jamie_funk
Member
- Joined
- Jun 29, 2007
- Messages
- 5
Hi all - first time poster, long time lurker 
Just got back from the music store and tried 4 EB basses - three Rays and a Sterling. Haven't really played a Ray since I sold my '78 back in the mid 90s.
The Rays were single humbuckers - one was 3 band EQ/rosewood board, the other 2 band/maple board. The Sterling was single H as well, rosewood board. The HH Ray was rosewood, 3 band with 5 poisition switch.
All were great - HH noticeably heavier weight-wise. Those new pickup covers take some getting used to thumb-wise, but they are nice.
My favourite by far? The single H Ray with 2 band eq - reminds me of my old '78 (long gone) except QUIETER by far, punchy as hell, great neck and frets, LOVE the truss wheel and compensated nut. I realized although all were great, I am still a single pickup guy.....and I may need to buy this bass This bass is, in every way, SUPERIOR to my former '78, both in tone and build (I had the dreaded ski jump happen to the neck).
ONLY downside was the treble side of the body wasn't QUITE as tight (small angled gap) as the others, which were all perfectly even and tight. This had ZERO affect on tone/stability from what I could tell.
One thing that did disappont me, which is down to the store not EB - the setup, or lack thereof - only the 2 band Ray had strings that weren't DEAD. It did need a small truss rod tweak, but that is acceptable. The others had lifeless strings AND mile high action - a shame, since for many this would turn them off, thinking they were hard to play basses. When the sales guy said "it just needs a small truss adjustment", my response was "then why don't you guys DO that at least once a year and sell more of these"
Might be joining your club soon!
Jamie
Just got back from the music store and tried 4 EB basses - three Rays and a Sterling. Haven't really played a Ray since I sold my '78 back in the mid 90s.
The Rays were single humbuckers - one was 3 band EQ/rosewood board, the other 2 band/maple board. The Sterling was single H as well, rosewood board. The HH Ray was rosewood, 3 band with 5 poisition switch.
All were great - HH noticeably heavier weight-wise. Those new pickup covers take some getting used to thumb-wise, but they are nice.
My favourite by far? The single H Ray with 2 band eq - reminds me of my old '78 (long gone) except QUIETER by far, punchy as hell, great neck and frets, LOVE the truss wheel and compensated nut. I realized although all were great, I am still a single pickup guy.....and I may need to buy this bass
This bass is, in every way, SUPERIOR to my former '78, both in tone and build (I had the dreaded ski jump happen to the neck).ONLY downside was the treble side of the body wasn't QUITE as tight (small angled gap) as the others, which were all perfectly even and tight. This had ZERO affect on tone/stability from what I could tell.
One thing that did disappont me, which is down to the store not EB - the setup, or lack thereof - only the 2 band Ray had strings that weren't DEAD. It did need a small truss rod tweak, but that is acceptable. The others had lifeless strings AND mile high action - a shame, since for many this would turn them off, thinking they were hard to play basses. When the sales guy said "it just needs a small truss adjustment", my response was "then why don't you guys DO that at least once a year and sell more of these"
Might be joining your club soon!
Jamie
