When is a Music Man not a Music Man?

[dlloyd]

2 minutes ago, goingdownslow said:

Looking for a cheap bass to use as the house bass at jam nights I bought a new Redwood Jazz Bass (Dawsons brand) for £99.

After transforming it with a £5 headstock decal users have commented on how good it sounds and how nice it is to play, even saying it sounds better than the other Fenders that may be there on the night. And that's when I tell them what it is.

I have been offered £5 over the current Dawsons price of £129.

 

I have never owned or had any interest in owning a Fender bass.

Then why did you put a fake decal on it?

[goingdownslow]

27 minutes ago, dlloyd said:

Then why did you put a fake decal on it?

Because some of the jam night goers would never have given it a second look and thought I had just brought a cheap bass for them to use.

Edited August 29, 2018 by goingdownslow

[Newfoundfreedom]

4 hours ago, goingdownslow said:

 

 

I have never owned or had any interest in owning a Fender bass.

Snap!

[Jack]

Looks like an OLP or possibly an aliexpress special.

 

Quote

Fair comment, but I've no idea what one sounds like anyway. I've never played the real thing and probably never will because  I don't have a grand to throw at a bass to play in a band that's just a weekend hobby. So given what it is. A cheap imitation with a half decent pickup?

Where are you? You're welcome to borrow one.

Edited August 29, 2018 by Jack

[Newfoundfreedom]

6 hours ago, Jack said:

Looks like an OLP or possibly an aliexpress special.

 

Where are you? You're welcome to borrow one.

Thanks. That's a very generous offer, but I'm in Bulgaria so it's a bit of a trek 😂. I'm kind of at the stage where the instrument isn't really the most important thing anyway. I've just started playing again after 30 years so I'm still finding my stride. 

Also I might like it too much and I can't afford one, so it would spoil me for playing my two hundred quid Gretsch (which I absolutely love) 😉

[skidder652003]

£158 worth a punt, can even return it if its sh*te

https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_mm_84a_sb_deluxe_series.htm

[Newfoundfreedom]

42 minutes ago, skidder652003 said:

£158 worth a punt, can even return it if its sh*te

https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_mm_84a_sb_deluxe_series.htm

That actually looks really decent. I'm a big fan of Wilkinson hardware. They sound really good for the relatively low cost. I've looked at Harley Benton stuff before, and the reviews are a mixed bag, but considering the price, I don't know how they can even put a guitar together for that money. Maybe I could stick a Music Man logo on and double the value. 😂.

Edited August 30, 2018 by Newfoundfreedom

[skidder652003]

18 minutes ago, Newfoundfreedom said:

That actually looks really decent. I'm a big fan of Wilkinson hardware. They sound really good for the relatively low cost. I've looked at Harley Benton stuff before, and the reviews are a mixed bag, but considering the price, I don't know how they can even put a guitar together for that money. Maybe I could stick a Music Man logo on and double the value. 😂.

Got my lad this Tele copy and its fantastic, and I know cr*p when I play it (you should hear me), so for the money they're usually pretty good

https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_hbt1952.htm

[Jack]

3 hours ago, Newfoundfreedom said:

Thanks. That's a very generous offer, but I'm in Bulgaria so it's a bit of a trek 😂. I'm kind of at the stage where the instrument isn't really the most important thing anyway. I've just started playing again after 30 years so I'm still finding my stride. 

Also I might like it too much and I can't afford one, so it would spoil me for playing my two hundred quid Gretsch (which I absolutely love) 😉

We just left Sveti Vlas in June and I'd been before 2 years ago, you have a beautiful country. I've been fortunate enough to have travelled all over and Bulgaria is one of the very few places that I could see myself living other than Northumberland. It's up there with Kissimmee and Amsterdam.

Edited August 30, 2018 by Jack

[Jack]

2 hours ago, skidder652003 said:

£158 worth a punt, can even return it if its sh*te

https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_mm_84a_sb_deluxe_series.htm

If it's anything like their PB-50 it'll be very, very far from sh*te.

[Newfoundfreedom]

1 hour ago, Jack said:

We just left Sveti Vlas in June and I'd been before 2 years ago, you have a beautiful country. I've been fortunate enough to have travelled all over and Bulgaria is one of the very few places that I could see myself living other than Northumberland. It's up there with Kissimmee and Amsterdam.

Yeah it's not a bad old life. Certainly the best move I ever made. I don't regret leaving the UK one bit......

OK, maybe I miss the takeaways, but that's all. 

[mcnach]

On 29/08/2018 at 08:34, Newfoundfreedom said:

Fair comment, but I've no idea what one sounds like anyway. I've never played the real thing and probably never will because  I don't have a grand to throw at a bass to play in a band that's just a weekend hobby. So given what it is. A cheap imitation with a half decent pickup?

 

Have a go and you will know. If it feels nice, plays nice, and sounds good enough to you, £230 is not a lot. I doubt it's a real EMG either... so if you buy it, buy it on the strength of what you see, hear and feel, not thinking that you can recoup some money from parts or something.

Some of the old OLP MM2 basses were pretty decent once you put a nice pickup in there. This is not an OLP, but the OLPs were worth around £200 or less used and they could be really nice. Who knows? If it tempts you... give it a try and you will know. But no, it is not the real thing.

Edited September 3, 2018 by mcnach

[mcnach]

On 29/08/2018 at 10:24, dlloyd said:

It doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad instrument, but it certainly isn't of the quality that the person who applied the decals wanted people to believe it was.

To play devil's advocate, it has some value. It's probably an OLP MM2... some of those are okay basses. Worth maybe £100 to £130 in good nick... which this isn't.

The pickup, if it's an original EMG, is worth something. I'm wondering if there's also a half-decent aftermarket preamp in there. You could maybe squeeze £50 from that, but the rest of the bass isn't worth much as parts.

Yes... putting a fake decal on any bass will devalue it. 

 

It's not an OLP MM2 either. Wrong headstock, nut, body shape, pickguard...

[Bassnut62]

I expect this will upset quite a few; but just being honest to my experiences.....in answer to otiginal Q of When is an MM, not an MM?.....my answer would be when it’s an Ernie Ball.

Sorry; but they are not the same instruments, to my hands and ears.

[TheGreek]

In response to Bassnut's post - must agree.

I haven't played an early MM but the 90s one I had was head and shoulders above the 2006 I had. It seems they get less good as they get more modern.

[jezzaboy]

It`s a rather bad copy. For that money I would look for a second hand Sterling Sub Ray. At least the Sub bass is from the MM family (I know its not a real MM before someone says it) and is a decent budget bass. 

Edited September 9, 2018 by jezzaboy

[dlloyd]

12 hours ago, TheGreek said:

In response to Bassnut's post - must agree.

I haven't played an early MM but the 90s one I had was head and shoulders above the 2006 I had. It seems they get less good as they get more modern.

My old statistics teacher would have loved you.

I've played a fair number of Stingrays, and they've largely been fantastic. My favourite was the 2002 one I owned and stupidly sold. The only ones I haven't got on with was an early 80s pre-EB model that just felt dead and an early three bolt Cutlass I (Stingray with graphite neck) that I could have fired arrows with.

[martthebass]

I've found a fair bit of variation over the years on Stingrays.  I owned a 1990 from new for about 12 years, it was a cracking bass but it was on the heavy side I can't say it was anything special.  Ditto with a 2002 standard SR4 that was similarly meh.  Also, very briefly had a pre EB (1980) in my possession that was a boat anchor and needed to be thrashed to get any life out of it.   Best ones I've had by far were a 30th anniversary that felt put together with loving care and had a lovely rich sound (shouldn't have sold that one!); a 2001 2EQ fretless with a nice figured neck (that feels very slim for a standard Ray4) that does the mwhahhh sound perfectly (still have this one) and a 2016 Starry Night PDN that is beautifully constructed and sounds rich and fat (Roasted neck, Ebony board and Ash body?).

I don't really buy into the pre-EB vs EB argument, there are no doubt differences but they are just that, differences.  You may prefer one over the other, but quality wise I don't think one is necessarily better than the other as a rule. YMMV and all that.