BassAgent

Pretty happy with these two amazing basses.

On 06/02/2022 at 20:03, BassAgent said:

So yeah I was actually convinced after playing that red Sterling for five minutes so now I have this.

 

 

Finally got some good light in my house

Pretty satisfied with these two gems. Both heavily modded and they sound as incredible as they look. Love these two basses. I've owned quite a few way more expensive fretlesses but especially the Jazz beats them all.

On 21/01/2022 at 20:20, BassAgent said:

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?

 

So yeah I was actually convinced after playing that red Sterling for five minutes so now I have this.

Finally had the opportunity to take some photos in proper daylight. Love that birdseye on the neck.

20 minutes ago, Bunion said:

Try a Sterling 4 with a hipshot dtuner? 

You rang?

3 hours ago, horrorshowbass said:

Really want one. The neck profile looks a lot more manageable than a standard Ray

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:

5 minutes ago, FDC484950 said:

I love mine (a 5HH). That’s some lovely birdseye maple on the neck! String muted as well. Needs the original knobs, though

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?

39 minutes ago, FDC484950 said:

MM do make me laugh with their naming conventions - a series of US basses called Sterling, then a cheaper range of basses called Sterling, none of which (now) is the same design as a US Sterling  

I’ve tried a couple of the cheaper Sterling models and they’re fine instruments, but didn’t feel quite up to the quality of finish (or weight) of the current range. Sound was pretty much indistinguishable (US ones were a touch louder and punchier, but very little in it). You used to be able to snap up a US Stingray for well under £1K but prices new have crept up over time.
I seem to have become a bit of a brand snob over the years so only like the “real” thing now (and I prefer The US Sterling so don’t have a choice, anyway - but if they made a Sterling, er, Sterling then I’d certainly consider it).

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?