Ernie Ball Stingray - NAMM Bass of the Year

[mdogs]

I own two Musicman basses and will be looking to get a third, so stop the false characterization when you say I clearly have an hatred for EB. It seems to be a growing trend among the EB fraternity that when you say something that is truthful about their products or marketing they either call you a troll or tell you to go away.

Sorry, I meant to do both.

 

[Briton]

Sorry, I meant to do both.

Sorry Son but I am staying!

 

[cmebass]

I knew this was a special bass the moment I picked one up from Chicago Music Exchange @cmebass (thank Marc). But I didn't realize it would become NAMM's Bass of the year.

Congratulations Sterling Ball and the team at Music Man @scottball for continuing to build amazing instruments and being able to stay focused on the fit / finish and details that we bassist so greatly love.
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And of course a picture of my beloved Stingray Special.
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YEEEEEAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!

 

[Christcr]

I can easily see someone writing here these same sorts of negative things about ANY bass that has come out since about 1962... "why the hell is maker XXXX spouting off all this nonsense about improvements and refinements when Leo was doing the four string electric bass thing back in 1951. XXXX is just trying to put a new spin on something that already exists and make a few bucks off the fanboy sheep. Improvements. Yeah. Right."

Well, okay, if you own a 1951 P-bass, I owe you an apology. As for the rest of you, you're all fanboys falling for marketing gimmicks from the wannabees that have been riding on the coattails of Leo Fender for 67 years now.

So there!

Now PLEASE let those of us who own the best bass of the year enjoy it.

 

[FingerDub]

Sorry, I meant to do both.

Aren't you just a delight.

 

[Geri O]

And I could easily still buy one, and I do rate them. I like the poster above get sick of the bull that comes from EB Marketing etc. You are either fooled or not fooled and I am in the not fooled camp.

My, we must think very highly of ourselves to sit and dictate, you are fooled, you are not fooled.

Okay, fine, I'm fooled. Get over it.

Please, you have an opinion like everyone else. It doesn't have to agree with the rest.

And so Tony Levin, Louis Johnson (RIP), Bernard Edwards (same),Pino Palladino, Flea at various times, that guy with Sade that I can never remember, are all fooled as declared by you?

I don't have a problem at all with your opinion. It's your sanctimonious attitude about yours being the only right one that gets under my skin.

 

[Briton]

I can easily see someone writing here these same sorts of negative things about ANY bass that has come out since about 1962... "why the hell is maker XXXX spouting off all this nonsense about improvements and refinements when Leo was doing the four string electric bass thing back in 1951. XXXX is just trying to put a new spin on something that already exists and make a few bucks off the fanboy sheep. Improvements. Yeah. Right."

Well, okay, if you own a 1951 P-bass, I owe you an apology. As for the rest of you, you're all fanboys falling for marketing gimmicks from the wannabees that have been riding on the coattails of Leo Fender for 67 years now.

So there!

Now PLEASE let those of us who own the best bass of the year enjoy it.

And that fellow TBer's is the truth!

 

[Briton]

My, we must think very highly of ourselves to sit and dictate, you are fooled, you are not fooled.

Okay, fine, I'm fooled. Get over it.

Please, you have an opinion like everyone else. It doesn't have to agree with the rest.

And so Tony Levin, Louis Johnson (RIP), Bernard Edwards (same),Pino Palladino, Flea at various times, that guy with Sade that I can never remember, are all fooled as declared by you?

I don't have a problem at all with your opinion. It's your sanctimonious attitude about yours being the only right one that gets under my skin.

Like I have said previously I own EB Basses and really like them, it is the marketing side of EB that annoys me.
And I am not trying to push my opinion on anyone else. And after all of that I have finished with this thread before it gets out of hand.......Be Lucky!

 

[mouthmw]

Don’t forget the neck. Oh the neck. The satin finish roasted maple is so smooth and comfortable. It really feels like home.

It's actually barely finished with oil & wax treatment. There's no lacquer on it. You can build up more Tru Oil layers though and make a satin or even glossy finish on EBMM necks. Great stuff.

 

[drTSTingray]

And that fellow TBer's is the truth!

Truth is I don't get you Briton - you constantly create negative posts in most EBMM threads but then raise your own thread about White P basses and ask for positive comments only - walk away if not - no trolling. And I for one have comments about P basses - but don't get off on telling people their £2k (or £4.5k in the case of a Pino) basses are somehow lacking.

I'm not sure how you can accuse EBMM marketing as being bull when you haven't bought one of the Stingray Special basses and possibly have never played one. Many of us who have don't think it's bull - to assert so without experience of the bass suggests an opinion based on something other than fact.

 

[5StringBlues]

Fun thread, subbed.

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

One of the great things about talkbass is the ignore feature . After I start seeing the same people constantly showing up in threads to rain on the parade, I hit the ignore button. And oh what a relief it is .

 

[Scott Ball]

And I could easily still buy one, and I do rate them. I like the poster above get sick of the bull that comes from EB Marketing etc. You are either fooled or not fooled and I am in the not fooled camp.

Can you please elaborate on Bull from our marketing? I am not attacking, just curious.

 

[bovinehost]

Very curious comments from the haters. I wish I had a Special so I could join the fray, but circumstances beyond my control, etc. Seems like the people who DO own them really enjoy them and those who don't think it's, what, a cruel joke?

Jeez, people, calm down. A guy I once knew and I were talking basses one night, probably some contentious issues like pickguard dimensions or titanium saddle screws or some other thing that no normal person would find interesting enough to understand or care about. He said, "You know, Jack, in the end, it's a bass. It goes boom boom boom."

He wasn't correct about much, but he was correct about that.

Some do "boom" a bit better. The Music Man team obviously explored ways to improve our boom while staying true to the Stingray's heritage. Good for them! Good for us! Lighter weight. Re-voiced preamp. Different magnets. And so on. They still look like what they are, and customers (the buying types) and dealers are happy enough.

My dad used to say, "You'd complain if they hung you with a new rope."

I think we have a new rope. Don't you?

 

[bdplaid]

Can you please elaborate on Bull from our marketing? I am not attacking, just curious.

Speaking for myself, it was a lot of the marketing, especially the videos featuring Scott Ball, that got me the most interested in these basses.

To wit: I wasn't sure they were for me, as I had a Gen 1 Stingray in the past and it wasn't for me. I bought another a couple of years ago and it was too heavy, and didn't give me the low beef I wanted. I also wasn't sure about Neo-magneted pickups. I knew about roasted maple and love it, and with the interest toward going lighter in weight (especially the tuners, which is something I always have to replace), I pulled the trigger.

I bought a Special 4H from Sweetwater, and that single pickup, while sounding classic Stingray, wasn't deep enough for me. I swapped it (Sweetwater is awesome) for an identical 4HH and it is the shizz. This bass will pound a subwoofer.

But about he marketing: I found it informative and truthful and friendly. One of the videos that really sold me was the factory tour, where the attention to the frets is shown. That really sold me. I am a stickler for getting good fretwork on a bass in this price range. A lot of manufacturers don't do what EBMM does, and it makes all the difference. But that video pushed me off the ledge.

A discussion about the sonic differences between the H and HH models might have been helpful, I don't know. What I do know is that this bass deserves the award at NAMM and I am one super happy camper. Wish it had a 1.5" nut width, but I do just fine with the Special as-is.

Thanks EBMM for such a fine bass!

 

[Mantis Tobaggan]

Scott can I borrow one?

 

[bcouper]

Having bought a Stingray5 special recently, all I can offer here is wow ! I expected to like the weight in comparison with the prior SR5's, but didn't expect how much better I like this compared with my other Stingray 4, which I love. One choice I made was going with an HH vs just H on my 4 string - definitely part of the difference. The special model is just better - all the stingray you expect, more tone options, and lighter weight as just a few of the features.

 

[Quadzilla]

 

[Crusher47]

Mr. Ball...any plans for a Sterling Bongo?

 

[king_biscuit]

I think the Specials were a great idea, because after the Classic series was introduced, the old standard model was redundant, really, but not as cool as the Classic. So people can choose now to have a Classic or a newer updated model, and the people who have these seem to like them so far. I would like to see the piezo option brought back, especially for fretless models. Btw, Jack, you forgot to like Scott Ball's post