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jubjub721

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 10, 2004
Messages
936
Location
wichita
its down to the line
i wtill havnt decided
bongo
stingray
sterling

it will hopfully bo orderd once i make up my mind
but i need some help
 

LeftyLB

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 19, 2003
Messages
406
Location
London
You don't need help, because YOU will be the one playing it, no one else here will play YOUR bass like you will play it.

Take Your time and having tried them all, then try them all again and go with your gut instinct and the depth of your wallet.

"One man's meat is another man's poison"

Worst case scenario:If you don't like it after a few months and you are right-handed then at least you have the opportunity of off-loading it on someone through E-bay and then you can buy another one.

Good luck:

Liam
 

jifty

Active member
Joined
Oct 21, 2003
Messages
43
Nothing more to add. What LeftyLB wrote is the best advice that can be given to you...
 

dlloyd

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Joined
Mar 16, 2004
Messages
1,733
Location
Scotland
jubjub721 said:
its down to the line
i wtill havnt decided
bongo
stingray
sterling

I agree with Lefty... we don't know enough about you to know which you'll like. You'll have to decide for yourself.

Have a look at these pages:

http://www.ernieball.com/mmonline/specs/instruments_stingray.html
http://www.ernieball.com/mmonline/specs/instruments_sterling.html
http://www.ernieball.com/mmonline/specs/instruments_bongo.html

Which do you like the look of? If you're like me, it's all of them. But the Stingray has the edge... just. Have a look at the "Build your own instrument" pages to compare them better (no Bongo yet though)

http://www.ernieball.com/mmonline/build/

Which have you played? The Stingray and Sterling have a different feel to them. It's mostly in the neck. Have you had a chance to compare them for yourself? If not, you may have tried Fender Precisions and Jazzes.

Do you like the feel of the precision more? Then you'll like the Stingray.

Do you prefer the Jazz? You'll like the Sterling more.

Sadly, I haven't tried a Bongo... but I'm sure someone out there will have positive things to say about them... :)
 

dlloyd

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Joined
Mar 16, 2004
Messages
1,733
Location
Scotland
Re: Re: wich bass

dlloyd said:
Do you like the feel of the precision more? Then you'll like the Stingray.

Do you prefer the Jazz? You'll like the Sterling more.

Sadly, I haven't tried a Bongo... but I'm sure someone out there will have positive things to say about them... :)

Actually, looking at the specs for the Bongo's neck, they're pretty much identical to that of the Stingray. Doesn't say anything about the neck profile, but I doubt that's too different.

Can't wait to try one.
 

spectorbassguy

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Joined
Feb 19, 2004
Messages
1,392
Location
Central Iowa
At your age, I would probably buy a StingRay or Sterling if you can save the cash. USED, for sure, since it will hold its value much better than buying new. You'll probably want to try different basses down the road and if you take good care of one of those, you'll be able to get almost as much as you paid for it, maybe even more.

;)
Not that you asked, but here's a bit of advice from a geezer anyway. When your friends are calling you to play video games or go out partying, think about your future and what kind of person you want to be. The best bass players got to where they are because of practice-practice-practice in their early years especially. And when it comes to being in school band, don't think it's uncool to be a "band nerd". That mentality only lasts thru high school, and somewhere down the road you'll be glad that you had the discipline of following a director. Watch the movie "Drumline" for a good example of getting your chops early and what you can turn into if you discipline yourself to work hard at it.

So many young people today don't truly invest themselves in anything that will ever accomplish much. You have the capability of making a difference, and it's up to you to do things differently than your peers to achieve that.

;) Good luck in all you do and God Bless!
 

dlloyd

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Joined
Mar 16, 2004
Messages
1,733
Location
Scotland
spectorbassguy said:
Not that you asked, but here's a bit of advice from a geezer anyway. When your friends are calling you to play video games or go out partying, think about your future and what kind of person you want to be. The best bass players got to where they are because of practice-practice-practice in their early years especially.

Sound advice.

Although you can bypass having it as a chore. My friends, when I was that age, used to do the same... except instead of video games we used to go and jam in a garage... that was our partying.
 

Lync

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Joined
Mar 6, 2004
Messages
85
Location
Albany, NY
Practicing throughout my high school years kept me out of much trouble (a couple of "friends" went to jail as I recall). It is also good therapy when life is pissin' you off! You can be mad at the world, but if you're working on playing Blood Sugar Sex Magic from start to finish perfectly, then that's all you focus on.

Actually, in my case it was Iron Maiden's Powerslave start to finish...

Lync
 

LeftyLB

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Joined
Feb 19, 2003
Messages
406
Location
London
As my Mum used to say

"If you put as much time and effort into your school exams as you do with that bloody plank of wood, you would get better grades".

Twenty years on, all those years of pushing the record needle back 0.5 of a mil a hundred times, to try to catch each note is now paying off to the tune of £600 - £700 a month, just from a few weekend gigs. Thing is, it never felt like it was hard work at the time, it was something I loved doing.
 

dlloyd

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Joined
Mar 16, 2004
Messages
1,733
Location
Scotland
LeftyLB said:
As my Mum used to say

"If you put as much time and effort into your school exams as you do with that bloody plank of wood, you would get better grades".

Twenty years on, all those years of pushing the record needle back 0.5 of a mil a hundred times, to try to catch each note is now paying off to the tune of £600 - £700 a month, just from a few weekend gigs. Thing is, it never felt like it was hard work at the time, it was something I loved doing.

Hey, did you ever play 45s at 33, learning the bass line down a fourth?

The kids today have it easy...
http://www.ronimusic.com/amsldo.htm
 

LeftyLB

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Joined
Feb 19, 2003
Messages
406
Location
London
dlloyd said:
Hey, did you ever play 45s at 33, learning the bass line down a fourth?

The kids today have it easy...
http://www.ronimusic.com/amsldo.htm

Yep, it was an idea I picked up from Sting when I read how he used to do that when learning.

I didn't de-tune though, just used to listen to the slowed down notes and then tried to work them back into the correct key.

Today, different story!
 

dlloyd

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Joined
Mar 16, 2004
Messages
1,733
Location
Scotland
LeftyLB said:
Yep, it was an idea I picked up from Sting when I read how he used to do that when learning.

I didn't de-tune though, just used to listen to the slowed down notes and then tried to work them back into the correct key.

Today, different story!

I remember holding the record down with my finger, and trying to push it along at exactly half speed, then trying to repeat it... over and over again, getting it at a different pitch each time... ugh.
 

Lync

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Joined
Mar 6, 2004
Messages
85
Location
Albany, NY
Or you would have to sing the bassline over and over and then figure it out (at a slower speed).

The worst part was when you had to walk thru 10 feet of snow uphill just to play bass!

Lync
 

midopa

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Joined
Jan 24, 2004
Messages
3,850
Location
*
Lync: "You can be mad at the world, but if you're working on playing Blood Sugar Sex Magic from start to finish perfectly, then that's all you focus on."

Very true! Haha. For me, even playing one RHCP song is great therapy (preferably pre-BSSM songs). For example, Pretty Little Ditty from their Mother's Milk album is a great song to play. Unfortunately, I haven't found anyone who can play the guitar part along with me yet.

I bet jamming with friends to old RHCP tunes is quite an experience!

And jub, listen to good ol' Lefty: "You don't need help, because YOU will be the one playing it, no one else here will play YOUR bass like you will play it."

It's nice that you're seeking input from fellow bassists, but Lefty's words are very true and practical - go to your local guitar shop one day and try out all the ones you've been thinking about.
 

johans

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Joined
Apr 19, 2004
Messages
743
Location
the Bay Area, CA
Re: Re: wich bass

dlloyd said:
I agree with Lefty... we don't know enough about you to know which you'll like. You'll have to decide for yourself.

Have a look at these pages:

http://www.ernieball.com/mmonline/specs/instruments_stingray.html
http://www.ernieball.com/mmonline/specs/instruments_sterling.html
http://www.ernieball.com/mmonline/specs/instruments_bongo.html

Which do you like the look of? If you're like me, it's all of them. But the Stingray has the edge... just. Have a look at the "Build your own instrument" pages to compare them better (no Bongo yet though)

http://www.ernieball.com/mmonline/build/

Which have you played? The Stingray and Sterling have a different feel to them. It's mostly in the neck. Have you had a chance to compare them for yourself? If not, you may have tried Fender Precisions and Jazzes.

Do you like the feel of the precision more? Then you'll like the Stingray.

Do you prefer the Jazz? You'll like the Sterling more.

Sadly, I haven't tried a Bongo... but I'm sure someone out there will have positive things to say about them... :)

i've tried bongo a couple tmes
and i really like it
tones, neck, feel AWESOME
my only concern is that
musicman do not have a hardshell molded for a BONGO yet
otherwise i will be getting a bongo instead of sr :)
 

jubjub721

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 10, 2004
Messages
936
Location
wichita
all ur feedback was great
see
the problem is that in wichita
NOBODY PLAYS MM
i know of one sterling at my local shoppe but besides that i have never seen one locally. there is one shoppe i havnt hit yet and am playning going there this weekend. i know they sell lakland but im not sure about MM.
it will still be a couple weeks till i can actually buy the bass though
i am so glad that this time has come

ps. i am also starting to get cash from my "job" (lawn mowing) so not only will i be able to get a mm this summer, i will also be able to afford a gk stack or somthin like that.
 
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