Genuine recognition of Ernie Ball's

[Tony Ruckledge]

Hi there, I've just bought an Ernie Ball 4.  After bringing it home and cleaning, changing the strings from the previous owner, it just doesn't seem to feel right.  The neck feels genuine but the body seems lightweight and not quite what I would expect from an expensive Bass, are all later made Ernie Ball's of lighter weight body materials.  Any advice would be welcome, thank you...

[Beedster]

Hi Tony, welcome to the forum, hope all's OK with the bass, some more photos might help the experts here offer you a reliable opinion? 

[ikay]

As a first step try entering the serial number here which should tell you the year, model and colour - https://www.music-man.com/serial-number-database

[Woodinblack]

2 hours ago, Tony Ruckledge said:

The neck feels genuine but the body seems lightweight and not quite what I would expect from an expensive Bass, are all later made Ernie Ball's of lighter weight body materials.  Any advice would be welcome, thank you...

 

Funny, I would view it the other way round. I would expect an expensive bass to be lightweight and a cheap bass to be heavy. I don't know about stingrays though. My expensive basses are the swamp ash ones, my harley benton was the heaviest bass I had!

[Beedster]

3 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

Funny, I would view it the other way round. I would expect an expensive bass to be lightweight and a cheap bass to be heavy. I don't know about stingrays though. My expensive basses are the swamp ash ones, my harley benton was the heaviest bass I had!

I think I get the comments, we all like a light bass, but a body that's too light can really stand out on a quality bass, just feels wrong

[Lozz196]

From what I’ve read later more recent models are quite light, but go back a few years and you’re invariably looking at 9lbs plus.

[Tony Ruckledge]

10 hours ago, Beedster said:

Hi Tony, welcome to the forum, hope all's OK with the bass, some more photos might help the experts here offer you a reliable opinion? 

 

[Aidan63]

by the serial number it looks correct, translucent teal, maple neck, 3EQ, single pickup, black guard, made in 2005

[ikay]

Looks like you've lucked out and found a lightweight one! Out of interest what does it weigh?

[martthebass]

Looks genuine to me, as said above, it looks like you got lucky and got a light one.  All but one of the Stingrays I've had have been above 9lb bar an early 2000s Fretless I once had, (like yours in a trans finish) which was about 8.5lbs.  I'd hang on to that one if I were you.

Edited September 8, 2020 by martthebass

[AndyTravis]

Too right to be wrong if that makes sense...some bits of wood slipped through the 9.5/10lb net.

[martthebass]

1 minute ago, AndyTravis said:

Too right to be wrong if that makes sense...some bits of wood slipped through the 9.5/10lb net.

I think some of the Poplar solid colours often hit the higher figure.  My Ash PDN Ray is closer to 10 than 9.5.

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

On 06/09/2020 at 13:34, Beedster said:

I think I get the comments, we all like a light bass, but a body that's too light can really stand out on a quality bass, just feels wrong

I’m not sure Jens Ritter would agree with you.

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

On 06/09/2020 at 13:30, Woodinblack said:

Funny, I would view it the other way round. I would expect an expensive bass to be lightweight and a cheap bass to be heavy. I don't know about stingrays though. My expensive basses are the swamp ash ones, my harley benton was the heaviest bass I had!

I really don’t get this weight/quality thing. Ritter’s are very lightweight. Alembic’s aren’t. Both are quality in my book.

[Woodinblack]

5 minutes ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

I really don’t get this weight/quality thing. Ritter’s are very lightweight. Alembic’s aren’t. Both are quality in my book.

Obviously the weight doesn't equal quality, but I know on the few occasions i have specified the wood in a bass, the lighter ones were more expensive.

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

On 06/09/2020 at 13:30, Woodinblack said:

Funny, I would view it the other way round. I would expect an expensive bass to be lightweight and a cheap bass to be heavy. I don't know about stingrays though. My expensive basses are the swamp ash ones, my harley benton was the heaviest bass I had!

 

2 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

Obviously the weight doesn't equal quality, but I know on the few occasions i have specified the wood in a bass, the lighter ones were more expensive.

OK, I should have said expensive 🙄

[Beedster]

I read this a ‘body is too light’. If it’s simply ‘bass is too light’, I think as others have said, well done

[Beedster]

PS having said the above, I have to admit that I prefer heavy basses, no idea why, they just seem to have, well, more.......

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

7 minutes ago, Beedster said:

PS having said the above, I have to admit that I prefer heavy basses, no idea why, they just seem to have, well, more.......

Ooh, is this a fill in the blank type quiz?

Allow me to be the first to say ‘heft’ 😂

Edited September 8, 2020 by hiram.k.hackenbacker

[Beedster]

25 minutes ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

Ooh, is this a fill in the blank type quiz?

Allow me to be the first to say ‘heft’ 😂

First prize to Prof Hackenbacker