Fender p bass or Ernie ball stingray

[Gabe7539]

If you're getting a second Musicman, a good option could be a two-pickup Bongo 5 or 6. Those things will give you a beefed-up Stingray sound and can be adapted to any kind of music, especially with a 5 or 6 string. And that stealth-black six is truly a thing of beauty. Only negative imo is the price tag; I could never convince myself to buy one because I don't particularly like Stingrays, but it could be just what you're looking for.

 

[Bassist Jay]

To the OP, why are you having trouble justifying owning 2 basses? That is the minimum you should have. That way you have a main and a back up. But if you can only keep one, then in my opinion, I would keep the Stingray. Fender P basses are always easy to reobtain on the cheap. Music Man basses on the other hand hold their value really well. And they have the best tone for sitting in a mix.

 

[mesaplayer83]

I personally think a P can sound every bit as aggressive as Ray. It just depends on what frequencies you are talking about. A P distorts so well and that immediately can place it anywhere in a mix. I am into forward sounding bass tones and I think the P does them as well as any bass. The whole huge treble thing is not really my style though. It's too bitey and thin. I usually keep the treble on my classic Ray a little under half up.

Agreed - and a P with QPs is pretty aggressive and punchy without much EQing...

 

[Badwater]

Keep both and use both when you feel the need. Flats on the P, and rounds on the Stingray. This gives you a wide range of tones that you can use for any application (recording, stage, jams, practice, solo, etc...).

I wouldn't try to make one sound like the other. Emphasize their strenghts: Flats on the P, and Rounds on the Stingray.

 

[Michael Jewels]

The Precision Bass has been used on an awful lot of hard rock records, some metal as well.
The Jazz bass seems to be an often used bass for Jazz.
Stingray has been used on a lot of funk records, disco, dance and pop.
I think that a Stingray can be brought into the territory of the P Bass and the Jazz bass if the player tames that massive treble, unfortunately it seems very few want to dial it back a bit.

I always keep my treble way down, at about 3. The tone I prefer is the tone Paul Denman got on the Sade recordings.

Although a Ray feels a lot like a P-bass, I think it's tone is closer to that of a Jazz bass.

Not round and articulate.

Mike

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

I always keep my treble way down, at about 3. The tone I prefer is the tone Paul Denman got on the Sade recordings.

Although a Ray feels a lot like a P-bass, I think it's tone is closer to that of a Jazz bass.

Not round and articulate.

Mike

Paul S. Denman , Luis Johnson, & Bernard Edwards all had great Stingray tone.

 

[Dark Horse]

In my opinion "cutting through the mix" is overrated. I'd much rather have a bass that supports the band. But I guess that's just me.

That said, obviously I would go with the Precision Bass....It's good in nearly every circumstance, with nearly every band. It'll work for almost everything.

 

[mesaplayer83]

In my opinion "cutting through the mix" is overrated. I'd much rather have a bass that supports the band. But I guess that's just me.

That said, obviously I would go with the Precision Bass....It's good in nearly every circumstance, with nearly every band. It'll work for almost everything.

Yup - I do love a good 'ray, but would find a P bass more useful overall, if I had to choose between the two...

Edited to add that I agree with the part about "supporting" over "cutting", too...

 

[SJan3]

No idea if this will help but.....

Played a pre EB Stingray for 20 yrs cause back in the early 80's it was the bass to have and at the time you couldnt give P basses away, but I was never quite satisfied with the sound...sure it cut through ok but the lack of low mids gnawed away at me everytime I played it.

I then had a 10 yr break and came back with a cheap Mex P and never picked the Stringray up again and sold it.

A P bass played with flats and a light touch has a quality that is very hard to beat IME.

My experience exactly!

 

[SJan3]

The Precision Bass has been used on an awful lot of hard rock records, some metal as well.
The Jazz bass seems to be an often used bass for Jazz.
Stingray has been used on a lot of funk records, disco, dance and pop.
I think that a Stingray can be brought into the territory of the P Bass and the Jazz bass if the player tames that massive treble, unfortunately it seems very few want to dial it back a bit.

It's the treble that is off putting for me. My '79 Stingray 2eq wasn't too bad but those 3eq are way too edgy for my taste.

 

[SJan3]

To the OP, why are you having trouble justifying owning 2 basses? That is the minimum you should have. That way you have a main and a back up. But if you can only keep one, then in my opinion, I would keep the Stingray. Fender P basses are always easy to reobtain on the cheap. Music Man basses on the other hand hold their value really well. And they have the best tone for sitting in a mix.

..and P Basses don't sit in the mix?

 

[Bassist Jay]

..and P Basses don't sit in the mix?

Not as good as a Music Man does.

 

[58kites]

Not as good as a Music Man does.

Disagree, it's pretty hard for a Fender Precision Bass to not sound right in the mix of every genre of music for the last 50 years, since that was what was most often used and is the standard by which all other electric basses are compared.
We have many many thousands of records as proof.
I think it would have been much harder to drop a MM Bass into the mix of a lot of these records and have them just fit right in.
I think Stingrays are cool basses, but not as universally useful as a Fender Precision.
I think most seasoned session bass players will concur.

 

[mesaplayer83]

Not as good as a Music Man does.

Merely your opinion - the bulk of recorded and live professional music contradicts you, though...

 

[SJan3]

Not as good as a Music Man does.

Respectfully, I think many here might disagree with you.

 

[AngelCrusher]

Disagree, it's pretty hard for a Fender Precision Bass to not sound right in the mix of every genre of music for the last 50 years, since that was what was most often used and is the standard by which all other electric basses are compared.
We have many many thousands of records as proof.
I think it would have been much harder to drop a MM Bass into the mix of a lot of these records and have them just fit right in.
I think Stingrays are cool basses, but not as universally useful as a Fender Precision.
I think most seasoned session bass players will concur.

Without a doubt. The past year I did many paid sessions (all different genres) with just a Ray and a Pbass. They both killed but the Pbass fit any mix I wanted. I could have used it on every single song honestly. I do like the Ray's a tone a lot. It's super burpy and modern, excellent for house tunes and things like that. But the versatility of the P is unbeatable, and that is from me A/Bing both basses in studio situations for the past 12 months, and taking feedback multiple artists and producers.

 

[Bassist Jay]

Respectfully, I think many here might disagree with you.

I won't deny that. Fenders don't sound horrible in a mix in my opinion but in my personal preference and opinion, there aren't a lot of basses that will sit better in a mix than a Music Man.

 

[mesaplayer83]

I won't deny that. Fenders don't sound horrible in a mix in my opinion but in my personal preference and opinion, there aren't a lot of basses that will sit better in a mix than a Music Man.

If you had qualified your 1st statement as being "in your opinion", I doubt anyone would have a problem with it - however, it came off as a statement of fact that is readily contradicted by the bulk of recorded music and live performances by professional musicians over the last 60 years or so...

 

[Bassist Jay]

Merely your opinion - the bulk of recorded and live professional music contradicts you, though...

I won't deny that Fender is still probably the most popularly used bass on the market but I think they get that in part because they were the first and only thing offered for many years and you have generations of musicians that use them only because an influence of theirs used one etc.

I don't hate Fenders and I do respect their history but in my opinion, I believe Music Man is better in quality and sound. I also believe other makes and brands took what Fender started and made things better.

Again, I'm not knocking Fender but I think their popularity is as big as it is because they were first to market and the only option for years.

 

[Bassist Jay]

If you had qualified your 1st statement as being "in your opinion", I doubt anyone would have a problem with it - however, it came off as a statement of fact that is readily contradicted by the bulk of recorded music and live performances by professional musicians over the last 60 years or so...

Everything is opinion based even if a majority prefer one thing over another thus why I didn't qualify it as my opinion. I thought that was understood, I was merely giving my opinion but I can understand people's feeling how they did on what I said.

I remember in the early 90's, playing a new MIA Fender P bass and J bass but couldn't figure out why so many liked them. I couldn't stand them. Then in the last few years, I did start warming up to them. I now have a few being made for me from the companies I am endorsed by so I can get a few custom things from the start. Mainly Nordstrand pickups in them and the neck built and set up how I like. We'll see after having one for a while if my opinion doesn't change for the better towards them.