Question Sterling neck profile - asymmetrical?

[liverbird]

So I bought my first Sterling recently, a 1994 in the old sunburst. Lovely birdseye maple neck, nice light weight.

One thing I notice is the neck profile... It's slightly asymmetrical - chunkier on the bass side and a bit flatter on the treble side.

Don't have this on any of my Rays, and don't have another Sterling to compare.

Is this a typical feature for a Sterling of that era?

 

[jlepre]

Not that I've ever heard.

 

[bdgotoh]

It's typical for all Sterlings ever built!

 

[Holdsg]

Not purposely asymmetrical like MTDs, but could be slight or could have been sanded down byte previous owner.

 

[jlepre]

It's typical for all Sterlings ever built!

Really? Can someone else verify this?

 

[Yango]

Hmmmm... you've got way too many Stingrays... do yourself (and me) a favor, and package up that '89 and send it along... Thanx!

 

[liverbird]

Thanks for the replies so far.

It is definitely asymmetrical, slight but noticeable. Not sure how to tell whether anybody has done any sanding in the past. It all looks very smooth. You can still clearly see the line where the headstock finish ends. However, the neck finish feels more like satin than the usual oil/wax combo but I guess that's hard to tell if the bass has been played a lot.

Any further input welcome!

 

[bdgotoh]

Really? Can someone else verify this?

Sort of! http://forums.ernieball.com/music-man-basses/19389-sterling-necks.html

 

[njhammer]

I know from the necks on my buddy's Lukes that those are obviously contoured toward the bottom E. I don't own a Sterling (yet) so the Luke is my only reference. Maybe the skinnier neck, the more contour it gets to better fit the palm? Just a guess.

 

[drTStingray]

So I bought my first Sterling recently, a 1994 in the old sunburst. Lovely birdseye maple neck, nice light weight.

One thing I notice is the neck profile... It's slightly asymmetrical - chunkier on the bass side and a bit flatter on the treble side.

Don't have this on any of my Rays, and don't have another Sterling to compare.

Is this a typical feature for a Sterling of that era?

View attachment 21920 View attachment 21921 View attachment 21922 View attachment 21923

Don't know the answer to your question but that sure is a gorgeous bass. There seem to be some absolute beauties from that period of Musicman bass production.

 

[jlepre]

Sort of! http://forums.ernieball.com/music-man-basses/19389-sterling-necks.html

That actually didn't verify anything. I'm waiting for someone in the know to chime in here.

 

[bassmonkeee]

It's good enough for me. Brad isn't a dummy.

 

[jlepre]

Sterling

Nothing here that says anything about an asymmetrical neck. Livebird, it looks like your neck must have been sanded.

 

[drTStingray]

You can still clearly see the line where the headstock finish ends. However, the neck finish feels more like satin than the usual oil/wax combo but I guess that's hard to tell if the bass has been played a lot

I think this is standard for that era. The headstock on my 93 SR4 fretless has a sort of matt varnish finish, and the back of the neck is sort of satin, but it's polished as a result of playing - you can see the line where the finish changes. Oil and wax finish started in the later 90s, but I'm not sure exactly when. The pickguard on mine is matt white - I notice yours has the matt black - matt pickguards are also typical of that era it seems.

No doubt Rod Trussbroken may be able to assist re finishes and changeover dates - and maybe neck profile on the Sterling?

 

[bdgotoh]

Livebird, it looks like your neck must have been sanded.

Was it aliens? or Bigfoot??

 

[jlepre]

Was it aliens? or Bigfoot??

Are you saying the previous owner was an alien or Bigfoot?

 

[smallequestrian]

Are you saying the previous owner was an alien or Bigfoot?

Possibly, over the last 10 years Brad's ran through more Sterling's then just about anybody.

 

[bassmonkeee]

Was it aliens? or Bigfoot??

It might have been an alien Bigfoot. We best wait for official confirmation of alien Bigfootness before coming to any conclusions.

...that every neck that ever left the factory had been sanded?

 

[Soulkeeper]

Lots of MM guitars have asymmetric necks. It's not a big stretch of the imagination to think that the Sterling, which was supposed to be a "refinement" of the Stingray, has it too. Especially when we have two forum threads with anecdotal "evidence" for it, with at least 3 forum members (if I counted correctly) noticing asymmetry.

But of course, if a MM representative would chime in, that would settle it once and for all. Personally, I have no clue. Not sure if I've ever seen a Sterling, let alone played one.

Hmmmm... when I get back home I'll try to remember to have a long hard look at the necks of my SR5s.

 

[mmbassplayer]

Possibly, over the last 10 years Brad's ran through more Sterling's then just about anybody.

I have one of Brad's Sterlings now... In my hand, looks for asymmetry. JOSH