HH Sterling review??

[bdgotoh]

I saw a post by Jack elsewhere on the net that said he played HH Stingrays, Sterlings and SR5s at the Open House. So where is the Sterling HH review? Lord knows I try to pay attention around here but did I miss it?

How did it sound - compared to an H Sterling, compared to the HH Stingray, etc?

 

[bovinehost]

Brad,

I wish I could give you details. We were all, I think, a little overstimulated by the sheer numbers of new basses and prototypes and one-offs - and breathing the rarified air that surrounds Big Poppa.

Plus we were all using those listening stations in order to avoid having it sound like Guitar Center on a Saturday afternoon.

I only played the HH Sterling for a few minutes. I spent more time with the HH Stingray. I still don't have a clear idea of everything those basses will do. I was not a big fan of the 5 way switch concept....you know me, simple is good. I like the blend knob on the Bongo. It lets me get a decent sound right off the bat then tweak using just the blend knob. I like that.

So I was thinking, "Yeah, five ways, ahem, great for the wankers and tech-heads but not so good for cavemen."

I was wrong.

Check the sticky above about what the five ways do (if you haven't already). There is a WEALTH of different tones in those basses, Sterling and Stingray alike, and the 5 way really lets those differences shine.

I am notoriously bad about describing tone with words. "Haughty, yet mincing." I don't know. The Sterling sounded like a Sterling but with all this extra stuff on the already tasty sandwich.

Avocado. Horseradish. A puffer fish eyeball. I don't KNOW.

I also thought that I wouldn't be really excited. After all, I've been playing Bongos for a couple of years now; how radical could another dual pickup EBMM bass be, considering what I've been playing?

But they are their own animal, to be sure, and I can't wait to add one to the Bongo Swarm.

I leave it to others to describe the tone(s) but, knowing you, I think you're going to be really, seriously happy with what they do.

Jack

 

[bdgotoh]

"Haughty, yet mincing."

LMAO at that!

I was mostly looking for a comparison of the HH Ray to the HH Sterling because to my ear they don't sound that much alike in classic single H form.

I just shoulda gone to that dang open house!!

 

[Oldtoe]

"Haughty, yet mincing."

You suck, Jack! LOL You're into the sauce, judging from that clever bit of lexical tomfoolery.

Brad, they ROCK. I played all the HH stuff, and absolutely none of them left me wanting. Believe me, add meat to the regular EBMM tone and you get the HH tones.

 

[bovinehost]

I just shoulda gone to that dang open house!!

Brad, I have always respected you, but let me just this once say - DUH.

There were, I imagine, a certain amount of people in search of specific information and there may be someone here who was primarily interested in the HH Sterlings. If so, they will undoubtedly weigh in sooner or later.

Me? I was trying to take it all in and not doing a very good job. I mean, I walked in to the country club that first day and Steve Lukather kissed me on the lips then Sterling gave me the Flame Monster and after that, frankly, it was hard to pay attention, try as I might.

As Ben can tell you, I was generally....engaged, when not completely overwhelmed. I mean, there I would be, admiring a mahogany Bongo or something, and the next minute I'd be talking to Dudley Gimpel. Then Biff would call me aside for consultations or give me a bass or something.

I hope I can be forgiven for not paying close attention to the details, heh heh. I want to go back in time and do it all again and pay more attention, but it really was overwhelming.

Holy shiite, we had fun.

I've been sitting here for the last two or three days, trying to write a coherent article for one of them pesky bass related magazines, and you know what?

I'm STILL distracted.

Jack

 

[Oldtoe]

I had a dream about it last night. No kidding. That weekend warped me, but in a good way.

 

[Samingo]

Well, I'm glad you're happily warped.

Cause I for one don't wanna adjust your truss rod.