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Ernie Ball Music Man Custom Design Experience

Stingrays Abroad!

PocketGroove82

PocketGroove82

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 5, 2006
Messages
824
Location
Denton, TX
Hi everyone,

I've been traveling and playing all over the Korean penninsula, as the bassist for the 8th US Army Band stationed in Seoul, South Korea. And I gotta say, traveling around the world just reminds me of how great it is to be American!

The primary reason I say this is 'cause we get the MM gear CHEAP in the states!

Upon seeing the prices of rays and bongos on my 1st trip to the famous Nagwon Music Arcade in downtown Seoul, I nearly fainted.
If you want that phat MM tone here in Korea, you are gonna pay out the ass for it. And I mean nearly DOUBLE the price you'd pay for one at a GC in the states.

I'm wondering if it's like this in most countries?

I guess Koreans could always just trade in their old Daewoo for one!:D

Also, on a tangent, our band has 6-7 basses at our disposal and the only one that can withstand the gigging and hardcore abuse that only an Army Band can dish-out is the Stingray 4. We use it for everything...cept parades!
 
PocketGroove82 said:
If you want that phat MM tone here in Korea, you are gonna pay out the ass for it. And I mean nearly DOUBLE the price you'd pay for one at a GC in the states.

I'm wondering if it's like this in most countries?
Click to expand...

I can't speak for the rest of the world, however based on countries I've lived, full retail price in Australia is around double the US price also, and in Indonesia it's around 2.2x the US price.
 
In Switzerland and in Germany prices are only about 10-15% higher than in the US.
The problem is the option/colour choice: 80% are black/black stingrays 4 or 5ers.
No-one orders you a different colour scheme if you don't pay in advance... and if it sounds not as expected? (sorry, basses Do sound individually).

I have never seen a Bongo in Europe. Not on stage, not in a shop.

Andy
 
In France, Bongos and Stingrays are 50 to 100 % pricier than in the US. Depends on the €/$ ratio, and on where you buy it and how much discount you can get from the retailer (never pay the price on the label, you'll always get a discount if you pay cash and immediately). That's nearly the same for all US stuff (ampeg...).

Since 1 year, you can find some Bongos in the good shops, but they still are not very common ; same for the Sterling. Some shops still sell SR I saw there for five or 6 years and always for the same price (dust included) ... If you don't want the colour they have in store you'll have to place an ordrer, and wait, like everywhere else.

I leave near the German frontier, so I buy US stuff overthere, because they are really cheaper then in France (40 to 60 %), but I still buy euro stuff (Markbass for instance) in France, because discussing the price is common here (in big stores in Germany they are not used to discount, so except you buy for a big amount, they won't reduce the price).

MNF
 
the only good thing with these instruments being expensive here in aus is that the amount of people playing with the kick ass musicman tone is marginally less... which makes me sound better.... thats really grasping straws.. but hey you gotta see the positives in everything.
 
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I gotta say, my heart goes out to everyone who's had to drop a lot more dough on a MM simply cause of their location! But you guys that did were smart enough to know how a player really has to invest in great tone and spend to match it with great playability.

Everytime i get a "bargin" bass, within a few months I live to regret it.

i.e. cheap neck through body Honer 6-string....aweful aweful aweful neck/action/trussrod
cheap used fretless american standard p-bass....."electronics" gave out durring soundcheck.

Yet I've never had any problems with any of my MMs, so you really gotta spend money...to make money! = ) PEACE!
 
ProgHead said:
In Switzerland and in Germany prices are only about 10-15% higher than in the US.
The problem is the option/colour choice: 80% are black/black stingrays 4 or 5ers.
No-one orders you a different colour scheme if you don't pay in advance... and if it sounds not as expected? (sorry, basses Do sound individually).

I have never seen a Bongo in Europe. Not on stage, not in a shop.

Andy
Click to expand...

15% higher in Germany?
If you want a 5er with matched headstock, maple neck and piezo's you pay something around 2500 Euro! (or more) According to my calculations that is a bit more than 15% ..... :o :p

If you can find me 1 of those basses for 15% more than in the US please let me know haha. Then I'll stop buying planetickets to the US every time I'm going to buy a MM :D
 
KennetB said:
Retail for a Stingray in Norway: $ 2740
Click to expand...

ok, norway is most expensive place i ever heard of, anyway. but your standard match those prices, so no problem for you.
yes, musicman is quite high end basses in europe. but at same time, we pay warwicks ( if we like them ) much less then american folks.
 
draganr said:
ok, norway is most expensive place i ever heard of, anyway. but your standard match those prices, so no problem for you.
yes, musicman is quite high end basses in europe. but at same time, we pay warwicks ( if we like them ) much less then american folks.
Click to expand...

Yes! Who wants a Warwick when you can have a MM? :D
 
draganr said:
ok, norway is most expensive place i ever heard of, anyway. but your standard match those prices, so no problem for you.
yes, musicman is quite high end basses in europe. but at same time, we pay warwicks ( if we like them ) much less then american folks.
Click to expand...

I'm not complaining. They're my favorite basses so I'll gladly pay the price. I think they're worth it and I understand why the price is what it is.
Good thing I don't care for high end Alembics or something like that;)
 
doesn't norway have the highest standard of living coupled with best wages and highest taxes, free education and early retirement?

anyway all i know (much to my detriment) is that I was conceived there....
 
I think the current exchange rate, taxes, average labor rate etc. needs to be considered in a relative manner for a fair comparison.
 
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