• Ernie Ball
  • MusicMan
  • Sterling by MusicMan

miloz

Member
Joined
May 2, 2004
Messages
21
Location
Slovenija
I tried active sub sting ray 5 but i am wondering what kind of bass is cort jsp 5.
Anyone tried it ? Please, tell me more bout this bass ,so i can choose which one to buy.


thanks :rolleyes:
 

midopa

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 24, 2004
Messages
3,850
Location
*
Which one to buy??? Boy, what kind of question is that? What answer do you expect??? ;)
 

oddjob

Well-known member
Joined
May 12, 2004
Messages
2,839
Location
Monroe, Ohio
For the money it is hands down a Sub. Actually... comparing the JP to a Sub is not on the same playing field... @1195 (list) you should be comparing to an SR5.

The JP has some pretty good tones (2 Bart pickups) but seemed a bit sterile. The body was a tad uncomfy and the headstock was a little wacky. It isn't a bad bass by any stretch but I would go SR5 for that kind of cash hands down. Really the only Cort that I have liked recently was TM's Funkmaster1. But even it wasn't worth that kind of cash (1995).

Like the Sub, JP is a slight step up, SR5 crushes them all (while Lord Bongo oversees the kingdom).
 

miloz

Member
Joined
May 2, 2004
Messages
21
Location
Slovenija
i agree but here in slovenia sub is the same price as cort JP (900 $ )
sr5 is around 1700$.all american basses here are expensive.
So i had 4 basses to choose SR5sub,ibanez dwb35,warwick corvette 5 standard and cort jsp 5 all are around 900-1100$.
Than i signet off warwick- nice sound and wood but ugly.
cort vs ibanez -winner was cort- its not neck trught and no EMGs but i like ELRICK look of bass.
so i am stucked betveen SUB and CORT

HELP ME PLEASE
which bass would u buy ,(i like low action and deep ice cold bass sound)
 

oddjob

Well-known member
Joined
May 12, 2004
Messages
2,839
Location
Monroe, Ohio
This is just strickly an opinion but if the SUB and the JP are running the same, you are going to probably get the most flexibility out of the JP (Oh forum gods, please don't strike me down for saying that). The dual Barts give the bass some serious tone options and the "sterility" can be overcome with a good amp or preamp.

Now... for the flip side (and to redeem myself in the eyes of those kind enough to sponsor this forum). You will never... NEVER find better customer support then EBMM. The guys out in CA truely take care of their customers. I've had issues with Fender (why did they have to buyout SWR???), I've had issues with Ibanez, Warwick was ok, but nothing fantastic (and for the money I paid, I should have gotten better support), and Kamen Music was the absolute worst. EBMM stands behind their instruments. The SUB sounds nice, is pretty versitle and plays nice (if you like the SR neck type profiles). Now I would stress that I recommend the Active SUB not the passive one.

Couple of other factors (this is all from memory from last month):
Necks - SUB 6 bolt - JP 5 bolt (I'm not positive on this) - SUB neck felt more secure
Body material - SUB poplar - JP ash (might have been swamp ash) - the ash made for some nice mids and highs but was a bit heavier - SUB is light and comfortable
Tuners - SUB HD open gear - JP Hipshot lights I think (closed gear) - the JP tuners help keep neck dive away but I like the open gear with the bigger post
Tuners - SUB 4-n-1 - JP 2-n-3 (I hated that... ick)
Finish - SUB texture matte finishes - JP I played a natural, and saw a black one (I think they said there will be 2-3 more colors by the end of the year) all gloss - I personally don't like the SUB's matte finish, but there are plenty here that love them.

Now comes the big question again, SUB or JP... answer - a used SR :D (to keep the money down - can't go wrong with it), just keep watching Ebay.
 

miloz

Member
Joined
May 2, 2004
Messages
21
Location
Slovenija
thanks ODDJOB ;) but EBAY in slovenia -i dont think it will pass.
and i see that on EBAY they wrote -dont sell to europe.
and my worst worrie is shiping-what if i get just peaces of guitar not whole one .
and who garant u that u will get good guitar
and i dont belive i can pay it on delivery.

and one question for ernie ball crew :

why o why SUB has black neck and rosewood fingerboard ?
u want to hide some ****y work or wood behind these colors.
it would be nice to have SUB with maple neck see through finish and maple fingerboard.
 

midopa

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 24, 2004
Messages
3,850
Location
*
Ooooo. Careful with your wording there, Miloz, lest the powers that be smite you! ;)

Here's my uneducated stnace on the issue: EB doesn't want parts basses to start flying out of nowhere, as evidenced by their unwillingness to sell spare bass parts (you have to send your bass in to get a defunct part replaced). I'm just guessing this the black neck thing is kind of a purist initiative that ties alongside the anti-parts bass policies. But it's all good - MM basses rock, don't they? :D
 
Last edited:

Bassplyr

Well-known member
Joined
May 18, 2004
Messages
1,058
Location
Central IL
Oooo yeah, Miloz, Midopa is right: careful how you say that. There's no reason to get nasty.
I believe, in order to keep the cost down on SUB's, 1 way is they use less select pieces of wood. So, they paint them. Nothing wrong with the wood, just not of the highest quality that would go into an unfinished neck.

Hope this clears it up a little.
 

basadam

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 12, 2003
Messages
53
Location
Istanbul
Bassplyr said:
I believe, in order to keep the cost down on SUB's, 1 way is they use less select pieces of wood. So, they paint them. Nothing wrong with the wood, just not of the highest quality that would go into an unfinished neck

Well, Bongo is also painted; what about that?
 

bovinehost

Administrator
Joined
Jan 16, 2003
Messages
18,190
Location
Dall-Ass, TX
1. why o why SUB has black neck and rosewood fingerboard ?

I'll have a go at it, although I think it's been cleared up to some extent already. The SUB is a less expensive bass to produce and can then be sold at a lower price than, say, a Stingray. Why? Here are my wild-asss guesses:

There is less money invested in finish work, which is tedious and time-consuming. Glossy finishes - you ever try to do one in the garage? Yeesh.

EB does a good job of selecting some nice wood for basses and necks. Anyone here have a Natural Stingray, Sterling or SR5? I do. Beautiful stuff. And costly. If you don't have to worry about the appearance of the wood, only that it's structurally sound, you don't have to pay premium prices for it.

These lower costs ARE passed on to us, the consumers. This is why, I think, the SUB sells for - what? Half the price of a Stingray? Something like that.

2. u want to hide some ****y work or wood behind these colors.

I haven't heard any complaints about the SUB details. No whining about fret-sprout or sharp edges or any of that, so I think we can dismiss the concept of "*****y" work. The wood question has already been answered above.

3. it would be nice to have SUB with maple neck see through finish and maple fingerboard.

You can have one. Except it's called a Stingray and it's twice as expensive, more or less. Your choice.

4. Well, Bongo is also painted; what about that?

Gentlemen, do you not read the forum? Do you not use the search feature? This question has been asked and answered about 400 times. I'll sum it up: basswood is light, which was important with the Bongo because the electronics package is fairly heavy. Basswood sounds good. Basswood is readily available.

Basswood is also not very attractive. Thus, the paint.

Next!
 

oddjob

Well-known member
Joined
May 12, 2004
Messages
2,839
Location
Monroe, Ohio
TO add to Bovine's Bongo neck theory... the neck, with the satin finish, plays wonderfully. I have always been a fan of naked necks (my Warwick Streamer ProM, my customs, my Fenders, and list goes on, have all had naked necks). The Bongo neck is finished so finely that most players wouldn't notice a difference. Very smooth, not sticky like some other finished necks or necks that have high gloss poly on them.
 

spectorbassguy

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 19, 2004
Messages
1,392
Location
Central Iowa
bovinehost said:
Amen? So my SWAG was close?

Dang, I need a raise if that's true.

Bov you have my permission to double your MM salary, starting today!
:D I don't think Sterling or any of the MM boys will mind either. :D
 

midopa

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 24, 2004
Messages
3,850
Location
*
The Bov may help himself to an extra sandwich from now on. May he enjoy them merrily!
 

miloz

Member
Joined
May 2, 2004
Messages
21
Location
Slovenija
haven't heard any complaints about the SUB details. No whining about fret-sprout or sharp edges or any of that, so I think we can dismiss the concept of "*****y" work. The wood question has already been answered above.


really - i ve played sub with so big free space betveen neck and body that i could stick two picks in it.

but i werent complaining when i wrote "****y work" if u read i put sub against other basses so i like sub but only thing that bothers me is finish and rosewood fingerboard.
finish looks little bit plastick (cheap)and i think that maple fretboard costs the same as rosewood.

but dont get me wrong SUB is still one of the best if not the best sounding 5 stringer in his price class or even 2 price classes higher.
all american made basses are not the best.
i had fender jazz bass deluxe 7 years ago it had so nasty string buzzing and noisy electronic that custom guitar builder here in slovenia cant repare it.

so i can be sceptical.
 

oddjob

Well-known member
Joined
May 12, 2004
Messages
2,839
Location
Monroe, Ohio
From what I've seen... the QC on the SUB is usually pretty good. Like everything in this world, one or two bad ones can leak through to the market (I had a horrible Rick 4001). But, for the most part, I am pretty impressed with the SUBs, taking into account what they cost and what you get (not saying that more money equals better bass - but it does often even the playing field somewhat). I was at the local GC about an hour ago and checked over the 3 SUBs they had... the fretwork was great, the finish work was good (for a SUB ;) ) and they all seemed to be in great shape.

But I've got to echo another post in this thread (I think it was Bovine... but I am too lazy to go back and look). If you want Maple, and you want different finish work, you can have it... in a StingRay - otherwise you are barking up the wrong tree. Honestly, at this point get the JP, because it sounds like you will never be happy with a SUB - and that is what this is all about - being happy with your bass.

On a personal note, I could have gotten my Bongo 5 about 2 months ago. I had the money and there were several available. But I wanted the Radiance Red with the Piezo option. More money, more wait time (cause it had to be built), I saved the extra money and ordered what I wanted because I didn't want to second guess myself and have a bass that was "just ok" in terms of what I wanted. Get the JP if that will make you happy, or save some extra cash and wait awhile longer and get a Ray.
 

bovinehost

Administrator
Joined
Jan 16, 2003
Messages
18,190
Location
Dall-Ass, TX
i ve played sub with so big free space betveen neck and body that i could stick two picks in it.


I've played a Precision that had the headstock broken off and glued back on.

I played a Jazz bass on which the neck was so warped that it was only suitable for archery.

I played a Stingray that had cartoon lobsters on the pickguard.

I don't think those basses came that way from the factory.

My point here is that wood is not infallible. It changes over time according to moisture, heat, light and any other number of variables. This can happen to much more expensive basses, not just SUBs.

To use one SUB with a gap in the neck pocket to argue that the QC or workmanship is not very good is like pointing out a dead dog on the road and crying because your little lap dog is going to end up there, too. I mean, obviously that's what happens to dogs, right?

It is just anecdotal evidence that wood changes. I played PLENTY of 70s era Fenders which had HUGE gaps by today's standards...guess what? I never noticed any big tone problems. I regularly kept a pick in the neck pocket of my P bass so I'd always know where it was if I needed one. It was the 70s, so yeah, there were times when I thought I needed a pick.


like sub but only thing that bothers me is finish and rosewood fingerboard.


Then - again - take a long look at a Stingray.

all american made basses are not the best

Amen! I've had some truly awful American made basses and some wonderfully built Japanese basses.

so i can be sceptical

As well you should be. It's your money and your bass!
 
Top Bottom