BassAgent

I put the original knobs back on (much better):

Here it is with its newer and cheaper cousin:

5 minutes ago, FDC484950 said:

I love mine (a 5HH). That’s some lovely birdseye maple on the neck! String muted as well. Needs the original knobs, though

I still have the original knobs  I'm going to put them back on today, didn't have time yet.

So I had tremendous GAS for a Music Man bass. Whether a MM Stingray, Sterling Ray34 or something else, as long as it had that Music Man sound and feel. So I posted a "wanted" ad on several platforms and got a message on Bassic.de from a guy in Belgium that was selling a 1994 Music Man Sterling. Black, with mutes, great condition, birdseye maple neck...exactly what I wanted. I had a gig in Belgium yesterday, and the bass was practically on te route, so we left an hour early, and I picked it up. And it's absolutely great. Good shape, great sound, birdseye neck, Hipshot D-tuner (but the original tuner was in the case), new knobs (but I also have the original knobs)... Awesome bass. It's from October 1994, and I can't wait to use it extensively

I'm very aware of that (I love my cheap Sadowsky basses as much as my expensive vintage Fenders and custom De Giers) but build quality, comfort and, to be honest, resale value, are also pretty important

Are SBMM basses allowed in this topic? Because I've been looking at a Stingray or Sterling and today I borrowed this SB14 from a friend and I'm really impressed by the sound and build quality. I'm going to check out a "real" MM Sterling next Sunday. 1993, with mutes, I believe it has flatwound strings, are there specific things I have to keep in mind when checking it out?

39 minutes ago, FDC484950 said:

MM do make me laugh with their naming conventions - a series of US basses called Sterling, then a cheaper range of basses called Sterling, none of which (now) is the same design as a US Sterling  

I’ve tried a couple of the cheaper Sterling models and they’re fine instruments, but didn’t feel quite up to the quality of finish (or weight) of the current range. Sound was pretty much indistinguishable (US ones were a touch louder and punchier, but very little in it). You used to be able to snap up a US Stingray for well under £1K but prices new have crept up over time.
I seem to have become a bit of a brand snob over the years so only like the “real” thing now (and I prefer The US Sterling so don’t have a choice, anyway - but if they made a Sterling, er, Sterling then I’d certainly consider it).

SBMM has made a Sterling model, the SB14. I know a guy that has one, still have to try it out. The EBMM Sterling does seem very attractive, but even harder to find than a Stingray...

Couldn't find a good topic about this, so here goes:

So I've been having some serious GAS for a fretted Stingray lately. I'd love to get a "real" EBMM but they're pretty hard to find here and pretty expensive, too. You could pick up a Stingray for about 900-1100 euros a few years back, but now I'm really struggling to find one under 1500. A Stingray will never be my main bass as I'm a Fender-minded player, so I don't want to spend that kind of money on an "extra" bass. I've also been looking at the SBMM series. Can anybody shed some light on the difference between a "normal" (say, a mid 2000's) Stingray and a Sterling Ray34? I'd like a bit more subtle Stingray tone

Thanks!

What about stuff like Serek, Wilcock?

I have tested a Sterling Ray35 a few years back to write a revew about and they're...pretty darn good in deed.

I rarely suffer from GAS these days but sometimes I feel it for a bass I know I don't need, I know I will not use but still I feel I want one. This time it's for a bass I thought I'd never want to get but I was visiting a great Belgian bass player the other day and he had a MM Stingray 5 with the older ceramic pickup and it felt and sounded absolutely killer. The weird thing is I don't really like the sound of a Stingray (except when fretless), I'm not a big fan of their playability (because I'm used to Jazz Basses) and I have no band where it could get used. But still. I want one. Help me. 

What's your GAS you know you shouldn't have?

I was listening to an album by Roger & Brian Eno, "Mixing Colours" and was again struck by Wintergreen. After hearing it again ánd hearing a piano cover by Jon Hopkins I couldn't stay behind. So I tried to make a little bass arrangement.

Kicks butt.

So what went out, what went in? 

 

IN:
Sadowsky MetroExpress JJ4
Sadowsky MetroExpress JJ5
Fender Bassman 100
Leon Christiaens upright bass
MXR M288 octaver
Origin Cali76 Bass
Aguilar Fuzzistor
Cioks DC7
De Gier Prototype #13 pickups
Pearl CO-04 compressor

Trickfish Minnow
 

OUT:
Pearl CO-04
T-Rex Fuel Tank
Nordstrand NJ4 pickups

Pwoah, that's absolutely gorgeous. Love the colour, too. I have considered having the same thing done to a Ray34 or old SUB before I found my current fretless Sterling (with a fretless Status neck). But this is something else, beautywise. Terrific.

6 hours ago, chris_b said:

 

What does yours weigh? I heard they were coming heavier than the initial projections.

I don't have scales so I don't know exactly but both my MetroExpresses are insanely light. 3.5 kgs or less.

It's so strange how people either really really really like or really really dislike the MetroExpresses. I took mine to a rehearsal today and was impressed yet again.

2 hours ago, Merton said:

Well the correct number of basses is n+1, where n is the current number owned.

Therefore it stands to reason that n+2 is too many.

🤓

This. I'm currently at 12 basses (and one upright) and always thinking "what's next".

On 13/10/2021 at 19:08, BassAgent said:

Another update: I decided I needed a proper preamp pedal so I got myself a Trickfish Minnow. Killer.

Booted the Boss to make way for more noise:

Sooooo this happened.

How do you like that Colorsound?

Blimey. I got mine for €35.

I have two cheapos which I love: an Aria digital reverb from the 80's and a Pearl CH-02 chorus, also from the eighties, which are absolutely terrific.

They are still being made but I was wondering if people have tried one, thought "hmm this is good but [pedal X] is better".

Last night, I was at a concert of Nordmann, a Belgian jazzrock group. Amazing band with a great bass player (Dries Geusens) and on two tracks, he used a great fuzz sound. I spoke to him afterwards and he told me he used an Aguilar Octamizer with a Fuzzistor. I already have a great octaver (MXR) and was wondering if there are more fuzzes that are as tight as the Fuzzistor. Has anyone compared it to for example a MXR M84?

This is Dries' sound:

Pfff tough question. I've bought some seriously cool stuff this year, if I may say so.

This was the luckiest catch: a 1976 Bassman 100, retolexed in red. Haven't used it yet but it will come.

I put it in my head that I wanted a double bass so I bought this amazingly beautiful Dutch built 3/4 bass from 1992. Don't play it often, but when I do...lovely.

But I think my favorite purchase of the year are these two boys:

I got the five string in for a review in De Bassist and liked it so much I wanted to keep it, but actually wanted a four string so I bought that as well😁

Also bought some nice pedals this year (Cali76, Trickfish Minnow) but the basses are more...my thing. I like pedals, I love basses.