Question Please help me re: Newer EBMM vs. Older

[Datta]

. . . you can now get a Sterling with two humbuckers or a humbucker/single coil electronics package. Just something you might want to consider!

I've looked at the options (and tried them out), and frankly while the new pups add new and different sounds, to me they are not better than the single H. I almost traded my Sterling for a Bongo HSP once - I was amazed at how versatile the sound of the Bongo is, and also like the way it played. However, I could not make it sound as good as my Sterling, which is not nearly as versatile sound-wise, but has my favorite sound, in my highly subjective opinion. Over the years, I've received a lot of favorable comments about my sound, especially from bassplayers and other musicians, so it's not just me .

I'm inclined to go with the HP option, because that leaves me all the original H sounds as well as a new dimension, and leaves that center real estate clear. I like to have room to play rough.

(I still want a Bongo, when I can afford it )

 

[kubš]

They are all great - there are differences but from what I've seen, they are all v high quality.

If you're lucky, a late 80s/90s EBMM bass may have a figured birds eye maple neck which adds beauty to a great instrument. That said, the later gunstock oil/wax finish necks age to a lovely colour - my 2003 SR5 has changed to quite a dark wood and looks great.

From a sound angle, the later basses have more flexibility in multi pick up variants.

As several people (outside of this forum) have said to me over the years, you can't go wrong with a Musicman -from my experience I believe that to be totally true. Everyone here will say they're great but we're all addicted anyway!!

My friend had beautiful 89´ SRay....Birdseye, mutes (of course), Olympic white but...it was probably lemon, I didn't have much time to fiddle with it so I didn't find any significant problems-maybe it was harder to get out "MM Character"...but it was such nice piece that whne my friend decide to sell it new buyer was happy with it...for one month....next buyer same...after month it hangs at "craiglist" again...

So whats conclusion??? I hate that PRE-EB, post-iraqi war, pre-09/11, "good old EBMM from 80´s", post-britney spears quality time-quantification...I don't understand why there are such interest in hyping price and selling factor of "birth date"...

 

[syciprider]

the later gunstock oil/wax finish necks age to a lovely colour - my 2003 SR5 has changed to quite a dark wood and looks great.

Yup. My 07's neck has turned darker too.

 

[RoboChrist]

The older ones with the satin lacquer neck will always be better than the newer finish. I'm not sure what to think when I see "new" stingrays hanging in a shop with dirty marked up fingerboards; and then there's the cleaning maintenance, steel wool on a new bass? I'm a bass player not a furniture refinisher.

 

[bovinehost]

The older ones with the satin lacquer neck will always be better than the newer finish.

Except for those of us who think the oil/wax finish will always be better than the lacquer finish.

See how that works?

 

[five7]

except for those of us who think the oil/wax finish will always be better than the lacquer finish.

See how that works?

+1

 

[oli@bass]

The older ones with the satin lacquer neck will always be better than the newer finish.

AFAIK, Sterlings never had satin lacquer necks.

 

[RoboChrist]

Except for those of us who think the oil/wax finish will always be better than the lacquer finish.

See how that works?

No, actually I don't

 

[fidooda]

No, actually I don't

and that's why we are knuckleheads

 

[sitonmybass]

When Sterling 4's came out in '93 I preferred them to StingRays which I had played since '81! When Sterlings became available as a 5-string I immediately sold my StingRay 5 to get a Sterling 5 single H model. In answer to this thread's poll/question I voted that the quality has remained consistent.