Old Smoothie unlike any Stingray I have owned before….

I get why this bass was released as the 40th Anniversary. It is different in very subtle ways from any Stingray that most of us have ever played. The pickup is an obvious departure in its design and although it does change the tone ever so slightly, there is more than enough of what we know in our ears to be Stingrays left in it to make that undeniable. I find myself adding a bit more highs to this bass than I normally would on a Stingray and it comes in in a very mild way…. not harsh tonal changes. Sterling is right…. it just seems very old school. The bass is brand new but it feels like it has been played for 40 years…. If you like scotch, you understand that a 12 and 15 year old single malt scotch is nice and smooth…. ah but an 18 year old is just nicer…. in ways that are sometimes hard to put into words. That is what it is like trying to describe the tone of the Old Smoothie. Its just a little sweeter and smoother.

OK, enough of the esoteric jank…. where the rubber meets the road…. That friggin neck! OMG it is such a sweet feeling player to me. It is one of those basses you just cant put down. It plays so effortlessly. It is one of those instruments that does not inhibit your playing in anyway. It is a slim and fast playing neck that feels great in my hand. And the lovely alder body is nice and light and resonant. The fit and finish are so sweet and my goodness what a looker.

This along with my new Caprice are the first new basses I have purchased in a while that I will not be putting flat wounds on. It sounds great just the way it came from the factory. Cannot wait to gig this lovely.