a boutique builder who typically sells basses between $4k-$7k, and I still BUY EBMM instruments. Some people like just apples, some people like just oranges, but I like both. Nothing wrong with either. My other basses do things the MM's can't, and the MM's do things the others can't.

 

[oddjob]

I have had some great basses and some not so good ones in all different price points (I sat down and figured out that I have owned some 50+ basses). I have had some great table top basses (1 that I REALLY regret letting go) - they are what they are. I got great deals on them and they sounded how they sounded. My MMs are still the best quality and bang for the buck. I am essentially down to 6 basses now - the first bass I ever bought, an Ashbory (if you call that a bass ) and 4 MMs (ok my 8 year old has a Daisy Rock too). Every thing has it's place but my tastes center around MMs - not taking anything away from the others.

 

[Smallmouth_Bass]

Well, MM basses certainly aren't cheap, but what's the saying? "I'm too cheap to buy cheap stuff."? I'd rather save and spend the extra bucks knowing I am going to get something that is good quality and is going to last.

 

[adouglas]

Y'know, for me it's not about bang for the buck or anything like that. From where I sit it's all about whether or not the bass makes the tone you like and plays the way you want it to. If it does that, it's worth the money.

For a long time I thought that I'd have to go high-buck booteek to get the sound I wanted. I tried to do it myself…. I had a Brand C "hippie sandwich" bass with quilted top, abalone blocks, gold hardware… the whole dealio… and replaced all its guts trying to find "that" tone. Nah. I was seriously looking at dropping a pile of cash on an MTD 535 as the next step.

Then I tried the Bongo. What it taught me is that there's a lot more to making a quality product than components and fancy wood.

 

[five7]

The bongo is a boutique bass, made from the finest materials and designed by guys that build boutique cars. No need to make it look like a table top, the 70s are long gone!

 

[TheAntMan]

This is all the fancy I need right here

Nicely matched with EBMM strap lock and solid leather strap. Oh, yeah

--Ant

 

[zortation]

There are a lot of expensive basses out there that don't actually offer much, tonally speaking. If a bass is glued together with 7 laminates and a buckeye banana tree wood top, but still has a set of j pickups and aftermarket electronics in it, what's the point? That's why I respect builders who make the whole thing, or at least have designed every aspect of their instrument.

But there are a few makers out there who stand out from the rest. I'm thinking Alembic, Fbass, Tyler (now defunct for bass) and others.

 

[dmarotta]

IN October I had a gig at a resort outside of Puerta Vallarta. The backline company offered a well know "Hippie Sandwich Bass" or a beat up 25 yr.old Stingray 5 they said did not "look to pretty good"
I pick the Stingray, packed some strings and tools expecting to do a litttle tweaking.
They flew the bass in from Mexico City in a beat up old stock case.
When I opened it there sat a well used Stingray5 single pickup that played and sounded as good as any bass I've played. No tweaking necessary. I offered to buy it after the gig but they turned me down.
I do not own a Stingray but after playing one for 4 hours ....I need one!

 

[adouglas]

Dammit, where'd that "Like" button go?

Heck of an endorsement, right there.

 

[Dr Stankface]

Hell, I own a few "other" basses that have their place but I can say this with complete honesty. For the last 8 years I've NEVER gone to a gig without at least one of my SR5s with me. While sometimes I will bring another kind of bass with me it usually sits on the stand as if to say, "Hey man, you go get 'em guys! I'll be right here if ya need me!" Usually that night I hear that other bass cry itself to sleep.

 

[Big Poppa]

Ive sat back and read this....First off...most of you know that I dont like 'vs'...I am so happy that there are so many great basses....seriously. We make what we feel we can do and others have their corner...its all good.

 

[J Romano]

Being a hobby woodworker, I am a wood grain freak. When I build something I look for unusual grains. When I saw my Quilt Trans Black Sterling 4H I had to have it. I really like the solid finishes, but wood grain is the best to my eye...... That being said, there is something absolutely sexy about an MM burst finish with that wonderful grain just seductively showing through! As it has been said many times before, "I love my Balls"!

 

[MattOfSweden]

EBMM basses are Boutique to me - in a very good way. I do enjoy and own other brands, but EBMM in general and Stingrays in particular have a special place in my heart.

 

[Rano Bass]

IN October I had a gig at a resort outside of Puerta Vallarta. The backline company offered a well know "Hippie Sandwich Bass" or a beat up 25 yr.old Stingray 5 they said did not "look to pretty good"
They flew the bass in from Mexico City in a beat up old stock case.
When I opened it there sat a well used Stingray5 single pickup that played and sounded as good as any bass I've played. No tweaking necessary. I offered to buy it after the gig but they turned me down.

I would love to hear that bass, if it made you forget about your bongo it must have sounded pretty good!

 

[Big Poppa]

I think that people seem to somehow forget the greatness of the Sterling and the SR5. just saying.

 

[adouglas]

I think that people seem to somehow forget the greatness of the Sterling and the SR5. just saying.

Word.

 

[JayDawg]

I think that people seem to somehow forget the greatness of the Sterling and the SR5. just saying.

I haven't forgotten them. I was actually just playing my Sterling the other day because I had not done so in a while and had a blast doing it. It really had been too long since I last played it and was just have a blast getting re-acquainted with an old friend.

I don't own an SR5 or any other 5 strings because I suck at playing 5 string but I have played quite a few and I have to admit that I really like them too. Best sounding low B of any bass out there.