Musicman S.U.B.

morpcat · 05-09-2005, 06:19 AM

[This was in the requests thread, although I do not own this bass, I have tested it extensively and can give a fair opinion on it]

Musicman S.U.B. - A well priced intermediate level bass with the same pickups and electronics that come standard with a Stingray, and at half the price. List Price US$ - 1000

Materials:
The SUB has a maple neck, which is well made and finished with an ultra-smooth satin coat, which is just as smooth as any wood neck. The body is made from poplar, which is a much cheaper wood than alder and ash, which is why the SUB costs so much less than a Stingray. Poplar wood is naturally green in colour, so it can't have a see-through gloss coat or an oil finish. The SUB is instead painted with a matte textured finish. The SUB is American-made, and overall has excellent quality.

Electronics:
It comes standard with passive electronics, but most shops will bring in the optional extra of a 2-band active EQ over the passive version, because it sells better. That means that most of the SUB's around will have exactly the same electronics as a standard Stingray. The tone is very scooped, but still has a lot of power and presence, and it's one of those sounds that really cuts through. The controls are intuitive, but a lot of the time you'll find that the SUB just has a good tone anyway. There's a fair amount of versatility, but only so much can be offered from a single bridge pickup.

Overall:
This bass looks OK (the pickguard is a little tacky, and the dark colours are a little scary), sounds great, and to me it feels perfect. I'm normally quite fussy about the feel of a bass (string spacing, neck width and radius...), but when I first picked up the SUB it just felt right.

It's definitely a bass worth checking out for anyone who wants a bass to gig with, record with, and jam with, but doesn't have a great deal of money, A definitely Stingray alternative, and a near equal to it's big brother.

Available in 4-string and 5-string, and with passive or active 2-band electronics. Matte finish with satin neck, and rosewood fingerboard only.

9/10

mikespahn · 05-12-2005, 01:10 AM

i too have tried the SUB extensively and agree with you that it is a good alternative to a stingray. the stingray is a better bass but the SUB plays very nice, looks decent, and has not identical but still very similar tone.
9/10

aC/dC4lyfe · 12-21-2005, 10:59 PM

Question that I can't seem to find the answer to: is it available left-handed?

Sorry for posting in such an old review...and this isn't my real name

/forgot password

morpcat · 12-21-2005, 11:47 PM

The answer is no. As far as their website will say.

Teh Glees0rz · 12-23-2005, 08:13 AM

Maybe it's just me, but when I tried out a SUB at my local music shop, I found it really heavy; heavier than my current bass atleast. It felt pretty good to play though. Nice review.

Phalanx · 12-23-2005, 08:54 AM

you seemed to forget to mention the cardboard scratch plate

Nac mac feegle! · 12-23-2005, 04:48 PM

i played a SUB the other day and i really liked it, though the one i played had a carbon fibre neck. the neck felt just right and the tone was great. it was t3h seXX

EDIT:but i didnt like the finish

IPolkaLikeThis! · 12-23-2005, 06:51 PM

i got a sub, but i lent my muff to one of my friends, so i havent tested it out with it yet, but does any one have experiance with distorting a sub. does it ssound good?

Your Tourniquet · 12-26-2005, 03:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slight

i got a sub, but i lent my muff to one of my friends, so i havent tested it out with it yet, but does any one have experiance with distorting a sub. does it ssound good?

I wanna know this too! Go on, do it for 'Tournie... and his new best friend...

Alma · 12-26-2005, 08:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phalanx

you seemed to forget to mention the cardboard scratch plate

wtf?

Akira · 01-09-2006, 11:56 AM

The problem I have with the SUB is that my current bass is a 'Ray ripoff, and it has the same cutouts as a 'Ray. So going to an SUB without the contours feels really bad.

IPolkaLikeThis! · 05-09-2006, 07:23 PM

So I have had my MusicMan SUB for a while, 5 months now, and until recently, I kinda regretted the purchase. About a month ago, I bought several packs of strings, and after trying a few, I found the set the gives a great tone. Heavy GHS Bass Boomers.

This is my project bass. There will be many modifications done to it before I am finished with it.

Materials:
The SUB has a maple neck, with a rosewood fretboard. Pretty standard for a lot of basses. The body is made from poplar, which is a much cheaper wood than alder and ash, which is what the "real" Stingrays use. The cheaper wood cuts the cost, but it is still a wood with similar tones as alder and ash. The SUB is painted with a matte textured finish, which also makes people consider it cheap. Mine is an older SUB, late 2004/early 2005, and durring that time, the bridges had some problems being made, and thus the saddles would drop, but after calling the amazing tech support hotline, I was told how to cheaply fix the problem. The SUB is an American-made Bass, in the same factory as the rest of the MusicMan line, and in general, is excellent quality.

Electronics:
The humbucking pickup is the same used in the Stingray line, but the preamp is a cheaper, more cost efficient 2-Band model. It is still very powerful, but the lack of controll over the midrange is a downer, and I do plan on replacing it.

Looks/Feel:
It is a great bass with some minor problems. The pick guard is a cheap piece of the Diamond Stamped aluminium place over a thin sheet of plywood. It is not cardboard. It is cheap wood. Lets get that straight. the Paint on the body is also pretty cheap. You can not see scratches on it, as the paint isnt shiney, and it takes dents very well, but the look is not that great. I also plan to get a better paint job for it, but that is not on the top of my list of things to mod on it.

Tone:
I love the slap tone on Stingrays. It is very, very sexy. It is the only slap tone I would ever want. And there are quite a few great slap tones you can get from it. This bass is meant to be slapped on. There are some good pick tones you can get, but because I only play punk on occasion, I don't use them much. I have only found one good finger tone I love, and a few others I like, but that doesnt mean it isnt good for fingerstyle.
And as I dont have access to any pedals at the moment other than my Vibrator and Flanger, I cannot talk about the distortion at this time.

Overall:
This is a great mid level bass. Worthy of purchase, and if moddified, can be on the level of much higher lever basses. I paid $500 US + 100 more for the case, and then whatever for shipping.

Rating: 7/10.

05-09-2005, 06:19 AM	#1
morpcat MX Techie - Share & Enjoy Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Singapore Posts: 5,872	Musicman S.U.B. [This was in the requests thread, although I do not own this bass, I have tested it extensively and can give a fair opinion on it] Musicman S.U.B. - A well priced intermediate level bass with the same pickups and electronics that come standard with a Stingray, and at half the price. List Price US$ - 1000 Materials: The SUB has a maple neck, which is well made and finished with an ultra-smooth satin coat, which is just as smooth as any wood neck. The body is made from poplar, which is a much cheaper wood than alder and ash, which is why the SUB costs so much less than a Stingray. Poplar wood is naturally green in colour, so it can't have a see-through gloss coat or an oil finish. The SUB is instead painted with a matte textured finish. The SUB is American-made, and overall has excellent quality. Electronics: It comes standard with passive electronics, but most shops will bring in the optional extra of a 2-band active EQ over the passive version, because it sells better. That means that most of the SUB's around will have exactly the same electronics as a standard Stingray. The tone is very scooped, but still has a lot of power and presence, and it's one of those sounds that really cuts through. The controls are intuitive, but a lot of the time you'll find that the SUB just has a good tone anyway. There's a fair amount of versatility, but only so much can be offered from a single bridge pickup. Overall: This bass looks OK (the pickguard is a little tacky, and the dark colours are a little scary), sounds great, and to me it feels perfect. I'm normally quite fussy about the feel of a bass (string spacing, neck width and radius...), but when I first picked up the SUB it just felt right. It's definitely a bass worth checking out for anyone who wants a bass to gig with, record with, and jam with, but doesn't have a great deal of money, A definitely Stingray alternative, and a near equal to it's big brother. Available in 4-string and 5-string, and with passive or active 2-band electronics. Matte finish with satin neck, and rosewood fingerboard only. 9/10 Last edited by morpcat; 05-09-2005 at 06:52 AM.

12-23-2005, 08:54 AM	#6
Phalanx www.myspace.com/tactusa Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 6,001	you seemed to forget to mention the cardboard scratch plate
	Digging: The Notorious B.I.G. - Born Again

12-23-2005, 04:48 PM	#7
Nac mac feegle! ApPlExCoRe!!11! Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: birmingham, uk Posts: 341	i played a SUB the other day and i really liked it, though the one i played had a carbon fibre neck. the neck felt just right and the tone was great. it was t3h seXX EDIT:but i didnt like the finish Last edited by Nac mac feegle!; 12-23-2005 at 04:53 PM.

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05-12-2005, 01:10 AM	#2
mikespahn bassist Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: PA Posts: 190	i too have tried the SUB extensively and agree with you that it is a good alternative to a stingray. the stingray is a better bass but the SUB plays very nice, looks decent, and has not identical but still very similar tone. 9/10

12-21-2005, 10:59 PM	#3
aC/dC4lyfe i r jpj Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 17	Question that I can't seem to find the answer to: is it available left-handed? Sorry for posting in such an old review...and this isn't my real name /forgot password

12-21-2005, 11:47 PM	#4
morpcat MX Techie - Share & Enjoy Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Singapore Posts: 5,872	The answer is no. As far as their website will say.

12-23-2005, 08:13 AM	#5
Teh Glees0rz The baby needs stuff Join Date: May 2005 Location: Berkshire, England Posts: 852	Maybe it's just me, but when I tried out a SUB at my local music shop, I found it really heavy; heavier than my current bass atleast. It felt pretty good to play though. Nice review.

12-23-2005, 06:51 PM	#8
IPolkaLikeThis! +7 Gav Points. Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Bakersfield, California, USA Posts: 3,898	i got a sub, but i lent my muff to one of my friends, so i havent tested it out with it yet, but does any one have experiance with distorting a sub. does it ssound good?

01-09-2006, 11:56 AM	#11
Akira MX Conklin Club Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 19,229	The problem I have with the SUB is that my current bass is a 'Ray ripoff, and it has the same cutouts as a 'Ray. So going to an SUB without the contours feels really bad.

05-09-2006, 07:23 PM	#12
IPolkaLikeThis! +7 Gav Points. Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Bakersfield, California, USA Posts: 3,898	So I have had my MusicMan SUB for a while, 5 months now, and until recently, I kinda regretted the purchase. About a month ago, I bought several packs of strings, and after trying a few, I found the set the gives a great tone. Heavy GHS Bass Boomers. This is my project bass. There will be many modifications done to it before I am finished with it. Materials: The SUB has a maple neck, with a rosewood fretboard. Pretty standard for a lot of basses. The body is made from poplar, which is a much cheaper wood than alder and ash, which is what the "real" Stingrays use. The cheaper wood cuts the cost, but it is still a wood with similar tones as alder and ash. The SUB is painted with a matte textured finish, which also makes people consider it cheap. Mine is an older SUB, late 2004/early 2005, and durring that time, the bridges had some problems being made, and thus the saddles would drop, but after calling the amazing tech support hotline, I was told how to cheaply fix the problem. The SUB is an American-made Bass, in the same factory as the rest of the MusicMan line, and in general, is excellent quality. Electronics: The humbucking pickup is the same used in the Stingray line, but the preamp is a cheaper, more cost efficient 2-Band model. It is still very powerful, but the lack of controll over the midrange is a downer, and I do plan on replacing it. Looks/Feel: It is a great bass with some minor problems. The pick guard is a cheap piece of the Diamond Stamped aluminium place over a thin sheet of plywood. It is not cardboard. It is cheap wood. Lets get that straight. the Paint on the body is also pretty cheap. You can not see scratches on it, as the paint isnt shiney, and it takes dents very well, but the look is not that great. I also plan to get a better paint job for it, but that is not on the top of my list of things to mod on it. Tone: I love the slap tone on Stingrays. It is very, very sexy. It is the only slap tone I would ever want. And there are quite a few great slap tones you can get from it. This bass is meant to be slapped on. There are some good pick tones you can get, but because I only play punk on occasion, I don't use them much. I have only found one good finger tone I love, and a few others I like, but that doesnt mean it isnt good for fingerstyle. And as I dont have access to any pedals at the moment other than my Vibrator and Flanger, I cannot talk about the distortion at this time. Overall: This is a great mid level bass. Worthy of purchase, and if moddified, can be on the level of much higher lever basses. I paid $500 US + 100 more for the case, and then whatever for shipping. Rating: 7/10.