I love Ibanez names SR is the model MS for multi scale then it is 800 series 5 string. It is like decoding something I love this bass
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The finish is killer
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Oh wow, that looks amazing.
I’m still in lurve with the SR2400APL. I absolutely love the premium SR’s.
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nice, but j still say the headstock (which is one of the best shaped imo) looks too damn small.
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worse yet is the model numbers don’t stay consistent over the years, and it is really hard for me to find accurate information about even mine.
And
to further complicate things, ESP makes the Top model in the custom shop (that @howard showed a picture to) and slaps the ESP logo on the headstock, but
the lower two models are made (quite nicely) in Korea I believe (will have to verify) and they run under the branding of LTD on the headstock. (its just like having a P-bass with Fender from USA or MEX with fender on it) or a Squire being the same model, a few less frills and not hand crafted, but still made quite nicely (in some of the countries that make the higher models, not the Afinity cheap ones, which still, bang for buck, not bad, but…)
So, TBH
I have not looked much past Reverb and / or on the ESP / LTD website (and some retailers online), or tried to so a S/N search, so its not like I have been roadblocked, or exhausted all option, but it is not really easy to figure it out, cuz I know mine is a few years old. Could be as late as 2016 possibly, or as early as 2010 I think. I can’t really find what year they even first hit the catalog, so I have not been able to determine if there are earlier models then the 2010.
The Body shape has changed over the years and the contours have changed.
What you see in the current line up is sicker than sick AF sick. I love those body contours and and grooves that follow the profile. they are there, but not as defined on my older model. Mine has a way different countour at the bass of the body, below the bridge. it does a double scoop, so it looks like what would compare to a full bay if you were looking at the coast of a map. on this one, it just comes to a contour and point at one side, so never closes it to create that bay.
If you do find anything out about the older ones, I would love to read what you dig up.
From what i can tell by the 2nd hand market, there are not that many of these out there, or there are not that many that people will let go.
I have only seen one for sale on local adds like Offer Up or Let go (which are now just one app called offer up) or CraighList etc…and I bought it, thats why I bought it, it was the first and only. It was not brand new, and it was missing 2 knobs and the truss rod cover. I replaced the knobs with the Skull Knobs, so no big deal there, otherwise they are standard LTD knobs.
I have never seen them used at any retailers like GC or Sweetwater or Sam Ash. I have only seen a couple, if not just the same one a couple times, on offer up, and it was the full blown top line model, just it was not from this (or last years) line up, it was at least a few years older, and it is being sold by ESSEX Studios in England, where they sell alot of artist and rare instruments since they have the opportunity to work with alot of artists.
Funny thing, now that I think about it, the one I bought, is just the lower, no frills base model, but I also ultimately, bought it from a studio here in LA. The guy that I bought it from, had just started working at some studio in LA, and he was given a budget for some new equipment, as well as the green light to sell off some of the stuff that was laying around that was not getting much use, or needed to be upgraded, so yeah, I got it from a studio, but being the no frills, base model, I highly doubt it has any Star Artist story behind it.
If you find a base model for a couple hundred, Grab it, throw some Red Strings on it, and possibly some Skull knobs and anything else you can come up with, and if nothing else, hang it on your wall, cuz it looks cool AF.
Plays and sounds pretty damn nice. I usually love the LTD basses, like Schecter, they always seem to just feel right when you start playing with one.
Ok, if LTD and ESP and the Tom Araya bass line / model confuse you, then the Stingray, and Ernie Ball Music Man (EBMM) and Sterling by Music Man (SBMM) and all the Stingray classic and special and Sub Ray4 and Ray24 and Ray 34 and the Sterling model, etc…
Really gonna confuse you. I have read up quite a bit, and I am still confused by much of it. LOL, but here goes.
Stingray.
I currently, sort of funny, ended up with quite a few, and am selling some now that I have my preferred keepers, the rest are going to be sold, to build the bass fund back up.
I love and still pick up first my Ray4, which is Sterling by MusicMan, Ray4 and cost $299 new. I put a $119 Agiular pick up in it, and it is my top choice, and looks wise, I like it very much too. I think the blue could be a little lighter, cuz when the light is not brite or sunlite, it can just look black, and with black pickguard, it can just look like a black on black, with the darker jatoba fretboard and natural headstock. So it has that clean sleek look, but is a little dull to make it 10 our of 10 stars for me.
There is one or two pickguards that I have found that i think would make this thing KILL, and look BAD AF. The two that are really freaking sweet cost around $60 tho, and I am having a hard time choking up 1/5 the cost of the bass for a freaking pickguard. I did find one that is FAUX Diamond Plate, which I think would really make it pop too, and it is only about $23 on ebay, so I might get that. the other two are a Comic theme that would add some cool color, red, yellow, other blues and whites. would look sick, but $60, IDK. Also one that is a Star target and sort of looks like Captain America’s shield. I also think the colors with this bass would really pop and look sick AF. It is all about the colors with those cuz I am not really a comic guy, and its not like I love captain America, I just think it looks cool or the comic one with the other colors, both of them would help to bring out the blue in the bass body color instead of make it hide as a shade of black.
Sorry for the rant, but that is the bass I play the most and still feel most comfortable playing.
Then I have an ESP LTD B-4E that I love to play too. It has that great neck thru body with awesome natural and stained wood pattern design, it is a bad ass mass.
Then I have the SLO Special Stingray 4 which is Ernie Ball Music Man.
I have this Tom Araya bass that I think is so cool, and I also have a DEAN MetalMan (Bass Version) which is the brand and model that was mostly played by DimeBag, who was my favorite guitarist back in my younger thrash hardcore days. This one is also all black, and I plan to string it with some Orange strings, and possibly get the DR Neon Orange 5 string set and string it BEAD in stead of standard EADG, or I might just do it EADG. I may slap some stickers on it and punk it out a bit, and still hang in on the wall next to the Slayer bass.
I never payed too much attention to this bass. I paid $80 for it, after watching it on offer up going for $300 and having been listed a month or two prior. Then it dropped to $275, then $250, $225, $200, $150, all in about 2 weeks. I messaged the guy on Offer Up and told him he was going to give me a heart attack if he keeps lowering and for him to hurry up and sell it so I am not forced to buy it. Instead of dropping it again, he said "you want it for $80, so I said “F” it and went and picked it up.
But it is the onlly passive bass I have (other then the P/j Ibanez Mikro) and I plugged it in and realized it has some really killer tone. It is a single Stingray style Humbucker pick up and sounds pretty good, so I may play it more and see what I can do with it for some more raw punk covers.
Anyway
it will look great on the wall.
I have another ESP LTD B-155 which is a 5 string, and I never got into playing the 5 string yet, and I have many other basses, so I actually have it up for sale. I had another 5 string and sold it. it would not be the worst thing in the world if I end up keeping it, it plays really nice (as I expect from LTD’s by now, My Slayer feels great and I love my B-4E which is a higher model number then this 5 string. the B-4E is neck thru and the B-155 is bolt on) so if I don’t get asking price (which would be a $220 profit, but I don’t have it over priced) I am keeping it. it is beautiful, so still cool wall art.
Now back to Stingray’s. I ended up going a little nuts, and now have some extra’s and am going to be selling a few of them off.
First, I bought one similar to my #1 go to bass, but I got the Sterling by Music Man (SBMM) Stingray Ray4HH. This is the one with two pick ups and. a selector switch for many pick up configurations (5). Well, I love the color (olive / White / Maple fretboard) and it looks great, but, well, my expectations (of myself) were cut short, and I don’t like the bass and am now selling it as “like New” since I played it for probably total, less then 2 hours combined. I kept it past the Guitar Center (elongated) return policy by about 2-4 weeks by the time I decided, “Nope, I am not gonna end up liking it, almost no matter what, and I am gonna sell it”, and had I done that a couple weeks prior, I would have gotten the full $425 back ($379.99 plus tax). Now I am trying to get $350 out of it (with the strap locks I put on which were about $17, so total value of $442 for $350 should be a good deal if somebody wants this bass and color. instead of buying off the wall, in which case, more hands have touched it then mine that I took out of the box myself.
2 - I found a diamond in the rough at a pawn shop back in June I think. It is era 2010-2013 SBMM Stingray Ray24 in the Honeyburst with Maple Neck. in my searches, I have only come across this one, new from Russia for about $1300 plus shipping on Reverb. I got it for a great price. I was planning to keep it for my go to bass, and I ended up PLEKing it ($200 with a full set up and waranty on the set up for a full year) and putting on some Ernie Ball Slinky Flats, which I ended up not liking. I like the bass, but the neck differs on the Ray34 and the Ray 4 (and Ray24). The neck width at the nut on the Ray34 is more close to the EBMM Stingray Classic at 1.69".
The neck width at the nut on the Ray4 or Ray24 or the EBMM SLO neck or the EBMM Sterling (bass model not brand) at 1.5". it is like going from a Jazz bass to a P bass, but maybe not that big a jump.
There is one more neck width that I see on Stingray 4’s, and alot of the newer Stingray Specials (which is what they call what used to be Classic, and the Specials have upgrades or re-designed hardware and looks)
That neck width at the nut is 1.625". it is not quite in the middle of the two, and closer to the Stingray Classic (and ray34) really, but it is a significant jump at around 2mm or a little more
Anyway
I realized all these neck differences were out there and on my basses after the PLEK.
I still love the bass, and because it was sort of unplayed in pawn shops for many many many years, there was something a little off, which the PLEK took right care of, but I may not have invested had I thought I may not use it as my #1 go to. I am going to put it up for sale, but I am asking a high price, and don’t expect it to sell fast, or even for full asking price, and it will take the right buyer, that is sort of looking for this model, year and styel because they know about them, which is a lot of info I found out.
But I will leave it for sale until I find the right buyer, and time for the sale.
I don’t have to sell it, but it is such a nice bass, that I may not want to part with it without getting my PLEK money and invested money and a small profit back.
Again, it is always beautiful wall art.
Also, side note. I have been playing wider necks a little more recently, and have started not minding the difference as much as I did back when I first started playing the Ray4 vs the Ray34, so I may re-visit it and keep it as a go to, it looks and sounds amazing.
Also
I have a 2002 EBMM Stingray 4 classic 3-band eq that was black, but refinished in it’s natural beauty (i know by looking up the S/N). It is a beautiful bass, a true Ernie Ball Classic Stingray. It has everything, and looks amazing. I bought it while I was in the hospital with the help of a friend. I had missed out on some good priced stingrays the past couple months and was still looking for one real EBMM Stingray. It is every-bit as awesome as I expected, but again, this has the much bigger neck width. I will also note that I bought it a very low price, that my plan was more likely to flip it then keep it anyway, since I already had the Ray34 and my goto Ray4.
So, I have a saddle to replace on it, and polish it up a little, then I am gonna list it for a price that will have a decent profit built in, like I sort of planned from the start. It will be for sale soon, when the saddle is fixed (replace stropped set screw)
Then, I found the almost perfect EBMM Stingray.
At first, I saw it for a couple months listed at a high asking price, but then went down and down again. I think it was around $1600 then $1500 then $1300 over a few months.
I didn’t really pay attention to it until it got down to $1100.
And even then, not the best price, and for sure it did not really catch my eye, it was just a plain simple white bass with a tortoise shell, which does not excite me at all. The roasted maple neck and fretboard are nice additions, and it is every bit a stingray, but it was nothing that really made me thing, alright, this is the one.
I started researching and learning more about the necks on the Stingray’s.
I realized at one point that I might just be a SBMM Ray4 (or 24) player after all, or I might even be an EBMM Sterling 4 (sterling model instead of Stingray) because that neck is from the Sterling and is one of the differences in model between Stingray and Sterling.
Well, I learned about some of the BFR basses, usually about 3 a year (not always 4 string, and not always 4 string single pick up, sometimes they are 4HH, which I know I don’t like) but they make some cool BFR (Ball Family Reserve) basses and guitars every year. they are limited numbers like between 80 and 105, and could be anniversary model, or artist model, or just a special color and or theme. I found out one of them is called the SLO Special (SLO = San Luis Obispo, where they make the USA stingrays) and when it is a SLO special, one quality is that it is similar to a P-bass with a Jazz neck, because it is a Stingray with a Sterling neck on it. Other things are like the current BFR SLO Special, could be passive.
So
Now I recall seeing one of the EBMM stingray’s on Offer Up being a Slo Special, but did not remember which one. I was thinking, man, that would be great, I still may visit getting a Sterling bass for the neck sometime, (they also have different pick up with a selector for more config options) but I thought getting a Stingray with the smaller neck would be so cool, just need to find one. Which one was it.
Well
I found it, it was that white one. Now all of a sudden this boring white one is seen in a while new light. So with another price drop to $1050, I thought it would be a good time to jump on it, as most EBMM stingrays that are in good shape don’t last once they get to around $1100 or below. I talked to him, got him to agree to drive it down to me, since I still pretty messed up from. the hospital and still healing up from the leg infection, and couldn’t drive to him, and he did. I plugged it in, saw it will need strings and a set up, and used this fact and a few small nicks in the finish, to drive the price down to an offer of $950. Now this is 2016, and not in a like new or mint condition, but it is in damn fine condition, and with some polishing and a set up, and a pick guard with some color in it, this could be a bass for life for me.
I did a set up, have not put the strings on, cuz I was thinking that I might pick out a pick guard and wait to install it before swapping the strings, but I have been playing it alot, equal amount to my Ray4, and this is becoming my go to away from my go to.
If I were to go to a practice, or play a gig (not that either will be happening, or happening anytime soon, just saying) I would probably bring my Ray4, and leave this one at home, so nothing could happen to it, where the Ray4 is actually pretty affordable if I needed to replace it.
Ok, that was a book, and way too long, but its been written, if you read it all, thanks for bearing with me. Hope it had some insight on anything, and if you have more questions about the Stingray’s (EBMM or SBMM) or EBMM Stirling model, or LTD’s or ESP’s just lmk.
Last thing a rundown, starting with my go-to, to my wall art and ones for sale and some collected or given to me so I can play around with a franken bass sometime, and a mikro scale for daughters to play / learn, and for fun.
#1 - Sterling by MusicMan Stingray Ray4
#2 - Ernie Ball Stingray 4 BFR SLO Special
#3 - LTD B-4E 4 string neck thru
#4 - Sterling By MusicMan Stingray Ray34
#5 - LTD TA - F-104 FRX - SLAYER BASS
#6 - Ernie Ball Music Man Stingray 4 Classic (2002)
#7 - DEAN MetalMan 4 string passive
#8 - LTD B-155 five string bass
#9 - Ibanez GSRM MIKRO 4 string short scale
#10 - Sterling by Music Man Stingray Ray4HH (for sale)
#11 - Epiphone EB-0 - playing around with it to fix and flip it, or Franken bass it
I have not really been looking at basses to buy.
I have my top 3, and if I kept those and got rid of everything else, I would be content and happy, but like any collector, I appreciate what I have, and sell and trade what I don’t really appreciate or play or want on my wall, or have room for, but for this moment in time, I have not really been thinking about getting any more, I am really more focused on selling a few (2-3 of the stingray’s and the 5 string) and hanging the Slayer and Dimebag bass to look at daily, and geting into the guts of the Epiphone,
And
Playing and getting strength and dexterity back in my hands and fingers and forearms, and getting my head back into Study mode to start actively going thru my Talking Bass courses, and recording some demo’s, and practice / playing
more then looking for more basses at the time, and I used to spend alot of time doing that.
BUT
All that said,
I have been wanting a P-bass more and more now. I now have to desire to play around with passive and learning the father bass of all basses.
So if I found the right trade or partial trade, I may end up with a P-bass (not necessarily Fender or Squire, possibly LTD, I see a nice one going on Offer up, but he is not looking trade, and I am not looking to spend unless I sell, so…) In my collection. I might end up with a cheap copy if somebody wanted to trade me $200 and a Squire affinity for my Ray4HH, or if somebody wanted my Ray34 for an American P-bass straight up, I may do that
anyway, will still be fun regardless, stay tuned.
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The Low End Lobster gives great reviews on the multi scale ibanez.
he did the headless, not sure if he did this or what the difference is, but they are both getting great reviews. People are fired up about Ibanez for these.
I don’t know how I feel about Multi Scale
May be one of those things where I am like, ehh, looks weird, then play it and absolutely love it.
Or
play it and fight liking it and remain unsure
IDK
I will say, I do know for a fact that I like this one better then the headless, and better then the solid sea-foam green color.
Will be interested to hear how you like it.
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I wonder if that’s partially because the headstock is angled back.
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I’ll report back when I have it. They are very similar really, a bit different in the woods. My SR actually has less angling than the EHB on the frets, and a smaller diameter neck, 12" as opposed to 19". Same pickups, different EQ.
Other than thos garish colors. they will be releasing new colors on the EHB this year, basic black and silver. Bet I’m not the only one who doesn’t like the super bright greens.
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I actually like this SFGreen a little more then the mint on the stingray’s, but it is hard to do a whole bass this color. i could see it opposite, like black with SF green color pick ups and pick guard. would not be my first choice, but i would take it over the solid Sea Foam Green anyday.
Color is a funny thing tho, cuz in many cases, I would take color over Black or White, cuz they are just too boring. BUT then you find these ones you really can’t get past and would rather not have a bass at all then have THAT!!!
some of the Mint green’s and seafoam green’s are those colors which I would rather just not play bass.
I rather have the hot pink or neon green Jackson or DEAN P-basses or Jazz Basses and play it publicly then have those green’s.
Then again you change the green shade a little, add some purple and go Monster (like funny comic Frankenstein style) style, and you got something that I can deal with.
I saw a pick guard like that and thought, I could actually like that on my white Stingray over the stupid tortious (which looks worse then black) that is on it now, so, like I said, color is a funny thing.
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music man has a long running joke on their forums about green basses don’t sell.
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I have one like it!
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To confuse things even more, in addition to those three, there’s also two more lines featuring the same or similar models - Edwards (midrange/high end, sits between the ESP and LTD lines, MIJ) and Grassroots (entry level, made in their overseas factory), all ESP like the main ones and the LTDs, but different levels.
Not sure I have ever seen a GrassRoots Tom Araya model but I have definitely seen an Edwards FRX online.
Pretty sure these are domestic market only. I have only seen them for sale here.
Edwards has some absolutely gorgeous basses in the line.
And if you can pick up a Grassroots, you’ll very likely be getting ESP quality at an amazing price - sort of the ESP equivalent to the entry level Yamahas.
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There is a company, Japanese owned I beleive here that has opened up lately in a couple locations.
Eco-Town
They are a glorified pawn shop. They buy back low, and sell insanley high, but they have a no haggle policy, you pay what is posted, period.
This is why I have not tried to get anything from them. At all.
I mean you see Ibanez GSR200 with scratches and a missing knob for $159.99
I mean, really, you can get as low as $179 new and pay as low as $70 used.
They do have a lot of BRAND new instruments, and I have come to realize they import from Japan and sell them in this shop.
But I have seen both Edwards and a couple if not one Grassroots.
Edwards looked like a really nice, well made bass, and they probably were somewhat reasonable, but it was just a Modified P bass. (P/J pickups) for around $799 or $899. I am guessing that it might be an OK price, but is in no way a great deal, and not something I would pay for at a pawn shop that offers like a 10 day return policy (exchange) and no real waranty on the bass.
They has 2 EBMM Stingray’s that were going for $800 and $900.
From the pics I couldn’t tell why the price difference, and I also thought it strange there was no Made in San Luis Obispo on the back of the headstock.
After checking them out, and checking into them, and checking their S/N (I think I got info this way). I learned that they were from around 2008 when EBMM took California made parts, shipped to Japan and had them assembled in a Japanese factory for sale to the Japanese local market, I think at a discount to what it cost to import an EBMM from California.
Anyways, they did not do it too long, guess it was not as big as they thought it would be.
But I was led to beleive there is a decent amount of New / Old Stock of these basses around the world, and they are not extremely valuable like the cost of a EBMM California Stingray, and more like the price of a Sterling by MM Ray 34.
I opted to not buy. The 10 day exchange and no waranty kept me away for sure, then the fact is was not much of a deal, it was an average price, at the time, I thought if I wanted to spend $900 on a stingray I would get the SBMM Ray34 Black ASH (the black wash one with clear pick guard and black hardware that is so so so so sexy) instead. I ended up with my EBMM SLO special, and already have an Ray34 (for now at least) so I was good on the stingray front and left them sitting.
That was at least 5 months ago that they were first listed.
One sold and the other is still there.
One was a slightly larger body, and had string thru body option
the other was slightly smaller body profile (body, not neck) and no string thru. other then they, they both looked to have the same electronics, 3 bandd eq ,etc…
anyway, I think you could be in the business, and follow this daily for a living and still find some confusion in all the companies and brands and collab
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Does anybody know anything about this bass.
I know is is Samick, and I know they make some pretty good stuff, and I believe this one dates back to the 80’s,
but other then one YT video where a guy bought one at a pawn shop for $35, and fixed the nut and replaced the pick up (with stuff he had) and plays it and shows how cool and great sounding of a bass he got for less then $75 (when he factors the $35 for the bass, and $40 for his work to replace the pick up with one he had, and to fix the nut with one he had).
The bass really sounded cool, and he liked it alot.
The one in the video is just a P bass.
This one is a P bass and an Active Jazz bass with Upgraded EMG pick ups and the active pre-amp
I can’t find anything else.
Somebody is offering it as trade or partial trade for my Ray4HH
I just said I was thinking about getting a P bass, so this fits sort of.
It was wired to the pre-amp, and I was wanting a passive Pick up.
I am sure it could be wired back.
I also would like a Jazz at some time, but again, passive, so I would have to change pick ups to get a Jazz. Neither of those are a big deal, if this bass could actually serve as a passive P and a passive Jazz bass, and be a good quality, great sounding bass (like what i saw / heard in the YT video)
PLUS
It looks really freaking cool
I am not always for black basses, or burst basses, but the hot Orange and yellow flame looking burst across the black looks really good.
So,
Can anybody give any insight on this bass?
I don’t want to trade straight across if this is a $150 bass at its best price out there and be on the heavily losing end of the trade.
I suspect it might be a $200 bass, so $200 plus $180 or even $150 I might consider.
Unless somebody knows they are worth more like $400 to $500 or more, please let me know, then I would trade straight across. but I am not getting my hopes up.
He says that he has the knobs for it,
OH YEAH!!!
It is also fitted with the Zero Fret, so it is supposed to sound great, like an open string is fretted.
considering how the sunburst is painted, the body of this bass is most probably made out of plywood. I’m almost 100% sure. it’s cheap but it does not sound necessarily bad. but it’s a clear sign of a very low-end instrument. This sunburst is really ugly, probably one of the worsts I’ve ever seen.
Also this kind of bridge is what is found on cheap Fender-style basses, with the screws placed at different locations than on a Fender bridge.
Also the EMG J pickups are obviously not stock.
no, this is not a Zero fret, this is just a metal nut. a Zero fret is a fret added next to the nut, like this :
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Here is the link to the video on YT.
From what I can tell, he has only the P pick ups on that bass.
I do not know if the J pick ups are a custom added to the Samick bass, or was an offered bass configuration by Samick back then?
That totally looks like someone’s Frankenbass that started as a super cheap P-bass that they then upgraded (with the EMG’s etc)
Which is very much not necessarily a bad thing.
Agree the finish is hideous though and not in a good way. Sand it down and paint 
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I actually like the finish on it more then a standard burst finish.
But I sort of figured it was not what they guy offering said it was.
He was claiming it vintage and upgraded etc…
I was already about to decline the trade, but thought, just incase, I would check here.
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