Dilemma! stingray/p bass issue

[ubernator]

I have no money right now, but made the mistake of looking at some gear listings... Saw a minty specimin of the same amp head that was stolen (so it wasn't mine, but I would love to have another and the price was good), as well as a vintage peavey sf fury priced really fair. No money argghh!

But I saw this minty stingray, 3 band like I like em, and the seller said he would trade for similar condition P bass.

Not counting my out of commission, cut up and in pieces, first bass, which was originally a Korean squier II slab body (plywood but nice neck), I only own one P bass (but I do own 2 peavey Furies).

The P has sentimental value, has been on a couple tours and countless shows (but most often as a backup to my #1 jazz) and on a few songs on the only album I did with big name production (the jazz doing the majority, but the P was needed on some of the songs). I am the original owner, bought at a mars music goob sale, and the neck feels really nice too.

But I realllllly like a stingray and have briefly owned 3 of them that I had to sell, and the stingray is a step up. Now it may be moot, he has other offers and my P is in storage so I only had a few photos to show him, and I am still waiting on a reply to my email with the pics.

Given the info about it being my only P (but I have the Furies) with sentimental value, and that I have a Warwick FNA as well as an olp MM2 with FNA pickup and basslines 2 band preamp, so the ray vibe is in my arsenal (the wick won over the ebmm sterling back in 2000 when I decided to buy a nicer bass), would you suggest going for the trade if it is an option, or just keeping my one real P (which is a y2k ish Z0 serial)?

Pics are ray in question, my P, my FNA and my OLP (pic was before I added the preamp)

 

[Moving Pictures]

If it has sentimental value then keep it. I think you might regret letting it go.

 

[ubernator]

If it has sentimental value then keep it. I think you might regret letting it go.

and at the same time the ray is "worth" more and is generally better made (but no posiflex in the neck)

Back in 04 I wanted to trade it for a ray, but the guy only wanted a vintage P. This seems like a 2nd chance, but at the same time, I appreciate my P a lot more than I did back then.

Mine is probably not in quite the condition the guy wants, the body and neck have no prominent dings or scratches, but there might be chips on the headstock and there is some corrosion on the bridge and I mentioned that in the email I'm still waiting on a reply to.

OK this vampire has to sleep. It will be interesting to see how this thead does amongst the day walkers

 

[metron]

I would keep the P. I wouldn't trade mine (which is basically backup for my jazz) for a Ray unless the deal was out of the ordinary. Sure a Ray might be worth more but not by a lot.

 

[ubernator]

It is a non issue. He replied back that the ray sold

 

[SteveCS]

It is a non issue. He replied back that the ray sold

I think in time you will see that as a lucky escape. If I had a generic P I would trade it for a StingRay any day of the week, but something with long or significant personal history is a different story. I think you would have regretted letting your P go, and you can pick up a 3-Band StingRay any day of the week.

 

[ubernator]

I think in time you will see that as a lucky escape. If I had a generic P I would trade it for a StingRay any day of the week, but something with long or significant personal history is a different story. I think you would have regretted letting your P go, and you can pick up a 3-Band StingRay any day of the week.

I agree, but I won't be having the kind of funds for a real stingray any time soon. The MEC/Duncan equipped OLP and the wick "vette rays" that I already own will have to make do. I'm not kicking myself, I was extremely hesitant, but I had to entertain the thought and contact the seller.

Now to think about that peavey and swr, that I also don't have the money for unfortunately, but might be able to borrow some.

 

[SteveCS]

I agree, but I won't be having the kind of funds for a real stingray any time soon. The MEC/Duncan equipped OLP and the wick "vette rays" that I already own will have to make do. I'm not kicking myself, I was extremely hesitant, but I had to entertain the thought and contact the seller.

Now to think about that peavey and swr, that I also don't have the money for unfortunately, but might be able to borrow some.

You just have to sit tight sometimes. I've been waiting for a fretless Ray for longer than I care to say (think years) then a couple of weeks ago this turned up at the right price...

 

[Maxdusty]

Probably for the best, you can replace a Fender P Bass but not one with sentimental value.
Just out of curiosity though - if the Warwick is filling that Musicman Ray role, perhaps that's the bass to compare and trade for one if you find a good enough EBMM Ray to replace it?

 

[ubernator]

Probably for the best, you can replace a Fender P Bass but not one with sentimental value.
Just out of curiosity though - if the Warwick is filling that Musicman Ray role, perhaps that's the bass to compare and trade for one if you find a good enough EBMM Ray to replace it?

Wick is sentimental too, bought it before the P even. None of my $1k plus basses I still own I am willing to part with. I actually still find the wick a better value, at the time an FNA was comparable price to a ray, and I felt the tradeoff was that extra level of hand made detail in the ray with run of the mill fender woods, vs German robots and more exotic woods (neck at least in case of FNA), adjustable nut, hyper adjustable bridge, better preamp and a really.snappy pickup, and I was really on a reinforced neck trip at the time. Of course now we know Warwick OVER reinforced the necks which made truss adjustment difficult, but the neck never moved anyway. And I bonded with the neck instantly and it is an unusually chocolate dark brown piece of ovangkol, I would never part with it willingly. I liked it so much that I ended up getting 2 fivers too, way back when.

I have owned 4 real rays but had to sell them all for various reasons. Only gigged one of them, which was also the one I owned the shortest time. It was a 5 string SUB but ended up having a truss issue so I ditched it. The others were a classic, a standard 3 band natural, and a BFR HH, all 4s, and all 3 of those bought on credit within a few weeks when I had no real way to pay for them, but didn't come to my senses until the return periods were over. Buying a new ray is like buying a car. Prepare to take a big hit when you sell it. Especially a $2k classic.

I have one music man guitar, but it has a repaired headstock crack, and a neck pocket stress crack (finish only most likely) so when I tried to sell it in the past it didn't go well. Someday I will get to playing guitar in a band again or for studio recording, and it is worth keeping since I would take a minimum $500 hit on it, and I bought it WITH the damage from GC scratch and dent, on the same day I purchased the stingray classic, among other things. Not best judgement but I have a valid excuse I won't go into because it is beyond belief.

 

[OutToPlayJazz]

The Stingray certainly looks nice, but your Precision seems as if it has a lot of personal history too.

I've never liked how my previous MM basses sounded live, so ended up selling them all and I'm all about the Precision "grind" at the moment. A curious turn of events for someone who grew up on graphite and hugely powerful preamps

 

[Gravedigger Dav]

I regret every trade or sale of a bass I have ever made. Besides, ownership of a P is mandatory.

 

[Maxdusty]

Wick is sentimental too, bought it before the P even. None of my $1k plus basses I still own I am willing to part with. I actually still find the wick a better value, at the time an FNA was comparable price to a ray, and I felt the tradeoff was that extra level of hand made detail in the ray with run of the mill fender woods, vs German robots and more exotic woods (neck at least in case of FNA), adjustable nut, hyper adjustable bridge, better preamp and a really.snappy pickup, and I was really on a reinforced neck trip at the time. Of course now we know Warwick OVER reinforced the necks which made truss adjustment difficult, but the neck never moved anyway. And I bonded with the neck instantly and it is an unusually chocolate dark brown piece of ovangkol, I would never part with it willingly. I liked it so much that I ended up getting 2 fivers too, way back when.

I have owned 4 real rays but had to sell them all for various reasons. Only gigged one of them, which was also the one I owned the shortest time. It was a 5 string SUB but ended up having a truss issue so I ditched it. The others were a classic, a standard 3 band natural, and a BFR HH, all 4s, and all 3 of those bought on credit within a few weeks when I had no real way to pay for them, but didn't come to my senses until the return periods were over. Buying a new ray is like buying a car. Prepare to take a big hit when you sell it. Especially a $2k classic.

I have one music man guitar, but it has a repaired headstock crack, and a neck pocket stress crack (finish only most likely) so when I tried to sell it in the past it didn't go well. Someday I will get to playing guitar in a band again or for studio recording, and it is worth keeping since I would take a minimum $500 hit on it, and I bought it WITH the damage from GC scratch and dent, on the same day I purchased the stingray classic, among other things. Not best judgement but I have a valid excuse I won't go into because it is beyond belief.

Perfectly understandable on the Wick - I wouldn't trade that one either but thought I'd just ask the question. The only Ray I have is the EBMM Sub in my user pic, found one for $160 - previous owner was using a bass his uncle gave him for Rocksmith and put numbered stickers all over the neck- realized he didn't like the bass and wanted to sell it. I've always been more into Ibanez and Fender basse but now asking myself why I never considered an EBMM Ray in all my years of playing - they're pretty amazing basses.

 

[Atshen]

The P is superior in every aspect, as you can clearly hear in this video:



Of course, IMHO, YMMV, BLT, etc.

 

[Wolfenstein666]

Keep the P.

Also, beef links in natural hog casings. drool

 

[ubernator]

I regret every trade or sale of a bass I have ever made. Besides, ownership of a P is mandatory.

Regrets, I've had a few.

Perfectly understandable on the Wick - I wouldn't trade that one either but thought I'd just ask the question. The only Ray I have is the EBMM Sub in my user pic, found one for $160 - previous owner was using a bass his uncle gave him for Rocksmith and put numbered stickers all over the neck- realized he didn't like the bass and wanted to sell it. I've always been more into Ibanez and Fender basse but now asking myself why I never considered an EBMM Ray in all my years of playing - they're pretty amazing basses.

$160?! I paid $450 for that 5er back in 2010 or so, passive 2 band. You scored! $160 is a good price for the cheap SBMM sub's even.
My recent score was an ibanez rg120 for $30 from a used bookstore, included a roadrunner bag and a 6ft monster cable, but missing the trem bar, but Sam ash gave me one that was a close enough fit for free. It said "neck crack" on the tag, but it was just the typical finish crack on the neck pocket. But like the number stickers, the previous owner did a horrible job of hand gouging the note letters into the fretboard. For $30 I can live with it.

Like I may have mentioned above on this thread, the EBMM sterling was the bass I was lusting for in 99/2k, until that FNA got in my hands. I had been admiring Warwick's, but most were out of my range (as was the sterling), but GC had mistakenly received the FNA as a corvette standard, and I haggled for a bro deal on that and walked out the door with a $1299 bass for about $770 IIRC. It was meant to be mine.

The P is superior in every aspect, as you can clearly hear in this video:



Of course, IMHO, YMMV, BLT, etc.

I remember when that vid made the rounds a while back. Not the most accurate representation. I can't be without at least one of most of them or their decent equivalents. No Ric's or thumbs for me, but the FNA has the wick flavor added to the stingray vibe, and I am tickled pink with my epiphone thunderbirds, especially the classic pro I picked up recently and gigged it twice already, and will be again on Saturday. Essentially the same as a real bird just made in Indonesia. Never thought I would be a bird guy, but that thing crushes. The cliche of them being muddy is a farce, and the neck dive is only an issue with slick straps and silk shirts lol.

But the P just crushes too, and 80s/early 90s fury basses do P quite well with a thin jazz neck.

And my #1 for many years was a jazz, and I have had an OLP ray since 01/02 when they first appeared at GC.

I like them all really. I always sound like me, but with a different flair. I am equal opportunity.

The OLP strung bead is going on an audition tonight, see if I can hang in a 7 string tuned death core band. All the SOAD I have been playing in drop C on the birds should have me in good shape.

 

[tpaul]

Keep the P, sell one of the Furies, reassemble the Squier, grow your hair, move to Minneapolis and eat more fermented vegetables.

 

[murmur70]

I am a Stingray guy but if you are emotionally attached to the P, I think you will regret it if you let it go.

 

[Edmang]

Another Stingray will come around when you are in a better space to get it.

It is not like rays are super rare.

 

[Nev375]

I have no idea what avocados and beef links are doing in a poll. I'm so confused by the OP.
He is talking about amps and plywood korean instruments in pieces neither of which are the P-bass or Ray in question.
There's Warwicks and Furies and the sentimental value of a recording. What the hell is a mars music "goob"?!!!!

I wish there were a carrots option. Carrots are the only thing that would make sense here.