• Ernie Ball
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  • Sterling by MusicMan

mntngrown

Member
Joined
Apr 3, 2008
Messages
20
Just a note of praise to the MM Humbucker in passing. I am a 90-95% Bongo HH ,(with chromes) user in my over the hill rock and blues band. I have a real appreciation for the single H Sterling from past experience though. Problem is I trade all jazz size necks at some point cause my big mitts need to have a bigger stick to anchor the thumb behind. Bongo is the best of both worlds for me as the neck is fast but has some girth front to back. So I did an impulse buy recently on a used Sterling 4H at a good price. I told myself I could just use guitar player ergonomics and have a roundwound 4 in my arsenal.(thumb anywhere including hanging over the E string!)
Long story nauseous I plugged it in for a new song we were gonna work with our strong female vocalist. Voodoo Woman, Susan Tedeschi version,live Austin album, and a pretty difficult riff to hold through the whole song, w/o fatigue. Anyway the band did pretty well on the 1st voyage, and the guitar god told me "You pretty much carried us on that one" That's because the MM humbucker cuts with authority in a loud band mix IMHO. I will probably always have a MM bass in the forefront as they rock and blue note with authority!
 

Powman

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Joined
Jul 30, 2009
Messages
1,086
Location
Oakville, Ontario, Canada
Cool story. So you have a Bongo HH with flats and a Sterling H with rounds? To me that is the best combination of bass guitars.

I had a similar reaction when I first brought my Sterling 4H to band practice for the first time in the Fall. (Former J bass user). Bands reaction was "Whoa, that bass has balls".
 

mntngrown

Member
Joined
Apr 3, 2008
Messages
20
Great description

The 1st Sterling I had was strung with DR Hi-Beams and was super ballsey. I think this one has nickel wounds, probably factory EB strings, and still has em, just not brass ones! Better cause the beams could be a little clacky on the maple board.
 

Powman

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 30, 2009
Messages
1,086
Location
Oakville, Ontario, Canada
The 1st Sterling I had was strung with DR Hi-Beams and was super ballsey. I think this one has nickel wounds, probably factory EB strings, and still has em, just not brass ones! Better cause the beams could be a little clacky on the maple board.

I would not put DR Hi Beams on a Sterling. That would be complete overkill. Your ears will be ringing from way too much highs.
 
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