When I saw this bass for the first time, it was at the 2013 Dallas Guitar show and it literally made me walk across the room to get it. The color and especially the baked maple, birdseye neck are a stunning combination and I believe I said to Lee at the time, "Man, if this bass sounds like it looks, we're in high cotton." Well, it sounds better than it looks and I can state unequivocally that these Classic reissues just may be better than the originals. The 6- bolt neck plate is certainly an improvement over the old 3 and 4 bolt designs and I cannot get over the figuring and color of the neck. Rarely, if ever did we see birdseye maple like this on the pre- EB Stingrays and if you did, it was on a scarce gem. The tone on this reissue is razor sharp and after playing it, I had to shake my head. I've owned, played, bought and sold more old 'Rays than I can remember and I just keep thinking that this is a superior bass. Granted, some of the old '77, '78 and 79 basses had that magical combination of a perfect neck and monstrous tone, but this is a relatively new bass and it has both, like it was nobody's business. Rarely do I favor a reissue, whether it's a guitar or a bass but in this case, I have to give the nod to this SR4 and do it quietly, lest the "old girls" in the other room hear. I know they've already heard me play this one and I swear I thought I heard cases shuffling around after I was through. Please call or email with any requests before I find myself drawn and quartered...