Is the versatility of a Stingray underrated?

This has been discussed alot. A single H Ray or Sterling cannot do some of the things that a two pickup bass can do. It's just that simple. Still, there are a lot of sounds to be had in a Stingray or Sterling if one is willing to learn the instrument. Afterall, who would mistake Tony Levin for Louis Johnson, or Flea for Paul Denman?

 

This is not true.
The problem is that you play rock and talk only to rock musicians, who happen to be the most close minded people in the face of earth. All others know that you use what you like, and almost any bass can get the job done. You won't hear anything like this from any other kind of musician.

 

wow. hmmm.

 

see that is also untrue, ive talked to plenty jazz bassists, funk bassists etc that have the same preconceived notion about rays, and frankly your post is a little insulting to rock bassists and rock musicians in general, i play all styles, rock being one of them and ive had plenty of great experiences with other rock musicians, completely to the contrary of what you said. Id honestly like you to tell Chris Squire, Geddy Lee and John Myung that they are the most close minded people in the world face to face, see what happens.

+1

gotta say, id love to see stanley clarke rock a flying v, thatd be an awesome show

 

It doesn't show... The whole "Stingrays are for funk" can't come from anyone else than rock'n roll musicians. And you don't see that Dean being played because it's ugly as hell...

 

I found my StingRay great for rock, metal, jazz, blues, and even country.

Funny thing about the Dean though, I`ve talked to a lot of old time funk players in my area and a lot of them swear by Deans as having a great funk tone. Never tried it myself, but that seems to be the local consensus.

 

Only guys that ever bugged me about playing my Stingray and want me to play a fender are some funk/jazz dudes I'm playing with now. And I think alex is drunk.

 

I play alot of funk/R&B and jazz. I use a stingray primarily for fingerstyle playing not funk. I use my jazz style basses for that. Stingray has a limited number of tones due to the single pickup, but the tone can be used effectively in any style of music. Different strokes...

BTW, remember Bernard Edwards used a mockingbird and he definitely was not a rock bass player!

 

No, just his normal self...

 

i think youre a tad outnumbered here, and for one thing, this is in YOUR EXPERIENCE, dont state things that you cant back up with SOLID EVIDENCE as facts

 

Read my signature...

 

If everybody followed that rule, there would be nothing to read on talkbass.

 

good point, i apologize...

on topic:

ive been able to coax tons of tones out of a Ray, theyre wonderful instruments and they sound amazing but they do have a really good slap/funk tone and so many players use them for that reason and that has become so common that many people associate rays with slap/funk

 

I played a Ray the other day, and was quite surprised at the palette of tones available.

 

I think that the same people who say this about stingers are the same ones that argue this about P-basses...but really, the difference in the tone of your bass is as much in the fingers as in the knobs. Adding the 2nd pup in can only change so much.

 

I've never run into that pre-conceived mindset here in the Northwest. There are tons of rock bands here with StingRays (me included), but funk bands are almost as rare as hens teeth. The last time I ever saw a funk band with a StingRay, was back around '95/'96

 

BUt this is *image*. The bass itself will do jazz nicely.

You could play death metal with a pink Daisy Rock single-humbucker guitar...