Music Man on MTV

[uvapete]

Good people,

it has been a long time since I watched MTV, since we don't get cable, but I'm sortof house sitting for a friend (actually using their TV to watch the Tour de France) and I flipped through the channels and I was struck by how almost every bassist on MTV plays Music Man basses. Saw a couple of Stingrays, maybe a Sterling, and a Stingray 5.

has anyone else noticed this trend?

No wonder it is taking so long for people to get their basses.

Pete

 

[jongitarz]

As the person who does the set ups on our artists insrtuments...I am ALWAYS looking for them on TV...My wife is a little sick of it, but I love seeing guitars I built onTV and in movies(Freaky Friday Steve Lukather Model) But rest assured the artist instruments are made by me...Customer instruments are made by the setup dept, and no matter how many artisit guitars we make, it won't slow down the production at all

 

[TSanders]

Musicman basses seem to have really become a standard. I see them on tv all the time. If you really wanna see Musicman basses check out CMT. It seems like EVERY country music bassist plays a StingRay 5. By the way Hoobastanks bassist parts with his MTD basses in "the reason" video for a tasty trans red StingRay 5. For all who care Hoobastanks new album ROCKS. I'd recommend it to anyone.

 

[midopa]

Ooo. "Artist Instrument"! So you guys DO make custom instruments!

 

[spectorbassguy]

Good people,

it has been a long time since I watched MTV, since we don't get cable, but I'm sortof house sitting for a friend (actually using their TV to watch the Tour de France) and I flipped through the channels and I was struck by how almost every bassist on MTV plays Music Man basses. Saw a couple of Stingrays, maybe a Sterling, and a Stingray 5.

has anyone else noticed this trend?

No wonder it is taking so long for people to get their basses.

Pete

Hey I don't watch MTV but I do watch TVU. It's kind of a Christian version of MTV that is on the SkyAngel network. And yes I totally notice what you're saying. A lot more of the newer bands' bass players especially are using StingRay 5's. (Even more than are using Fenders - w00t!). Check out the "Ten Most Wanted" show on weekends if you have Dish Network. Bands like Switchfoot, 1000 Foot Krutch, Supertones, P.O.D., Kutless, etc. Great Stuff!

 

[jongitarz]

No...The artist insrtuments are not custom....And they are usually 2nds, so the ones you guys get are better

 

[cgworkman]

No...The artist insrtuments are not custom....And they are usually 2nds, so the ones you guys get are better

Why would you give "artists" the 2nds?

 

[jongitarz]

We give them 2nds because they usually just have a minor flaw, but a flaw none the less. We can't offer them as 1st's and artists get instruments cheap or free(depending on who they are ) So why not give them the 2nds? You cant see the flaw onstage...They are happy they get a deal..win win situation

 

[armybass]

Yeah, you cn't turn CMT on without seeing a SR5.

 

[midopa]

We give them 2nds because they usually just have a minor flaw, but a flaw none the less. We can't offer them as 1st's and artists get instruments cheap or free(depending on who they are ) So why not give them the 2nds? You cant see the flaw onstage...They are happy they get a deal..win win situation

Mwehehe. Have you guys handed out Artist Bongos as of late? And how do you guys get the instruments in the first place? Do customers return 'em for cash back or something?

 

[bovinehost]

And how do you guys get the instruments in the first place?

I'm going to guess that they build them.

Hah hah, Mr Smarty Pants, that's me.

My guess is that they don't make it past QC and someone goes, "Hey Jon...."

 

[MingusBASS]

I would imagine that when he says 2nds he probably means factory 2nds for the most part. So they are 2nds before they ever leave...the flaws happen during creation ...some sort of freak accident. Or maybe someone trips over one during a drunken foose ball contest.

Andrew

 

[bovinehost]

I better get a call long before the next garage sale, I know that.

 

[jongitarz]

Jack...Once again you are right....The artist 2nd's are what we call "fall out" meaning it falls out of production. Example... Production supervisor brings an instrument to me..."Hey Jon do you need this?" If I need it I take it. If I don't need it,it gets sent to mean Mr. Bandsaw . I have many boxes full of 2nd bodies. I have many racks of 2nd necks. When our artist reps need an instrument for an artist, they call me....."Jon do you have a Desert GoldStingaxisalbertleelukepetruccibongosilhouette?.... Why yes I do! So it gets built for your FAVORITE ROCK STAR!! And all is well with the world...Good Night

 

[Jean-Frédéric]

Well prolly cause of that the Subs and OLP will sell more ,mean kids will have Basses that look like their " Favorite " bands. Yeah EBMM are everywhere , even the bassist who plays for the show " Lord Of The Dance" has a Sting Ray 5. Well if you think there is a lot of MM basses , try count the Les Paul guitars .... it's like trying to count Honda Civics in a arban town.

 

[uvapete]

Well if you think there is a lot of MM basses , try count the Les Paul guitars

right-

I was thinking the same thing.

everyone likes the look and tone of the paul... how could you not? I feel that the same reason my ears like the Ray is close to the reason I like the les paul.

nice solid chunk of wood, humbucking pup = TONE, BABY, TONE!!!

And MOJO to go. They are both beautiful instruments that beg to be held. (or sniffed)

I have a les paul honeyburst that I like almost as much as my stingray (note that I do not belong to a les paul forum!). It is ruvrey shexey.

spectorbassguy- Switchfoot was one of the bands I saw. Looks like that guy has a cherry or sunburst or trans red (is there such a thing?) ray. Hard to tell with the camera work and the fact that it is slung down near his ankles and he's flopping it around a lot. But for a bass player he gets a lot of air time on that video.

everyone has basically become a more postive version of Alice in Chains, it seems these days. (I was listening to "Dirt" the other day and was just blown away by how good it was. I don't remember ever liking it that much. But man, they are one copied band right now)

Pete

 

[crazybass888]

Not making light of the fact that so many people have discovered the value and craftsmanship of the EBMM product, I find it MORE amazing that someone actually found MUSIC on MTV!!! How the hell did that happen? On the CMT note, has anybody taken notice of Ira Deans (Trick Pony) collection of StingRays? Gremlin Green Sparkle, Startus Blue Sparkle, American Flag, all kinds of great stuff...

 

[CW Zing]

artists getting 2nds

I always thought that rock stars and the like got the prime instruments that the rest of us weren't worthy for! Now I know even the SR5 that I have is better quality than that of the self-loathing backward-baseball-cap-wearing rock guys on the tube.

 

[cgworkman]

We give them 2nds because they usually just have a minor flaw, but a flaw none the less. We can't offer them as 1st's and artists get instruments cheap or free(depending on who they are ) So why not give them the 2nds? You cant see the flaw onstage...They are happy they get a deal..win win situation

Do all the companies do that?

 

[jongitarz]

I don't know...And I should say that there are some artists that do get 1st instruments...We just made John Forgerty 4 guitars..none were 2nds

Also....Not all "artists" are Rock Stars...A lot are up and coming acts