P, but if you decide MM, there are some really good deals at Guitar Center on in stock MM through the end of the month.
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Choosing my forever bass: Stingray vs Precision
- Thread starter neo 7
- Start date
Sorry man, it sounds like you're already doomed in your quest to be faithful to one bass. Buy the Stingray and get a P-Bass that you want later and have a polygamous marriage to those basses.
I vote for Stingray, but do agree that a Precision can come in handy sometime. Why not consider a newer dual pickups model, like HH or HS? Having a neck pickup relatively to a p-pickup position can probably get you a sound somewhat close to a P when it's solo, but you still have the option of classic Stingray tone.
I vote Stingray, but if it were an option I'd vote Jazz, Stingray HH or PJ over either. Personally I MUST have the versatility of two pickups.
In this case:
For me: Precision.
I have a friend, for him: Stingray.
I also have other friend, who has & loves both.
For you: Only you know the answer. Follow your heart, no matter what the other say.
P.S.: As much as I love my Precision Bass, I'll never say 'forever'. Never say never.
Exactly what I tried to say in 10+ sentences....you found a way to say it in 3. Bravo....
Discipline is good but one can be just as disciplined with two or three basses as with one.
Especially if it's for life, seems like just having both is not being too extravagant. I've moved a bunch of stuff around lately and wanted to simplify, so right now I'm at 1 bass, and it's a P. That said, I reserve the right to get a MM when and if I please!
why limit yourself to one bass forever? get both and be happy! I'm at 4 basses and one acoustic.
I think it was a classic series. It had a 2 band EQ, string thru, mutes on the bridge, and a chrome battery cover.
This got me thinking, and I didn't even play with the tone controls or mutes at all. Pure Stingray bliss the entire hour I played her.
How about buy a SBMM Ray 34CA, and some form of a Squier P (lets say a CV), and then you can have both for the same price or probably less than the one that you would have bought. If you close your eyes and don't look at the headstock, and just use your ears and hands, you'll never know that you aren't playing an EBMM or a Fender. Or, you'll even like them better!
EDIT: I saw your post after writing mine.
Those Classics are pretty sweet. I'm EBMM biased to start, but that is a delicious bass that would be really tough to beat. Grab one of those and you may just want to keep it forever!
EDIT: I saw your post after writing mine.
Those Classics are pretty sweet. I'm EBMM biased to start, but that is a delicious bass that would be really tough to beat. Grab one of those and you may just want to keep it forever!
Those Classics are lovelyHow about buy a SBMM Ray 34CA, and some form of a Squier P (lets say a CV), and then you can have both for the same price or probably less than the one that you would have bought. If you close your eyes and don't look at the headstock, and just use your ears and hands, you'll never know that you aren't playing an EBMM or a Fender. Or, you'll even like them better!
EDIT: I saw your post after writing mine.
Those Classics are pretty sweet. I'm EBMM biased to start, but that is a delicious bass that would be really tough to beat. Grab one of those and you may just want to keep it forever!
I own 9 basses right now and it's a distraction. Always comparing tones and play-ability. Too many truss rods to tweak, and strings to change. Sometimes I can't decide which bass I want to bring to rehearsal or a gig so I ennie- meenie-minie-mo it out then feel stupid for doing so. My guitarist had one guitar for many years, a MIM duo-sonic. Now he has two duo-sonics because I found a used one for cheap and bought it for him as a gift. He has no GAS, and is able to focus on playing rather than the imperfections of his gear.
I have 3 PJs. The P sounds good when solo-ed, but I'm never happy with the bridge pup. When I solo the J I always wish it was "thicker" sounding, and adding any amount of P to it just doesn't work for me.
- Dec 28, 2009
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- Endorsed by K.B. Guitars, Nordstrand Audio Pickups, Von York Strings and Gallien-Krueger Amps.
I'm not a big Fender fan but I am a huge Music Man fan. I would go with the Stingray hands down!
If it's distracting your music I can see your wanting to cut back from 9 basses, but I'd also encourage you to allow yourself the freedom to play what moves you too and since that may vary from time to time over the years to allow for that. In my own experience (whatever that's worth) I formerly played just one bass for years but today I enjoy quite a few, each has a different voice and I like having more tools to work with. My guitar players likewise have many guitars and our drummer has several kits he uses, again all depending on the gig and what we feel like playing. The options for us are liberating, not distracting. But that's us. You should do what works for you since that's what matters.
I'm starting to lean that way, as much as I wish I could be a "one-bass-set-it-and-forget" type guy. I need a P-Bass tone, but that Ray is just too sweet to pass up. But then again, I know how I am, I will always compare the two. My brain is telling me to walk away and forget about this puke green beauty, while the hopeless romantic in me says, "this is the one for me, I must have her. I must."
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That's a tough one. If I had to have a Fender or a Musicman for the rest of my life I'd say I'd prefer the Musicman. But tonally I'd take the P bass. It's just the tone I connect with most. Though no one says you have to have only one for the rest of your life, so I'd probably have both. For me personally I have a P and a Stingray type bass (Musicman Sabre) and I don't need anything else....well I want a Mapleglo Rickenbacker 4003 but that's a want, not a need
Two thoughts, which several posts in this thread seem to recognize:
I had one bass and I was happy. Got up to 10 (though I don't think they were all functioning at once!) and I was distracted (and still am, though am getting better). Found myself in the same situation as the OP, not knowing which to take out to a rehearsal or jam, constantly comparing them. For some people, an abundance of axes brings pleasure. To each his own. I am trying to work my way down (I'm down to 8, 9 if you count a project in the works). Don't see myself getting down to one -- can't see not having a fretless and my reverse P/J...
Anyway, if the Precision tone has been in your ear and in your blood for awhile, I think it would be a mistake to abandon it quickly and jump over to a Stingray. On the other hand, if the Stingray spoke to you strongly, I wouldn't ignore that. You could pick up the 'Ray, keep your favorite P, and go from there.
Your "favorite P": You mention three P/Js. Do you have a straight P-bass? Does one of the P/Js speak more strongly to you than the others? And what are the other six basses? If you're really trying to slim down (again, I can relate to that being hard), I'd go through them, one by one, and articulate to myself my reason for keeping each. Each bass has to have a good reason for staying. Even if it's, "I'm still figuring out if I like this." You have to be honest with yourself, though -- if you feel silly saying the reason, maybe it's a sign.
Some more thoughts (since it's always easier to give advice than to take your own), and some possible paths:
1) As mentioned, keep your favorite P (or P/J), get the 'Ray, git rid of the other eight basses, and go from there! Maybe you'll discover happiness and discipline with the two. Maybe you'll get down to one eventually. Maybe you'll do something else.
2) You're attracted to the 'Ray. You dig the P-thing, but, so far, you don't dig the P/J-thing. Get the 'Ray. Keep your top P/J -- this is your P-bass until you find a better one. You're permitted to look for "the" P-bass meanwhile, but, when you find it, the P/J has to go. Keep your second favorite P/J and turn it into a P+MM (a few people here have done that, and I know Nordstrand has made a couple) or a P+humbucker/dual-J. Maybe you'll like that. Maybe not.
Misc. note: My reverse-P/J is wired VVTT with a 3-way switch. I like that. Some people don't, but you'll know your pickups are isolated when you flip the switch to the neck or bridge position, and it allows quick soloing of one or another.
Whatever you do gear-wise, it doesn't have to be for the rest of your life -- I keep telling myself that when agonizing over buying/selling gear -- and you can always buy more stuff later.
Good luck, in any case (to you and to me both)!
- Our own preferences here are less relevant than the OP's.
- Why you do something (try to get down to one bass, in this case) is as important as what you do.
I had one bass and I was happy. Got up to 10 (though I don't think they were all functioning at once!) and I was distracted (and still am, though am getting better). Found myself in the same situation as the OP, not knowing which to take out to a rehearsal or jam, constantly comparing them. For some people, an abundance of axes brings pleasure. To each his own. I am trying to work my way down (I'm down to 8, 9 if you count a project in the works). Don't see myself getting down to one -- can't see not having a fretless and my reverse P/J...
Anyway, if the Precision tone has been in your ear and in your blood for awhile, I think it would be a mistake to abandon it quickly and jump over to a Stingray. On the other hand, if the Stingray spoke to you strongly, I wouldn't ignore that. You could pick up the 'Ray, keep your favorite P, and go from there.
Your "favorite P": You mention three P/Js. Do you have a straight P-bass? Does one of the P/Js speak more strongly to you than the others? And what are the other six basses? If you're really trying to slim down (again, I can relate to that being hard), I'd go through them, one by one, and articulate to myself my reason for keeping each. Each bass has to have a good reason for staying. Even if it's, "I'm still figuring out if I like this." You have to be honest with yourself, though -- if you feel silly saying the reason, maybe it's a sign.
Some more thoughts (since it's always easier to give advice than to take your own), and some possible paths:
1) As mentioned, keep your favorite P (or P/J), get the 'Ray, git rid of the other eight basses, and go from there! Maybe you'll discover happiness and discipline with the two. Maybe you'll get down to one eventually. Maybe you'll do something else.
2) You're attracted to the 'Ray. You dig the P-thing, but, so far, you don't dig the P/J-thing. Get the 'Ray. Keep your top P/J -- this is your P-bass until you find a better one. You're permitted to look for "the" P-bass meanwhile, but, when you find it, the P/J has to go. Keep your second favorite P/J and turn it into a P+MM (a few people here have done that, and I know Nordstrand has made a couple) or a P+humbucker/dual-J. Maybe you'll like that. Maybe not.
Misc. note: My reverse-P/J is wired VVTT with a 3-way switch. I like that. Some people don't, but you'll know your pickups are isolated when you flip the switch to the neck or bridge position, and it allows quick soloing of one or another.
Whatever you do gear-wise, it doesn't have to be for the rest of your life -- I keep telling myself that when agonizing over buying/selling gear -- and you can always buy more stuff later.
Good luck, in any case (to you and to me both)!
Mine was a Sterling, but same thing - just a better, more versatile bass.
