Help! My Sterling's sound is degrading. . .

[ErichWK]

So I have been solely a Music Man bass player since around 2002. My first MM bass was a Sterling and I have always been entranced by it's sound and slim neck and over all ease to play. But for the past year. . .maybe year and a half my sound has been degraded. Live shows it sounds terribly muddy and blown out. Recorded, it doesn't give it's Treble-ey sustain it once had. It's not an old battery, for they are replaced a fair amount. I give it new strings, I even took it to a shop and we got some sort of electronics replaced. . .


But Alas nothing seemed to work. And it's definitely not my amp, cause other bands use my amp during shows and their basses sound great. I've tried googling my problem but no luck. Any help? Any Advice? Anything would be really appreciated.

-Erich

 

[the unrepentant]

Have a look at the contacts in the battery compartment, are they clean?

 

[maddog]

1. Check battery.

2. Check pickup height

3. Replace strings.

I'd try those fixes in that order.

 

[bassmonkeee]

So I have been solely a Music Man bass player since around 2002. My first MM bass was a Sterling and I have always been entranced by it's sound and slim neck and over all ease to play. But for the past year. . .maybe year and a half my sound has been degraded. Live shows it sounds terribly muddy and blown out. Recorded, it doesn't give it's Treble-ey sustain it once had. It's not an old battery, for they are replaced a fair amount. I give it new strings, I even took it to a shop and we got some sort of electronics replaced. . .


But Alas nothing seemed to work. And it's definitely not my amp, cause other bands use my amp during shows and their basses sound great. I've tried googling my problem but no luck. Any help? Any Advice? Anything would be really appreciated.

-Erich

Let's start with "took it to a shop and we got some sort of electronics replaced?"

What exactly did they do to the bass?

Where are you located?

 

[Smallmouth_Bass]

Contact Customer Service.

 

[ErichWK]

Thank you guys for the quick replies. It is kind of late right now to plug and play loud but tomorrow I will get to all your advice. Really quick here is what I can answer.

I checked.

Unrepentant: I check the Contacts and they are a single shade of I'm assuming copper. So I'm guessing they are clean. . but I could just clean them anyways just to make sure. How should I go about this? Just a Q-tip?

Bassmonkee: I live in San Diego, CA. . .right on the beach. The ocean air is terrible for my instruments. My pick ups are rusty. . would that degrade my sound at all? And I'm embarrassed to admit I can't remember what the electronics were that got replaced. Because when I took it in to "El Rayo" guitars and explained my plite, the repairman said he gets inquiries about The Ernie Ball's Sound Degradation all the time and said he knew the answer. I, gave him my bass, he "fixed" it and I paid. Maybe I was gipped. Maybe he thought he really did fix it and it wasn't the answer. Maybe everything is a lot simpler than it seems to be.

But none the less, tomorrow I will play loud, listen. . then change my battery, then change my strings. I will update you guys!

Thanks again, guys! Luckily I still got my stingray as a backup. <33

 

[phatduckk]

you should definitely call customer service. that's what they do - they figure out what's wrong with your bass.

http://www.ernieball.com/contact

 

[TNT]

It's the "tubes" in your amp!!

 

[bassmonkeee]

Thank you guys for the quick replies. It is kind of late right now to plug and play loud but tomorrow I will get to all your advice. Really quick here is what I can answer.

I checked.

Unrepentant: I check the Contacts and they are a single shade of I'm assuming copper. So I'm guessing they are clean. . but I could just clean them anyways just to make sure. How should I go about this? Just a Q-tip?

Bassmonkee: I live in San Diego, CA. . .right on the beach. The ocean air is terrible for my instruments. My pick ups are rusty. . would that degrade my sound at all? And I'm embarrassed to admit I can't remember what the electronics were that got replaced. Because when I took it in to "El Rayo" guitars and explained my plite, the repairman said he gets inquiries about The Ernie Ball's Sound Degradation all the time and said he knew the answer. I, gave him my bass, he "fixed" it and I paid. Maybe I was gipped. Maybe he thought he really did fix it and it wasn't the answer. Maybe everything is a lot simpler than it seems to be.

But none the less, tomorrow I will play loud, listen. . then change my battery, then change my strings. I will update you guys!

Thanks again, guys! Luckily I still got my stingray as a backup. <33

The "repair man" is full of crap based on what I put bold in your quote. You don't become one of the biggest instrument manufacturers in the US by puttingouut product that "degrades over time all the time."

Honestly, if you are in San Diego, your best bet is to send it back to SLO, and have them take a look at it and see what the repair man did to it. Call Customer Service and let them get you set up. If there was anything changed out, no amount of internet speculation will get it corrected. Send it home. If something is wrong with it, it'll get repaired by the people who know the product best and have the correct parts to repair it.

 

[koogie2k]

Best bet is this - send it to Customer Service. They will give the bass a good checking over and let you know "if" there is something wrong. I worry about "repair techs" that change things when it may not have been an issue to begin with. Get with CS and it will get sorted out for you.

 

[bovinehost]

The "repair man" is full of crap

I'd have to get in line with that. I've been playing Stingrays since 1977, and this concept of his holds no water. No matter what is going on with your bass, I'd avoid this guy like the proverbial plague.

 

[Big Poppa]

I would like the El Rayo guy to come to me at the NAMM show and tell me in detail about all his experience with degrading Music Mans. I would also take that opportunity to tell him that his mother wears mens underwear.

The worst thing is that there is no degree to become a guitar tech. THis guy is probably fine but our stuff isnt rocket science and it is pretty easy to fix whats wrong. First thing is that I would get my money back. Second thing is that dont wait swo long when you arent happy with the performance of anythiing we make. I actually have people that I pay to make sure that you can be very happy.

 

[the unrepentant]

Thank you guys for the quick replies. It is kind of late right now to plug and play loud but tomorrow I will get to all your advice. Really quick here is what I can answer.

I checked.

1. Unrepentant: I check the Contacts and they are a single shade of I'm assuming copper. So I'm guessing they are clean. . but I could just clean them anyways just to make sure. How should I go about this? Just a Q-tip?

Bassmonkee: I live in San Diego, CA. . .right on the beach. The ocean air is terrible for my instruments. My pick ups are rusty. . would that degrade my sound at all? And I'm embarrassed to admit I can't remember what the electronics were that got replaced. Because when I took it in to "El Rayo" guitars and explained my plite, 2. the repairman said he gets inquiries about The Ernie Ball's Sound Degradation all the time and said he knew the answer. I, gave him my bass, he "fixed" it and I paid. Maybe I was gipped. Maybe he thought he really did fix it and it wasn't the answer. Maybe everything is a lot simpler than it seems to be.

But none the less, tomorrow I will play loud, listen. . then change my battery, then change my strings. I will update you guys!

Thanks again, guys! Luckily I still got my stingray as a backup. <33

1. You can just use a pencil eraser

2. Do not EVER listen to this guy again. EVER. He doesn't know what he's talking about.

3. Talk to ernie ball customer service, they'll set you straight

 

[Rano Bass]

I've been to El Rayo and honestly i don't think they know much about basses, i asked a few questions about pickups and preamps for my fender and i knew more than them.
Send it to the guys who really know how your bass should work (SLO)
IMO of course.

 

[barginkov]

that " repair man" either knows nothing about guitars or is full of @%it, what is he saying that the sound will degrade ,, i have 17 <MM basses from 82-96, if anything age makes them sound better, not degrade the sound, i guess thats why the 57 p basses have such a "degraded' sound.