Why so many Old Smoothie's used for sale and is the Butterscotch ugly?

Nov 12, 2011
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I see a bunch of the Old Smoothie StingRays used for sale and I'm wondering if people are dissatisfied with them? The reviews online have been pretty good.

I'm also curious for people who've seen them in person, what your opinion is on the butterscotch. It's hard to get the full translucent effect just viewing online and I haven't found any locally.
 
I see a bunch of the Old Smoothie StingRays used for sale and I'm wondering if people are dissatisfied with them? The reviews online have been pretty good.

I'm also curious for people who've seen them in person, what your opinion is on the butterscotch. It's hard to get the full translucent effect just viewing online and I haven't found any locally.

When something new comes out, there’s a rush to buy. The sales then come in waves. It’s not an indication of something wrong.

Butterscotch is not ugly, imho.
 
My comments are not on why I am selling one, but why I decided against buying one.

For the past year or so I thought about picking up a Music Man Old Smoothie, and finally was able to play one in late 2017 that was for sale at Matt Umanov Guitars in New York City, just before they closed their doors. I ended up not buying it.

I bought a Stringray back in 1987 and its been a fantastic bass. I stopped playing for about 10 years because I lost favor with its bright tone (I always had roundwounds on it). Then I decided to put some flatwounds on it, which really tamed the tone, and the bass was brought back into rotation (to the Bass Whisperer .. thanks for this tip!).

Fast-forward to early 2017 and I am reading the history of how the Old Smoothie came about, why it sounds the way it does, and mostly positive reviews on the bass. My chance to play one came at Matt Umanov's.

I veto'd the purchase because (1) the Old Smoothie didn't feel as "substantial" as my 1987 Stringray, largely because it weighted noticeably less - not because it lacked anything in terms of quality-of-build; and (2) while I say I have lost favor with the Stringray's bright tone, the Old Smoothie was a little "too smooth" and lacked some of the tone characteristics that drew me to a Stingray 30 years earlier. Its tone had more in common with my Fenders than my Stingray.

The Old Smoothie that I tested was a great bass, and if I hadn't already had a Stringray at home (an and old Jazz Bass and Precisions from the '60s and '70s) I would have bought it.
 
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Here is a pic of one with good representation of the butterscotch. The neck on this one feels a lot like an Olinto P I used to have. Very smooth.
 

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Here is a pic of one with good representation of the butterscotch. The neck on this one feels a lot like an Olinto P I used to have. Very smooth.
Mmmm, butterscotch! Not ugly, tasty! (But then, I'm part Scottish, so not unbiased.) :D
 
Great feedback and thanks for the pics. @OldFenderPlayer, I read your comments on another thread about and I thank you sharing more here. I only have a Sterling By MM now so I hope to accomplish two things: Getting an American made bass and something with a different tone. This is close enough to my desire of having a Classic StingRay but having a different tone and something American made. I’ve also considered a Fender Jazz American Elite. Great neck but not sure the active sounds aggressive enough. I can’t really compare them side by side.
 
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So the finish seems to be pretty transparent...do you by chance have a similar MM bass with a clear finish to compare that to?
So the finish seems to be pretty transparent...do you by chance have a similar MM bass with a clear finish to compare that to?
Actually, the butterscotch is what mainly shows. Look closely for some grain showing through on lower horn.
 
Great feedback and thanks for the pics. @OldFenderPlayer, I read your comments on another thread about and I thank you sharing more here. I only have a Sterling By MM now so I hope to accomplish two things: Getting an American made bass and something with a different tone. This is close enough to my desire of having a Classic StingRay but having a different tone and something American made. I’ve also considered a Fender Jazz American Elite. Great neck but not sure the active sounds aggressive enough. I can’t really compare them side by side.
I recall writing about the Old Smoothie before .. I hope that I didn't contradict myself! If I did, I was wrong the first time and correct the second.
 
I'm still kind of interested in a Smoothie. I tried one at Sam Ash awhile back and thought it was kind of meh, but the setup was horrible and the amp wasn't great, either. The quality was excellent, but it just seemed kind of lifeless to me. I'd like to try another one. The concept of a smoother Ray appeals to me.
 
For the past year or so I thought about picking up a Music Man Old Smoothie, and finally was able to play one in late 2017 that was for sale at Matt Umanov Guitars in New York City, just before they closed their doors. I ended up not buying it.

I played the same bass, and wanted it pretty badly as a birth year special edition for my son. I've owned Stingrays my entire life so it seemed pretty fitting.

I was thoroughly unimpressed with that particular bass, it played like a 2X4 with strings.

I completely understand that it just needed a setup, but I also passed on the opportunity even with a fairly hefty discount. As I understand it, that Old Smoothie ended up being the last bass sold at Umanovs.