Sterling by Music Man

[Chris P.]

Today I received a new bass for a review. It's an Indonesian made Sterling by Music Man which is prized between a MIM and a USA Fender in Holland. And I like it! More will follow.

[OldManC]

Not to take away from the review you'll be posting (because I like hearing your perspective on things), but you reminded me of this clip I saw a few days ago and I thought it would add to the thread. Our old friend, Ed Friedland:

[Iome]

I've heard that these are made in the OLP factory that used to make MM copies. MM nought the brand to make cheaper versions of their instruments, a kind of MMSquier.

[Dave W]

I've heard that these are made in the OLP factory that used to make MM copies. MM nought the brand to make cheaper versions of their instruments, a kind of MMSquier.

No. This has no relation at all to OLP. Different company, different ownership, different factories and most important, totally different quality level of instruments.  

OLPs were made in China, these are made in Korea and Indonesia.

These are not made by MM. They're manufactured and marketed by an independently owned company and licensed by MM. So they're not like a Squier, which is actually made to Fender's specs and marketed by Fender.

[Aussie Mark]

these are made in Korea and Indonesia.

From discussions at the EBMM forum I believe this brand is made in Indonesia only.

[Pilgrim]

Should I admit that I can't hear any significant difference between ANY of the settings and EQ combinations Ed played?  I hear a difference between slap, fingerstyle and pick, and that's about it.  I hear tiny differences, but I doubt they'd be audible in a performance.

[Dave W]

From discussions at the EBMM forum I believe this brand is made in Indonesia only.

When they were first announced, I though Pat Park said some of the guitars (but not the basses) would actually be made in Korea. But I think you're right. I found a UK article that said all of them are manufactured in Indonesia, with components made in Korea and final inspection and setup in Orange, CA (home of Praxis, Pat Park's company).

[OldManC]

Should I admit that I can't hear any significant difference between ANY of the settings and EQ combinations Ed played?  I hear a difference between slap, fingerstyle and pick, and that's about it.  I hear tiny differences, but I doubt they'd be audible in a performance.

There was a big discussion about that very fact on the site I originally saw this on. I listened with headphones and, though I heard slight differences, I didn't think they were big enough to tell in a band setting. Some people put it down to Ed's amp setup, saying everything he plays on his various demo videos sounds similar. I haven't heard enough to comment on that, but I will say he's a hell of a better slapper than I've ever been. 

[Pilgrim]

No argument there.  It's a pleasure to watch and hear the guy play, even though I have no interest in slapping.

It just moves me to reflect about all the agonizing people do.  One wants pickups in series, another in parallel, another is devasted because the body on his bass is not ash, or he thinks the bent-metal Fender bridge is sucking all the "tone".

And I can't hear the difference. 

Now, I CAN hear the difference between my '63 P and my new Casady.  I can hear a difference between the three varitone positions on the Casady.  I can even hear the difference switching between rounds and flats.  But I'm not sure how much more detail I can tell.  maybe I need to try some side-by-side comparisons between similar passive 4-strings and see what I hear.

[Chris P.]

+1 on the Pilgrim guy!

[Dave W]

Now, I CAN hear the difference between my '63 P and my new Casady.  I can hear a difference between the three varitone positions on the Casady.  I can even hear the difference switching between rounds and flats.  But I'm not sure how much more detail I can tell.  maybe I need to try some side-by-side comparisons between similar passive 4-strings and see what I hear.

There's the rub. You can hear differences on your own basses, and they're important to you. Yet most other people won't be able to hear them.

That's why people agonize over little differences. They want their sound to be just right even if most other listeners wouldn't be able to detect the fine points.

[Chris P.]

+1 again. I think I can agree with both.

But I don't really mind which strings I've got as long it's nickel.

[exiledarchangel]

Well series mode sounds silghtly fatter, single coil (plus phantom) sounds honky and parallel has some mid scoop in my ears, but the differences are small indeed. Maybe the preamps on those things are critical for their sound. I believe that in passive mode the differences on pickup configurations would be much more audible.

[uwe]

I hear differences, but it's inherently always a Stingray Sound that you are getting - as it should be I guess, because I don't really believe that people buy a Stingray (original or clone) to have it sound like a P Bass or a Ric or a TBird. It doesn't and it won't.

And I've never thought the Stingray to be variable in sound either - the fancy-pants coil stuff doesn't change that -, it has one very idiosyncratic sound which is great for funk and via the active electronics you can water that sound down to something that sounds different, yes, but loses all character in the process. But that one Stingray tone is iconic, never mind how I as a pick player and non-slapper can never reproduce it.

[Dave W]

I've never understood that characterization. Stingrays have always been used in everything from punk to country. They've never been over-represented in funk.