Thanks Musicman - I have Major GAS again

[drTStingray]

Well I have major GAS again - this 2012 PDN Stingray is, to me, a thing of great beauty. Mahogany body, roasted non-laquered roasted birds eye neck, only available in honeyburst (pics are from the Music Zoo website).

And it's available (or it was if you ordered one during the window) on the whole range - yes including Bongos!!

They're about to appear, so I may have to do a trawl of dealers to see if anyone has any stock - I fancy a 3 band Ray in this finish. Musicman have said some of the mahogany bodies are also figured - luck of the draw if you get that.

Has anyone on here ordered one?

Edited August 27, 2012 by drTStingray

[Dingus]

If this sounds like the 30th Anniversary Stingray , and with a solid mahogany body and rosewood board it should do , then it will be one of the best sounding Stingrays ever. The colour scheme is not at all my taste, but that is a very subjective thing - I expect many others will love it. My biggest reservation would , however, be the weight. EBMM Stingrays aren't on the whole that light nowadys ( I know you get the odd lucky-find light one , but on the whole they tend to be on the weighty side), and these mahogany bodies won't help too much with that. I know the 30TH Anniversary one tended to be heavier. Maybe it's more of an issue to me than to other people. I bet it sounds great, anyway.

Edited August 27, 2012 by Dingus

[Gust0o]

... Further to my comments in the black Sterling LE thread, please add this one to ths GAS list also

[Musicman20]

I enquired and zero basses have been ordered for the UK market. Zero. You would think it would be wise to have a Ray or two just in case!

They do have guitars on order but that doesn't help.

However, USA MM Customer Service said that in the circs, they would authorise a USA dealer to ship to a UK customer, but the warranty would be difficult to follow up.

[stingrayPete1977]

Watching the Big Al review clips Ed says the 5 string version is mahogany which helps make it lighter?

[Dingus]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1346082917' post='1785011']
Watching the Big Al review clips Ed says the 5 string version is mahogany which helps make it lighter?
[/quote]

I wondered about that too. Was the original body wood for the Big Al ash ( like a regular Stingray) ? I think it was. All I can say is that a lot of the 30TH Anniversary Stingrays were heavy. The lightest one I ever saw was about 9 1/2 pounds , which is about my maximum weight limit on any bass. Most seemed to be heavier than that.

[drTStingray]

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1346082455' post='1785001']
USA MM Customer Service said that in the circs, they would authorise a USA dealer to ship to a UK customer, but the warranty would be difficult to follow up.
[/quote]

Well it looks like I may be contacting Beaver Felton again! I guess Amazon may have them also? Apparently the Perfect Bass have a H and an HH SR5.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1346082917' post='1785011']
Watching the Big Al review clips Ed says the 5 string version is mahogany which helps make it lighter?
[/quote]

The very early Big Als were alder (indeed the 4 string one I tried a couple of years back was) - they changed to mahogany for all of them, as you say, to reduce the weight when they started producing 5 string Big Als.

Musicman basses (with exceptions) tend to be in the 9 - 10 lb ballpark - I am guessing these PDN ones should be no exception.

Edited August 27, 2012 by drTStingray

[stingrayPete1977]

I always think of Alder being quite light and Mahog being heavy, my black SR5 is heavy but as its a solid finish Im not sure what its made of? I think my pre EB is ash as was my old Teal SR4 which are both light in comparison.

[Dingus]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1346085287' post='1785054']
I always think of Alder being quite light and Mahog being heavy, my black SR5 is heavy but as its a solid finish Im not sure what its made of? I think my pre EB is ash as was my old Teal SR4 which are both light in comparison.
[/quote]

I think of alder being light to medium weight too, but I think ash is very variable in weight. Genuine swamp ash is very light, but what is known as northern ash can tend to be very heavy. Genuine swamp ash comes from Louisiana and Southern Mississippi, northern ash from elsewhere in the United States. Needless to say , the swamp ash is in great demand and is in limited supply, and therefore commands a higher price. It is possible to find lightweight ash elsewhere, but it is a question of chance finding it and so needs to be hand- selected. U.S.A Laklands' use genuine swamp ash, as do a few other select makers. I know that E.B.M.M are able to supply specially-selected light- weight instruments to their endorsing artists, but do not extend this service to the general public.

Edited August 27, 2012 by Dingus

[Lozz196]

Yep, I`ve got two ash-bodied Precisions, one weighs about 10lbs, the other feels a fair bit lighter, probably under 9lbs. A mate has exactly the same bass as my 10lb one, but his weighs 13lbs, so ash can vary a bit.

[drTStingray]

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1346082455' post='1785001']
USA MM Customer Service said that in the circs, they would authorise a USA dealer to ship to a UK customer, but the warranty would be difficult to follow up.
[/quote]

I have to sau I'm not too fussed on the warranty having never had to have any work done on an MM bass - I know others have but I would take the chance on one of these.

Well I found a USA dealer with a 3 band Ray (another that I checked has already sold the 3 band Ray H they'd ordered) - it seems there will only be a very small number of these instruments - 100 in USA across the whole bass range. I am very seriously tempted

Pete - the Perfect Bass have a Big Al 5 in this spec on order!!

[rodney72a]

They look great - go for it! (But try and find a light-ish one!)