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Axis 30th Anniversary

should I trade.......

30th anny - is great temptation but it is all about the sound you like. If it sounds better for you - why not?
 
I actually dont really like the sound of the sterling....but love the feel....and never played a stingray. I am not 100% sold on the MM sound yet...so I figured if I didnt like the 30th I probably wouldnt like any!
 
Keith Gorgone said:
I actually dont really like the sound of the sterling....but love the feel....and never played a stingray. I am not 100% sold on the MM sound yet...so I figured if I didnt like the 30th I probably wouldnt like any!
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If you do not like your sterling than trade it.
 
bovinehost said:
If the 30th Anniversary doesn't do it for you, have you considered the marimba?
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I'm not a banger I am a plucker!

I guess I am just used to the thump thump.....musicman is more like the treble side of bass. I love the looks and feel of my sterling classic....but it just seems thin and has a weird kinda reverby preamp....maybe I am just used to jazz basses. I'll tell ya though if I want to slap the sterling sounds the best! and I use nickels....I have to get some stainless!

Hard to make the decision...I love the feel and only like the sound a little.....theres a chance if I trade for the stingray I might hate the feel and the sound! I dont want to be a jazz bass guy but I think I might be! I have a thumb bass as well and that one sounds great but is so neck heavy its almost impossible to play standing up.
 
Hows it going brother? man I tried to sign up here with a screen name and it put me in through facebook! now my names on here lol!

Its weird I have been playing my sterling today....and love it. It only sounds weird right after I play a Jazz or P bass.
It sounds much thumpier and smoother when playing up higher too like right after the fretboard...but its uncomfortable to play without a thumb rest....maybe I should put one in.
thats a good question where do you MM players rest your thumb? If you rest it on the pickup way down by the bridge it does'nt sound right.
 
Honestly I just put a sticky square & play off that, if you look real close you can see them

Tone wise this thing is meant to be awesome in the mix when it counts. I've had many basses & cabs that sounded great in the bedroom & crap on stage

ry%3D480
 
Is the Ray local? Can you play it before you decide? Sterlings are pretty versatile, I bet if you spend some time tweaking it you'll find a tone you love. I've played a regular Stingray and while I liked it, the Sterling def feels better when playing. I'm a broken record about his, but I really believe the Sterling has one of, if not THE fastests playing necks in the world.
 
you dont even need a sticky.....you have pickups up top! that would be great to have! yeah maybe I can stick something on there.

I agree about the sterlings playability! I love how the bass feels! Before I lost my job I was going to build a PJ body and have usacg make me a sterling neck. I couldnt decide between a PJ or a P MM....anyway thats no where in my mind now since the money is running out! I had a great month of playing bass all day!
I read all over the place about the sterlings sounding thin.....I need to see what people do about it. I listened to a seymore duncan pickup replacement on youtube and the original sounds better!
Its like sometimes if I use a pedal mostly it losses some bottom end and sounds kinda thin.....but I swear other times I play it and I barely notice it......Then I look online and it seems a ton of people feel like that about the classic. I need to search this forum still and see if others say this.
One guy on TB was going to add a jazz pup to his I read. everyone was trying to talk him out of it....but it sounded like a good idea

Oh yeah no the ray isnt local....I went to GC and was going to try another to see if it was me or just how it was....but they aggrivated me there and I left.
I youtubed the SR 30th and it kinda sounds pretty much the same as mine....MM all kinda sound the same....Very treble slappy sounding.
 
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i have 3 of the 30ths.. they are not quite like other stingrays :)
the mahogany body makes it sound a bit different. also the neck is finished so if that is a dealbreaker for you id suggest you stay with the sterling.
as for sound... if you dime everything, yes it will be trebly.. its not like an active (sorry i mean a passive) bass where you "have to" dime it to get some treble from it. if you dont like trebly sound, dont turn up the treble ;)
or try flats..

MrM
 
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bovinehost said:
If the 30th Anniversary doesn't do it for you, have you considered the marimba?
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For reals...That's the best quote that I've ever heard. I had to add it to my signature.

I've never played a sterling, but I am lucky enough to own a fretless 30th. Beautiful bass to play and behold. Other than the weight I really can't find a negative thing to say about it.
 
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Yeah I was thinking about trying some flats....I have a set of brand new labellas....but then I couldnt slap! thats why I go with nickels on it...warm but can still slap.
I am on my 3rd set of strings on this bass.....just trying different ones to see if I can make it more boomy. I had regular slinkys then cobalts now sadowsky blue nickels. all are almost the same. I like the feel of the blue nickels.

My Sterling is a classic so it has a finished neck too. I like finished necks they dont bother me.

You know I think I might be a passive guy....even my warwick thumb sounded a little off to me lately after playing my passive basses lately. Its weird how you get used to a sound.....

ok you guys convinced me to keep the sterling for a while. I do love the feel. I am going to play it all week and not sell it unless a great offer comes by. I really do love the feel....I can play that bass faster then any bass. I dont know if its the 7.5 radius with low frets or the string spacing with my small hands....but I love the feel!
 
Gravesend Black said:
What is the wiring on Classic Sterling? Parallel or Series since there is no lever switch?
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I think they are opposite of Stingrays and wired in series....Is that an easy change? maybe I should change it. It acts like the signal is so hot that it loses some of its lows...and if you cut back on the lows a bit with a pedal EQ or the amps EQ then you get most of your lows back.
 
I traded it...not for the 30th.....I am no longer an EBMM member! shipped gone! I plan on selling something though and getting another. I would like to try one at GC but everytime I go there they are like I really dont want to climb up that wall and get it.

Maybe they know I will try it there and buy it from Sweetwater!

I am going to try them all this time....bongo big al stingrays classic H HH HS all of them!
 
I would have traded too. The 30th is one of those basses you really won't get to try out. For some crazy reason, unexplainable to me, I do see them on ebay selling for a lot cheaper price than I would expect.

I think the Stingrays have less of that punchy treble than the Sterlings do, and the 30th is different than that even. Mine is definitely more resonant than my other Stingray and being fretless it has more mwah than any other fretless bass I've ever played. Even unplugged the resonance is unbelievable. Although I've never played a fretted version, I'm sure there are many noticeable differences as well.

I think EBMM really hit the ball out of the park with the 30th anniversary basses and until they somehow come up with something better, the 30th sits at the top of the Stingray food chain.

Sorry for your loss, but like you said there are many different EBMM basses you can try. They are all good. Trust me you will find something you like.
 
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