SBMM Fretless RAY34BK Bass -Upgraded with Black Hardware, New Gig Bag

This listing was posted on Americanlisted.

SBMM Fretless RAY34BK Bass -Upgraded with Black Hardware, New Gig Bag

Location:

Eugene, OR

Description:

One of the reasons I prefer to avoid black basses is because they are so difficult to take pictures of. Every little smudge shows up and light reflections easily distort the image. But I couldn't avoid picking up this bass due to the attractive price. It was a Brand New B-Stock bass for the price of a used one. This is what I usually look for as a good candidate for an upgrade. Sterling by MusicMan (SBMM) no longer makes new fretless models. I have found that the quality of the Ray34 and 35 series rival the sound quality of the EB Stingrays without the corresponding high price tag. So these make great candidates to upgrade and defret for those players who want a great fretless bass at a budget price (relatively speaking). I have been defretting basses for personal use and for resale since 2012 and have gotten pretty good at it. I am a retired electronics tech and have been doing bass mods and amplifier mods and repairs for over 50 years. Although I am no luthier, over a dozen players, so far, have been very happy with my fretless conversions. All I specialize in are SBMM Ray4s and 5s (their SUB series) and of course Ray34s and 35s. Some time ago, I made the online acquaintance of John Clarity, of The John Clarity Fretless Bass Process - . Check out his excellent work - Search for John Clarity Fretless on Facebook. I figured I could improve my methodology so I paid his modest fee and learned A LOT of ways to improve. This is my third bass using his method. He charges over $1000 just to do a fretless conversion. My idea is to do a "good enough" conversion to satisfy players on a budget. It takes me roughly 10 to 16 hours of actual hands-on labor time to pull the frets, fill the fret slots (I use custom-made veneer strips), and sand the board from 80 grit all the way up to 15,000 grit, and finally finish the board with a "secret sauce" which has linseed oil as the main ingredient. Like John, I see no need to coat the boards in epoxy or CA. I admit that my boards do not measure up to John's work (although I continue to improve), but then again, the entire bass costs far less than what John charges just to defret and finish his boards. Although his boards look better cosmetically, mine play just great and that is what counts the most. Plus I think they look pretty good as well. The main advantage of the Ray34 and 35 series is that it is not necessary to upgrade the pickup and preamp in order to realize that classic Stingray tone. The pickups and 3-band EQ/preamps in the Ray34/35 series do a great job. The 34/35 series are generally better constructed than the Ray4/5 series. This one, in fact, offers a roasted maple neck, unheard of on the lower-priced models. The bass weighs 9.2 pounds, not bad for a Stingray model. What I do, usually, and is the case here, is "murder" the bass by changing all the hardware (visible from the front) to black. In this case, I used brand new bridge and machine heads obtained directly from Sterling. Doing so gives the bass a unique look you just won't find on a regular production bass. Most new fretted Ray34s go for $900 or so, with the B-Stock ones just slightly less. In addition to the Sterling hardware, I also added Dunlop Straploks, and to finish things off, I installed a brand new set of Elite ground wounds (from the Bass Centre in London UK). These give the sound of rounds while less likely to chew up the board. I do NOT set action or intonation as these are usually a function of personal preference so I leave that for you to decide and set for yourself. Over and above the cost of the bass, and not counting labor cost for the defret process, I have invested approximately $160 in hardware and strings. MINOR DAMAGE I was disappointed when I received the bass that it was in a bit worse condition than any B-stock I have ever purchased, and don't plan on doing business with the same online music store again. I have tried to take good pictures but if you want more pictures, let me know. There were three areas of damage, and I have taken closeup pictures of all of them. The worst was located directly below the control plate, and is the only damage visible from the front of the bass. I did my best to minimize the damage, but I am sure a real luthier or someone with better woodworking skills than I do, could fix it easily. The second area of damage was a very hard to see pinpoint nick on the back of the neck. You can see it, barely, in one of the pictures, the one with my finger pointing to it. I finished the back of the neck with linseed oil and buffed it with 0000 steel wool, so you can see the nick if you look hard enough, but you cannot feel it. Finally, there were two minor flaws in the paint job near the neck joint. Again, I have taken pictures, but the flaws are quite minor. Thanks for looking! If you have any questions, or want to see more pictures, please ask before making an offer or buying. The bass also comes with a brand new gig bag. As far as shipping goes, I estimate shipping at $90, but shipping costs have increased lately. If the shipping turns out to be more than $90, I will pay the difference.

Category:

Bass Instruments

Color:

Black

Posted:

July 23 on Americanlisted