I'm not sure if this is something that has flown under the radar or happened gradually so that we haven't quite noticed it as such. Obviously we all knew that the Stingray Special was different from the traditional one and there was plenty of discussion about that. But at the time it was released the StingRay Classic was still being produced. So if you wanted the "real" StingRay tone - the tone that probably got you into StingRays in the first place, as heard on records by The Brothers Johnson, Sister Sledge, Chic, Sade, etc - then there was a StingRay for you being produced. But it seems that's no longer the case and I find it kind of weird and sad that EBMM no longer makes "The StingRay Bass".
I'm looking at the Ray-type basses currently on their website and I see the StingRay Special, the Cliff Williams, the Joe Dart, the short scale, and the Mike Herrera. The Cliff Williams is a real StingRay for sure, but there were only 26 made lol. So that one's irrelevant. None of the others listed constitute a real StingRay spec by any stretch. The Special is a great, great bass. Better in a lot of ways objectively than a "real" StingRay. But quite different sounding and different looking. The shape is subtly different for the worse imo. The bridge lacks the reassuring studs to keep the saddles from moving. And it has a different pickup and preamp so it just isn't the same bass sound that you hear on classic StingRay records.
Now, my opinion when the StingRay Special was released was that it should have just been called the StingRay, and taken up that mantle. As much as I love the traditional StingRay and that's what I prefer, I know that it wasn't perfect, and that moreover companies need to change and grow and not stagnate. When a company makes a change I like it to be bold and confident, so rolling out the new Special spec as the StingRay would have been right up my alley. But the way they've gone about it they've ended up not making anything called the StingRay bass. Their ultimate flagship product that put them on the map, got them to where they are today, and is considered one of the big three electric basses of all time. Their main bass product has the qualifier of "Special". I just find that odd. In a sense it could all be solved by simply dropping the "Special" moniker. But then there's the fact that they don't make anything with the spec that allows you to get the classic StingRay sound. So if you love the Bernard Edwards sound you're going to have to look for something used, and really you'll need a 2 bander which they produced less and less of as the years went on. So that really magical tone from so many great records is at risk of becoming unobtainable.
In my opinion EBMM could do something similar to Gibson's Modern and Original collections. The StingRay Special would become the "StingRay Modern", and there would be a StingRay Original with the old style body shape, 21 frets instead of 22, studded bridge, 2 band preamp and Alnico pickup. The body contours, lighter weight tuning machines, and compensated nut could be common to both lines since they're basically objective improvements. But both would simply say "StingRay" on the headstock so that everyone feels they are getting the genuine article.
Idk, there's just something really special about the OG StingRay sound that I feel is being lost here. Anyone else feel this way?
I'm looking at the Ray-type basses currently on their website and I see the StingRay Special, the Cliff Williams, the Joe Dart, the short scale, and the Mike Herrera. The Cliff Williams is a real StingRay for sure, but there were only 26 made lol. So that one's irrelevant. None of the others listed constitute a real StingRay spec by any stretch. The Special is a great, great bass. Better in a lot of ways objectively than a "real" StingRay. But quite different sounding and different looking. The shape is subtly different for the worse imo. The bridge lacks the reassuring studs to keep the saddles from moving. And it has a different pickup and preamp so it just isn't the same bass sound that you hear on classic StingRay records.
Now, my opinion when the StingRay Special was released was that it should have just been called the StingRay, and taken up that mantle. As much as I love the traditional StingRay and that's what I prefer, I know that it wasn't perfect, and that moreover companies need to change and grow and not stagnate. When a company makes a change I like it to be bold and confident, so rolling out the new Special spec as the StingRay would have been right up my alley. But the way they've gone about it they've ended up not making anything called the StingRay bass. Their ultimate flagship product that put them on the map, got them to where they are today, and is considered one of the big three electric basses of all time. Their main bass product has the qualifier of "Special". I just find that odd. In a sense it could all be solved by simply dropping the "Special" moniker. But then there's the fact that they don't make anything with the spec that allows you to get the classic StingRay sound. So if you love the Bernard Edwards sound you're going to have to look for something used, and really you'll need a 2 bander which they produced less and less of as the years went on. So that really magical tone from so many great records is at risk of becoming unobtainable.
In my opinion EBMM could do something similar to Gibson's Modern and Original collections. The StingRay Special would become the "StingRay Modern", and there would be a StingRay Original with the old style body shape, 21 frets instead of 22, studded bridge, 2 band preamp and Alnico pickup. The body contours, lighter weight tuning machines, and compensated nut could be common to both lines since they're basically objective improvements. But both would simply say "StingRay" on the headstock so that everyone feels they are getting the genuine article.
Idk, there's just something really special about the OG StingRay sound that I feel is being lost here. Anyone else feel this way?
