drewie

Here are the bare facts of my bass ownership (currently owned underlined) - Washburn B-2 ** 4 string ** Passive ** Turquoise ** Basswood?/Rosewood ** 1992 – 1994 (2 years) Squier Precision ** 4 string ** Passive ** Sunburst ** Basswood?/Rosewood ** 1993 – 1999 (6 years) Music Man StingRay ** 4 string ** Active 3B ** Black ** Ash/B E Maple ** 1995 – 1999 (4 years) Fender Precision Lyte ** 4 string ** Passive ** Cherry ** Basswood?/Rosewood ** 1999 – 2000 (1 year) Fender USA Jazz ** 4 string ** Passive ** CA Red ** Alder/Rosewood ** 2000 – 2002 (2 years) Tanglewood Violin ** 4 string ** Passive ** Sunburst ** Hollowbody/Rosewood ** 2001 – 2008 (7 years) Fender Mexican Jazz fretless ** 4 string ** Passive ** Sunburst ** Basswood?/Rosewood ** 2001 – 2001 (1 year) Music Man StingRay5 ** 5 string ** Active 3B ** Trans Orange ** Ash/Rosewood ** 2001 – 2001 (1 month) Music Man StingRay5 ** 5 string ** Active 3B ** Black ** Ash/Maple ** 2001 – 2005 (4 years) Yamaha BB5-G5 ** 5 string ** Passive ** Amber Quilt ** Alder?/Rosewood ** 2002 – 2002 (1 year) Music Man StingRay5 fretless ** 5 string ** Act/Piz/3B ** Pearl Blue ** Ash/Pau Ferro ** 2003 – 2004 (1.5 years) Roscoe SKB-3006 ** 6 string ** Active/Bart ** B Burl/Nat ** Buckeye Burl/Spanish Cedar/B E Maple ** 2005 – 2009 (4.5 years) Squier JV series Precision ** 4 string ** Active/EMG ** Fiesta Red ** Basswood?/Rosewood ** 2005 – 2009 ( 3.5 years) Lakland Darryl Jones 5 ** 5 string ** Passive ** Blackl Spark ** Ash/Rose/Blocks ** 2007 – 2014 (7 years) Spector Euro 5XL ** 5 string ** Active/EMG ** Trans Blue ** Maple/Rose/Blocks ** 2008 – 2009 (6 months) Roscoe Century Std 6 fretless ** 6 string ** Active/Bart ** Natural ** Swamp Ash/Diamondwood ** 2008 – 2009 (1 year) Lakland Joe Osborn 5 ** 5 string ** Passive ** Natural ** Ash/Rosewood ** 2008 – 2009 (10 months) Fender Precision V ** 5 string ** Passive ** 3TSB ** Alder/Rosewood ** 2009 – 2009 (6 months) NS Design WAV4 ** 4 string ** Passive ** Trans Red ** Unknown/Rosewood ** 2009 – 2013 (4 years) [u]Nordstrand Nordy vJ5 ** 5 string ** Pass/Active ** Salmon Pink ** Swamp Ash/B E Maple ** 2009 – Pres[/u] [u]Nordstrand Nordy vP5 ** 5 string ** Passive ** Oly White ** Swamp Ash/Rosewood ** 2011 – Pres[/u] Yamaha TRB 1005 ** 5 string ** Active 3B ** Natural ** Alder/Maple/Rosewood ** 2013 – 2014 (1 year) Yamaha TRB 1005 fretless ** 5 string ** Active 3B ** Natural ** Alder/Maple/Rosewood ** 2013 – 2014 (1 year) Status Shark 5 ** 5 string ** Passive ** Surf Green ** Cherrywood/Rosewood ** 2014 – 2014 (2 months) [u]Music Man Classic SR5 ** 5 string ** Active 2B ** Classic Burst ** Ash/B E Maple ** 2014 – Pres[/u]

I currently own a Classic Stingray 5 and have owned a number of 'standard' SR5's in the past. I completely support what Pete has written - the Classic is a very different beast to the 'standard' 5. Both are wonderful, but Ernie Ball has absolutely nailed the pre-EB Stingray vibe with these basses. I highly recommend trying one.

A big thank you to Martin. An absolute pleasure to deal. Very good comms. Thank you, Sir!

I've not visited or bought anything from Bass Merchant so cannot comment on them. However, I've had many dealings with Mark at Bass Direct both in person and via t'internet and phone and he is always very helpful, straightforward, and interested. His customer service is first rate. When I had a problem he went out of his way to sort things for me. If you haven't been to the shop it is well worth a trip. I cannot recommend him highly enough.