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Educate me on Musicman basses please

J

jealousblues

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Nov 9, 2009
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Saint Louis, Missouri, United States
Educate me on Musicman basses
HI guys Im a guitar player but a couple years ago I was playing bass and bought a Musicman Stingray 5 and I REALLY loved it. It was a sparkle see through blue burst guitar.

After a year or so I figured there is no way I should have such an expensive bass and sold it and bought a MIJ Fender Jazz Bass from like '86 or something.
Ive had...I dont know how many guitars between 18-25 and its the only one I regretted selling and the only one I "miss"
I loved the sound, the neck and the way the guitar looked.

I dont care for the neck on the jazz bass as much

Anyway fast forward to now and I just havent bonded the with Jazz bass. Its a good bass but it doesnt make me excited to play like the MM did for whatever reason.

So im thinking of selling the MIJ fender and buying another music man.

But heres the thing
I really want a stingray 5 but I probably cant afford that and might go with a 4

but ive also heard there were stingrays SUB basses which where less expensive but were supposed to be great
and now I see there are stingray basses BY Sterling which is a cheaper line (I may be mis remembering this) or Sterling BY musicman

(as well as there were Sterling basses before which where slight variations on the stingray bass. I heard they were the same electronics as the MMSR 5 but I dunno and smaller neck which I dont think I would prefer)

can you guys set me straight on all of these lines and tell me if there is much of a quality trade off and give me a hint of what I might prefer?

I will probably be buying used but you never know
 
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Golem

Golem

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jealousblues said:
Educate me on Musicman basses
HI guys Im a guitar player but a couple years ago I was playing bass and bought a Musicman
Stingray 5 and I REALLY loved it. It was a sparkle see through blue burst guitar.

.......................................
..................................................
.......................................................

After a year or so I figured there is no way I should have such an expensive bass and sold it
..............................

........... I will probably be buying used but you never know
Click to expand...

You ask several questions. I will answer one you didn't ask, but need
an answer for:

Since you buy used, if you bought a used SR5 a coupla years ago, it's
hard to tell if it was a StingRay-type [aka "alnico"], or a Sterling-type
[aka "ceramic"] SR5. The change from ceramic to alnico was made just
a few years ago. If you want to replace the SR5 you loved, tonewise it
will matter as to which version of 4-string you get. If you indeed had a
ceramic PU type, then a Sterling 4 is the 4-string version of it, and so
you'll just need to get used to the neck, which is thinner than an SR4
[but thicker than a Fender Jazz].

OTOH, if a coupla years ago you bought a brand new SR5, then it was
the alnico version and so you would want an SR4 3-band [any vintage]
as its proper 4-string replacement, fat neck and all :)


`
 
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JayDawg

JayDawg

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Sterling, Colorado
Do you have the ability to go and try a few Music Man basses out at a Guitar Cener or something like that? Like others have said, used is also a great way to go to save money too.

You have the Ernie Ball/Music Man line which is USA made.

Then you have the Sterling by Music Man which is made overseas but the quality is still top notch but the basses are very affordable. What they lack though is the options of color and finish of the USA ones. Also, don't get these confused with the Ernie Ball/Music Man Sterling bass which is a model of the USA line. The Sterling by Music Man basses are called Ray 34 and Ray 35 which are the 4 and 5 string equivilant of the USA Stingray basses and the SB 14 which is the equivilant of the USA made Sterling 4 string bass.

Then there is the SUB series which used to be made overseas but I believe only made the 4 string version of the USA Stingray bass. My former senior pastor of the church I used to be on staff at had one of these and that is one got me turned on to Music Man. They too were also very affordable and made overseas but you only had a handful of colors available. I think maybe like 3 or 4. These are no longer made but there is a new SUB series being released later this year.

SUB Sterling by Music Man. This is the new SUB series I mentioned in the last paragraph. I believe it is a branch off of the Sterling by Music Man stuff now but will be even less expensive. Basically entry level stuff around $300.00 I believe. These will not be available in the USA until this September I believe so I can't really say what they will be like yet but I am sure the quality for the money will be good because Sterling Ball will not allow his companies name to be placed on anything that is going to be crap!

As far as if you go new or used, 4 or 5 string, really, their are too many options to choose from but find what you like. I personally like the newer stuff over the older Ernie Ball Music Man basses because they have come a long way and the improvements are very noticeable but there are people who also like the older stuff too. I don't dislike the older stuff but the newer models have little things here and there that really do make a big difference like the truss rod wheel made for easier neck adjustments, compensated nut for better intonation and a few little other things.
 
Gravesend Black

Gravesend Black

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Jun 13, 2012
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Hi guys!
I'd like to know about different setups for this bass.
As I know you can have different fingerboards on it like maple,birds-eye or rosewood.
You can have a new-old Alnico PUs or ceramics like SR5's from '90s.(If you have the old one SR5.)
As far as I know some of SR's can be made of Alder instead of Ash.
Etc.

What do you think about these differences and how it affects the instrument?
 
MrMusashi

MrMusashi

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the sub series was made in usa!
they were made in both 4 and 5 string. active or passive, 2band eq (on the active ones.. doh :)), slab body (non contoured, like the classic is today), finished neck and limited selection in color.

MrM
 
G

georgestrings

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Oct 22, 2011
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MrMusashi said:
the sub series was made in usa!
they were made in both 4 and 5 string. active or passive, 2band eq (on the active ones.. doh :)), slab body (non contoured, like the classic is today), finished neck and limited selection in color.

MrM
Click to expand...


Correct, except some SUB Sterlings were also made, which had a typical Sterling width neck - but 6 bolt - and 3 band preamp... Here's mine:

SterlingSUB-2.jpg
 
Gravesend Black

Gravesend Black

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I do not think that jealousblues will be satisfied with Sterling-by-Musicman if he already owned a real Musicman before)
 
five7

five7

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The old sub basses were all made here in the USA not overseas. same factory as the stingray and just as good!
 
J

jamontap

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Jun 24, 2012
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I had no idea the Sub series were US made. Aside from the electroics, is the build quality anywhere near the straight up Stingrays?
 
Golem

Golem

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jamontap said:
I had no idea the Sub series were US made. Aside from the electroics,
is the build quality anywhere near the straight up Stingrays?
Click to expand...

Build quality is 100% equal to any USA EBMM, but options were limited
and various detail touches were eliminated ... no contouring, frinstintz.
Funny, how these days you pay extra for a non-countoured body ....
it's called the Classic. Likewise, [active] SUBs were strictly 2-band ...
again, reference the current Classic series :)


`
 
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Gravesend Black

Gravesend Black

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jlepre said:
Just my opinion, but have you actually PLAYED any SBMM basses? If not, then I wouldn't make that assumption. If you HAVE, then never mind.. :)
Click to expand...

Maybe I'm wrong. You can call me a MM fanboy in critical condition cuz I just got my own one recently. I guess that SUB is not a Sterling by MusicMan now. I mean the product line not the Sterling model itself =)
Ok Just went to educate myself on youtube about SUB series. It is good but it sound not so good to call it the real-true-justastherealMM bass to me(

Hands down. I did not want to make posts like I'm an expert) It is good to learn more info about MM basses here)
 
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five7

five7

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Every one of the subs I have owned has sounded and played as well as the rays and sterlings I have owned. Some have played better! I would have to call them real-true-justasrealMM. I have not played any sterling by MM so I can't judge them. I have owned OLP 4's and 5's and did not care for them. Listening to them on youtube might not be the best way to try them out. Try some in person if you get a chance.
 
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