mcnach

I would ask no questions... until the bass were safely in my hands. Then I'd ask a LOT of questions.

[quote name='stoo' timestamp='1384427727' post='2276507'] Just spotted this [url="http://forums.ernieball.com/music-man-basses/56819-sbmm-sub-ray4-green-when-europe-pat.html"]http://forums.ernieb...europe-pat.html[/url] Looks like the green SBMM SUB will be available to European distributors early next year...... [/quote] ... I'm only human. There are temptations I cannot resist.

[quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1384425257' post='2276479'] Crikey, even I quite like that! [/quote] what??? quick, go to the Royal Infirmary!!! You may be suffering a stroke!!!

[quote name='stoo' timestamp='1384376405' post='2276008'] Ooops - I stand corrected! I presume that must be an exclusive colour for Musicians friend as it's not listed on the SBMM page for the SUB models, USA/Canada or the International one? It's almost like they've intentionally made it tricky to work out what's what with all the model variations and naming overlaps.... Argh! [/quote] Indeed... you can almost imagine the meeting they had: "things are confusing, but not confusing enough... is there anything we can do to make it even harder for people to know what's what?" I'm glad the green one is not normally available here... it would be too hard for me to resist! I do have a friend in the US who will be visiting in February... hmmm

[quote name='Lowender' timestamp='1384378427' post='2276061'] So you like VM's as long as the neck and pups are replaced??? [/quote]

That's awesome! ... and I really must post my orange fretless Jazz!

[quote name='stoo' timestamp='1384361146' post='2275705'] The green one isn't an [url="http://www.sterlingbymusicman.com/sub-bass"]SBMM SUB[/url], that's a [url="http://www.sterlingbymusicman.com/ray34ca"]SBMM Ray34ca. [/url] It's a bit confusing as the Ray34ca looks very similar to the SUB Ray4 - they're both 38mm nut and 2 band EQ, compared to the Ray34 which is 43mm and 3 band. I believe the Ray34 and Ray34ca are meant to have pickups and preamps based on the proper Musicman designs, but the ones in the SUB Ray 4 aren't - I've seen a pic somewhere of a preamp claimed to be from a SUB Ray 4, which had a label on it saying "Spector Bass". The SUB Ray 4 I played also had centre detente clicks on the EQ knobs, whereas the Ray34ca had no centre click, just like the genuine EBMM 2EQ basses.... [/quote] There may be regional variations in availability. In the US at least it seems you can get a green SBMM SUB: [url="http://www.musiciansfriend.com/bass/sterling-by-music-man-s.u.b.-ray4-bass-guitar/h82042000004000"]http://www.musiciansfriend.com/bass/sterling-by-music-man-s.u.b.-ray4-bass-guitar/h82042000004000[/url] That's the bass I was talking about. The pickups and preamps on SBMM basses (RayXX and SUB lines) are different from those used by EBMM. There is a thread over there at TalkBass about SBMM basses, and their head guy has contributed a few very interesting posts, worth checking. He said that the electronics are not like the EBMM instruments. They're probably not terribly far off, 'though. They may not sound like the real thing, exactly, but they certainly have the "vibe". Some of the clips I heard on Youtube (granted, not the best place to compare stuff) sound unmisteakably Stingray-like. The preamps on the SBMM SUBs seem different from those on the RayXX, if only by the fact that SUB owners often complain about how hot the output is and that the SBMM head guy (I forget his name) admitted it and actually posted a "fix" for those who could not live with it.

[quote name='rodma' timestamp='1384154721' post='2273207'] I take it that is a pretty simple mod To carry out? Just a wee bit of rewiring/soldering? Thanks for all the infos. [/quote] It's not terribly complicated. It involves a certain amount of risk but if you're careful it should work out ok. I just noticed you're in Edinburgh. I have two SUB (4-string) basses, one in parallel and another in series, both stock. If you want to come round and check the difference you're welcome. You may decide that the difference is not worth it, or that you *really* want it. edit: I just noticed also that you got a great deal with this... lucky man! Now I officially hate you

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1384119025' post='2273038'] That sounds familiar from an old thread now Jose, did we ever work out where they took the pickup from or did we decide it was made just for the SUB? So confusing! What do you think about a series parallel switch? [/quote] no idea, it seems weird they'd make this pickup just for the SUB, when the purpose of the SUB line was to reduce cost... so it'd make sense to just use something they already made. But there were no other basses at the time using this kind of pickup, so... it is confusing indeed! I like the series option a lot. One SUB 4-string that I have has the pickup wired in series. I think the extra oomph in the mids works really well with the 2-band EQ. I like it as it is. In contrast, both my other SUB (parallel, 2EQ) and my Stingray (parallel of course, and 2EQ) I felt I never really liked the 2-band preamp there, so one already has the John East 3-band and the other one soon will too. Personally, I'd probably just wire it in series, if I wanted a simple mod and keep everything else as it is.

[quote name='rodma' timestamp='1384101737' post='2272753'] all i know is that the indonesian one has cut and boost on both the treble and the bass, since there is a little midpoint "notch" that the pots click into. other than than that i am just getting confused, but that's nothing new [/quote] The SBMM guy has stated that the preamp and pickups are different in their instruments to those made by EBMM. Having a centre detent knob does not automatically mean it is cut/boost, and if it is, it does not mean the centre detent is where the flat point is...

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1384100534' post='2272735'] Im going to have a stab in the dark here and say the usa will have a ceramic pickup like a standard usa Ray of the same era where the indonesian one probably has an alnico one previously only possible by buying either an early ray five (80's and early 90's) or like my blue 2010 one with the alnico coming in around 2007 even though my black 2007 is a last of the line ceramic version but with the newer switch/battery box position etc. So to get the full pre eb sound from the usa sub you should put the indonesian pickup in it although its probably not the same as a usa pickup,confused yet? Lol [/quote] My EBMM SUB5 had an alnico pickup, wired in parallel.

[quote name='alittlebitrobot' timestamp='1383089941' post='2260209'] Q3: This might be the most important one. Will doing this [i]necessarily [/i]leave me with that tone that I like? It seems reasonable to me that if I have the knobs set to zero, I'm bypassing the preamp (although it's still using the battery), so rewiring the battery out of the system should leave me with that tone. .....yes? ...I could well be wrong. [/quote] Many preamps are not flat at all even when the knobs are at the detent points... so check that first. Wire the output of the balance knob to an output jack and see what it sounds like. If you like it... great! Remove the preamp and install passive controls.

Not convinced *at all* that not having the string centered over the polepiece has any significant effect in volume, Otherwise string bending would result in clear alterations in volume, something I have not experienced in any guitar or bass... and yes, I bend strings on bass

I thought someone here might like this. I have no connection whatsoever with the seller... [url="http://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/musicman-stingray-bass-hard-case/1037894688?mpch=ads#photo-content"]http://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/musicman-stingray-bass-hard-case/1037894688?mpch=ads#photo-content[/url]

[quote name='allighatt0r' timestamp='1383554078' post='2265653'] I have the receiver on the floor, next to my amp and next to my TC PolyTune. I did have a big fan next to it on Friday, which may have made the difference there, but that fan was other side of the stage on Saturday night. I also tried moving the receiver to the top of the amp but it didn't seem to make a great deal of difference. Maybe I need to get a bit scientific in the back garden, test the actual line of sight distance that I get and then call Line 6 support with my findings. [/quote] Hmmm, that does not seem very different from what I do. It's either on a pedalboard infront of me, or beside the amp on the floor, protected by whatever seems convenient (pub gigs: under a chair, typically). Or I put a guitar stand over it so that nobody steps on it. Sometimes even behind the amp. At home I tried it set in one room and I just walked about the house. I could still play on the other side of the house, several rooms and doorways away, so no line of sight whatsoever. You're a little far from me to offer to test both side by side, but maybe someone else can help you. At least try what you suggested, in teh garden, and see how far you can go. You should be able to get more than 30 feet in any situation, I would imagine. I have not personally ventured terribly far while playing, only testing it. But my guitarist is a bit of a show off and constantly tests its range. Once we played at a beer garden, and he went outside on teh street, a good 25m or so away (the G30 is supposed to reach 30m) then went into the bar through another door, and climbed on a side external staircase to play a solo on the roof ( ). In another place he just ran around the pub (single isolated building) again without losing signal... I think the 30m they specify is a conservative estimate, so for you to struggle with 10-20m, I think there may be something wrong (batteries all charged up?), so if you can test it and report how far you get in your garden and it's significantly less than 30m, you may be able to exchange your unit...

[quote name='allighatt0r' timestamp='1383499587' post='2265103'] Yep, I got one recently, and have done three gigs with it this weekend. The sound quality is excellent, no loss of bass or top or tone. Two AA duracell batteries lasted two and 3/4 gigs (changed them during second set last night to be on the safe side when the battery indicator on the receiver went down to 1 bar). I'm a little disappointed by the range to be honest. Had visions of buggering off to the other end of the pub, but it managed about 30 feet on Friday, and 50 or 60 feet last night before cutting out. Mine might be a bit of a duff unit though, as the guitarist has a g30 and never has any trouble. [/quote] That's unusual, both myself and a guitarist in one of the bands I play in use the G30. He regularly takes trips pretty far from the stage... Even playing outside the pub on the street. Do you have the receiver tucked in somewhere well hidden, maybe?

CV Squier Stratocaster (or Telecaster!) yummy. A little over budget, 'though... hmm.