My S.U.B.: The real thing?!?!

[dumpster bike]

Thanks in advance for throwing any and all info my way.

Ive been playing bass for about 10 years and from the time i began to really learn about the instrument and tone in general, ive wanted that Stingray sound, but have never been able to afford it. Fastforward to 2005:

im gigging with a band fairly often, making a bit of money off of it and can finally justify spending money on yet another bass. After losing a bunch of Ebay bids on actual stingrays, i decided on a used 4 string SUB with active EQ for a REALLY good price. ive played a few stingrays, used and new, and have been playing my SUB for about 2 months live, and at home.

im pleased aside from the myriad of bizarre and deep gouges and nicks in the body and headstock (not your run of the mill scrapes and dings: these look like someone took a screwdriver and hammer to the body).

i was wondering what yalls impression is of the SUBs, and how different are they from stingrays and sterlings? i know a bit, but id love to know more.

id also like to refinish and repair the body and was wondering if anybody knew what the grain is gonna look like under its black textured paint, and if theres alot of shielded paint in the control cavity. thanks....

 

[Colin]

Firstly welcome, the Sub is great Bass and I've seen a few pics of them with the finish removed and was pleasantly surprised. Be interested to see pics of yours if you do the same.

Colin

 

[midopa]

SUBs are great basses. A lot of value packed in those for the coin you pay. They're pretty high up on my GAS list.

Oh, and welcome!

 

[Samingo]

S.U.B.'s are fantastic basses. Owned and swore by one for about two years; the longest I've kept a bass. Sold it... Already have another on order. Versatile, reliable, they pack a punch.

Much like owning a Bongo is like owning your own personal rocket launcher of sound. Owning a S.U.B. is like owning your own personal PPK of sound.(that's the bond gun) Not quite the firepower, but if used correctly just as deadly.

my two cents.

 

[dumpster bike]

thanks yall.

as soon as i get to my camera ill start putting up some pictures. maybe you guys can explain the damage done to the body.

i was wondering if the SUB pickups differ much or at all from stingrays, as well as the electronics and the necks. im assuming they just use less attractive wood for then necks and bodies. the tuners and bridge look exactly the same, just not stamped and maybe slightly less machining on the edges.

any ideas on finishes, stripping the paint and shielding paint in the control cavity?

 

[Samingo]

The S.U.B. works on the same general two-band EQ as the Stingray as far I know and the pickups are the very same Alnico magnets as the 'Ray. As for the neck, if you mean size, the S.U.B.'s neck is identical to the Stingray's I believe.

Don't know too much about the paint or the control cavity. Hope that helps some.

 

[Rod Trussbroken]

The alnico pickups and 2 Band electronics are the same as the SR4.

I have a few EB Basses on my shopping list, including a SUB5.

 

[NoFrets80]

SUB's are great!

Your feelings are definitely well-founded. I unloaded 2 Fenders recently and completely revamped my bass lineup with EBMM. I own an active fretted SUB and a passive fretless SUB. Both are incredible basses and sound amazing. I'd love to someday own a Stingray, but I doubt if I'll ever get rid of these basses I'm in love with them so much. ;-)

 

[Dr Stankface]

From what i've played, the SUBs are worth more than what you pay for them. Killer sound for a KILLER price.

Ya gotta love EBMM.

Andrew

 

[vinylbeater]

I think the SUBS are fantastic basses.. I tried one before I bought my stingray

The pickup looks identical and the SUB does sound very similar to a stingray. Whats funny is...in every review I have read.. and every post on a msg board I see etc... about a SUB people say that the SUB has the same electronics and pickup as the stingrays .. however I contacted ernieball before I bought my stingray and they told me that the pickups are slightly differnet and so are the electronics in the preamp / eq..

 

[Rod Trussbroken]

I haven't pulled one apart ( yet )

I'm acting on this info.

Go here:

http://www.ernieball.com/forums/showthread.php?t=468&highlight=Sting+comparison

Edit

But I seem to remember Jon saying something to the effect that it's a little different but the same???

Too long ago now. I can't remember exactly what Jon said

 

[Golem]

Great ax. I think EB makes them look rather unsexy on purpose, so they don't clobber the upper end of their own line in the marketplace. Not that SUBs are anti-sexy, just very understated.

Sounds like someone tried a "Fender Customme Shoppe" relic-making routine on that SUB. Personally, I'd just use body filler and look for a decently close paint match so that the scars are not 'gone, totally, like magic' but do not attract the eye at 3 feet or great distance. Unless of course you just really love woodworking and refinishing as much as you love music. Short of that, just take the easy route to minimizing the scars and forget about them.

 

[higher1]

I love my SUB5... she's a joy to play and sounds great to boot. I don't think the electronics are the same as the SR's because they do sound like two totally different beasts to my ear.

I also own 2 SR5's. As I have stated here many times before; it plays VERY similarly to my SR5's but still just a very close second.

In my opinion the SUB is like the "B stock" or "2nd's" of ernie ball. but for the money, nothing else in the price range compares, hands down!

 

[dumpster bike]

thanks again yall

i dragged my SUB to sam ash today to pit it against a fairly new stingray that was there used for about 900. i walked back to the bass section to find it had been sold, but a used OLP and a 4 string bongo HH had come in in the meantime.

first i tried the OLP through a hartke 4X10 combo amp with a tweeter with all the eq set completley flat. not bad, sounded like a midrangey SR with the highs rolled off. the fret work and the quality of the fingerboard on my SUB looked slightly nicer, same with the pickup. i then plugged in my SUB and imediatley decided i like it better. much louder, and clearer highs with more punch. next i plugged in the bongo which was louder again than my SUB, but thats to be expected with the 18 volts behind it. i was impressed but not blown away like i thought id be. the HH configuration sounded great, sort of a fender jazz sound with both pickups on. it wasnt as heavy as i was expecting either, somethng that is becoming more and more of a problem as i get older. also sounded like, with some toying youd be able to get a alot more sounds out of it.

suffice to say that im even more happy now with my 275 dollar bass after testing against models for twice and 5 times as much. the setup and strings could be making a difference here, but i still feel ive got my moneys worth and more with this bass. i just wish it was prettier. thats why i plan on refinishing the body, filling in the missing chunks, and possibly even putting in some body contours, although i dont mind the slab body the way i thought i would. and i need to get a hold of a cheapish pickguard: those stock sub pickguards are hideous, and rediculously cheap. i think they might actually be cardboard. if i find the time and am brave, i may even refinish the neck, or just the headstock to match the body, thats someting id really love. does anybody know about the possiblity of getting replacement headstock graphics? and im still wondering about the control cavity paint. ...

 

[cgworkman]

I highly doubt you'll be able to legally get ahold of HS graphics.

However, I would like to see before and after pics when you get started.

 

[dumpster bike]

i wouldnt want HS graphics that werent legit, like i wouldnt try and label the bass a stingray or something. ive heard certain companies will sell you the graphics if you provide valid serial numbers, although maybe thats just vintage instruments.

and pictures will be on the way....

 

[bovinehost]

Those aren't slide decals, though - they're silk screened on, so you can't really get a "factory" replacement.

I'd hug that SUB tight at night and learn to love its battle scars. Sounds like you love that bass, and that's what counts.

Flames are cool, though..........

Jack

 

[cgworkman]

I would clean it up as much as possible. A professional refinish has worth if the bass is really that bad off. Of course it also depends on where and what you're playing. If you're playing a nice jazz gig in a coffee house, a beat to death bass might not be the 'vibe' you're trying to project. Of course if you're playing in a strip club.....

 

[Squozen]

If you're playing in a strip club, you'd hope the patrons weren't looking at your bass anyhow, right?

 

[spaceman]

im still wondering about the control cavity paint. ...

I used a multimeter to measure the resistance inside the control panel of my SUB Sterling and it didn't register as conductive. i.e. it doesn't appear to be shielded.
That is consistent with the descriptions on the Ernie Ball web site where the Stingray and Sterling shielding are described but nothing is mentioned for the SUBs about shielding.

However, my SUB Sterling doesn't pick up much noise compared to what my cheap Yamaha was like before I shielded it. So, I have no plans to add any shielding to my SUB.