I have MEH / reverse GAS

I’m talking about the " Ray 34" model by Sterling by Music Man, not EBMM, and of course it’s just one batch of guitars.

The thing is, I have a choice between a $500 bass and a $1000 bass, and the latter has these complaints floating around (for example here at the Ernie Ball forum).

By the way, I’m now leaning towards… a white 504, and a Sterling later when I feel good about it again. Like I said, I have MEH, it should be ok to buy four basses over a period of ca. 25 years. :smiley:

I’m late to the party, but I can only endorse the TRBX504. I’ve got a 505, and tested a 304 before. There is very little to complain about, color offering aside. White is really the only decent option in the range :sweat_smile:
If you like the instrument feel, go for it.

My minor issue with the strings was that they were a bit dull and/or they died much earlier than expected. I liked the D’Addario XL on the Jazz, so I went one step further buying the NYXL for the Yamaha. The difference was night and day…
Also, I used to play everything open on the J, it sounded mostly ok in every situation. With the TRBX I had to learn that what sounded good alone does not necessarily fit in a mix playing with loud people :rofl:
It was mostly inexperience on my side, but something to keep in mind when an instrument has suddenly so many pots and levers…

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i know, i own a sbmm. and most people think the differences between sbmm and ebmm are very small. and i think so, too :+1:

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How do you like the balance / neck dive on it? And which one is it? :smiley:

ahh, saw the link. strange. seems like perhaps a bad batch of tuners. i am completely confident that they would fix this for anyone having problems.

i have the short scale and i love it. i also own a bongo and ebmm stingray. both are better basses but the ss is the one i usually have in my hands. no dive at all.

I own a Ray4 and a EBMM BFR. The differences are extraordinary.

The one thing (and maybe the only thing) one needs to worry about on an el cheapo bass is the neck (and truss rod). The truss rod on the Ray 4 is maxed out so no tweaking during some months for lowest action.

Everything else is mod-able

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one big difference is about $2000 :rofl:

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I concur! After owning both, to me, the difference in quality and feel are very noticeable.

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I own an SBMM shortie and an EBMM long scale.

The SBMM is a really nice bass. No complaints.

But the EBMM is extraordinary, even compared to other basses. its build, neck and tone are stellar.

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I think just figure out exactly what you want-and make it your goal to get it-whether you need to save or search etc. You have to like holding the bass in your hands.

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I just stumbled on this thread and I’m glad to see I’m not the only one with reverse GAS. I have found the perfect strings for my Fender Mustang and it’s the only bass I use.
I’m feeling the two other basses I have (G&L Tribute L-2000 and Squier 60s CV P-bass) are not being used and I don’t feel attached to them. If trading was my only option I would probably exchange both for another Mustang but I don’t need it. I already sold most of the pedals I had and I’m happy with my SansAmp preamp and my BassClone. I don’t need more. I don’t want more stuff and that feels good.

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That is a good feeling. Congrats.

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My brother said that talking gear with his friends is sometimes nicer than acutally buying it. Congrats @franx Keep it simple

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You shouldnt worry about SBMM. Each of the models after assembly goes to EBMM for checkup and setup. They wanna keep their brand name in high regard.

I’ve owned both Ray4 which I eventually upgraded fully and 2016 Ray34. After those basses I had to get EBMM, they were best basses I have possessed, and Ive had plenty.

Besides even if something goes booboo eventually SBMM has great customer support.

When someone is deciding between anything MusicMan vs whatever else, Ill always say go for MM if you like the sound. Build quality is exceptional, however some models may be anchors. But thats reality of ash bodies and chonker necks, but also with that you get great balance.

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EBMM basses are exceptionally well made. Fit, finish and tone are great. Mine has an Alder body and weighs 8.5lbs.

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Hi Growl,

You are absolutely right! I talked to the local SBMM dealer and he explained to me how he’d deal with returns and Q/C issues. He also said that the issue I described above was rare. So, on the one hand, some few people had an issue, but it’s not a whole batch of guitars. I stand corrected, and I would like to say that I wanted you guy’s feedback, so I wasn’t implying anything about the brand etc. It was really neat to look over the guy’s shoulder when he looked for specific guitars. He might’ve been looking at an inter-dealer portal.

I would say I’m convinced I’d go for a SBMM in the future.

Cheers,
Antonio

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@antonio I got an SBMM Stingray 34HH a couple weeks ago and I really love it. No regrets.

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I have a guitar that’s been at a friends house since before covid, he’s had it for most of the time I’ve owned it! :laughing: It’s going to be like a new guitar when I get it back :slight_smile:

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I have a new to me guitar coming that’s a free project and I have to build a bass for my personal goal at work… MEH :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

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I think it only affected the purple sparkle. Another reason to avoid purple :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

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