xilddx Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 I just came home with my first ever MM after buying it from the delightful Chris (giblett123).Thank you, Chris!! I'm stunned by its quality and playability. It feels like a real professional, excellent quality, superbly designed and built instrument. It's rock solid. Leagues ahead of every Fender I've owned. And check that birdseye flame maple!! What a bonus! Now I have to relearn all the London Zulu bass lines and transpose from 4-string drop-D to standard 5 string. Just what I need to inject some new life and deeper frequencies into them. I'm very excited Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Apple Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Looks a cracker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jellyfish Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 And a lovely maple neck out of nowhere! Not a MM fan myself, but that looks (and probably sounds) brilliant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louisthebass Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Cracking looking instrument!! Welcome to the wonderful world of 5 string bass . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr zed Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Lovely looking bass. Are the pups closer together than the later Stingray 5 HH? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvin Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Looks great. You say it's leagues ahead of any Fender in terms of being solid, what in comparison to a Warwick? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 I've had pms about that bass before, I like it and that neck is stunning, no unfinished gun stock oil haters allowed to diss that one. Have you worked out how they have wired it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary mac Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 That looks a beaut Nige and wow, that neck wood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xilddx Posted February 21, 2015 Author Share Posted February 21, 2015 [quote name='Marvin' timestamp='1424532825' post='2697396'] Looks great. You say it's leagues ahead of any Fender in terms of being solid, what in comparison to a Warwick? [/quote] Good question. It's much closer to a Warwick than a Fender. Everything on this bass feels well thought about and with usability and durability in mind. The open tuners feel very smooth, firm and accurate, but at the same industrial, built to last. Better than Fender or Warwick. The bridge/tailpiece is very solid, shame there's no ball end loading option and sideways adjustment like a Warwick, but there are lovely details like the bottom of the very solid saddle grubs, they are dome ended, and there's no movement, perfectly tapped and died. Less fussy than a Warwick, much more trustworthy than a Fender BBOT. The neck joint is 6 screw, so it feels rock solid on the body, like a Warwick 5 bolt. String alignment is near perfect. The nut is perfectly cut. The HH pups and active electronics are a bit overkill, they don't have the subtlety a range of the Corvette $$, and certainly nothing like a John East. I may end up getting an East for it in the future. Overall, it feels similar to a Warwick in terms of being rock solid and reliable, Fenders always felt a bit delicate, even the 5 strings I tried. And for me, Fenders and Warwicks have a feminine side, this Stingray doesn't, it's a big old lump of ManBass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xilddx Posted February 21, 2015 Author Share Posted February 21, 2015 [quote name='mr zed' timestamp='1424532068' post='2697388'] Lovely looking bass. Are the pups closer together than the later Stingray 5 HH? [/quote] It's a mod, mate. A previous owner had an extra pup fitted, done by Martin Petersen at the Gallery. But it's wired 3 way. I'd like it to be wired in the usual MM HH five way. But may change the tronics to a John East U-Retro Deluxe 4 knob at some point. Also the pickup cut in the PG is a total bodge. So I'll get a new one made when I get the East pre, it will need switch holes instead of the Strat type switch it has now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xilddx Posted February 21, 2015 Author Share Posted February 21, 2015 [quote name='gary mac' timestamp='1424536403' post='2697453'] That looks a beaut Nige and wow, that neck wood. [/quote] I know mate! Stunning bit of maple that, amazing in the sunlight, and it's 3-D, so no camera can capture it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodney72a Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 (edited) Wow, great looking bass, just check out that birdseye! My favourite era for EBMM basses - I bet it sounds and plays amazing, too. What's the colour? (Can't decide between Teal and Blueburst from the pics.) It's a pity someone felt the need to drop an additional pickup into this gorgeous instrument. And as much as I admire Martin's and John's work at the Gallery, I sometimes wish they'd refuse certain jobs... :-) Edited February 22, 2015 by rodney72a Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 Many congrats Nige, that looks a cracker, and I`ll bet sounds even better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 [quote name='rodney72a' timestamp='1424564903' post='2697911'] Wow, great looking bass, just check out that birdseye! My favourite era for EBMM basses - I bet it sounds and plays amazing, too. What's the colour? (Can't decide between Teal and Blueburst from the pics.) It's a pity someone felt the need to drop an additional pickup into this gorgeous instrument. And as much as I admire Martin's and John's work at the Gallery, I sometimes wish they'd refuse certain jobs... :-) [/quote] The only thing that bothered me when I was aked about it via a PM a while ago was the bass being early it would be Alnico not Ceramic, have they managed to find a spare and very rare early Alnico to match or put two later Ceramic ones in, or one of each? If one of them at least is the Alnico original it could be put back to stock if both are Alnico I would be tempted to get an EBMM HH plate and have it routed and filled to suit with some crazy switching options, I think it should have a true single coil option on the original pickup at least? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miles'tone Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 (edited) Stunning bass Nige, congrats man! I personally love the position of the pickups you have there. The modern HH rays have the neck pups too far forward for my tastes. Your bass kind of reminds me of a Wal a bit in that respect. That birdseye!! <3 Edited February 22, 2015 by miles'tone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drTStingray Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 (edited) Fabulous bass. The Birdseye is stunning on some of those late 80s early 90s MM basses. Apart from the extra pick up the bass looks very original down to the matte white scratch plate. The extra pick up would be in P bass area so the sound would be interesting. The original pick up should be Alnico with the switch in parallel nearest bridge, series nearest neck and single coil at centre - interesting to know how they wired the extra pick up and whether it's based on coil selection. The SR5 is such a solid bass - mine is the most acoustically alive of all my basses - incredible body resonance. If the bass is blueburst the body wood will be poplar or alder, so slightly more mellow than ash. Edited February 22, 2015 by drTStingray Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Apple Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 I think you should call this bass Captain Birdseye Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassman Sam Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 Cracking looking bass. That neck is gorgeous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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