The F Word

[MondoKen]

I am the proud owner of a Sterling HS in natural finish. A really excellent guitar. I was recently in the market for a second bass. As much as I like my MM I wanted to buy brand F -- for all of the perceived mojo. Anyway, I looked and looked, opened one new box after another and every single one had issues. I was very frustrated. So I gave up and ordered brand W (didn't have the funds for another MM plus I wanted a nice bass to compliment my Sterling.) I traded a fretless brand W in on my Sterling. It too was a great bass. It's nice to have several well made brands of basses made on a production basis.

Here is my question. Is there anyway you guys at Ernie Ball could buy the brand F company? Someone needs to st ep in and get them on the right track. Hopefully, you would have more success than Mercedes did buying Chrysler. If not them, how about buying brand G company? The only difference I see between brand F and G are that G offers little to bassists?

 

[maddog]

Here is my question. Is there anyway you guys at Ernie Ball could buy the brand F company? Someone needs to st ep in and get them on the right track. Hopefully, you would have more success than Mercedes did buying Chrysler. If not them, how about buying brand G company? The only difference I see between brand F and G are that G offers little to bassists?

Not sure what this would accomplish. Music Man is Music Man, not Fender.

 

[Big Poppa]

I cant afford them...Im really happy doing what we are doing.

 

[Colin]

Is there anyway you guys at Ernie Ball could buy the brand F company? Someone needs to st ep in and get them on the right track.

one of the strangest requests I've read here so far...

 

[bovinehost]

Methinks Ken was being just a BIT tongue-in-cheek there.

 

[Oldtoe]

I really enjoyed reading Ken's post, quite frankly. Made me smile quite a lot, in fact.

 

[prickly_pete]

Fender is what it is; no better or worse than its ever been. Also, the TJ Wranger was a definite improvement over the old CJ/YJ, so DC got something right.

 

[Steamthief]

I've got a nice StingRay and I've got a nice Fender P/J. You didn't try hard enough.

 

[Steamthief]

I just thought about what I posted and it probably comes across as condescending - not my intent at all.

MondoKen, I'm just curious as to what models you tried, how many, and what were the issues that turned you off? Hopefully, you weren't judging the quality of any bass manufacturer at a Guitar Center!

 

[Drmckool]

dude MM doesn't need to buy fender. hell i like musicman a hell of a lot more. music man has quality controll, basses made in the developed world and excellent customer service

 

[bovinehost]

Hopefully, you weren't judging the quality of any bass manufacturer at a Guitar Center!

The Guitar Center bashing has taken a well-deserved break here at the EBMM Forum.

And I've bought more than a few basses (and a guitar - and some keyboards, gak!) at Guitar Center and was glad they were there for me.

Anyway, ladies, MondoKen was just finding an interesting way to say something we all mostly know is true.

I bet MondoBarbie put him up to it, though. She's nothing but trouble.

 

[Drmckool]

Damn You MondoBarbie. man what a ho

 

[TSanders]

That MondoBarbie has ALWAYS been trouble.

 

[Art and Music]

I tried out a lot of EBMM's at GC...it was the first time I got to try out an SR5. Now, if you're looking for someone to hold your hand while you roam the inventory, well, then you're in the wrong place. Their prices aren't bad either.
No, I'm not an employee...I just live quite a ways from any music store choices, and I don't like having a sales person stand over me while I handle the wares. So, it is nice to be able to freely walk around trying out all the equipment in one place. Now, my boys (11 and 14) can spend hours in there, playing everything they can get off the walls. The 14er is a bassist and the 11 yr is well on his way to being a lead guitarist...each of them attract onlookers when they play. They come home stoked to get their respective bands together!

 

[bassmancb]

I own both MM and Fender along with a few others. Although the Rays are my main basses I still enjoy playying the others from time to time.

 

[Steamthief]

The Guitar Center bashing has taken a well-deserved break here at the EBMM Forum.

And I've bought more than a few basses (and a guitar - and some keyboards, gak!) at Guitar Center and was glad they were there for me.

I'm not trying to bash GC, bovinehost, I've bought a lot of gear and accessories there over the years. The convenience is great, most of the people I've encountered are pretty cool, and they have a breadth of gear that surpasses anyplace else in my area of SoCal.

That being said, the only store I've ever played an EBMM bass with major dead spots was at GC. Actually, when I was shopping for my SR4 last September, at one GC in OC EVERY bass I demoed had dead spots - 3 Rays, 2 Sterlings, 2 Precisions and a Jazz.

That's the basis for my earlier comment. I know I'm not the only one with that type of experience, although mine was probably more extreme than most. But that's the truth, and I'm sticking by it.

MondoKen, still wondering about the issues that turned you off.

 

[prickly_pete]

All bolt-on, wooden necked basses have dead spots, and it has nothing to do with GC or any other retailer.

 

[Steamthief]

Maybe so, but I'm talking MAJOR dead spots - where a note is played and there is NO sustain. A good set-up, or even a slight truss rod adjustment, can help lessen the severity of a dead spot.

Sorry, but a few minutes of adjusting an instrument, or the lack thereof, has everything to do with GC, or any other retailer. In my experience, mom-and-pops do a better job of keeping their instruments looking and sounding minty fresh.

 

[Colin]

Maybe so, but I'm talking MAJOR dead spots - where a note is played and there is NO sustain. A good set-up, or even a slight truss rod adjustment, can help lessen the severity of a dead spot.

Sorry, but a few minutes of adjusting an instrument, or the lack thereof, has everything to do with GC, or any other retailer. In my experience, mom-and-pops do a better job of keeping their instruments looking and sounding minty fresh.

If your example can be applied to "any retailer" why are you singling out GC? There is always a positive and a negative, maybe the positive could be "excuse me Mr retailer, this has dead spots. can you do me a better deal?" Then when you get home you can apply your own advice: "A good set-up, or even a slight truss rod adjustment, can help lessen the severity of a dead spot."

 

[Alz®]

I'm not trying to bash GC, bovinehost, I've bought a lot of gear and accessories there over the years. The convenience is great, most of the people I've encountered are pretty cool, and they have a breadth of gear that surpasses anyplace else in my area of SoCal.

That being said, the only store I've ever played an EBMM bass with major dead spots was at GC. Actually, when I was shopping for my SR4 last September, at one GC in OC EVERY bass I demoed had dead spots - 3 Rays, 2 Sterlings, 2 Precisions and a Jazz.

Have you considered that the strings might need changing?