Are stingrays really one trick ponies?

[Pimmsley]

People are asking about a bass. Not about a player. Some basses are capable of more tones than others. Period. It's simple. A lot of people feel the need to chime in with, "It's not the bass, it's the player". To that, I and most of us, will say, duh! A person who can play can do a whole lot more with a bass that isn't versatile, than an unskilled person can do with a bass with tons of versatility. But these threads, which are posted in the basses, not technique section, aren't asking about the player. They're asking about the bass. Does that make sense now?

+1
All this 'it's in the fingers' gets annoying... I work hard on my technique and I am proud of what I can do with said technique, but I sure can't make a jazz bass sound like a p bass etc...
Most of the sound IS the instrument... Then comes finesse

 

[Febs]

That means, for those who have a rough time understanding the question, how many different sounds can the bass itself produce, even if you're a novice.

Without a player, the bass itself doesn't produce any sounds.

People are asking about a bass. Not about a player.

Since different playing styles produce difference sounds, when the specific question being asked is whether a bass is capable of producing only one sound, any answer that doesn't acknowledge that the player matters is at best incomplete and at worst flat-out wrong.

 

[Joe Nerve]

Without a player, the bass itself doesn't produce any sounds.



Since different playing styles produce difference sounds, when the specific question being asked is whether a bass is capable of producing only one sound, any answer that doesn't acknowledge that the player matters is at best incomplete and at worst flat-out wrong.

Yooz guys are just messin with me now, right?

If ya don't get it with what I've stated already, you don't want to get it, so I'll stop my argument. You win.

 

[InternetAlias]

Jazz bass is more versatile with two pickups than with either only the bridge pickup or only the neck pickup. Can you get that clangy grinding tone without the scoop that occurs when you mix both pickups in? I think not!

 

[Stone Soup]

Can you get that clangy grinding tone without the scoop that occurs when you mix both pickups in? I think not!

Then you think wrong.

Both pickups mixed together create a scoop.

 

[InternetAlias]

No, I don't. The thing is, it occurs because of the way the pickups interact, killing certain harmonics and reinforcing others. That's impossible to do with an EQ since you can cut or increase a range, but not certain harmonics! Therefore, a bass with more pickups will always be more versatile, ie, have more options, but if your one pickup bass does everything you need, no need to object, that's great!

 

[Stone Soup]

No, I don't. The thing is, it occurs because of the way the pickups interact, killing certain harmonics and reinforcing others. That's impossible to do with an EQ since you can cut or increase a range, but not certain harmonics! Therefore, a bass with more pickups will always be more versatile, ie, have more options, but if your one pickup bass does everything you need, no need to object, that's great!

I have Three Jazz Basses and Two Stingrays. I understand what you're getting at, but I can get similar sounds out of any of my basses. One just needs to know how to use them.

 

[Salamenster]

I've seen Stingrays in almost all musical stylen possible, from funk to reggae, metal and countrypop. Heck, I'm planning to buy one as my first V'er in a couple o'years!

 

[InternetAlias]

I have Three Jazz Basses and Two Stingrays. I understand what you're getting at, but I can get similar sounds out of any of my basses. One just needs to know how to use them.

I am just saying it's impossible to get a waveform that's even remotely similar. I know this because it really goes to show in studio, live it matters way less

 

[lfmn16]

A bass is only as versatile as the person playing it IMO

+1

Some basses may be more suited to a specific style, but a good bass player can make a stingray sound good in any style.

 

[Stone Soup]

I am just saying it's impossible to get a waveform that's even remotely similar. I know this because it really goes to show in studio, live it matters way less

When did we start measuring wave forms, instead of musicality?

 

[Handyman]

The one trick that they excel at is music. I don't find they work as well with flipping burgers or opening bottles. Sure, they'll open the bottle but it's messy.

You really want a post-lawsuit G&L if you're trying to open a bottle.

 

[Stone Soup]

You really want a post-lawsuit G&L if you're trying to open a bottle.

Yes, but any of them will serve to open a can of worms.

 

[InternetAlias]

When did we start measuring wave forms, instead of musicality?

Ever since we've started recording music, actually. If you have something that sounds awesome by itself but doesn't work in the mix you're putting it in you have a problem.

 

[Stone Soup]

Ever since we've started recording music, actually. If you have something that sounds awesome by itself but doesn't work in the mix you're putting it in you have a problem.

So the point you're trying to make is that Stingrays don't work for recording?

 

[InternetAlias]

The point I was making is that a stingray and jazz bass have different resonant peaks and different voicings and thus can't simply be substituted in the mix. Some mixes will prefer jazz, some ray. Obviously you can mix it to death, but guitars generally work best unprocessed. That's why I want to get a ray for recording as well Ray has one of the most balanced tones in the bass world, where P and Jazz have very dynamic tones, that is, tone changes a real much when you slide for example, where ray tends to get locked in into its own frequency range throughout the fretboard.

 

[KrisHayes]

To me they are. Scooped & hot. Could never get that big ol' fat pickup to sound any different!

 

[Stone Soup]

Ray has one of the most balanced tones in the bass world, where P and Jazz have very dynamic tones, that is, tone changes a real much when you slide for example, where ray tends to get locked in into its own frequency range throughout the fretboard.

I can, somewhat, agree with this. There is definitely something about a good Jazz or P Bass. A naturally aggressive (or slightly rude) sound. But that doesn't make them any more versatile, It only makes them different.

To me they are. Scooped & hot. Could never get that big ol' fat pickup to sound any different!

My Rays are no hotter than a passive bass. I don't run them with the EQ wide open.

If you can't get that big 'ol pickup to sound different, your amp settings are at fault; not the bass.

 

[antonspon]

I think it's no less diverse than a Rickenbacker. While I love the Ric sound, in all the demos I've seen it always has that trebley, Chris Squire bite. But then again, I haven't had the privelidge to play one, so I can't say for certain

My main bass is a Rick 4001, and I also have a fretless MM SUB bass (poor man's Stingray!).

Firstly, I have to contend that the typecast Rick sound is nonsense: yes, with everything on full, you get the characteristic clank 'n grind that Squire et al are known for. If you use the controls provided , it is a very, very versatile bass that will go from rumbling the carpet out from under you to taking your head off at 50 paces. Remember, McCartney also played one - and he's not exactly known for the Ricky trebly sound, he managed to make it sound not a million miles from his old Hofner.

The SUB (I chose it over a Stingray that I tested when I was looking - they performed identically, so at half the price the SUB was a no-brainer!) is also remarkably versatile - I also dislike single pickup basses generally, so it overcame a lot of bias on my part! However, after a couple of years I decided to experiment a little - I found the treble on the SUB/Stingray a bit too "fizzy", and while the bass had loads of gut-punching power, it was a bit too much for the genre of music I was playing at the time (blues rock) and I constantly had the guitarist asking me to turn down. Eventually I bypassed the preamp and ran it passive - that pickup is fantastic, and really doesn't need the extra power of the preamp. This is still the nicest fretless I've ever played, although I have drifted back to the fretted camp more of late.

 

[PhilGordon]

I got a 2 string stingray HH with the double humbuckers and could not be happier with the sound and versatility. Definatly not a one trick pony