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After the demise of the SUB line of instruments in 2006, there was a void of low-priced instruments in the MusicMan line-up. 
To fill this void and provide quality instruments to musicians, the Ernie Ball company made a deal with Praxis to sell imported versions of popular MusicMan guitars and basses at an affordable price.
They decided on the brand name “Sterling by MusicMan”, which could be a little confusing as there is already a MusicMan Sterling bass. Anyway, the brand was introduced at the 2009 Winter NAMM convention, and their products have been impressive.
Do not mistake these guitars with the miserable chunks of crap that were sold by OLP a few years back. These are very good instruments. The use nice woods, and good quality hardware and electronics. Best of all, they play very well and sound good too.
The guitars are made in Indonesia (where the weather is warm, and the boys look like girls), and are inspected and set-up by Praxis in Orange, California. They come with nice padded gig bags too.
Sterling by MusicMan instruments have a more basic model line and choice of colors than you will find with MusicMan instruments. They include (with rough street prices):
SB14: single-pickup Sterling bass with a basswood body and a 3-band EQ ($599)
RAY34: 4-string single-pickup Stingray bass with an ash body and a 3-band EQ ($649-$689)
RAY35: 5-string single-pickup Stingray bass with an ash body and a 3-band EQ ($699-$729)
SILO30: 22-fret tremolo HSS Silhouette Special guitar ($499)
SILO20: 24-fret hardtail HSH Silhouette guitar ($399)
AX20: HH hardtail Axis guitar ($499)
AX40: HH tremolo Axis guitar ($549)
JP50: John Petrucci Signature model guitar ($549)
These guitars are a great value, and if you are not hung up on having a “real” MusicMan, you will not be disappointed if you pick up one of these.
Hello there,
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, i like your instrument review
but there's one thing i would ask to you
what does it means : (where the weather is warm, and the boys look like girls).
i'm from indonesia , yeah the weather is harm
but the boys don't look like girls.
well as far as i know, our country made instrument from famous brand, such as Squire, epiphone, LTD, IBANEZ,... for their value line
I'm also from Indonesia - do you know the factory making them?
ReplyDeleteThey are made at the PT Cort factory, just north of Surabaya, workers there are paid very low wages and are treated like animals by their Korean bosses.
ReplyDelete