The Band Loved It!

[BigStrings]

After bringing and demoing different basses with the band, I brought my 'new to me' ('03) Sterling to the gig. The response was immediate! The drummer, "that's the one", the guitar player, "your bass sounds too good tonight". That's the kind of feedback I've been waiting to hear. I've been playing 40 (57 years old) years with Fenders, G&L's, Yamaha's and Ibanez's. It's so nice to finally be playing a bass that will let me be heard with definition and punch and that along with a good drummer can drive the snot out of songs.
One surprise that maybe other Sterling players can relate to. I have found that for most material the best position for the toggle switch is in the neck position. I was, however, playing an uptempo blues shuffle with a walking pattern and just was loving the solid, underneath bottom that I was getting. The surprise was that I found that I had the toggle switch in the bridge position which I had already decided was mostly for thumb slap/finger pop. I'm now rethinking that and realizing that contrary to what some Sterling players have said, the toggle switch position does indeed make a difference and provides nice variety. An EB/Musicman Sterling, it's been a long wait, but so nice to finally be home.

 

[Aragorn35016]

Welcome to Sterling world my friend. To me they're the best sounding best playing basses ever!!

 

[bovinehost]

The bridge position is standard operating procedure for me when it comes to Sterlings or Stingray 5s, and I'm stringin' 'em up with flats and playing fingerstyle.

I loves me some bridge position.

 

[TSanders]

Congrats on the Sterling. Glad to see you find it as versatile as I do. There isnt a better bass out there.

 

[nismaniac]

I to am trying to decide between the neck and bridge position on my SR5. I like the growling mids and definition of the low B in the neck position, but in a live situation with a band the bridge position sometimes sounds better. It is cool that the sterling and the SR5 can sound very different with the use of the toggle switch. By the way I think they should offer coil switching on the bongos as well. They could use the small type of coil switch like Lakland uses to save space. Hopefully they will include the feature on future Bongos.

 

[Mobay45]

I've only had my SR5 for a week, but I seem to favor the switch in the bridge position.

 

[Aragorn35016]

I've only had my SR5 for a week, but I seem to favor the switch in the bridge position.

You had a chance to put flats on her yet Larry? Id love to try it myself but im so stuck on roundwouds that im scared to spend the money to try them.

 

[tkarter]

I prefer the bridge position on my SR 5 with TI Flats.

Welcome to the EBMM world of getting it done.

tk

 

[phatduckk]

im all about the neck pos on my sterling but go to bridge whn i want a low sound

 

[Mobay45]

You had a chance to put flats on her yet Larry? Id love to try it myself but im so stuck on roundwouds that im scared to spend the money to try them.

I started to change out the strings last Thursday, but I just couldn't make myself change out strings that were in such good condition. What kind of strings are on it and how long have they been on there? The TI Jazz Flats are still in the box just waiting to be put on.

Larry

 

[crazybass888]

Give me neck or give me death!

 

[Aragorn35016]

D addrio (crap i cant spell it) XL's I cant remember. I normally use slinkys or boomers but the store was out of my guage. Look at the ball end of the string and if the balls are each a different color they're D Addarios. That bass got a string change once a month so yeah they were in pretty decent shape still.