Ander87

A Musicman Stingray Special 5 in Cruz Teal. I've been chasing one for a bit as I was silly enough to sell mine 3 years ago due to difficult circumstances and not playing enough... Discontinued colour... I've not seen others apart from mine and I'm on the hunt, but it's a tough one!

Interesting! I just spoke with strings and things the distributors since the screws for a saddle has worn off and I can't raise the string action - they just sent me two packs for all the saddles in both my basses without hesitation and overnight - good to know that companies take both sales and after sales seriously still! Ander.

Hm! Interesting - shopping from the vault incurring customs and whatnot seems tedious though, how was your experience @drTStingray?

It is this story that has motivated me to hunt for my missed #1 from some time ago, an Stingray Special 5 in Cruz Teal... Why was I stupid enough to let it go I do not know....!! And yes @Musicman20, prices for new MM are circa £3k nowadays actually...! Ander.

haha! I’ve no acquisition power! Only my rays Special 4Hs…! What’s the weight out of curiosity? need to play some lottery ASAP.

Hmmm...! I am traditionally a 45-105 guy, and was surprised I couldn't find 45-105 for Chromes - somewhat disappointed, BUT after having installed the 45-100, I am happy as the tension is pretty even and equivalent to a round wound 45-105 (actually a tad bit more if you look at the numbers at the back of the package). I have a feeling 45-105 would be too heavy for me on Chromes flats. Funny enough, I love how balance is the sound, to the point it's making me consider 45-100 on the NYXL round wounds...! Ander.

Nice. Still hope that one day I can capture that charging green SR5.

Hm! DR Is more neutral territory - I used to like the nickel lo rider and the quantum nickel pure blues too, but I've never tried the DR flats - would need them to be 'round wound' output if that makes sense, with enough treble too...!

I love the carelessness you can have with a road worn - especially when gigging out on stage. Having said that, I have, after many basses and much neurosis about dinging my basses, decided I am taking my EBMM Stingrays out to rehearsal stage and wherever - I'm pretty careful with my things, and I'm tired of having top end basses as case queens (the reason why I went for cheaper basses and relic's)... ... I just told my wife I can't let go of my Stingrays - but I did say so about the Limelights (I still don't want to but have to for budget), so, to answer the question, I can never say never - although the closes thing to 'never' is my Charcoal Sparkle SR4 Special - favourite bass to date, I can say that. Ander.

So, I may be going off track here, apols if so - what strings do you use on your stingrays? I am a fashion victim and would love EB strings with my MM's, any other option feels like wearing Jordans with Adidas socks lol, but guys I really have tried. I've tried regular slinky's (not too great but okay enough, meh), cobalts (great output but lacking mids to my liking? feels like steel strings) and cobalt flat wounds (how sticky/grabby are they? gosh! and tension for days! Big let down here)... So, much to my "disappointment" I'm back to D'addario. I wanted one on rounds, the other one on flats - for rounds I went for my trusty NYXL, and surprise! First time I try the Chromes flat wounds... REALLY LIKED THEM!!! They're what the EB flats announce (flats that sound like rounds) but made real and with a much more pleasant feeling on the fingers - smoothest I have tried is Labella but for the more aggressive music we play (punk rock, but with the B3K on the HX effects maxed up), the Chromes will be the ones to stay. ..... I still feel like a brand traitor Best, Ander.

Such a nice story, so happy for you @AndyTravis

Haha! That is probably true aye… for some 10 hours a week 2 specials are plenty 😅

Hm I can relate to that! I had the #1, the immediate #2/backup/similar but different, and #3 was the odd one out often on tour/sale/trade or something quirky like a short scale for when packing tight for a gig etc. you may be onto something my friend… Go and convince my wife to keep the limelight now that I’ve 2 ray specials in ha!

you know you may well be onto something here... but those 4 would need to fit in my hangers - we've talked about this Luke, it's a complicated design lol! Plus, I've agreed with the missus to lock my budget for gear and can only do trades now, can't let these two go. Still, the principle of 4 may well make sense haha!

Haha @Piers_Williamson he is indeed! Duke is his name… and we’ll if it was on his quality as a guardian I’d have no basses left ha!

That macaroni pie took me to heaven for a second - and here I am, doing intermittent fasting - thanks @neepheid

My small in numbers, mighty in power basses.... above sofa so close enough! I've realised the moment I have a 3rd bass one of them starts not being played... Then I feel bad and want to downsize or reinvest into upgrading other gear or... Wouldn't discard a 3rd at some point, but how do you guys do it?

I think this is a good summary of our own moral financial justifications and budgets lol

For the record I have played basses from £100 to 3k£ plus. Been a fool anytime I buy new, especially on the higher end basses. Thanks to that I own basses that I would not buy nor recommend buying new… because I personally can’t justify that expense. Loving every perfect bit of them though lol, honeymoon period, there is no better 😁 to answer the question, I would often have a top end bass and others a bit cheaper as backups, that would end up being the primary as my #1 would end up being a case queen. Since playing more often live and having a more reasonable budget, I have both my basses in the same price range and plan to use both of them evenly.

Hm…! I’ve always liked pricey basses. Of course I am all gassed up and coming from guitars playing them for a while I knew I wouldn’t settle with mediocre basses. I had a long time in the 1700-to-3000£ range but there was a point where I couldn’t justify that much invested in just a hobby. Fast forward into 2 gigging bands I realised that a decent £1k bass is more than enough and I needed the variety… I had 3 basses in this range and loved them so very much. Throughout all that time I’ve been a warrior of ‘all basses above £1500 are pointless’ whilst also saying ‘the two basses I regret selling are my MM SR5 Special and my Alpher Mako5’… I had a recent change to scramble my gear budget and get a SR4 Special (I play 4 strings exclusively and just one band now) and I feel more at home than ever… like reuniting with an old friend. So much that I took the chance to own a second Special in a different setup. I bought them second hand and know I wouldn’t pay the retail price they ask for them new these days… but after having contradicted myself ever so often, I feel the budget for gear is something that is SO relative and so hard to justify… … I’ve had people with collections of basses that do play quite limited, same as an absolute bass wizard that played a billion times better than me whilst playing a Squier bass. … End of the line, play what makes you happy and you can afford without compromising other areas of your life. Ander.