chickenjames Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 (edited) so I am now the proud owner of two 4 string basses - EBMM StingRay 4 and a Sire Marcus Miller V7 J bass. I _think_ they're both set up fairly similarly - the MM is as it came from Thomann and I've done the EBMM myself. They both have d'Addario Chromes (flats) and the action seems to measure about the same on them both. I set the truss rod on the Ray so that I could wind the saddles a long way down on all the strings without buzzing, which feels right now. But - and here's the fun bit - they feel completely different. Even before you plug them in or listen at all, they're worlds apart. The Ray feels super smooth, and the MM is beautifully clanky. If you pick the MM up by the top of the neck it feels extremely thin compared to the Ray, and it's just, well, quicker. It feels easier to get more notes in , if you know what I mean. That's not to say that there's anything I dislike about the Ray, just that the MM feels somehow turbo-charged. The touch sensitivity on the Ray is noticeably better though - it's much easier to vary tone and articulation (staccato vs legato etc) with my fingers. I know nothing at all about nut width, neck profile and string spacing so I'd be very interested to see if anyone could explain my experiences by reference to these things! To be clear, I love both of these basses and I'm expecting to use the two of them fairly equally through a set. (Which BTW says quite a lot about the value for money in the MM, considering that it set me back £300 and the Stingray was nearer £1000, new - it's the special edition 2EQ plain version with a gig bag). comments welcome, thanks Edited January 31, 2016 by chickenjames Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenjames Posted January 31, 2016 Author Share Posted January 31, 2016 sorry. posted this twice and I don't know how to delete the thread :-( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manton Customs Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 (edited) It sounds like the neck just fits your hand better on the quicker bass, often slimmer is confused with faster/better but it's all personal preference, one persons fast is another persons slow. Fretboard radius can come into it also, the Sire has a more pronounced 7.25" radius which you must prefer! Another contributing factor can be the finish...more satin/matte=faster, glossier=stickier. Edited January 31, 2016 by Manton Customs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenjames Posted January 31, 2016 Author Share Posted January 31, 2016 That's interesting about the finish - the Ray has matte gun oil, and the MM is super glossy... But I think you're probably right about the hand thing. I have fairly big hands with the classic sausage-style fingers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mykesbass Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 [quote name='Manton Customs' timestamp='1454267513' post='2968094'] Fretboard radius can come into it also, the Sire has a more pronounced 7.25" radius which you must prefer! [/quote] Quite a big difference between the two, so this could well be the "fast" factor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenjames Posted January 31, 2016 Author Share Posted January 31, 2016 [quote name='Manton Customs' timestamp='1454267513' post='2968094'] It sounds like the neck just fits your hand better on the quicker bass, often slimmer is confused with faster/better but it's all personal preference, one persons fast is another persons slow. Fretboard radius can come into it also, the Sire has a more pronounced 7.25" radius which you must prefer! Another contributing factor can be the finish...more satin/matte=faster, glossier=stickier. [/quote] [quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1454268480' post='2968114'] Quite a big difference between the two, so this could well be the "fast" factor. [/quote] I hadn't thought of that - what do you think the radius on my Stingray is ? Again, this is not a major worry for me, I'm interested in understanding, that's all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mykesbass Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 [quote name='chickenjames' timestamp='1454273734' post='2968191'] I hadn't thought of that - what do you think the radius on my Stingray is ? [/quote] 11" according to the spec, so quite considerably different! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 (edited) Speed and being "fast" is about technique. The thinner neck is easier to play so you don't have to move or stretch your fingers as much so it "feels" better. In the end the Musicman will feel just as fast. Edited January 31, 2016 by chris_b Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudpup Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 I always thought slimmer necks would be easier/faster to play. Wrong...... Bought a USA Musicman Sub, loved it so much i picked up a USA Sterling assuming the skinnier neck would be an even better option. I found i kept tripping over my fingers and cramping up on the smaller neck - the standard Musicman neck just feels better to me..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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