Do Musicman offer a 'downsized' (light weight) bodied bass?

[warwickhunt]

My head is battered in trying to navigate the various Musicman/Ernie Ball ranges to establish if they do a downsized body of the Stingray model.  I figured it might be quicker to ask the collective hive mind that is Basschat! 

 

I realise the Sterling is smaller but tbh they still tend to be on the beefy side with regards to weight, hence considering a scaled back Stingray... I wouldn't be concerned if it was shorter scale but I don't know that shorter scale models are smaller bodied (ergo lighter).

 

To clarify: I'm looking for a light Ray or Sterling but I would ideally like the body to be a reduced size.

 

Cheers people.  

[Cat Burrito]

I was conscious of this when I bought my Sterling recently. I think as woods can vary so much, the only safe option is to get the seller / shop to weigh it (interestingly at my time of buying sellers weren't putting weights on listings - & I could see why!) or to try in person. I stumbled across one ultra lightweight bass and some really heavyweights that were the same model. I emailed / rang some of the big online companies like GAK and Guitar Guitar - all of whom were happy to weigh the stock basses to confirm.

[warwickhunt]

Just now, Cat Burrito said:

I was conscious of this when I bought my Sterling recently. I think as woods can vary so much, the only safe option is to get the seller / shop to weigh it (interestingly at my time of buying sellers weren't putting weights on listings - & I could see why!) or to try in person. I stumbled across one ultra lightweight bass and some really heavyweights that were the same model. I emailed / rang some of the big online companies like GAK and Guitar Guitar - all of whom were happy to weigh the stock basses to confirm.

 

In theory that is a great idea and one I've used in the past... in practice I have had basses that have put on 0.5kg between being weighed and delivered to me.   

 

I have a 'custom' bass that the manufacturer/luthier quoted the weight of on their website (bearing in mind this is custom order, one of a kind), the bass is a full kilo heavier than they stated!  Private sellers are worse; I've asked for 'accurate' weights (going to the extreme of specifying kitchen digital scales not bathroom etc) and yet basses still put weight on during shipping.  Though one of our very own BCers was genuinely shocked when he weighed his bass (which he though had to be under 9lb) and apologised profusely before we had concluded our deal.  

 

I'm also still interested in what models are downsized.    

[Owen]

26 minutes ago, warwickhunt said:

 

put on 0.5kg between being weighed

I feel your pain.

[TheGreek]

The answer may be to get your a body and have one of the many able luthiers/ builders here to chamber it for you. 

[Supernaut]

Musicman and lightweight? 😄

 

Have you tried one of these before?

 

https://www.sandberg-guitars.de/basses/sandberg-basic-series/#1538825801905-34a97c3e-cf2f

[warwickhunt]

21 minutes ago, TheGreek said:

The answer may be to get your a body and have one of the many able luthiers/ builders here to chamber it for you. 

 

Considered this but it would mean butchering a genuine body or sourcing an aftermarket job and costs for luthiers to do this start to step up considerably.  If I can source a used 'downsized' MM/EB that I know the weight of then I'll not have any of the vagaries of chopping up and devaluing a bass.  Added to which I'd need to use my MM neck but add light weight tuners... costs keep mounting.     

 

5 minutes ago, Supernaut said:

Musicman and lightweight? 😄

 

Have you tried one of these before?

 

https://www.sandberg-guitars.de/basses/sandberg-basic-series/#1538825801905-34a97c3e-cf2f

 

Not my cup of tea really, the MM headstock is iconic and the Sandberg just leaves me indifferent.  I'm sure they are great basses though.  

 

It seems the short scale MM basses are a significantly smaller body (going off their sizing v the full size Ray that I have).  This could be my way forward but I'll need to try one on for size (and weight).  

 

[dannybuoy]

The short scale ones are pretty light - however I hear the Sterling By Music Man range can vary quite a bit as they use different body woods for different colours, the white ones using mahogany and being a bit lighter for instance (but don’t quote me on that!).

[warwickhunt]

Just now, dannybuoy said:

The short scale ones are pretty light - however I hear the Sterling By Music Man range can vary quite a bit as they use different body woods for different colours, the white ones using mahogany and being a bit lighter for instance (but don’t quote me on that!).

 

I'm hereby quoting you! 

 

Oddly enough I have a Sterling SB14 which being smaller than a Ray and lesser quality woods than a USA Sterling you'd think might be lighter... nope!  Oh and that is another classic case of a shop/seller weighing a bass and informing me it was 8.5lb (don't get me started on decimalisation of imperial units  ) but was 1lb heavier on arrival.  I did argue with the seller but their defence was that my scales could be wrong.  

[ped]

You could try a G&L Kiloton bass (although you might not like the headstock if you don't like Sandberg. I don't know if they ever made them with the normal headstock but guess not as they are a more recent design I think)

[warwickhunt]

13 minutes ago, ped said:

You could try a G&L Kiloton bass (although you might not like the headstock if you don't like Sandberg. I don't know if they ever made them with the normal headstock but guess not as they are a more recent design I think)

 

I like the original G&L headstocks but never quite 'got' the bottle-opener look.  I'm a self confessed tart and these things matter when you get to my age... I don't want the bass aesthetics to detract from my boyish good looks!  However, I'm still off to Google the Kiloton!    

[Guest]

Nice comparison video

 

 

[ped]

Just now, warwickhunt said:

 

I like the original G&L headstocks but never quite 'got' the bottle-opener look.  I'm a self confessed tart and these things matter when you get to my age... I don't want the bass aesthetics to detract from my boyish good looks!  However, I'm still off to Google the Kiloton!    

 

I'm pretty sure you can order them with the normal headstock now, direct or through a dealer. I think. @Ricky Rioli might know?

[Guest]

37 minutes ago, ped said:

 

I'm pretty sure you can order them with the normal headstock now, direct or through a dealer. I think. @Ricky Rioli might know?

 

If I had been asked I would have guessed that normal headstocks were restricted to the CLF models and custom shop, but really its not something I've taken much notice of. I mean, I *like* that pointy headstock

 

Edit - nothing mentioned here

 

Edited August 17, 2021 by Ricky Rioli

[fretmeister]

I emailed EBMM a few years ago asking about a chambered body. They said no, they don’t do any custom things like that for us mortals.

 

Shame as I’d like one.

 

 

[warwickhunt]

2 minutes ago, fretmeister said:

I emailed EBMM a few years ago asking about a chambered body. They said no, they don’t do any custom things like that for us mortals.

 

Shame as I’d like one.

 

 

 

I'm sure if I had the coffers it'd be a doddle to get a custom made MM 'copy' to my specs but I have experience with custom builds and if it isn't exactly what you wanted... you're stuffed!  Buying an off the shelf (used) bass means you can try and walk away if it doesn't suit!  

[Owen]

Yep, resale trumps all.

 

"The one" there is not. The chase only there is. 

[drTStingray]

There are light Stingrays around from pre 2018, but they’re more likely to be 9.5 lbs plus. However the Stingray Specials (and particularly the 4 strings) are usually in the 8-9 lb range and often at the lighter end and below.
 

I’ve just got a Tim Commerford signature ash bodied Stingray - it’s a bit of a hybrid as it is normal scale, has the lightweight hardware throughout, except the steel bridge with strings through and mutes as per a Stingray Classic - and passive electronics - but it weighs 8 lbs. NB it (along with the Stingray Specials) has a 5 bolt sculpted neck joint (as opposed to the 6 bolt joint used from circa 1991-2018). 
 

The point is these latest EBMM basses are generally very light, even at standard 34” scale. I’m guessing the short scale, downsized ones are even lighter. And all have the classic MM headstock referred to. 

 

[jd56hawk]

On 17/08/2021 at 13:53, warwickhunt said:

 

I like the original G&L headstocks but never quite 'got' the bottle-opener look.  I'm a self confessed tart and these things matter when you get to my age... I don't want the bass aesthetics to detract from my boyish good looks!  However, I'm still off to Google the Kiloton!    

I prefer the newer headstocks.

I want people to know I'm playing a G&L.

As for the Kiloton, I don't really need one, yet I keep checking them out on Reverb. I'm fact, I almost bought a Kiloton Tribute with the Irish Ale finish last year, found one with outstanding woodgrain, but decided against it and bought another L2000 instead. 

Couldn't pass up the one on the left for only $1,350!

(By the way, the blonde one weighs 7.3 lbs.)

Edited August 18, 2021 by jd56hawk

[LukeFRC]

2 hours ago, jd56hawk said:

Couldn't pass up the one on the left for only $1,350!

Sparkly! 😍

[warwickhunt]

9 hours ago, drTStingray said:

There are light Stingrays around from pre 2018, but they’re more likely to be 9.5 lbs plus. However the Stingray Specials (and particularly the 4 strings) are usually in the 8-9 lb range and often at the lighter end and below.
 

I’ve just got a Tim Commerford signature ash bodied Stingray - it’s a bit of a hybrid as it is normal scale, has the lightweight hardware throughout, except the steel bridge with strings through and mutes as per a Stingray Classic - and passive electronics - but it weighs 8 lbs. NB it (along with the Stingray Specials) has a 5 bolt sculpted neck joint (as opposed to the 6 bolt joint used from circa 1991-2018). 
 

The point is these latest EBMM basses are generally very light, even at standard 34” scale. I’m guessing the short scale, downsized ones are even lighter. And all have the classic MM headstock referred to. 

 

 

Cheers for the info.  However, please tell me you didn't string that one on the left... unless you were intoxicated at the time.    

[Paul S]

9 hours ago, owen said:

"The one" there is not. The chase only there is. 

 

Wisest words on the whole of the history of Basschat, right there.  

 

Edit, forgot to write the main point

 

I had a Sterling 5 that weighed around 8.5lbs.  Damned fine thing it was too.

Edited August 18, 2021 by Paul S

[fretmeister]

You could buy the lightest one you can find and then have a replacement body made and move all the hardware over. Then keep the original body in case it needs to be reassembled and sold in the future. 

[warwickhunt]

23 minutes ago, fretmeister said:

You could buy the lightest one you can find and then have a replacement body made and move all the hardware over. Then keep the original body in case it needs to be reassembled and sold in the future. 

 

Nice idea (I already have a USA Ray to act as donor) but I'd be paying for a body + routing + finishing and to get a light weight bit of timber I'm guessing I'm paying premium money... which leads me back to the total cost potentially being more than selling my Ray and purchasing one that I know for a fact is the correct weight.  

 

Saying that, all of that is doable IF I can source a good body blank that I can guarantee is going to give me the gross weight I'm after.

[drTStingray]

4 hours ago, warwickhunt said:

 

Cheers for the info.  However, please tell me you didn't string that one on the left... unless you were intoxicated at the time.    

Aha - I wondered how long it would be before someone noticed that……. I put my hands up to that - having been taken in for years by the ‘all the top players use flatwounds and don’t change their strings ever’ bass forum stories, I’m so out of practice changing strings that I hadn’t realised that bass guitar strings are supplied to fit 50” scale length, it seems - however it sounds fine and I was worried if I remove them and trim the length one or other would break in the process (as has happened to me in the past trimming the length of strings with silk wraps…….). Ps no intoxication but quite a few swear words were expended 😂😂😁