Weirdly, this confirmation that the problem wasn't the bass, but me, makes me feel a lot happier
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Disappointing experiences with basses you thought you'd love
- Thread starter Gothic
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Weirdly, this confirmation that the problem wasn't the bass, but me, makes me feel a lot happier
After tons of research, I pull the trigger only to find out the string spacing and nut width were very tight.
Played it for 2 weeks and returned it.
REALLY, REALLY wanted to love and keep this bass but it was not a good fit.
My US Spector NS-2J had a light, great feeling body and neck, but I just could not get into the sound of the active emg pickups or the Obp3 preamp. It was a bolt-on neck design.
Rather than spending more money replacing all the electronics, I just sold it it at a substantial loss,
which was quite disappointing!
It was an eye-opener about the many strata of that company's models and their relative resale values, though, so I guess it was educational.
I'd still like to try out a passive neckthrough single pickup Spector.
Rather than spending more money replacing all the electronics, I just sold it it at a substantial loss,
which was quite disappointing!
It was an eye-opener about the many strata of that company's models and their relative resale values, though, so I guess it was educational.
I'd still like to try out a passive neckthrough single pickup Spector.
My 1978 Alembic Series I was a lemon, and a dog to boot. I invested, being fully prepared to make it a lifetime relationship. Alas, it would not stay in tune on a real, hot & nasty club gig.
There were other issues as well, but that clinched it. I went back to my cheap but trusty Precision copy.
There were other issues as well, but that clinched it. I went back to my cheap but trusty Precision copy.
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Honestly, I'm really suprised many people share my opinion of the stingray. Did not expect that! Also surprising is how many high/very high end instruments didn't sit right with people. Horses for courses and all that, I suppose.
Had a couple of Sandberg`s, a VS4 and a TM4. Great build quality, loved the neck but found the sound uninspiring when playing them live. I considered ripping out the active in the VS but sold it on instead and the TM suffered the same fate. I lost quite a bit when moving them on as they don`t seem to have a good resale value.
I sadly won`t be buying another which is a pity as I love Holger the owner`s passion for his bass.
I sadly won`t be buying another which is a pity as I love Holger the owner`s passion for his bass.
Funny to see so many comments about MM Stingrays. I had the same (bad) experience with a MM Sterling 5 (USA model, not Sterling by MM). Thought it was going to be great, but ended up not liking the feel of the neck, the G string would pop out of the fretboard while playing it, and couldn't really get a tone I was fully comfortable with. Thankfully I was able to sell it without loosing much money.
I've really tried to like Stingrays...owned probably 8 at various times over the years I've been playing bass.
happy to put those in the file "never again".
similar experience with passive alnico pickups in jazz basses. Now that I've discovered Nordstrand blade and or G&L MFD pickups, I've found what works for me and I can play jazz basses again.
happy to put those in the file "never again".
similar experience with passive alnico pickups in jazz basses. Now that I've discovered Nordstrand blade and or G&L MFD pickups, I've found what works for me and I can play jazz basses again.
Black/White Ric 4001 in the early 80s, inspired by Geddy Lee. Other than its look, I couldn't wait to part ways after about 6 months. Been playing Fender ever since.
so....I'm guessing this isn't the thread to post our stingrays for sale..lol
Every bound-body Rickenbacker I have ever owned (about six of them in the past 40 years) has been quickly re-sold after acquisition. Love the look but cannot get past the ergonomics of the bound body edge. Loved my short-scale Model 3000 and having finally learned my lesson with the bound bodies - now just waiting for a new short-scale 4003s or 4004 (or heck, a rounded-edge-360-body-style 4005!) to be released... (If you are reading this John, another run of Blue Boy would be nice!)
I've also always been impressed with ebmm basses, and have owned several stingrays and a usa sterling, but I've never been able to enjoy playing them.
same thing with me for all jazz basses, but precisions I can always grudgingly accept, they just feel right and there's no monkeying with controls to find the right tone.
same thing with me for all jazz basses, but precisions I can always grudgingly accept, they just feel right and there's no monkeying with controls to find the right tone.
In my mind, a Modulus was once the dream bass... until I tried one. It just felt and sounded sterile to me.
I've played a 4 string Fender Jazz bass more than any other bass. I have played other brand 5 strings (not Jazz bass style) and got along with them well. Around 2012 I finally got around to trying a Fender Jazz Bass 5 string thinking it would have all of the Jazz bass goodness I loved, but just with an extra string. For me, it didn't cut it. A year later I tried 2 different Fender Jazz Bass 5 strings and they still didn't do it for me.
I played a G&L 2500 and thought, gee, this is what I expected the 5 string Jazz to feel like. I still can't put my finger on why things went down this way for me.
I played a G&L 2500 and thought, gee, this is what I expected the 5 string Jazz to feel like. I still can't put my finger on why things went down this way for me.
Oh, lowdownthump, I offer my total agreement.
Years ago (1994) I felt certain that a StingRay would provide four-string fulfilment. I went to a shop that had several (five, if I recall correctly; maybe six). The indulgent sales rep allowed me to try 'em all through an amp matching my own. My, how they differed. The best-sounding: The only one with a poplar body.
As it turned out, I never bought a StingRay. I never liked the idea of a preamp always on.
That afternoon sampling those 'Rays taught me: New instruments of the same make & model with the same strings through the same amp played by the same player can differ remarkably to the ear.
2016 Ric 4003SW Bought it new from Wildhorse. Upgraded the bridge, did a full shoilding job. Still buzzed like a swarm of bees if there was any RF/EM. Completely unusable in half the places I was playing. Replaced the pickups which helped but not enough... the bassball bat neck wasn't really anything to write home about either...What a beautiful piece of crap... Rickenbacker - never again.
Stingrays. Blow me away with their fit and finish. Wonderfully built. I've tried a few. Just can't be down with their sound ...
Stingrays. Blow me away with their fit and finish. Wonderfully built. I've tried a few. Just can't be down with their sound ...
Someone lent me a beautiful canary yellow Kubicki ex-factor bass hoping I'd buy from him for $700.
It seemed to have two tones: a good Precision copy sound and a bright sound.
I liked the look and the feel of the neck and thought the e string flipper lever was clever but couldn't get at all excited about it.
From the prices they are currently fetching I think I should have tried harder to bond with it.
It seemed to have two tones: a good Precision copy sound and a bright sound.
I liked the look and the feel of the neck and thought the e string flipper lever was clever but couldn't get at all excited about it.
From the prices they are currently fetching I think I should have tried harder to bond with it.
My 09 AmStd Precision. Played a few in stores, loved their feel, spotted one on here being sold in 2012 by a very kind gentleman who said "I just don't think I'm a P Bass guy." I get that. Some folks aren't. I am, though, especially a BBM, so I was all over this one, got it, did one gig with it thinking, "It's an American Fender...what could go wrong?"
Well, the pickup could go wrong. To this day I consider it the worst P pickup ever made. Sounded fine at home, although I could tell the mids weren't quite as prominent as usual. Once I got to the gig, I found out the mids were pretty much non-existent.
Decided to try an Original 62 to "keep it in the family." The only thing original about it is it sounded nothing like a real 62. Ended up installing a Stellartone Tonestyler to tame down its worst aspects, which is a terrific product, BTW.
Then I heard from my friend at EMG who used to be at Ampeg, and he told me I could have a couple Geezers a month or two before they came out if I relayed some info he wanted to share about them to the folks on here. Gave this bass a whole new lease on life. Sounds and plays as well as any bass of its kind that I've ever owned, and is fairly light for an actual Fender (8.5 lbs).
The biggest bass-related disappointments I've experienced have been upon receiving custom orders. There's nothing like plunking down several thousand dollars and waiting for months, only to find that you don't like the final product.
