Aluminum tuners, I've got NO issue there. It's a fine material for that, just ask anyone who uses Hipshot. That stuff is fantastic. Lighter headstocks, no rust, no change in sound. Lots of win on that.
Bridges, though, I've had some drastic sonic changes in basses that have gone from brass to aluminum. And I know there's a HUGE debate on all of that, so I'm not trying to start anything. But I would take an older, stainless mute bridge over the newer stuff 100% of the time.
Oh, and offering black hardware is a GREAT move. I've seen the stealth stuff they'd done and loved that look, especially with colors.
I'll have to hear the pickups and electronics to see how that changes things. As a fan of their "golden era" (late 80s-mid 90s), there's so much goodness and classic Stingray sound that comes with the alnico pickup and either preamp. I will definitely say, I've never boosted the treble signal on the 3 band because it could shatter glass, so toning that down may be great.
And yes, carbon supports! Why wouldn't they do that?!?! My biggest gripe with older Rays was the sensitivity to climate changes. Some were better than others, likely due to the varying quality of each neck's wood... but I think adding that would have been a really good move. If only for insurance and reliability.
Can't wait to demo one. If it comes closer to the Golden Era in terms of neck wood, playability, and punch, that's fantastic in my book. I've been less than thrilled with most of their offerings from the last 20 years, so I hope this is a step or 2 oin the right direction.
Bridges, though, I've had some drastic sonic changes in basses that have gone from brass to aluminum. And I know there's a HUGE debate on all of that, so I'm not trying to start anything. But I would take an older, stainless mute bridge over the newer stuff 100% of the time.
Oh, and offering black hardware is a GREAT move. I've seen the stealth stuff they'd done and loved that look, especially with colors.
I'll have to hear the pickups and electronics to see how that changes things. As a fan of their "golden era" (late 80s-mid 90s), there's so much goodness and classic Stingray sound that comes with the alnico pickup and either preamp. I will definitely say, I've never boosted the treble signal on the 3 band because it could shatter glass, so toning that down may be great.
And yes, carbon supports! Why wouldn't they do that?!?! My biggest gripe with older Rays was the sensitivity to climate changes. Some were better than others, likely due to the varying quality of each neck's wood... but I think adding that would have been a really good move. If only for insurance and reliability.
Can't wait to demo one. If it comes closer to the Golden Era in terms of neck wood, playability, and punch, that's fantastic in my book. I've been less than thrilled with most of their offerings from the last 20 years, so I hope this is a step or 2 oin the right direction.
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