Interesting Music Man Discussion

[Rod Trussbroken]

Interesting chat over at Carol Kaye's Forum:

http://www.carolkaye.com/w-agora/vi...366062&first=1059810105&last=1059369275&here=

 

[bovinehost]

Who's this Sterling Bass guy? Does he work in the office next to Sterling Ball?

I love Carol, but she's goofy sometimes. I have Stingrays that are lighter than certain Precisions, and my Sterling is a hell of a lot lighter than either of my Jazz basses.

This weight issue....10 pounds is average weight for a bass. Some are a little lighter. A few are boat anchors. But if the average Sterling is too heavy for you, then I can't help you.

 

[bovinehost]

BTW, the magic number to go from "member" to "Senior Member" is, obviously, one hundred!

I wondered about that.

 

[Rod Trussbroken]

bovinehost
Senior Member


crack the Champagne!

 

[RockinRayDuke]

If Jack's Sterling is any indication of the average weight then I don't know what she's talking about.

SR's are like any other bass, some are heavy, some are not. I really doubt she's used one in years.

 

[bovinehost]

I just cranked that thing up tonight, Ray. Checked the intonation....after six months AND after putting on a set of strings (TIs of course) that had been on two other basses - can you bleeb it? Perfectly intonated. Didn't have to move a thing.

Sterlings are great and under-appreciated basses! Call Carol, tell her she can borrow mine for a couple of weeks.

 

[tom_683]

isit true about the body woods, they dont make any difference to the sounds? i always thought they did.

 

[Rod Trussbroken]

Tom...IMO you are spot on!

 

[Masamax]

Different woods affect the sound slightly, but most hardly hear the differnece unless they REALLY try. The main effect I notice most that different woods will have on the bass asside from the obvious weight and look is the amount of sustain. Some woods can REALLY bolster the sustain of a bass, and some just kill it.

 

[smahtkid]

Holy Kryste!

What a trip reading that thread! I agree that some MM's are heavy, but that's the nature of Ash in general - the property of the wood - some are light, some are heavy. EB uses the BEST materials available in their basses. Period. They are designed for balance and playability as well as tone.

Sounds like all of Carol's P-basses are miraculously the same weight... Not sure what "Sterling Bass" they are playing over there, but they sure as hell weigh less than most Fenders IME. And uhhh... maybe I'm stoopid, but I'm pretty sure a G&L with EMGs sounds a lot different than any Steiny I've heard... Maybe we should send them an all maple body and neck bass to A/B with an all mahogany...

dizzy from the fumes,
-Wil

 

[SWR_n_EB]

ok, who else find is hilarious she said it doesn't have that precision bass sound. Well no **** Sherlock, it's not a precision bass! If u want the precision bass go buy one, IMO.

No, it's not to heavy.....cough cough pussy cough cough...


And did she say... cut it down.....as in remove wieght...god tell me she didn't do that....please...god...

 

[basscat]

I tried to post a repons regarding the importance of wood to get the right tone but Carol's site is obviously very moderated and it never appeared. She doesn't seem to be interested in other views than her own.... .

Basscat

 

[hands 5]

I will say this I have 2 MM basses (79"Sabre/SR5)both of them are heavy made basses.I hardley ever play them on gigs any more because of this and besides now that I'm on the far side of 30 yrs old the last thing I want to do is play a bass on a 4 set gig 3 to 5 nights a week just for the sake of tone no matter who makes it...this also includes my 74'Fender Jazz.Hey,if you guys think that this is wimping out-well I just be a wimp with out the Chiropractor bills.

 

[Psychicpet]

Definitely some kooky comments, not sure I agree with body woods "not" affecting tone though... I sure know that there is a huge difference in sound when comparing fingerboard wood on fretless(and yes,Carol adresses that fingerboards make a bit of difference) but it seems silly that the wood on the fingerboard would affest tone but the other wood in the bass doesn't...... I guess and all Balsa or Graphite bass only sounds different because of the electronics and fingerboards eh?!?!
As to the weight thing... I am adjusting to the weight of my SR5 but a few ways to alleviate it: Levy's wide straps(or comfort straps) and lots o' shoulder shrugs and trap work
all the best doods and remember..... the Bass can be made of styrofoam and'll sound great as long as the fingerboard is Rosewood!!

 

[RockinRayDuke]

What wood a bass is made of makes no difference in the sound? Absolutely so not true.

 

[hands 5]

What wood a bass is made of makes no difference in the sound? Absolutely so not true.

Why isn't it ? I have two different pre Gibson Tobiases Zebrawood/with a maple neck/rosewood fret board,the other one Bibinga with a maple neck with a Wenge fretboard both have the same type electronics but neither the 2 of them sound the same.I basically keep the same settings on my rig.My Black SR5/with maple neck/fretboard sounded different than my white SR5 with the rosewood fretboard(which is the one I should've kept and got rid of the black one)

 

[RockinRayDuke]

Maybe the way I wrote the sentence was confusing. My point was, wood certainly DOES make a difference in the tone of an instrument, from the body to the fretboard.

Sorry for the confusion.