Love/ hate relationship

[micguy]

I loved my Kramer metal necked basses for 3 decades. Then I hit my 50's, and an 11 pound neck diver was no longer a good thing. I donated them to a place that gives them to kids starting out. Maybe the next owner will love them for 30 years bfore they hate them.

 

[Jack Butler]

Warwick corvette. Every time I play one it blows away everything in the store, both sound and playability. Then I look at it and can't pull the trigger. Ugliest body ever.

 

[Clef_de_fa]

People can get used to anything. You can get used to a Stingray. There are other options but you absolutely could get comfortable with it if you take the time.

Yep I beleive in that but I think right handed player have it easy ... if it doesn't fit they go else where... being lefty you do with what you have or can obtain.

 

[J-Bassomatic]

Maybe the problem is with your hands, not the Rick's neck?

Yeah, I think that's it!

 

[Nickweissmusic]

Some of my all time favorite bassist used Stingray basses. Louis Johnson, Bernard Edwards , Paul S Denman,Oscar Alston, Allen McGrier, Nate Watts , John Deacon. I just live to listen to their Stingray playing. I'm especially fond of the 2band Classic Ray tones.

But I can't stand the way these basses feel in my hands. I'm just not comfortable playing them. The pickup placement is too far back and I like to rest my hand on the pickup when I play if I'm not muting the strings with my palm. The necks are too chunky for my small hands , they seem to be heavy the majority of the time . And I find the bodies too cumbersome .

Since they are uncomfortable for me , I can't get good tone .
So I'm stuck just enjoying listening to others play them .

Do you have this kind of love/hate relationship with any bass?

Pretty much the same with Stingrays. Never gotten comfortable with one. Big and heavy in all the wrong places, and I'm tall with big hands, yet my friend who is 5'7 kills on it.

 

[Wisebass]

Did you feel betrayed?

Not at all: when I bought my Jazz in 1985 most bassplayers said the 70s Fenders were
"grandpa- style" instruments with their bindings and blockinlays. Natural as well as sunburst (most
of my friends told me that) were fugly. (having the word Jazz in big letters on the headstock did not
help either )

So I can understand that some love them and some hate them (and I don't take it too serious )
The good thing about that was, that in 85 you could buy a Fender for the price of a new Squier (what I did )

may the bass be with you

Wise(b)ass

 

[Wisebass]

What ever happened to the rule about not calling someone else's bass ugly?

The good thing about that was, that in 85 you could buy a Fender for the price of a new Squier (what I did )

see everything is fine

may the bass be with you

Wise(b)ass

 

[Malak the Mad]

I'm especially fond of the 2band Classic Ray tones.

But I can't stand the way these basses feel in my hands. I'm just not comfortable playing them. The pickup placement is too far back and I like to rest my hand on the pickup when I play if I'm not muting the strings with my palm. The necks are too chunky for my small hands , they seem to be heavy the majority of the time . And I find the bodies too cumbersome.

There are ways around that.

But don't feel too low, Low. You're not the only one who has to work hard to play a classic Stingray.

People can get used to anything. You can get used to a Stingray. There are other options but you absolutely could get comfortable with it if you take the time.

Respectfully, I have to disagree, mon capitaine. From what I've seen during my career in health and well-being, all it takes is a near-microscopic difference of anatomy to render just about any device…an instrument, a car, an office chair or desk, etc…ergonomically unfit for use. (Look at the deep divide between those of us who prefer a P-neck or a J-neck, and that's usually over a meager .125 inches!) And even if said device could be made to work for this-or-that person, their physical tolerances could lead to long-term issues that make the effort so-very-not worth it.

Sadly, the act of figuring out if one can safely adapt or not usually involves a bit of trial & error and in the bad cases, a lot of pain. That's why I often suggest people figure out and go with what personally works for them. Some things are not worth the agony that comes part-and-parcel with it.

 

[soundfan75]

I just reluctantly sold a Smith BSR B after 16 years. It was incredible in every way, except for the 16mm string spacing; and therefore spent the majority of the time in the closet.