Should I get a Stingray?

[nicktunz]

Hey Guys,

I ask upon you all once again to lead me towards the light.

I have both an interest and a good opportunity for buying a Music Man. I like the Stingray neck. I like the Sterling body. Maybe I can combine the two. Regardless, that isn't even my question. I am wondering if it's the right bass for me.

I feel most comfortable on a P Bass. I have very limited experience playing Music Man basses. Never had one and they aren't in any local stores. My main concern isn't so much playability, as much as it's sound. I have always been turned off by the sound of active basses. Though, I feel there must be a way to bypass the active electronics. Maybe put in a different pickup that sounds good passive. But maybe a Stingray sounds good active. Maybe it would be a good fit for me tonally. I do love the sound of a P Bass. I do wish the sound of a P were a little more tight and focused. I play in a lot of different projects so versatility is relatively important, though, it's mostly rock or some variation of rock.

Advice?
Thanks in advance.

[FarkusSWR]

Yes, you should.

[thebrain]

I don't think a Stingray will ever replace the tone of a P bass, but vise versa. Apples and oranges, but they do feel similar. Stingrays are amazing for tight punchy funk, but so are a lot of basses. I would buy used and if it doesn't do it for you, sell it for what you paid.

[nicktunz]

Originally Posted by FarkusSWR

Yes, you should.

Ha, okay. Simply put, yet with authority and conviction.

[nicktunz]

Originally Posted by thebrain

I don't think a Stingray will ever replace the tone of a P bass, but vise versa. Apples and oranges, but they do feel similar. Stingrays are amazing for tight punchy funk, but so are a lot of basses. I would buy used and if it doesn't do it for you, sell it for what you paid.

I can agree with that. I don't think I would really want to replace the P tone, but I would like something that isn't too abrassive. I do want a good punchy tone.

[cfsporn]

Yes. Also, don't worry about the active pups, they sound nothing like most actives.

[mantaraya]

Stingrays ans Ps are totally different instruments. They do not deliver the same sound. If you want a P with a more growl, i suggest you to get a P Deluxe Fender. P + active electronics (new ones have active/passive switch). Whit the Ray you are getting an specific sound which is not Ps sound. If you are "concerned" about actives, let me tell you, Stingrays and sterlings are the best example of actives. If you know you like Ps why don't you start that way?

[mntngrown]

You would get the most response if you filled in your profile regarding playing style i.e. finger style, pick slap all of the above, and what you play, blues with flats, punk with....
reggae w.... Know what I mean.
A guy was just over at my house playing his Stingray4 thru an amp head I was selling. Finger style, slap too. sounded really good. I played a Stingray 5 old school music mostly blues, and it sounded fine with stock round wounds.
The P/J I have sounded a little more appropriate though with flats on it. Check David Bowie clips with Gail Anne Dorsey and others, but then you may hate that music. So fill us in and people can advise more accurately.

[Radio Face]

Just purchase an outboard preamp for the Precision.

[eyeballkid]

stingrays are one of the most versatile basses I've ever used.. they are the only bass I've been able to make fit with any project. some things a jazz has fit, or a p-bass, but not others, and my ray has been at home in everything. I prefer it for fingerstyle over pick, but they are awesome!

[lpdeluxe]

I'm a long-time P player ('51 single-coil reissue, Classic '50s, AVRI '57) who just bought a StingRay5. I put Thomastik-Infeld Jazz Flats on all the basses, which helps tame the aggression of the Music Man. I just got the SR a month ago, but I've been playing it heavily at rehearsal for an upcoming gig that required putting together a group in a short period of time.

I really like it. It feels a lot like a P (as does another Leo design, the G&L L2000, which I also owned) and there are a lot of sounds in there. They have gotten the reputation for that biting funk sound, but that's not all they do. And the B string is the best I've played.

[drummer5359]

I'm primarily a drummer, so take my opinion with the appropriate amount of salt...

I played a bunch of basses and determine that a Precision is my favorite bass weapon.

I have a vintage Tele bass and an American Standard Jazz as well, but my Precision get the most play time by far.



This past Christmas I fell into a deal where I traded some drum gear for a nice 1995 Stingray. I couldn't pass it up and figured that I could/would sell it if it didn't work for me.

Now I find myself splitting my time between the P-bass and the Stingray. Give it a shot, but don't get rid of your Precision.

[Mind Eroded]

I've had my stingray 4H for about 4 years and I am primarily a fender P/J guy. Tonally, my experience with the Ray is you get more of a nasally/clanky bridge pick up tone(which can be eq'd and colored both with the onboard pre and with your amp). This is due to the pick up location on the bass. Sometimes it is too aggressive sounding for me, and I reach for my P bass to feel more at home.

I like the 'ray, but if I had to let mine go(and I very well might), I think i'd miss it a bit, but I know that for me personally, I like the more organic, less 'focused' and woody thud of a p bass. I am more at home on a nice P or a growly J(I never solo the bridge pickup). The Ray is a tone monster,and wonderfully built/crafted, no doubt about it and may suit some styles better than others. If i had the opportunity to blow 1K+ on a new one again, I probably wouldn't, but at the time I was convinced that it would replace my fenders, for whatever reasons..

just my .02. good luck on your choice.

[FarkusSWR]

Originally Posted by nicktunz

Ha, okay. Simply put, yet with authority and conviction.

Is the StingRay you are considering a single H or HH? Just curious.
I have an HH that I got a couple years ago. Covers a wide variety of material very well.

[redhed]

Stingray's are awesome! They fit me like a glove and I just love the tone I can get out of them, I think they fit any music style - but that's just me......

[Osztertag2112]

Go for it

[nicktunz]

Wow, lots of responses. Thanks! Umm...

...I am thinking single Humbucker. I like the position of the pickup. It's a nice comfortable compromise to a P and a J. I love the way a J can sound on the bridge pickup, but I find the tension too tough for my weak hands. P Bass is often too loose, tension wise, when I want to dig in. I like that sweet spot. It feels a lot like a P, to me.

And sorry for not updating my profile to give more info about me. If anyone is familiar with The Dear Hunter, I play in that band. So, that is kinda what I need to cover. Kind of a lot of different stuff, but it's mostly rock.

[jlepre]

Just my 2 cents, but I would look for the Single H/H pickup config. That neck pup really adds some thump.

[Gasman]

Get one. Their great. I play Precisions, P/J's, and Stingrays. I do agree with the "nasally bite" comment, but that can be tamed with both eq and flats. I recently sold my Stingray with the 3-band eq, but still have a Ray with the 2-band and strung with flats. I play mostly with a pick, but some finger style. That thing just sings. The 3-bands sound a bit more "modern" and the 2-bands are more "organic", IMO. Granted, it's a bit more involved to get the tone you want with either compared to the Precision- the beauty of the P is partly in it's simplicity. But the Stingray will do things a P can't- namely it's big low end and it's punch. You should really try one.

[nicktunz]

Does anyone feel they may sound thin at times? A few people have suggested they are thin. Though, this may be stereotyping slap bass players like Flea for using them. I don't know.