BassAgent

You rang?

Honestly it's a very long time since I last played a 4-string Stingray so I can't really compare, except with the Status neck on my fretless. But I have no idea how that Status neck compares to a Ray😅

How 'bout a video?

And also important to note: *the* Jamerson bass, the Funk Machine, was probably not a '62 Precision but way more likely a '65 or '66. This topic on Talkbass is a very interesting one to read.

There's a screw missing but otherwise it looks legit. But those blocks...even for Fender in the 60's, that's a strange feature. As @wateroftyne mentioned: it could be a custom order. But somehow that feels weird too.

That's not weird: my '66 Jazz also has lollipops and they look practically new too. I've seen multiple Fenders with lollipops that are very shiny.

Hopefully I'm going to see this giant in three weeks.

Just added a black bass to the collection, the only black one I have at the moment:

Had to use the wide angle lens on my phone for this one. From left to right, top row: Dingwall Combustion 5 - 1994 Music Man Sterling - 2018 Fender JMJ Mustang - 1971 Fender Precision - Sterling CA34 w/ Status fretless neck - 2001 Yamaha BB N5II From left to right, bottom row: 2013 De Gier Bebop 5 - 2001 Blade B2 Tetra Bass - 1966 Fender Jazz - 2001 Fender Standard Jazz fretless - 2019 De Gier Soulmate 4 In the stands are two Sadowsky MetroExpress JJ basses in sage green, four and five string.

This is how the current stable is positioned.

I put the original knobs back on (much better): Here it is with its newer and cheaper cousin:

I still have the original knobs I'm going to put them back on today, didn't have time yet.

So I had tremendous GAS for a Music Man bass. Whether a MM Stingray, Sterling Ray34 or something else, as long as it had that Music Man sound and feel. So I posted a "wanted" ad on several platforms and got a message on Bassic.de from a guy in Belgium that was selling a 1994 Music Man Sterling. Black, with mutes, great condition, birdseye maple neck...exactly what I wanted. I had a gig in Belgium yesterday, and the bass was practically on te route, so we left an hour early, and I picked it up. And it's absolutely great. Good shape, great sound, birdseye neck, Hipshot D-tuner (but the original tuner was in the case), new knobs (but I also have the original knobs)... Awesome bass. It's from October 1994, and I can't wait to use it extensively

I'm very aware of that (I love my cheap Sadowsky basses as much as my expensive vintage Fenders and custom De Giers) but build quality, comfort and, to be honest, resale value, are also pretty important

Are SBMM basses allowed in this topic? Because I've been looking at a Stingray or Sterling and today I borrowed this SB14 from a friend and I'm really impressed by the sound and build quality. I'm going to check out a "real" MM Sterling next Sunday. 1993, with mutes, I believe it has flatwound strings, are there specific things I have to keep in mind when checking it out?

SBMM has made a Sterling model, the SB14. I know a guy that has one, still have to try it out. The EBMM Sterling does seem very attractive, but even harder to find than a Stingray...

Couldn't find a good topic about this, so here goes: So I've been having some serious GAS for a fretted Stingray lately. I'd love to get a "real" EBMM but they're pretty hard to find here and pretty expensive, too. You could pick up a Stingray for about 900-1100 euros a few years back, but now I'm really struggling to find one under 1500. A Stingray will never be my main bass as I'm a Fender-minded player, so I don't want to spend that kind of money on an "extra" bass. I've also been looking at the SBMM series. Can anybody shed some light on the difference between a "normal" (say, a mid 2000's) Stingray and a Sterling Ray34? I'd like a bit more subtle Stingray tone Thanks!

What about stuff like Serek, Wilcock?

I have tested a Sterling Ray35 a few years back to write a revew about and they're...pretty darn good in deed.

I rarely suffer from GAS these days but sometimes I feel it for a bass I know I don't need, I know I will not use but still I feel I want one. This time it's for a bass I thought I'd never want to get but I was visiting a great Belgian bass player the other day and he had a MM Stingray 5 with the older ceramic pickup and it felt and sounded absolutely killer. The weird thing is I don't really like the sound of a Stingray (except when fretless), I'm not a big fan of their playability (because I'm used to Jazz Basses) and I have no band where it could get used. But still. I want one. Help me. What's your GAS you know you shouldn't have?

I was listening to an album by Roger & Brian Eno, "Mixing Colours" and was again struck by Wintergreen. After hearing it again ánd hearing a piano cover by Jon Hopkins I couldn't stay behind. So I tried to make a little bass arrangement.

Kicks butt.

So what went out, what went in? IN: Sadowsky MetroExpress JJ4 Sadowsky MetroExpress JJ5 Fender Bassman 100 Leon Christiaens upright bass MXR M288 octaver Origin Cali76 Bass Aguilar Fuzzistor Cioks DC7 De Gier Prototype #13 pickups Pearl CO-04 compressor Trickfish Minnow OUT: Pearl CO-04 T-Rex Fuel Tank Nordstrand NJ4 pickups

Pwoah, that's absolutely gorgeous. Love the colour, too. I have considered having the same thing done to a Ray34 or old SUB before I found my current fretless Sterling (with a fretless Status neck). But this is something else, beautywise. Terrific.