Cheap 5 string

[doc540]

Just snagged an Ernie Ball "StingLay" (that's Chinese for Stringray) 5 stringer. They can be bought for less than $200 if you do a little looking around. Good build quality and decent tone.

Now I have to learn to play it.



I bought a black one like on the left.

They're sold as "OLP" basses, "Officially Licensed Product".

Anyone here have one?

[Kap'n]

I helped my nephew pick out a 4-string OLP/Music Man that a couple years ago. Nice basses.

[Plugger]

I tried one of the OLP 5-strings not too long ago. I thought it was barely playable compared to the MM SUB5, much less a MM Stingray... very unimpressed overall.

But the variability between examples of these lower-priced instruments is well documented. Perhaps you got a good 'un...

-Mark

[doc540]

Yeah, it's tough to compare a $200 bass to a $1500 bass and not be somehow disappointed.

[Plugger]

Well, a second hand SUB5 goes for about $500, I think...

-Mark

[doc540]

which is $350 more than I paid for my OLP

played it last night...no complaints

Look, a cheap guitar is a cheap guitar. For 150 bucks it's gonna serve my purposes just fine: learn to play a 5 string, play low notes on a few songs in the set, and, most important, look good on the stand under the stage lights.

[FrankJohnson]

Nice grab Doc.

I tried a couple of 5 strings, and should have kept the Peavey Grind I bought when I first started playing bass. It was light and had a nice neck. I just didn't get it.......

I agree with your method/madness. If you find you like it, get an upgrade.

I actually bought my SVT410HLF cab thinking I was going to stay with a 5. I could have saved a feew bucks going with a regular Cab instead.

If you like the neck, and the frets are dressed out, or can be, you can always upgrade the pups. GFS has that model pup for you.

[Plugger]

played it last night...no complaints

Cool. If it works for you, it works for you. I was just sharing my impressions of MM style 5 string basses, relative values, etc. The one I played was well below the "life's too short..." threshold. Comparing it to the SUB5 was chalk and cheese. Maybe you got a better one. It happens at the cheap end with guitars, as we all know.

-Mark