addam360

Okay strictly speaking I got this a couple of days ago but this is the first chance I've had to do a quick write up on it. First off, the bits that aren't the bass. The padded gig bag was surprisingly high quality with really thick padding. I won't hesitate to use it for gigs, however it does look cheap. The pocket on it is pretty big, easily enough for leads etc. The usual set of allen keys and a pole for tweaking the truss rod wheel wrap up the accessories. Luckily I know a guy with a real Stingray so I had something to compare to. This is my main thing to compare with. Honestly, before you plug it in at least, I can't see the difference between the Stingray and the Ray34. I've heard that Sterling is to MM what MIM basses are to Fender, but I can't agree with this. The Sterling quality is in a whole new league. There's not much to say on hardware specifics, the bridge, tuners etc all look and feel like the MM. Construction matches too, the neck is finished slightly differently but no worse and otherwise is shaped the exact same way. Even the fretwork is flawless. Action was set nice and low but Sterling can't really take the credit for this as much as where it was set-up again here in the UK. The strings have to go though. The paint job is of lower quality though. I got the natural model and can point out two spots already where the was something floating in the lacquer that shouldn't be. Things get a little different once you plug it in. From what I remember of the MM the Sterling has a slightly more restrained EQ. The bass isn't quite as booming and the highs are a little less piercing. The mid knob is nice to have, I usually run it just slightly boosted. All this being said, I am desperately in need of a new amp. None of this is negative, I wouldn't say this sounds any worse than the MM. In fact 90% of the time you wouldn't tell them apart, but the real Stingray just seems like it can get a bit more aggressive. That being said, I've heard the same thing about real 3EQ Stingrays, so maybe that's the reason. Overall, after all the hassle involved in choosing this new bass, I'm relieved to know I picked the right one. This bass is far more impressive than I's expected from a half price Stingray. It's virtually indistinguishable from the real thing. Pics to come soon.

[quote name='karlfer' timestamp='1407562490' post='2521778'] Link from the maestro who made it happen, and yup, I'm grateful [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/182246-la-cabronita-porazzo-custom-precision-build/"]La Cabronita 'Porazzo' Custom Precision Build[/url] [/quote] Very nice. Personally I prefer the white pickguard but everything else there looks great. I especially love the reverse headstock.

[quote name='karlfer' timestamp='1407524475' post='2521532'] Rather fond of mine as well [url="http://s1354.photobucket.com/user/Karl_Altdorfer/media/DSCF0575_zps91b798d2.jpg.html"][/url] [/quote] That's nice. What is it exactly? Looks a lot like the Cabronita P but the reverse neck, black guard and most of all the two saddle bridge have my intrigued.

Depends on a lot of things: - Matte black is always cool. - White pickguard on black is fine, black on black is usually too much (and keep the tort away from it). - Fully blacked out basses can be cool (MM Stealth Black Stingray, Fender Aerodyne etc). I also think certain combinations work for different genres of music. I know lots of people disagree but each genre does have a "look". All of the above is of course just my opinion.

The order has been placed, I will do some kind of mini review with pics in another thread when I've got it. Thanks for the advice everyone.

[quote name='mike_b' timestamp='1407166067' post='2517964'] You won't be dissapointed with one of these, I have one as my main bass and it sounds incredible, personally think its streets ahead of my modern player jazz bass in terms of tone [/quote] [quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1407166216' post='2517965'] Happily agree on that, they are amazing quality basses, I had one and a "real" Stingray at the time. Aside from the worn neck of the `98 Stingray, playability, sound, and construction quality I couldn`t tell them apart. [/quote] [quote name='Bolo' timestamp='1407170723' post='2518027'] +1 [/quote] Sounds like a good choice then. Pushed the price beyond what I was happy to pay but should be worth it. At least the cheaper one I found is the right colour and fretboard too.

Found the extra money, will be ordering a SBMM Ray34 this week unless told this would be a bad idea. Thank you, especially to everyone who said Stingray type bass.

Super long shot here, I don't suppose anyone knows of a pre-owned SBMM Ray34 or EBMM SUB sitting in a shop right now that could be in budget. £620 new on the Ray is the best I've found so far. Unfortunately it's a bit too much.

Looking to order this weekend. Currently favoring the Ibanez ATK800. Just looks like an epic bass for the money and I've heard nothing but good stuff about any ATK.

Thanks for dispelling the myths on Fender QC. I had suspected that the internet was exaggerating. Still think I prefer the idea of the others more than the Fender though. Having just the P pick-up kind of bothers me.

I'm not even entirely sure. Most posts against them stop at words like "unplayable" which is pretty hard to believe. A couple have mentioned twisted necks but usually they don't say what was so bad about them beyond the usual sharp frets or uneven paint (not exactly serious problems). I think it was more to do with some just sounding or feeling noticeably better or worse than others.

Ahh sorry I don't mean to come off as too fussy. To be honest I won't notice the majority of QC issues as long as it all works I don't care about most of it. I've just heard a lot about the problems with MIM basses and assumed they were particularly bad with consistency. Also, I've heard the exact opposite from the other two, especially the Schechter. Odds are that I'd be perfectly happy with the first Standard Fender I picked up.

[quote name='JamesBass' timestamp='1406479376' post='2511794'] Mexican Fenders are very good in my experience, you just need to find the correct one for you, sometimes that means sitting in a shop for hours and hours trying all the Mex ones they have, I wouldn't dis-regard them personally. If you're looking to mod and change things easily in the future then you can't go wrong with a Fender. [/quote] Yeah that's why I'm trying to avoid MIM. It looks like I'm not gonna get the chance to go try them all out this time and I really don't want to have to mod anything. Thanks.

That's a great price and all but it's not even remotely the type of thing I'm looking for. If it wasn't fretless I'd have more of a look but it's really not what I'm after. Thanks.

Just an update, had to cancel the trip over to Newcastle and now buying online is looking quite probable so I'll be after a bass with more reliable QC. From what I've heard this means I should steer clear of MIM Fenders. The current top contenders are the Schecter Model T and Ibanez ATK800 Premium I think. Also, still interested in hearing about that Jaguar neck pup in series. I've heard only great things about MIJ Fenders. Any more opinions on the basses mentioned above or any other ideas? I'm thinking I can be more flexible on the thin neck thing. I've not really had any major problems with the Jazz. I'll keep you up to date and post pics once I've got whatever I go for.