stoo

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1384366660' post='2275799'] There may be regional variations in availability. In the US at least it seems you can get a green SBMM SUB: [url="http://www.musiciansfriend.com/bass/sterling-by-music-man-s.u.b.-ray4-bass-guitar/h82042000004000"]http://www.musicians...h82042000004000[/url] That's the bass I was talking about. [/quote] Ooops - I stand corrected! I presume that must be an exclusive colour for Musicians friend as it's not listed on the SBMM page for the SUB models, USA/Canada or the International one? It's almost like they've intentionally made it tricky to work out what's what with all the model variations and naming overlaps.... Argh!

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1383082612' post='2260085'] I have to admit that on looks alone... the SBMM SUB (Indonesian) with surf green body and maple fingerboard is an incredibly tasty bass... They've managed to build some really nice looking instruments, not just the usual sunbursts, black, natural etc... and if they're half good, they'll sell lots. [/quote] The green one isn't an [url="http://www.sterlingbymusicman.com/sub-bass"]SBMM SUB[/url], that's a [url="http://www.sterlingbymusicman.com/ray34ca"]SBMM Ray34ca. [/url] It's a bit confusing as the Ray34ca looks very similar to the SUB Ray4 - they're both 38mm nut and 2 band EQ, compared to the Ray34 which is 43mm and 3 band. I believe the Ray34 and Ray34ca are meant to have pickups and preamps based on the proper Musicman designs, but the ones in the SUB Ray 4 aren't - I've seen a pic somewhere of a preamp claimed to be from a SUB Ray 4, which had a label on it saying "Spector Bass". The SUB Ray 4 I played also had centre detente clicks on the EQ knobs, whereas the Ray34ca had no centre click, just like the genuine EBMM 2EQ basses....

I've just taken the plunge on doing the same thing for the first time ever - also using random collection of needle files. I laid a 6" steel rule across the 1st and 2nd frets and then slid it up to the nut to give an indication of how low the bottom of the slot needed to go to, and then slowly worked the slot down until it was almost low enough for the rule to clear it. Can't believe how much difference a mm or 2 has made!

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1382472501' post='2252674'] I half expected it and unfortunately what I have is the closest possible option of what is essentially a reissue of a bass that never existed, a 5 string pre eb. I went for the john east as it was developed to sound as close s possible to a real pre eb circuit too, it basically has more bottom and more top if required. The bass is stunning though and plays great too [/quote] Is the 2EQ in the classic the same as a regular EBMM 2EQ? Is there all that much difference between either and the John East ones?

I didn't much like the Classic that I tried. Didn't get long enough on it to really pinpoint why, but in the store they had a SBMM SUB, a Ray34 fretless and a Classic.... and of the 3 I far preferred playing the SUB! Maybe I've just got cheap taste though! (I've currently got an OLP MM22 as my main bass and love it)

Not exactly what you've asked for, but maybe worth a thought - how about something like a Boss VF-1? - half rack multi-effects unit with built in tuner.

[quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1380750734' post='2230212'] Do you want them to guess about your bridge height and whether you need a shim? Or even whether you are fitting it to an official fender body? Anyway the fret height is irrelevant until your choice of strings are on it and up to tension AND you have set the truss rod how you like it. [/quote] Fair point about the string choice as gauges will have a small effect on the width of the slots required, but I'm struggling to see how any of the rest of it would have any effect? As far as I can work out, the base of the nut slots ought to be at the same height as if there were a zero fret - any lower than that is obviously not going to work, and any higher is only going to make it harder to get intonation setup properly..... no? If you're playing so hard that you need a massive step up from the 1st fret to the nut to avoid fret buzz while playing open strings, then what happens when you're playing at the 1st fret?

[quote name='Fat Rich' timestamp='1380711683' post='2229243'] They'd have to put them on a body, string 'em up, file them to what they think the customer might want, take them off. Then fill the neck bolt holes so the customer doesn't complain they're getting a second hand neck. Looking at the way the nut is filed on my old Fenders, I reckon we should be glad Fender don't do it. [/quote] Is their fretwork so bad that they couldn't judge the required nut slot height from the line of the fret crowns?

Aren't there some variants of the USA SUB? Often seen mention of some being active 2 band preamp and some with just passive tone controls, and also some with the pickup wired parallel or some wired series?

I have had an OLP Stingray HH copy for nearly 6 years now and recently started looking about for a "proper" Stingray to upgrade to. Popped into Merchant City Music in Glasgow while visiting a mate & played a £320 SUB Ray 4, a £780 SBMM Ray34 CA Fretless and a £2300 EBMM Stingray Classic..... Yes, the EBMM was put together very nicely, but the nicest to play was the SUB at almost a tenth of the price and soundwise they were close enough that I didn't really have a preference. Wouldn't have swapped any of them for my OLP!

I am now - cheers for the tipoff!

Wow - interesting thread. Mine's an OLP MM22 (the Ray4 HH clone) with Regular Slinky strings on (0.050-0.105?)- which measures at 1.2mm @ 3, 1.9mm @ 12 and 2.3mm @ 17 on the E I'd always thought of it as having quite a high action. I've set it up as low as I could get it without any buzz (truss rod and saddle height adjustment only), but assumed that until I got a proper luthier to level the frets that I wouldn't be able to get anything that would be considered "low"..... but judging by others' results, it looks like I'm probably a bit lower than average anyway. I can feel my Status neck related GAS easing off rather nicely now......

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='463126' date='Apr 15 2009, 03:23 PM']Yes, the new Sterlings look nice, but the price is way higher, starting at over £600![/quote] Ouch - just noticed they've appeared on the [url="http://www.stringsandthings.co.uk"]Strings & Things site[/url] - from £689 for the Ray (or from £749 for the 5 string) and from £639 for the Sterling [url="http://www.stringsandthings.co.uk/sterlingbymusicman_page4.htm"]SB (Sterling)[/url] [url="http://www.stringsandthings.co.uk/sterlingbymusicman_page5.htm"]Ray34 & Ray35[/url] Bit too strongly priced to be anywhere near tempting for me - At that sort of money, I'd be looking at a used EBMM one... though maybe they'll end up selling for a fair bit less than RRP? [quote]Stoo, if I do bother I'll do the Status graphite neck & get Norstrand pickups/preamp for it as well. Or at the end of the day I may just leave it as it is - The bass only owes me £175 after all![/quote] Bargain!

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='462729' date='Apr 15 2009, 08:27 AM']I recently ended up buying the OLP I mentioned earlier in this thread. Just about the best Ray I've ever played & perhaps a candidate for a Status MM neck...[/quote] Stop it! I keep getting tempted to put a Status neck on mine - even though a fret job would probably achieve just as good an effect for someone of my playing incompetence. Just don't post any pics whatever you do

I had a Hiwatt head many years ago. Bought for next to bugger all cos the guy selling it had no idea of its value. (Back before the days when everyone had the internet, see?) I was a guitar-only kinda guy at the time. Loved the sound of it, but wanted something with a clean / dirty channel and footswitch. Tried various distortion pedals, but nothing seemed to work for me. Ended up buying a Marshall JMP-1 and a valvestate power amp, and flogging the Hiwatt to the bass player in my band..... for next to bugger all cos I had no idea of its real value either. Last I heard, he's still got it and not planning to part with it until he dies. One day, I WILL have another..... they ooze pure awesomeness.

Linky no worky...... I take it it was meant to be this one? [url="http://www.mcvuk.com/press-releases/44940/ATTACK-ATTACK-UK-WIN-GUITAR-HEROreg-LISTENING-SESSION-HELD-AT-MIDEM-2009"]Link[/url]

The SbMM's have hit the market in the USA already.... well, not quite, but their [url="http://www.sterlingbymusicman.com/"]website[/url] is live and GC have got them listed with prices... just not in stock for another month. [url="http://www.guitarcenter.com/Sterling-by-Music-Man.gc"]http://www.guitarcenter.com/Sterling-by-Music-Man.gc[/url] $599 for the SB14 (ie Sterling equivalent) $649-679 for the RAY34 (SR4 equiv) $699-729 for the RAY35 (SR5 equiv) So, allowing for the likely exchange rate in a months time.... these should be hitting the market in the UK at about, what, £3500 each?

Ah right - I'd imagined they'd be much closer than that. Should be OK then. As for the drill bit size - it wants to be as close to the same size as the shaft of the threaded portion of the screw as possible - the threads should be cutting into the wood, but the shaft itself should have a snug fit. Slightly too small is better than slightly too large, obviously. [quote name='GreeneKing' post='425406' date='Mar 4 2009, 06:34 PM'] What's the scale length going to be when you've finished Wayne? This is how I did my Warmoth, much better than wood screws imo. [url="http://www.manchesterguitartech.co.uk/hardware.html"]http://www.manchesterguitartech.co.uk/hardware.html[/url] Peter[/quote] That's a nice idea.... would be great for someone that wants to frequently remove the neck for travelling. Bit OTT unless you're planning to remove the neck a lot though...

Depends - how close are the new holes going to be to where the old ones were?

[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='425361' date='Mar 4 2009, 05:55 PM']What size drill should I use? I'm an idiot.[/quote] Same size as the outside diameter of the dowel you've got to plug the hole...

[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='422037' date='Feb 28 2009, 10:32 PM']The spacing is the same on both, would it all go wrong if I drilled new holes?[/quote] If you're considering drilling new holes without filling the original ones first, then you run the risk of weakening the wood to the extent that the screws might not get a good grip in there. It's only a risk if the new holes are fairly close to the old ones.... which seems fairly likely if the spacing pattern is the same. Can you fit the neck to the body and mark the neck through the holes in the body to see how far out the new holes would need to be from the old ones? The most important thing is that you have the neck fixed to the body in the right place... if it's too far to the left or right then the strings may end up too close to one side of the fretb...errm.. fingerboard. If it's out lengthways then you may have intonation troubles depending on the range of adjustment on your bridge. Unless your fingerboard is unlined, in which case it's a bit of a non-issue anyway

[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='421988' date='Feb 28 2009, 09:24 PM']I already have a problem, the hole in the body and the neck don't match up. Do I drill new holes in the neck or spend ages sanding the pocket until the line up?[/quote] Are you sure the holes would line up if you sanded the pocket? If the spacing between the holes is different on neck and body, then no amount of sanding the pocket is going to help you - it might let you get screws in one or two of the holes in the neck.... and even worse, the neck alignment may well be wrong too! If it was me, I'd drill out the original neck holes a bit wider, glue some dowels in there to fill the holes, and then re-drill new holes to match those in the body. Although thinking about it, if you're planning to use a neck plate rather than individual neck screw ferrules, it would probably be beneficial to do the above to the body rather than the neck... cos then if you ever fancied a J profile or a fretted neck, then you'd stand a good chance of another Squier neck dropping straight in. I'm no luthier though, just a happy-go-lucky wood butcher.

[quote name='skankdelvar' post='419193' date='Feb 25 2009, 12:46 PM']* Duck Dunn Precision[/quote] Don't Lakland already make one of them?