Music Man HH owners, how does the neck pickup sound, in comparison to a P?

They don’t sound all that much alike. The Stingray can be very glassy and active sounding in comparison to the P bass. Some will even say the stingray sounds artificial compared to a typically passive presicion bass. Pbass sounds like a pbass and thats all there really is to it if thats the sound you want. Otherwise, theres companies like bartolini that sell soapbar style pickups with split coils in them if the aesthetics really truly bother you.

 

It doesn't. The pickup on the Ray is too far forward from where a P pickup is.

 

The G&L L1000 or Peavey T45 get a P-ish tone without a split coil. Their pickups are located in the same spot as a P. Use them in series mode and there ya go... The L2000 neck pickup in series mode is close, too.

 

If you are referring to the new Stingray Specials , 4th gear or position 4 with the 2 inner coils selected and the eq blended to preference is what I use for Pbass like tone. The new Specials have a more organic tone to them compared to previous models, and they can get close to Fender like tones with different pickup selections an eq setting.

 

@Petebass knows a lot about this.

 

The neck pickup on the HH ray is rounder than the bridge, but a ray sounds like a ray. They have a certain "honkyness" that just can't be dialed out, love it or hate it. A G&l L2500 or L2000 is a good active double buck guitar that can get in the ballpark of both a P and a Stingray, but if you want a real deal P sound, get a real deal P.

 

I feel the same way. The solution for me was a single coil precision(Sting Signature, 51 Reissue, Squire 50's CV, etc.). Granted they don't sound exactly like a split coil.

 

Yeah I would second that, you cannot really get a Stingray HH sounding like a P Bass any day of the week. The G&L L2000 which is more versatile than any Stingray will more or less get you there, but your best option is just go and buy a P Bass and don't get too concerned about the look!

 

^^This. I have both an HH MusicMan Stingray and a G&L L2500. The MM with the neck bucker soloed does not sound like a P-bass at all. It's warm-sounding for a Ray but that's about all you can say. On the G&L, in passive mode and neck pickup in series, dial back the volume control to about 75% and you're much closer. But that's it, closer. That peculiar mid-forward character of a P is pretty much unique to that split pickup in that position.

 

Did I miss where the OP said he was comparing to a Stingray specifically? I thought he said Music Man, which makes more than the Stingray.

I’ve owned a Stingray, Big Al, Reflex, and Bongo. All Music Man basses. While I agree the Stingray doesn’t sound like a Pbass (nor is it designed to), the Bongo can do just about any sound you want. While I liked them all, the Stingray, Reflex and Big Al are all gone, but both my Bongos remain and always will. They’re light, great ergonomics, and sound fantastic, including being able to sound close to a P. The Big Al would be my next favourite tone wise.

 

You can get rectangular pickup covers for split coil P-Bass pickups. Makes them look like soapbars.

 

Also worth mentioning that this MusicMan bass on the right is what made me sell my Fender Pbass.

 

Yeah, as others have said, you’re not going to get there with a StingRay. The StingRay neck pickup is woolier, maybe muddier. The split-coil P pickup is quite unique. Maybe look for a bass with an offset split-coil soap bar in the P position, or a Reverend Mercalli with its split brick pickup (mine did the P thing very well). But my best advice would be to get over the aesthetics, and get yourself a P.

 

I think we assumed OP was asking about Stingray since thread title asked about HH model.

 

As a stingray 4h/5h player for 20 years and after taking a leap and getting a G&L Kiloton... if you want a bass that can be a stingray and a p, it's got it. The SRHH doesn't pull off the tone IMHO.

 

Hi TheOriginalName

Leo did that. And he found the sweet spot for the pickup.

Leo did that one too. But the sweet spot is not the same and (IMO) not in the neck position.

He did it right the first time!
(edit: a Ray with two pickups is no Ray IMO)

Talking about Leo and pickups and sweet spots….



Maybe you are the guy who will like this?


may the bass be with you

Wise(b)ass

 

Scroll down to the 4th post on this page by member @pickles . He posted some sound clips of different basses. You can hear some Pbass compared the the Stingray5 Special HH . Its the clip labeled SR5S 4.mp3
. Judge for yourself how close it gets to Pbass tone.

EBMM StingRay Special Club

 

It doesn't speak to the sound, but I always go back to the image in this post when I think of pickup placement:
Some real talk about Pickup Placement.....

Edit: Oops, I noticed there's no HH on there...

 

My Reflex was an HH, one of my Bongos is an HH. The Sterling comes in an HH. You could be right he was thinking Stingray, but Music Man makes lots of different HH models, several of which will get him closer to a P than a Stingray will.