martthebass

Yes they were about a year earlier I think. The point I was trying to make though, hardware design aside, is that the swamp ash on the SNs wasn’t particularly lightweight. So did they specially select lightweight for the specials and now that they cannot source this the specials are now a bit less special (but more expensive)?

Well mine may be Ash but I wouldn’t class it as lightweight.

I know the spec of my PDN Starry Night Ray is for an Ash body but I wondered why they would go to the bother on a solid colour like that?

That's how I see it too Kev.....what was it that John Lydon said? I love my 2 EBMMs but I don't think I'll be buying a new one anytime soon.

There's a shortage of swamp ash I believe. In the same mind as you, I was considering moving my PDN Ray on to get a lightweight Charcoal sparkle special but there doesn't seem much point now. I briefly had a 2018 Caprice that was bang on 8lb....looks like they used up all the lightweight wood stock during that period.

They can have an issue with losing the A string intonation screw - mine did and I've read others have had the same experience; maybe something to do with the factory set up? Easy enough fix (FMJ sent me some spares) but just make sure it's seated far enough into the saddle. Mine's been ok for hum, no different to my now departed MIJ Mustang.

I had looked at picking up a 4H special in one of the sparkle colours at one point, letting one of my current MMs go to part fund. Well the current pricing has pretty much done for that.....don't they realise that some of us aren't really gigging quite as often these days? I'm slightly put off the latest ones as I gather they no longer have the nice light woods that were available when they first came out. The only thing that slightly niggles on my PDN Ray is the weight and it now looks as if there would be little weight advantage on changing to a new special.

It’s a bit thick at the nut end, not the most svelte of profiles.

So did Rickenbacker in the end....I’ll stick with the 4003,just a shame the neck is such a lump at the nut.

Always fancied a 4001 but the agricultural truss rod system has always put me off.

Think I bought a silver one of these used a couple of years back for £150, it was dirty but mint but didn't work for me so I sold it on for the same as I bought it iirc. I do get the 'rare' colour thing though, it really went against the 'Yorkshire' ethic when I paid well over the odds for a used Mikey Way Mustang about 3 years back (a good £100-125 over the new price) but they were like rocking horse poo and I wanted one for the 'Glam' look.

When I had mine refinished it was the same. The tech guy had a helluva job removing the paint, there were still tiny flecks in the grain but he’d already taken some meat off the neck and taking more wouldn’t have been sensible

If you can get the US Sterling SUB pick one up; it's basically a 3EQ US Stingray SUB with the same pickup and a Jazz neck.

I had a 2004 US Sterling Sub and it was definitely wired in series. I had the chance to compare it with a US 2013 Sterling and the sound was pretty much like the series setting; lots of punch. It didn't have the top end of the 2013 though so I'm assuming it had alnico rather than ceramic pups.

Pricing on these generally sits around £500-550 for one in good condition which is a steal as the full fat EBBM Rays are now generally around the £1000 mark for one in good condition.

My personal fave is a 2EQ EBMM Stingray, not easy to find one under 9lb though. Should be able to find a used one around £1000.

Copper for me, looks lush

We’ve taken a few but I’m not confident that any this side of April will happen

Get a second one - great combination.

Still not a single piece of bass related stuff this year.....I very nearly gave in on the gold sparkle Maranello in the FS section but I managed to tough it out

Nope, useless with lyrics

I've had 2002 MIJ and currently have a JMJ. Of the 2 I prefer the JMJ, the thicker neck and fuller sound take it up a notch. I'm also on the side of the single split coil pickup and 'proper' Mustang style bridge.....otherwise it's not a Mustang.

Spent a fair bit of time around Toronto, Hamilton, Mississauga during my Steelmaking technical days, can be gray and grim in winter. Hope things brighten up for you mate.