Stingray vs. P or J - Level?

[cjac9]

Anyone know if a Stingray's output is much hotter than a P or J Bass? By how much dB wise?

[line6man]

The output depends on a lot of factors, you can't say definitely whether a P, a J or a Stingray is hotter.

If the pickup is closer to the strings, that gives you more output.
If you have a preamp that boosts the gain, that will give you more output.
If you are using overwound pickups, that gives you more output.
Ceramic Vs. Alnico, etc. gives you different output levels.

[wvbass]

While I agree with line6man, I'll add this. I own a P, a J and a Stingray. I love them all. But my Stingray is loud as balls.

[RD]

The obvious thing being that the Stingray is an active bass. It better be loud!
RD

[BassLife77]

I have both and they are both loud. run a P/J in series mode and it will rattle the walls

[cjac9]

Just to clarify, I mean passive P or J vs. active Ray.

[JTE]

Originally Posted by RD

The obvious thing being that the Stingray is an active bass. It better be loud!
RD

Not at all. In my experience (playing active basses since my first StingRay around 1979) is that most active basses are NOT appreciably louder than most common passive basses. The standard production bass with the most output I've ever experienced is the eary G&L L-1000 bass, all passive.

There're too many factors as Line6man says. If you adjust the PUPs to the optimal level my experience with stock PUPs on all three (Precision, Jazz, and StingRay, at least pre EB) is that they're all about the same level. The only way the 'Ray is going to be a lot louder is if you're running the two EQ's pretty much wide open and getting that 12dB or so boost at the two center frequencies.

John

[wvbass]

Originally Posted by JTE

The only way the 'Ray is going to be a lot louder is if you're running the two EQ's pretty much wide open and getting that 12dB or so boost at the two center frequencies.

Is the 'ray preamp designed for unity gain? Once I get a bass set up, the pickups are always about the same height from the strings. And I don't boost much of anything with the onboard eq - I run flat and make minor adjustments from there. And my stingray is still really loud compared to my P and my J - and almost all my other passive basses.

[Gasman]

Originally Posted by JTE

Not at all. In my experience (playing active basses since my first StingRay around 1979) is that most active basses are NOT appreciably louder than most common passive basses. The standard production bass with the most output I've ever experienced is the eary G&L L-1000 bass, all passive.

There're too many factors as Line6man says. If you adjust the PUPs to the optimal level my experience with stock PUPs on all three (Precision, Jazz, and StingRay, at least pre EB) is that they're all about the same level. The only way the 'Ray is going to be a lot louder is if you're running the two EQ's pretty much wide open and getting that 12dB or so boost at the two center frequencies.

John

+1. In my experience the loudest basses I've played were a passive Sadowsky Jazz and a Spector Euro (active w/active pickups). I own a Ray and have owned many Fender jazzes and precisions. Output is pretty much the same unless you dime the Ray's eq, which doesn't sound very good IMHO.

[Rick Auricchio]

My passive Warwick Corvette (with DiMarzio Model-J pups) is louder than my Stingray. The 'ray's bass and mid are set flat, with its treble all the way down.