Considering a Stingray - Should I?

[msb]

I do most of my home practice on a Ray but never take it out to gigs . Tend to use a Dano Longhorn these days for that ...

[Misterwogan]

Does this one look like a good deal?
The new price is around £1,500 and this is £845.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2511863186...84.m1423.l2649

[jlepre]

Looks like a solid bass at a nice price. I would go for it, and if you don't find it your thing, you won't lose a penny.

[Misterwogan]

Originally Posted by jlepre

Looks like a solid bass at a nice price. I would go for it, and if you don't find it your thing, you won't lose a penny.

Ok, done deal. I collect it locally tomorrow. Thanks to everyone for their input on this.

[jlepre]

GREAT! We would like your thoughts when you have a chance.

[Misterwogan]

Originally Posted by jlepre

GREAT! We would like your thoughts when you have a chance.

Again, thanks to everyone for the constructive input on this topic and helping me decide on the Stingray.

I've has this as-new, 2008, HS model for 24 hours now and am I glad I bought it? Absolutely yes – no doubt about it, especially given that I got it for half the new price.

Here are my impressions so far, in no particular order. Bear in mid that I have never seen a Stingray before this – let alone played one.

1 – Wow, it's heavy. Must be two pounds heavier than the Jazz but that's good for me.
2 – Balances perfectly sitting down and standing up – the most comfortable of the three
3 – I love the unfinished neck and absence of lacquer on the fretboard
4 – Frets appears to be more forgiving when my finger lands short of them
5 – The slightly flatter radius suits me better
6 – Tones: totally different voice to both fenders - naturally
7 – Really useful 3-band eq which can radically alter tone
8 – I am so glad that I got the HS version, the middle position (all coils plus phantom in parallel) takes me into precision territory and is very, very articulate
9 – The humbucker alone really does take the prize for the disco sound I am after.

So will I be selling either of the Fenders?
No – not all all. The P-Bass is unique and has no peers in what it does well. Likewise the Jazz has a space and tone all of it's own that the Ray can compliment but not replace.

So for me - there is no best bass here. Just three different and complimentary, high-quality instruments. The answer to the recurring question of “Which is the best?” has to be – all three together are.

I guess that my collection is now complete (for now).

[mcm]

Rays are killer , but I don't care what anybody else says, they do have a weak g string. They sound best when one does most of his paying on the e and a string.

[georgestrings]

Very nice!!! - I've owned all 3 configs: single H, HS, and HH, and to me the HS is far and away the most versatile...


- georgestrings

[georgestrings]

Originally Posted by mcm

Rays are killer , but I don't care what anybody else says, they do have a weak g string. They sound best when one does most of his paying on the e and a string.

I have seen a few that had a noticeably weaker G string, but most don't IME/IMO...


- georgestrings

[Musicman20]

Originally Posted by mcm

Rays are killer , but I don't care what anybody else says, they do have a weak g string. They sound best when one does most of his paying on the e and a string.

Owned a lot and not experienced this.

[georgestrings]

Originally Posted by Musicman20

Owned a lot and not experienced this.

Yeah, I've owned 5, and none of them had it - atleast nothing that couldn't be corrected with a pup adjustment...


- georgestrings

[Doug Parent]

Originally Posted by TGLbass

If you want an EBMM I'd say buy an old one. EB basses are touchy subject with some people . I had 4 EBMM basses- Sterlings and Rays- they all had the "no G" response. Most noticeable at gigs. Of course I could have thrown 3 or 4 hundred dollars per bass at them. Nope= sold 3 traded 1 for an 83 USA STD Precision. I can hear the G string on that! Okay fire away- I'm ready!!!

This echoes my experience as well. As much as I wanted to keep my Ray, the G string sound was woefully inadequate. I also think it's understandable given the pickup location, not sensing as much string travel across the magnet, and the G string having less mass.

I look at the Stingray as a specialized tool that can augment an existing tool box, probably consisting of a J and maybe P bass.

[drTSTingray]

Originally Posted by georgestrings

Yeah, I've owned 5, and none of them had it - atleast nothing that couldn't be corrected with a pup adjustment...


- georgestrings

Same here.

But it is possible to overpower the upper strings - by EQ choice on the bass or particularly on the amp - ie too scooped = too much bass. But that is stage sound only - they don't sound like that in the room. But this is equally possible on any Jazz style bass also.

Glad you like the Ray for your disco work - you won't find many people complaining about a weak popped G string or weak octaving sound on A and G on a Ray!!

To get closer to that P bass sound (other than picking up your P bass) if you pluck the string over the neck/body joint and use some muting you will get into that territory but possibly with more tonal option to that type of sound. Put some flats on it and you get a whole different spectrum as well.

Enjoy. Great set of basses (nice colour as well!)

[rockinrayduke]

You've got a nice trio there, brother! That new SR is a knockout.

Had a bunch of SR's and never had that G string problem to my knowledge. I have a 1st gen SUB it's good too.

[mcm]

U can search on this forum about the g string.

[bgavin]

Originally Posted by jlepre

I've owned both the HH and single H, and in the beginning I thought the HH was better for me. I have since been using a single H, and it really has that signature SR sound. For some reason the placement of the PUPs in the HH misses that sweet spot slightly, but that's JMHO.

+1 to this.

I own(ed) the P, J, SR5HH and G&L L1500.
Only the L1500 has the pickup in the Musicman sweet spot.

I kept the SR5HH, sold off all the 4-strings to concentrate on 5'ers.
Warmoth is currently building me a Deluxe5 P/J.

IMO, if you crave that original Stingray sound, there is no substitute for a real 'Ray.
There are variants in magnet material (tone), but IMO the single pickup 'Ray is what you want.

[georgestrings]

Originally Posted by mcm

U can search on this forum about the g string.

Yeah, you can also search here about claims that a Squier is "just as good" as an MIA Fender - doesn't mean squat, though...


- georgestrings

[wvbass]

A StingRay thread that devolves into a weak G string debate? Next thing you know, somebody is going to complain about neck dive in a Thunderbird thread.

IME, my 'ray sits in the mix differently. I am finding this to be more about humbuckers than StingRays, though. Humbuckers sit in the mix more like a Les Paul than a Jazz bass. Because of this, once I move up into the G string range, my 'ray blends with the guitar and starts to get "lost.". You can call this "weak," but by itself no string seems louder or softer than any other.

This is why I like having a lot of basses. They each have their own personality, and that makes me play differently. In the case of the 'ray, I tend to dig in a little harder on the treble strings, and this brings out some nice, snappy stingray tones. YMMV.

[king_biscuit]

I don't mean this to be condescending, but you obviously have some cash to spend judging by your posts. My advice is to find a nice older pre Ernie Ball Stingray and add that to your collection. The new ones are fine instruments, but not like to 70s models.


Edit, I should have read the whole thread... Nice SR HS!

[king_biscuit]

Originally Posted by wvbass

IME, my 'ray sits in the mix differently. I am finding this to be more about humbuckers than StingRays, though. Humbuckers sit in the mix more like a Les Paul than a Jazz bass. Because of this, once I move up into the G string range, my 'ray blends with the guitar and starts to get "lost.". You can call this "weak," but by itself no string seems louder or softer than any other.

I have had many Rays, and the g string is not as loud or punchy as a Fender. Sterling Ball has acknowledged this in a post on the EB forum, so its not just some mass conspiracy by TB'ers!