ezbass

Back in the MM club after many years. Very happy with this wee beastie. Nothing timorous about it, despite being passive. I thoroughly agree with @ped’s comment, “'Rays have the punch and thump of a P combined with the snap and texture of a Jazz,” it’s very a much a Swiss Army Knife tone. Adding a Sadowsky preamp to the SS turns it into a full on, active MM.

Really? Works OK for me. Browser conflict?

Newbies want to know and there are too many folk wanting to be YouTube stars. That said, I saw a P & J comparison recently (not a vs) by Phil Conrad, it was good if you didn’t already know the difference (I’m a subscriber so watched it anyway).

Camberwell! My old manor for many years, man & boy.

I had this on a PRS strap button screw. The guy at Chandler’s said his preferred method was to drill a hole in the screw and then tap in a small, tapered, triangular file, then just unscrew it. Didn’t see him do it, but he got it out.

Small update. I’ve noticed that a couple of the upper frets are a bit bit discoloured where they haven’t been polished as nicely as the lower ones. Plainly, finishing is where the corners have been cut in order to keep,the price down. However, I’ve had cheaper Squiers where none of this attention to detail is missing. MM don’t seem to have quite the handle on their offshore production as Fender do, especially given @BassAdder27’s comment above. All that said, the more I play it, the more I like it. Paired with my JMJ Mustang, I can cover pretty much any genre in a neat, little, short scale form, which is very pleasing. If MM did this bass in a fretless, I’d be all over it.

The “Fish” Cheer / I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-to-Die Rag - Country Joe and the Fish

I played a Reggie Hamilton CS 5 many years ago. To this day, it remains the best fiver I’ve had my hands on. Congrats.

Ah, if you’re going to have the offspring with you, then no. I used to drive up to Altrincham from South London and back a fair bit when I lived there, not a bad drive when the various motorways played, but a right pain in the proverbial when they conspired to be shuffling car parks.

No point in crying, but there’s some value in driving. Make a day of it, visit some shops and really blow the abstinence out of the water

I used to think that I didn’t like 38mm nut width and, based on experience up to a certain point time, I was right. Then I tried a Japanese Sadowsky 4 string some years ago and I didn’t hate it. However, I assumed it was either a one off or my raging Sadowsky GAS at that time and continued with my skinny necked dislike. Fast forward to last week when I took delivery of a Sterling Stingray short scale. I really liked the online tone I was hearing, but they only come with 38mm nut widths - harrumph! Remembering that I find MM all maple necks chunkier than their rosewood (or rosewood substitute) counterparts, I ordered one thinking that I could always return it when I hated the nut width. Well, this one feels just right for this bass. Whilst not a total skinny nut width convert or zealot, I now think that not all nut widths (wide or narrow) are created equal and putting hand to wood is the best way forward. I also prefer passive basses, but I’m very happy to put a preamp pedal in the loop (Sadowsky or a VTDI. The Sadowsky was how I managed to avoid buying an entire bass, it’s a great circuit). Maybe I don’t know what I like either?

I have issues with the RARHOF, since when we’re the likes of Dolly or Dionne Warwick rock & roll? Don’t get me wrong, fantastic artists, but rock & roll? Methinks not. Therefore, I voted for the acts that have some rock & roll credentials and have had the potential to be influential, not necessarily acts that I particularly like, at all.

🤯

The new family portrait, with the newest member on the far left.

Cue both Trav & Machines ordering one before next week is out 😂.

My immediate thought went to Mike Anthony during his VH days. Listen to Chickenfoot and you realise how much more he has to offer.

Good point, one of the Mustang’s shortcomings (no pun intended) as is the upper fret access.

Hmm, well, they both do different things. The Mustang is that super solid P, whereas the ‘Ray adds that slightly, but not quite J, honk where a P type isn’t cutting through. I suppose you could whack up the low end on the ‘Ray and make it fit. Conversely, you could cut a bit low mids and pluck nearer the bridge on the JMJ. They both dovetail nicely and can cover so many genres, it’s hard to choose. If one were playing mostly pop, then I think the ‘Ray probably wins and the Mustang is probably more rock but, as I said above, judicious eq with either can make them fit equally well. However, if we look solely at ergonomics, the ‘Ray wins as it’s lighter and has those comfy contours. As you can tell, I pretty much have the fence firmly wedged between my cheeks . I don’t want to choose and you can’t make me 😂. Anyway, one should have a spare bass in case one fails at a gig and if you had both had both of these on a gig and one failed, the other would work just as well.

You are right there, Sir. I guess I just want musicians to be creative types and not be involved with the grubby, money side. Of course, they're all involved in that to a greater or lesser degree and I'm just kidding myself if I think otherwise. However, there is something about JS that rubs me the wrong way. I shall learn to live it.

I've had the SS 'Ray a few days now and have put it through its paces, playing along to songs from my old '80s band set list, plus a bunch of other favourite play alongs (Jamiroquai, Steely Dan, Robert Palmer). Conclusion - it's great. Between the 'Ray and the Mustang I have a short scale bass that covers all the tonal variations that I require, with the exception of a fretless. I'm now looking at my long scales and thinking do I really need those? Dilemma aside, it's all good news on the new bass front and I'm another step further down the road to becoming a full on SS convert. Hmm, EB3...

Innocent posting about a potentially new bass release from MM goes south really quickly. This seems to be what BC threads do now and makes me sad. Different strokes for different folks people, just because someone doesn't like what you like, doesn't invalidate the pleasure that you derive from it (or wish to name it). Take a breath, please. As to the potential for a new JD MM bass, I feel, perhaps somewhat cynically, that it's potentially just another Jack Stratton/Sterling Ball ploy to prise money from people's wallets, but I guess that it is show 'business' and EBMM are there to make money. I should just get over my dislike for Jack Stratton.

How do you feel about Pino's 'chicken' bob?

Bird of Paradise - Snowy White