Set up with Ernie Ball strings, I found the sound with all controls flat to be very *bright* with a tendency to be somewhat "nasally" in the mids... in other words the classic modern Stingray sound. Moderate amounts of bass boost helped to "fatten" out the low end nicely while tweaking the mid range control between boost and cut provided a number of distinct and useful sounds for various musical styles. I found the treble control hard to use effectively for non-slap playing. It seems to make the overall sound very "brittle" quite quickly when advanced in the boost direction, while not having quite the effect I expected when moved into the cut range... it was hard to get a good reggae sound as there seemed to be not quite enough top cut available. On the other hand, when popping and slapping, which I don't do often, the treble control was well voiced and provided good control.

I e-mailed Ernie Ball and asked for a schematic of the pre-amp so I could experiment with adjusting the treble control turnover point and they responded promptly with the requested information.

The acoustic sound of the instrument is well balanced and generally "Precision" like, so obviously the pickups and electronics have a lot to do with the amplified sound. Overall feel is excellent with the 3 + 1 tuner arrangement on the headstock giving a good balance with no noticeable tendency to neck dive.

Though this was second hand instrument, the finish was in excellent condition. There were some very evident belt buckle scratches on the back which were able to be polished out, using Meaguire's cleaning materials, to a point of invisibility except at very close inspection. The ash wood grain was subtly visible through the semi-translucent finish, providing variety to the appearance look of the instrument.

The neck has some sort of satin/matte finish... almost like a polymerised oil (tung or Danish oil) but I think it may be some sort of lacquer... excellent feel anyway. The neck shape is somewhat "chunkier" than a typical Fender Precision, but none the less very manageable.

The bass came with a black Tolex covered, plywood hardshell case which provided positive location for the instrument so there is no tendency to "float" with in the case. the case also has a remarkably large partitioned internal storage area for leads, straps etc, with two internal compartments and a clip to keep the lid closed.

Overall, this is an impressive instrument for a mass produced bass though it is obviously "hardwired" in at least some respects for particular styles of play. Having read the review of the Seymour Duncan MM replacement pickups in the July/97 "Bass Player", I think a new pickup may be on the cards for me to make it more generally applicable to a wider range of styles. Anyone who is largely into popping/slapping or rock styles would probably like the sounds just the way it comes.

On a value for money basis, I think I got good value at the price I paid (in A$ terms), but theA$ list price, or even 20% off, is too high compared to other brands. The US prices for Stingrays seem much more reasonable and in line with competitive models.

Construction	100%
Playability	90%
Appearance	100%
Sound	90%
Value	95%
Cust. Service	100%
Overall	97%