should i buy a S.U.B.?

[Lucas G]

i ran across one for sale the other day. should i jump on it? i am on a mission to slowly incorporate more balls in to my arsenal.

these basses are kind of on the 'fancy' end of the the spectrum for me, financially. so unless it's a heck of a deal, i am hesitant to buy. that being said, would i be better off snagging this one or waiting until i run across a used 'ray i can't pass up? i know these are a heck of a bang for the buck, and i know they don't make them anymore. if i get something like this, the chances of me ever getting rid of it are slim. but unless i can move a couple basses that are lying around collecting dust, this would make me have to quit smoking and eating fast food for lunch.

wait a minute! maybe i should buy it after all! oh crap i didn't think of that. i actually can't believe i typed it like i was thinking quitting wasting money on dumb stuff was going to be like i was sacrificing something. forget that- tomorrow morning i am not going buy a pack of cigarettes.

dang that sure got sidetracked from my original post. forgive that tangent. regardless, i am pleased with the results.

 

[maddog]

yes.

 

[Frantic Slayer]

have to quit smoking and eating fast food for lunch.

tomorrow morning i am not going buy a pack of cigarettes.

i am pleased with the results.

good for you!

quit smoking and live to play bass longer!

 

[bradfordws]

How much was it on sale for? I picked up a SUB 5 for around $500 recently and they used to sell for $750 at the stores, so I thought it was a great deal. If you don't mind the color, you can easily get a more normal plastic pickguard - and if you don't mind the non-contoured body, then go for it. I wasn't a fan of the diamond plate pickgaurds. I bought the SUB 5 as a project bass and had it contoured and refinished in silver sparkle - goes great with my disco band! See my album for a pic of this bass. I quit smoking too and don't miss it - too expensive anyway! You'll have more bread for gear now.

 

[Lucas G]

my god, man! that silver sparkle looks incredible! i saw pictures of it a while back, i was actually looking for them again yesterday after i found out about this one. couldn't find them though, so i am glad you posted.

the one i am looking at is about the same price, actually. it is teal, which at first wasn't sure about, but after playing it was completely cool with. i am not a huge fan of the pickguard either, but i don't hate it. i figure as long as i keep the factory one safe and sound, i can swap on another one. perhaps tort?

 

[oddjob]

The Sub is a killer bass... very unfortunate they didn't do better in the marketplace. All the goodness of a mainstream EBMM without some of the cosmetic thrills. By all means buy it if it is in your range!

 

[lomky]

OK, have some direct experience with this. I bought a new SUB last year, it seriously kicked ass. The finish is great and indestructable. The biggest complaint was the non contoured body, it actually dug into my wrist funny and would put my hand to sleep, but it sounds AWESOME! I recently went shopping for a used Sterling, and found a GREAT trans teal, I love the skinny neck and the smaller contoured body, and sounds amazing. To be honest I paid $150 more for my Sterling than the SUB. If I had to do it again I would have bought the Sterling first.

But it sure is nice having both

 

[strummer]

Yes, buy the SUB.

 

[JohnnyBoy]

Yes, if possible go for it, the SUB was a great product at a very good price.

 

[mathewsanchez]

Does the SUB use comprimised electronics (pickup and preamp) or is it the same as a 2band stingray electronically?

 

[lomky]

No compromise, mine is a 2band passive, and the bridge doesn't say anything on it. I think the only things they really compromised on is the body wood, and then covered it w/ thick paint, and also covered the neck w/ paint. I find the paint on the neck to be very fast, and my hand doesn't stick, despite sweating alot! The fit and finish feels very much like my Sterling.

 

[WillPlay4Food]

My biggest thing was the lack of contours causing the body to bite into my forearm/wrist. This is the only complaint I had with mine.

 

[the unrepentant]

SUBs are the dogs nuts, i have one and i don't regret it one bit!

Also i'm pretty sure the electronics and hardware are exactly the same as the ray apart from the lack of a musicman logo on the bridge and the fact that the tuning pegs are musicman's own, not schaller, but are still very good.

The sound is excellent, that of a real ray and they play pretty nice too, however the paint on the neck isn't quite as fast as a real ray but that can be sanded off and oiled. The body is a bit of a slab and you can tell a bit but it's not TOO bad.

 

[sloshep]

If the price is right, go for it. The build quality is excellent.

 

[AtomicPunk]

I played a 5-string SUB in a music store one day for an hour and loved it, I liked it better than the 5-string Ray they had next to it (it had a Maple board, and I am not in love with Maple boards). I shoulda bought it, when I went back for it, it was gone. I'm STILL kicking myself.

 

[StevieBoy]

If it feels good and sounds good to you...buy it..