Music Man Caprice or Music Man Stingray

[icehead]

I got a chance to pick up a Music Man Black Caprice without the original pick-guard or a Music Man Stingray 4H See thru Teal with Rosewood and string damper bridge. It also has a drop D tuner. Any thoughts? Value vs Function? Trying to figure which one is worth more, love them both.

 

[eastcoasteddie]

That Stingray is probably a '93 or '94 with those features.
Like this one, very bad-assed:
Used - 1994 Ernie Ball Music Man Stingray (Transparent Teal) | Reverb

I probably has a bird's eye neck like the one I posted. That's the one I'd get…

 

[icehead]

That Stingray is probably a '93 or '94 with those features.
Like this one, very bad-assed:
Used - 1994 Ernie Ball Music Man Stingray (Transparent Teal) | Reverb

I probably has a bird's eye neck like the one I posted. That's the one I'd get…

I think the one I'm looking at is a 1992. Is that a good year?

 

[Geri O]

I think the one I'm looking at is a 1992. Is that a good year?

Yes, a good year for Stingrays. Both 4-string and 5.

As long as I've been here and been a Stingray fan and owner, I don't remember anyone saying there were bad years….

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

Get the StingRay. As far as I'm concerned, that is always the correct answer.

 

[eastcoasteddie]

I think the one I'm looking at is a 1992. Is that a good year?

Ever since they went with the Truss Wheel…'91 I think?. Those years through to the late 90's were the best in my opinion..

I had a '94, and I'm a dumbass (edit: Complete Dumbass) for selling it. I tried contacting the buyer a couple times to see if he still has it but after 10 years, I think it's gone…but we'll see eh?

 

[Mike Vee]

I recently got a stingray and love it to death. However, I waited until I found one under pounds.

 

[eastcoasteddie]

Here's something even more rare…
A '93 Sterling with bridge mutes…!!!

Ernie Ball Music Man Sterling 4H 1993 Honeyburst | Reverb

 

[metron]

Stingray is classic. Caprice is different. Rare and unique. Lots of people like them. I couldn't get rid of the one I had fast enough. Which is a shame because they are selling for about double what I let it go for.

If you like both, get the one you like the sound of best. I would personally go with the Ray without hesitation.

 

[Lesfunk]

I got a chance to pick up a Music Man Black Caprice without the original pick-guard or a Music Man Stingray 4H See thru Teal with Rosewood and string damper bridge. It also has a drop D tuner. Any thoughts? Value vs Function? Trying to figure which one is worth more, love them both.

Well they are truly apples and oranges
That being said, caprices are more rare than stingrays so you might want to grab the caprice and if it doesn't work for you, it should be easier to sell to buy a stingray
There are millions of stingrays out there but not that many caprices.
If you buy the stingray and don't like it, it might be harder to find a caprice afterwards

 

[N4860]

Well they are truly apples and oranges
That being said, caprices are more rare than stingrays so you might want to grab the caprice and if it doesn't work for you, it should be easier to sell to buy a stingray
There are millions of stingrays out there but not that many caprices.
If you buy the stingray and don't like it, it might be harder to find a caprice afterwards

Ya, pretty much this. In terms of value, considering it's an older style StingRay it is going to be lower value on the used market compared to the Caprice. It's never hard to find a StringRay at a reasonable price from the last ~30 or so years. The Caprice is pretty rare comparatively and they tend to sell for at around what they were new or more. They're very different basses otherwise though and both great quality.

 

[Benko]

I got a chance to pick up a Music Man Black Caprice without the original pick-guard or a Music Man Stingray 4H See thru Teal with Rosewood and string damper bridge. It also has a drop D tuner. Any thoughts? Value vs Function? Trying to figure which one is worth more, love them both.

So much different animal..I think it's like asking what is better a P-bass or a Stingray, then if you lean more toward a p-bass because of precision tone and passive electronics...you got your answer, get a Caprice, it's probably one of the best precision you can get (and you get that sweet PJ or P-Humbucker sounds on top of it)

 

[Killing Floor]

Personally Stingray but Caprice is a cool bass too.

 

[_One//Man//Mutiny_]

100% Stingray! If your gonna shell out the money for either, that's the one I would go for

 

[Kerem Koseoglu]

This is a subjective question, and here is my subjective answer.

I'd get the Caprice if I had to own only one bass. Despite the fact that I have played StingRay basses for years. Why?

• I don't feel safe with active basses without passive switches.
• I have grown to like a little variation - I like it better when I can get P-ish (neck), Jaco-ish (bridge), Marcus-ish (both) tones from the same bass. Caprice seems to be naturally more compatible with that.
• It is possible to make a passive bass active-ish with a floor preamp, but I can't see how a StingRay can be tamed down to passive if needed.

But if the aim to own & gig with multiple basses (+ backups) for specialized tasks, StingRay does its own thing like no other can. I would own StingRay, Precision, Jazz, etc basses separately; so the answer would be StingRay.

However; the next player could tell you the exact opposite because he/she has a completely different musical direction and taste.

Bonus info: My main is a 5 string active/passive J, which can adapt to anything I play at this time.

 

[LBS-bass]

Here's something even more rare…
A '93 Sterling with bridge mutes…!!!

Ernie Ball Music Man Sterling 4H 1993 Honeyburst | Reverb

Oh good lord why'd you have to show me that? This is literally the one that got away. I had to sell it to help finance my move when I came to California. Best neck I ever owned and gorgeous, too.... sigh.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

I got a chance to pick up a Music Man Black Caprice without the original pick-guard or a Music Man Stingray 4H See thru Teal with Rosewood and string damper bridge. It also has a drop D tuner. Any thoughts? Value vs Function? Trying to figure which one is worth more, love them both.

Caprice

 

[Chickenwheels]

I'd buy that StingRay, if it wasn't too heavy.

 

[Mrtoodamnsabre]

If you got a mute kit early 90s in trans teal you should absolutely go for that one; the early 90s ones are among the best ones they've ever made. they sound close to identical to the 80s ones and they are really really well made. Would kill someone to have a 3eq with a mute kit! if you got a 2eq even better! But he tonal possibilities with that 3eq mid cut and the mutes are awesome. The mutes really do take away a lot of the sparkle on that bass' high end, I've always thought they were an essential part

 

[Mrtoodamnsabre]

Yes, a good year for Stingrays. Both 4-string and 5.

As long as I've been here and been a Stingray fan and owner, I don't remember anyone saying there were bad years….

there really weren't any bad years regarding build quality, sound or anything important, there were however definitely bad years regarding paint jobs lol. 84-87 is the rough spot during the transition from nitrocellulose finishes to polyester! It's not every bass but the neck finishes tend to have checked out or flaked/rubbed off over the years! I got two from this era, one the paint will probably continue to flake and the other one has a gorgeous spiderweb checking pattern across the whole thing, might actually be a nitro neck