Musicman20

Well now a normal Stingray H is £1400+ new, it will change the market over the next 5 years or so.

I was going to actually say that Sandberg basses seem to lose a LOT of money.

RHCP Rancid

I'd guess that in 3-5 years the prices might take a turn with both Warwick and Musicman. Basschat also seems to be quite harsh on second hand prices...very low for some items. I've seen people sell Bongo's for very close to what they pay new but that involved using the EBMM forum and dealing with fanatics so they tend to pay close to the value.

No matter what the current prices second hand, id never sell mine for daft prices. My old mint 2000 ish Ray H fetched £870 ish. Best to sell them on the EBMM forum if you want to move one on.

The new Genz NX2 cab has faital speakers...any idea which ones?

PS - Pre-2008 (ish) Stingray 5's have the electronics that are now in the Sterling. When it comes to best era's, as they are both modern (especially the Sterling) I woulnd't worry...buying new will get you the latest spec though.

Sterling 5 basses are VERY rare. I've seen about 3 in total on this forum over the past few years. Stingray 5 basses are much easier to get hold of, but not that many around in multi pup format. What spec are you after? Colour? Pup configuration?

I have a Stingray 5 HS and a Sterling 5 HS. The below applies to new Stingray 5 and Sterling 5 basses, not the older Stingray 5's. Firstly, the Sterling is a smaller bass, sometimes lighter, but this depends. The Sterling doesn't have the chrome banana contol plate like a Stingray 4. The Sterling has ceramic pickups, and seems a little bit 'hotter'. The Stingray 5 has alnico pickups. Alnico tends to sound smoother and more traditional, whereas ceramic has a bite and 'mid-bump' to it. The Sterling 5 has three types of configurations, H, HS or HH. The same with the Stingray 5. Difference is that, without going into too much detail, the Sterling is MAINLY wired in series. Series = louder more aggressive output. The Stingray 5 is MAINLY wired in parallel. Parallel = smoother, warmer. I think, from experience, that the Sterling pre-amp is different. It seems to have more range. This might be wrong though. It sounds very very similar. The Sterling 5 also has a really nice neck joint.... The 5 string versions of both have the same neck. 17.5mm string spacing. Personally, I am very happy with BOTH of them. The Ray is smoother and more of a tradtional Ray tone (obviously) whereas the Sterling snarls a little more and cuts the mix a little more. Both can be made, roughly, to sound similar to the other.

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1354467085' post='1886286'] I've never been able to hear a difference between maple and rosewood fretboards but if there is any difference I can't believe it's not over-ridden by whether you play with a pick or with fingers, do you play by the neck or by the bridge, what kind of strings are you using, how is your eq set etc etc etc. I've got a rosewood P and my son has a maple P. Whichever we play we sound like ouselves. [/quote] Agreed. I used to use a pick a lot more with bright stainless steel strings years ago, on a rosewood board P, and it was spot on for that very aggressive P bass tone...in fact sometimes it was too aggresssive. I think its more for aesthetics. I'd like to get a maple P and J to go along with my rosewood P and J, but I know deep down I prefer the classic colours, and most the time a rosewood board looks better. I used to have a 2008 ish sunburst/tort P bass, with a maple neck (very glossy). It was a nice bass, very light, but with tort, the maple looked 'weird'.

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1354456074' post='1886093'] Fixed. [/quote] I've spoken to a lot of Stingray players, and most of them prefer the gunstock oil finish. I very much doubt its that much cheaper...not only that, their paintwork is much better than others so its swings and roundabouts.

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1354425892' post='1885815'] I love black blocks and binding on a Fender- style neck . It alludes to Fender Jazz Basses made between 1970 and early 1974 , which featured such blocks and binding , and looks great to me , depending on the aesthetics of the rest of the bass , of course . I used to go see a band back in the 1980s and the bass player had a sunburst Jazz with black blocks and binding and it looked beautiful to the young Dingus . The fact that he was a wicked player with a great sound didn't hurt either . The early 1970s were the last of the great Fenders in my book , and anything after that just ain't vintage to me I'm afraid . As I have mentioned before , one of the biggest revelations of the internet age has been the insight it gives into other peoples taste ( or lack thereof in certain cases ) . Basses in colour schemes I would have thought to be too ugly for anyone to ever buy are almost always the apple of someones eye on sites like this , and yet there are folks out there who think that black blocks and binding look cheap , ugly and just plain wrong . One thing is for certain though - blocks need binding . Blocks without binding is a big no-no for me . No excuses , it's just not right ! [/quote] Exactly right about different tastes, and I 100% agree that blocks without binding looks like they couldn't be bothered to do it properly, (I think Sadowsky and Sandberg are guilty of this and Sadowsky charge a fortune for blocks).

[quote name='Zenitram' timestamp='1354439119' post='1885866'] Why is maple always lacquered? Or is the question why is rosewood not lacquered? Maple always seems to have a finish, and rosewood never does. Why is that? [/quote] EBMM necks and boards nowadays are not lacquered, just coated in gunstock oil for a more natural finish.

Black blocks on a maple board look cheap and common to me now. Has to be rosewood with white pearl blocks. Much classier.

[quote name='bubinga5' timestamp='1354396555' post='1885619'] i think alot of confusion is caused by this argument... maple vs rosewood... on a PASSIVE bass maple is brighter than rosewood, especially with a laquered board... when you intoduce an active system its almost impossible to tell [/quote] You'd be pushed to notice it recorded. It's a bit of a myth.

White/Tort/Rosewood Sunburst/Tort/Rosewood Best P combos

[quote name='JohnFitzgerald' timestamp='1354366283' post='1885217'] My preference is try before you buy. Two sealed boxes with ostensibly the same instrument inside could be entirely inside the box. A sealed box holds no attraction for me at all. Merchant City Music in Glasgow set up every guitar before it goes in sale. How it should be. [/quote] Hence the good returns policies. Sealed box...crap bass? Send it back at no cost.

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1354312647' post='1884850'] If I remember correctly , didn't you buy a Am St P in white that had a gaping neck pocket gap ? [/quote] Indeed! Some time back now...it looked like a 'Friday' afternoon job to be honest. But...as is with Fender....you kinda have to make sure you are picky until you get a good un.

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1354307644' post='1884758'] You can't beat Olympic White for a Fender, either with rosewood or maple . Strange as this may sound though , my experience has been that when it comes to the much -vaunted Fender lottery , the sunburst basses fare much better than the white ones . I looked at five Olympic White Jazz Basses that were all wrong in one way or another before giving up . The sunbursts were all pretty much perfect in all respects - nut slots . fret work , neck pocket , weight ect . Coincidence ? [/quote] I reckon neck pocket wise it's just loads more obvious if its a touch out on a white bass. But yeah that is odd!

Not only that, compare it to say a Lull or Sadowsky which are double the price or more, and it makes the P5 a bargain with the new cases.

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1354306841' post='1884750'] I really like the look of these basses and would love to try one , but all the recent Fender price hikes coupled with the fact that the 5 string Am St. basses missed out on the 2012 pickup upograde ( but still copped the price increase ) means that I would always be kicking myself for not buying the same bass cheaper when they came out . Still like 'em though . [/quote] Agreed! I'm thinking of getting a P4 and J4 in that colour combo though...it was stunning.

The chaps at JG Windows in Newcastle had a lovely new P5 in when I popped in today. White/Tort/Rosewood. Stunningly light and great paint job. Not a perfect neck pocket but very damn close. The neck profile is brilliant. 18mm spacing, sounds like a P. The B string blends with the other strings which is, IMO, better than the over powering Bs some players like. Compared to, for example, my Ray 5HS, the B wasn't as punchy, but to be fair it's a passive P bass. Very easy to play and super light. Very impressed with it. If you are on the fence about one, id suggest you try one ASAP. The store isn't the cheapest but the staff were really nice and helpful. No pressure, no pushy sales technique.

Cool story.

[quote name='The Dark Lord' timestamp='1354192844' post='1883316'] No. Turn on. Rock. [/quote] Boom Boom Pow. This dude is right. No need for all that messing about.

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1354209162' post='1883678'] Have you ever noticed that Nottingham and Leeds are like the same city just rearranged a bit differently ? On the subject of the online retailers , one of the very best is MB Music . Decent , honest and straightforward to deal with , in my experience . [/quote] Absolutely. I find a lot of cities blend into one another. I think Leeds edges it for up and coming trendy places to live, but Nottingham has a brilliant music scene....really good bands. I was probably at my peak of 'wow, Im actually in a good band' in Nottingham. Granted, I've been in busier bands since, but that band I had in Nottingham were really, really good. A cross between The Mars Volta and Radiohead. Anyway, Leeds bass stores? I used goto Soundconrol, (now PMT)....I don't like PMT now. Nottingham? There isn't that much there in terms of instrument stores unfortunately.