Unexpected models from Ernie Ball Musicman

[40hz]

[quote name='Chiliwailer' timestamp='1453390547' post='2959072']
Ugly, and yet another confusing name that's already been used.

Miffed.
[/quote]

Agreed. Ernie Ball are seriously bad with naming their products, so much potential for confusion for the average customer.

[project_c]

[quote name='Ghost_Bass' timestamp='1453387171' post='2959026']
So they went for a PJ and a P in a J and P type bodys... where have i seen that?

From the close ups i was hoping that they would look more like the Sabre basses, in body shape.
[/quote]

Would be so much nicer if they used that body shape, the Sabre shape looks so good, but the tone is always a bit weird, it would be a perfect starting point for a P or PJ tho.

[RhysP]

New model announcements from EBMM never fail to arouse the indifference in me....

[gafbass02]

Ugly and yet another baffling name choice.

[Beedster]

[quote name='Machines' timestamp='1453387913' post='2959034']
How long until Fender ends up copying itself ?!
[/quote]

They've been doing so for 34 years so far

[NJE]

Both all kinds of fugly! What on earth are they thinking? I love music man stuff, I thought the new Sabres in the cool colours were amazing, but these just look a bit naff.

I got all excited thinking they had released a graphite neck stingray/sabre again. To be honest I would look at the new Sandberg VM5 HH now that the Sabre has gone. Great colours and it even looks similar with the new body shape.

[Machines]

[quote name='Beedster' timestamp='1453400601' post='2959226']


They've been doing so for 34 years so far
[/quote]

I was hoping someone would notice

[White Cloud]

I really like them.

[grayn]

I'm a MusicMan fan, but they are so poor looking.
Like a cheap Fender copy, from the 80s.
Probably be good basses but the look is totally uninspiring.

Shame.

Edited January 21, 2016 by grayn

[Beer of the Bass]

The concept is a good one, since I find Musicman basses aesthetically pleasing and they make lovely necks, but I've never quite got into the whole active thing. So I guess these are aimed at people who feel the same way. It would have been nice if they had a few more nods to the classic stingray/sabre style visually though.

[M@23]

Strange that they've decided to go in this direction now. They're quite ugly but i'm sure they will be very good though.

[drTStingray]

[quote name='NJE' timestamp='1453405160' post='2959296']
Both all kinds of fugly! What on earth are they thinking? I love music man stuff, I thought the new Sabres in the cool colours were amazing, but these just look a bit naff.

I got all excited thinking they had released a graphite neck stingray/sabre again. To be honest I would look at the new Sandberg VM5 HH now that the Sabre has gone. Great colours and it even looks similar with the new body shape.
[/quote]

The Stingray can still be had in HH form - I'm glad I got a Classic Sabre but having been and tried a number out, I felt they were too similar to my Ray HH to justify buying one.......... until the Neptune blue package appeared with mahogany body and roasted oil and wax finish neck - basically the Sabre has never sold well in any of its three incarnations.

[drTStingray]

Really liking that 40th Anniversary Ray - other pictures on the net show the burst as being quite a stunner.

[Truckstop]

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1453393842' post='2959114']
I've just read that the bass still punches like a Stingray, but is mellower,smoother and fatter sounding.
[/quote]

So.... better than a Stingray?

[Musicman20]

All depends on what you like I guess.

[Musicman20]

As expected, mixed reactions on most of the forums. I have no need for any more instruments, (plus I have no room!) but I would like to try the Caprice out.

[Machines]

I think i'm not so bothered they went with P/J models, but that they look so generic.

[Shockwave]

Not a fan, G&L covers the P+J and looks better. The P is covered by Sandberg. Not a fan of the new bridge either. The usual Stingray bridge would have made it look different enough to maybe win some fans over.

[EBS_freak]

Not my bag :-/

[CamdenRob]

I must admit they don't really jump out at me...

As others have said, I guess they are trying to catch a bit of the "anything and everything Fender shaped" thing that has been going on for these last few years.

[matski]

Thanks, but I'll stick with my original Cutlass!

[cocco]

Has anyone seen photos of the entire basses yet?

[Muzz]

The problem with the design is a common one - they've got right on the Fender body shape bandwagon, positioned the pickups in the usual place and then visually the only thing they can work with is the scratchplate, so they change the shape of that. Unfortunately, the shape of these scratchplates don't take any visual cues from the body shape, and so don't work at all. At least Sandberg had the good sense to make their scratchplate changes minimal.

[keefbaker]

They look cheap... That's what gets me and this is from a guy currently lusting after a stealth black HH5 stingray, so I'm far from anti-music man.

[Ghost_Bass]

Just had a look at Old Smoothie, isn't that a 5-string pickup on a 4-string bass? Any technical/tonal/sonic advantage in this?