What's up everyone! Im new to this site and I wanted to know everyone's opinion. I own 2 bass guitars and I can't justify having both at the moment so I have to choose which to keep. I currently own a American pro fender p bass and a Ernie ball musicman stingray 4. Here's what I've come up with: Fender is a fender it has the traditional bass sound and you can't go wrong. Ernie ball has that signature sound you either love or hate. I personally feel the stingray stands out more and cuts through in a band better. I've had many compliments on my stingray played through a Ampeg svt CL with 8x10. I'm stuck between loving the way the fender looks and feels vs the stingray sound. Also in the fender I have the Seymour Duncan quarter pounder installed. I just feel like the fender doesn't have as much balls as the Ernie ball. Please let me know your thoughts and opinions . Here's both my guitars!
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Fender p bass or Ernie ball stingray
- Thread starter Tuna Can Dan
- Start date
Obvious solution is the hit the classified fir a cheap 3rd bass and then decide whether to keep that and definitely tell keep these two.
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More seriously, which feels better to play? Keep that one.
If the Fender feels and plays better for you then that's the one to keep.
If you like the Stingray sound save up and get one of the SUB series basses. I recently picked up a SUB Sterling SB4 from GC brand new for under $250.00 and the Ray34 is also a good deal. The build quality is great on these basses for that price range and they sound killer. Exactly what you'd expect a Ray to sound like. Pickups and electronics are quiet and work great. That would give you the best option with only a small outlay of cash.
Here's my new SB4, as you can see it definitely has the Ray heritage.
Man that looks pretty clean and cheap! Yea man it's really a toss up for me they both play amazing. I say the fender feels better but honestly for the music I play I can't really tell the difference.
I wasn't planning to buy a new bass that day. I went to GC to grab a 15" cab because they had their Acoustic 15 NEO cabs on sale and I needed a cheap cab for here at home. I grabbed the SUB off the wall to try the cab and was blown away at how great it played, sounded, and the build quality. The longer I played it, the more I knew I was going to buy it. You know how it is, you just get that feeling about an instrument. I was surprised because it was a GC "wall hanger" and those aren't known for being very playable. This one was. The fact that it was a floor model, dirty, and in need of strings was why I got a nice discount on it. I've always liked the Sterling for the smaller body and Jazz style neck so this one fits what I need.
Good luck on your decision. It's a tough choice to make because both are great basses.
Keep Low
Thanks so much for your reply! Yea I know I can't go wrong with either bass. I wish one of them stood out more than the other but they don't. I need to hit the jack pot and keep both!
Totally biased opinion - keep the StingRay. Slightly more objective opinion - if you haven't already done so, make sure both have optimal setup, each to its best, before deciding. IME, they should come out pretty much neck and neck (no pun intended) in terms of setup, but at least you won't have missed a trick.
Welcome to TalkBass!
Yeah that's a tough one. How a bass "feels" is a relative term. The sound is part of how it makes you feel when you play it. If the MM still plays well, and you like the neck enough, I would have to let the Ray stay.
And that's coming from a guy whose collection is made up mostly of P basses.
You write more passionately about the sound of the Ray than you do the feel of the P bass. That should win.
Yeah that's a tough one. How a bass "feels" is a relative term. The sound is part of how it makes you feel when you play it. If the MM still plays well, and you like the neck enough, I would have to let the Ray stay.
And that's coming from a guy whose collection is made up mostly of P basses.
You write more passionately about the sound of the Ray than you do the feel of the P bass. That should win.
P.S. You can click "edit" on your first post and add a poll. It's easy and will give you statistical evidence of what the community thinks....if that's important to you.
Two fingers- I'm not too worried what the majority would rather play because I know each instrument is very different. Yea I find myself always going back to the stingray. With the fender I was doing way too much research on how to make it sound more like the stingray. I guess that should be a sign right?
Steve CS- both bass guitars have amazing setups done on them! At this point it's more of what fits my style of playing. I'm in a punk rock band and it's real easy to get lost in the mix and I feel the stingray cuts through better. With that being said I'm trying to find out why 95% of people would play a p bass over the stingray. I know it's personal opinion and feel but am I missing something?
Those are such specific and mutually exclusive sounds.
I find the StingRay is what I want to hear most of the time, and the fit/finish/playability on both of mine are better (for ME) than any of the Fender's I've had. But anyone will tell you, there's just something about a P, and if that's what you're after, no Ray in the world will do. I ended up buying a MM Cutlass, which has enough of that P feel to make me happy.
Good luck with this existential crisis!
I find the StingRay is what I want to hear most of the time, and the fit/finish/playability on both of mine are better (for ME) than any of the Fender's I've had. But anyone will tell you, there's just something about a P, and if that's what you're after, no Ray in the world will do. I ended up buying a MM Cutlass, which has enough of that P feel to make me happy.
Good luck with this existential crisis!
go with the sound you like
especially if the feel is close
on the sub idea
why not flip it? keep the ray---trade the p in for a squier vm p and you get essentially the same thing
especially if the feel is close
on the sub idea
why not flip it? keep the ray---trade the p in for a squier vm p and you get essentially the same thing
Just out of curiosity- is it a question of money? space?
As mentioned above, if it's a question of money, you could keep the P-Bass, sell the Ray and pick up a used SUB (sometimes they go for under $200). While not the same of course, a SUB still has that Ray vibe. Now if you're lucky, you can find a US Made Musicman SUB - like the one in my user pic. I picked this one up for $160. It is a bare bone (as in paint job, slab body) Musicman Ray Classic but it is a true Ray in every sense of the word, neck, bridge, pickups, electronics etc.
However, it does sound like you love the Ray and it's providing maybe more of the sound you want between the two. If that's the case, I would keep it, sell the P Bass and get a used MIM Fender P Bass with SD pickups. It'll sound almost exactly like a US Fender P Bass with similar pickups.
I've had about five Sterling SUBs, a MIM Fender P Bass, and between the two kinds of basses, a MIM Fender P Bass is far closer in sound and quality to it's US made counterpart than a SUB is to the EBMM Ray. Just my two cents.
I love both basses to be honest with you, and pretty equally but if I were in your position, I probably would be more apt to keep the Ray if I absolutely could only keep one.
As mentioned above, if it's a question of money, you could keep the P-Bass, sell the Ray and pick up a used SUB (sometimes they go for under $200). While not the same of course, a SUB still has that Ray vibe. Now if you're lucky, you can find a US Made Musicman SUB - like the one in my user pic. I picked this one up for $160. It is a bare bone (as in paint job, slab body) Musicman Ray Classic but it is a true Ray in every sense of the word, neck, bridge, pickups, electronics etc.
However, it does sound like you love the Ray and it's providing maybe more of the sound you want between the two. If that's the case, I would keep it, sell the P Bass and get a used MIM Fender P Bass with SD pickups. It'll sound almost exactly like a US Fender P Bass with similar pickups.
I've had about five Sterling SUBs, a MIM Fender P Bass, and between the two kinds of basses, a MIM Fender P Bass is far closer in sound and quality to it's US made counterpart than a SUB is to the EBMM Ray. Just my two cents.
I love both basses to be honest with you, and pretty equally but if I were in your position, I probably would be more apt to keep the Ray if I absolutely could only keep one.
Can you identify what it is that feels better on the P-bass? The basses are quite similar in features so a setup could remedy that.
Moreover, have you considered a different pickup for the Fender. I love the Quarter Pound pickup myself, but I understand that a lot of people don't.
As for the looks, I think both basses look very similar, especially since they have almost the same colour-pickguard-fingerboard pattern going on, but again looks are highly subjective.
Moreover, have you considered a different pickup for the Fender. I love the Quarter Pound pickup myself, but I understand that a lot of people don't.
As for the looks, I think both basses look very similar, especially since they have almost the same colour-pickguard-fingerboard pattern going on, but again looks are highly subjective.
IMO , nothing is better than a Stingray. Add to that the fact that it is white and has a maple board, no brainer. If you love the sound and it plays well, keep it. Very nice looking bass, by the way
You NEED both.
In your situation I would keep the P and replace the pickup with EMG GZR.
In your situation I would keep the P and replace the pickup with EMG GZR.
