- Oct 22, 2015
- 21,165
- 256,951
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I wouldn't know
it's the only one I ever had
... I have maple, ebony, and rosewood fretboards and I like how they look. But maybe like the maple best ...
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Music Man StingRay Club | PART FIVE
- Thread starter fivestringgecko
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I wouldn't know
it's the only one I ever had
... I have maple, ebony, and rosewood fretboards and I like how they look. But maybe like the maple best ...
Back again guys…NUBD…just acquired EBMM RAY4 natural 2013 by trade in my MIJ PB62 plus some money off course
on last sunday.
Due it has mint condition and reasonable price i encourage myself to take it home.
This will be my 3rd EBMM after my RAY4 ex and my Sterling. Its very light even lighter than my 93 sterling. I change it to clear pickguard to show the grain.
on last sunday.Due it has mint condition and reasonable price i encourage myself to take it home.
This will be my 3rd EBMM after my RAY4 ex and my Sterling. Its very light even lighter than my 93 sterling. I change it to clear pickguard to show the grain.
- Oct 22, 2015
- 21,165
- 256,951
- Disclosures
- I am an affiliate for Ari Cap.
Man, I’m jealous. I wish I snagged this one!as promised, my recently acquired Tim Commerford Stingray (#20 of 50) purchased online from Long & McQuade here in Canada in mid-January. I ordered it on a Thursday night and it was at my door Saturday morning. woo-hoo! I believe it may have been the only one available in Canada and at the time it cost about $400 cheaper than it would've cost to buy one from the US and currently the only ones I can find on Reverb are going for 3 grand CAD more! yikes! also just a couple of weeks prior I was trying to buy a 4H Stingray in Kiwi Green from Sweetwater but due to their agreement they're unable to ship EBMM products to Canada. lucky me as it turns out.
this is my first Stingray since the one I bought back in the 70's at a place called GB Sound in Burlington Ontario, one of the first to arrive in Canada I would think. it was black with a maple board and black pickguard. wish I still had it.
anyway here's a couple of pics I just took, apologies for my poor photographic skills.
Blue 2EQ came in today. Needs a trip to the luthier but in amazing cosmetic shape for a 93. Definitely done for a while...
WHAT? No 5 strings? You are not done, yet!
Haha I count myself lucky that 30yrs in and every time I touch a 5er my fingers get weirded out. Heck, the thicker neck and gloss on the Classic kinda bothers me as is. I'd really like to try out a maple short scale, though... Maybe open up some more tuning possibilities and start stoking the money fire. Who knows? The only certainty is that there will be more Stingrays. Death. Taxes. Rays.WHAT? No 5 strings? You are not done, yet!
- Oct 22, 2015
- 21,165
- 256,951
- Disclosures
- I am an affiliate for Ari Cap.
I am with you! The thickness of the B bugs me haha only serious
The E on my 'Ray is a .096
Interesting. I don't mind thicker strings. Two are setup/strung 65-125 for B std/drop C/etc. It's just the feel/ergonomics. To be fair, I've never tried a Stingray 5. That would probably feel more comfortable than a slippery Warwick, but I will gladly live in ignorance on this one.
Does anyone know the going rate for a USA Ernie Ball SUB Stingray? The "lower end" made in USA line from the early 2000s? Looks like they can be had for 800+- on Reverb, but that's not necessarily what they're selling for.
I haven't purchased one in years, but $800 doesn't seem out of line to me.
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It's passive. One of the short scales they did a few months ago. I can get 3 different levels of loudness out of it though, which I dig. Parallel, then series and then the pop-up volume knob for an even bigger boost. It works great for solos.
Hello Stingrayites, can I join the club?
I have a long but checkered history with Stingrays. Sit back and I'll tell you the tale...
In the early 80's I acquired a '78 Stingray (traded my '76 T-bird for it). That was my main (and often only) bass for several years. The finish was white (faded to yellow) but I used to cover the body with colored tape and shelving paper to change it's look. God I loved that bass and went through a lot with it.
Red electricians tape covering the body.
Eventually, in the late 80's, a friend who was a cabinet maker sanded off the white/yellow finish for me, so it became natural. A few years after that, I put the Stingray up for sale, on consignment at First Bass in Denver (a great little bass only store back in the day). When the bass sold and I went to the store to pickup my check, the owner told me that my Stingray had been purchased by Jeff Ament of Pearl Jam (they had been in town playing a concert). I figured he was pulling my leg, but a few months later Bass Player magazine featured a photo on the cover of Jeff Ament playing what I'm certain was my Stingray.
Did I feel a twinge of regret? Yes, yes I did.
I didn't own another Stingray for many, many years as being a bassist took a backseat to focusing on career, family, mortgage, etc.
Fast forward 25 years or so, and I got the itch to be in a band once more. I joined a classic rock "dad band" and needed a bass so I went and bought a used Ernie Ball Stingray in orangeburst.
But it didn't sound quite right, or feel quite right. Could never feel comfortable with it. I sold it, and went through a few other types of basses (P, J, Reverend, etc.). Nothing scratched the itch. I decided to try a Stingray again. This time I bought a brand new EB Stingray Special, natural finish. Beautiful bass, but it too just didn't quite feel or sound "right". It also had the worst dead spot on the neck of any bass I've ever owned. A real disappointment, it was returned.
I gave up and moved on to various other basses as I continued to play in bands, including a short scale phase for the last couple of years.
But recently the itch for a Stingray hit again. I tried a Sire Z7. Close, but no cigar. It eventually occurred to me (since I'm a bit slow on the uptake) that maybe what I ought to do is get another old, pre-EB Stingray like my very first one. Maybe the source of my disatisfaction had been the feel of the newer (Ernie Ball) contoured bodies and sound of the newer electronics. Problem is, I didn't have a spare $3-6K laying around to buy a vintage Stingray or one of the newer EB classic/retro models with the old school 2-band EQ and slab body. Then I remembered the USA-made SUB Stingrays from the early 2000's, with the funky textured "truck liner" coating. They go for around $800.00 nowadays, which made the risk of getting one worthwhile. I bought one on Reverb and as soon as I strapped it on, there was the feel I had missed (thanks to that slab body) and the sound I had sought (thanks to the 2-band EQ and--if I'm correct--older alnico vs newer ceramic pickup). I love this bass. Can't put it down. Happy times.
I was so impressed that shortly thereafter I came upon a 2004 USA SUB Sterling model (I'd never played one of those) and got it too.
It also has a slab body, but 3-band EQ.
It's a matter of personal aesthetic taste, but I love the "truck liner" coating on these. Eventually I'll sand the black paint off the back of the necks though. Now I'm considering whether or not to buy an additional USA SUB Stingray because, you know, reasons.
I have a long but checkered history with Stingrays. Sit back and I'll tell you the tale...
In the early 80's I acquired a '78 Stingray (traded my '76 T-bird for it). That was my main (and often only) bass for several years. The finish was white (faded to yellow) but I used to cover the body with colored tape and shelving paper to change it's look. God I loved that bass and went through a lot with it.
Red electricians tape covering the body.
Eventually, in the late 80's, a friend who was a cabinet maker sanded off the white/yellow finish for me, so it became natural. A few years after that, I put the Stingray up for sale, on consignment at First Bass in Denver (a great little bass only store back in the day). When the bass sold and I went to the store to pickup my check, the owner told me that my Stingray had been purchased by Jeff Ament of Pearl Jam (they had been in town playing a concert). I figured he was pulling my leg, but a few months later Bass Player magazine featured a photo on the cover of Jeff Ament playing what I'm certain was my Stingray.
Did I feel a twinge of regret? Yes, yes I did.
I didn't own another Stingray for many, many years as being a bassist took a backseat to focusing on career, family, mortgage, etc.
Fast forward 25 years or so, and I got the itch to be in a band once more. I joined a classic rock "dad band" and needed a bass so I went and bought a used Ernie Ball Stingray in orangeburst.
But it didn't sound quite right, or feel quite right. Could never feel comfortable with it. I sold it, and went through a few other types of basses (P, J, Reverend, etc.). Nothing scratched the itch. I decided to try a Stingray again. This time I bought a brand new EB Stingray Special, natural finish. Beautiful bass, but it too just didn't quite feel or sound "right". It also had the worst dead spot on the neck of any bass I've ever owned. A real disappointment, it was returned.
I gave up and moved on to various other basses as I continued to play in bands, including a short scale phase for the last couple of years.
But recently the itch for a Stingray hit again. I tried a Sire Z7. Close, but no cigar. It eventually occurred to me (since I'm a bit slow on the uptake) that maybe what I ought to do is get another old, pre-EB Stingray like my very first one. Maybe the source of my disatisfaction had been the feel of the newer (Ernie Ball) contoured bodies and sound of the newer electronics. Problem is, I didn't have a spare $3-6K laying around to buy a vintage Stingray or one of the newer EB classic/retro models with the old school 2-band EQ and slab body. Then I remembered the USA-made SUB Stingrays from the early 2000's, with the funky textured "truck liner" coating. They go for around $800.00 nowadays, which made the risk of getting one worthwhile. I bought one on Reverb and as soon as I strapped it on, there was the feel I had missed (thanks to that slab body) and the sound I had sought (thanks to the 2-band EQ and--if I'm correct--older alnico vs newer ceramic pickup). I love this bass. Can't put it down. Happy times.
I was so impressed that shortly thereafter I came upon a 2004 USA SUB Sterling model (I'd never played one of those) and got it too.
It also has a slab body, but 3-band EQ.
It's a matter of personal aesthetic taste, but I love the "truck liner" coating on these. Eventually I'll sand the black paint off the back of the necks though. Now I'm considering whether or not to buy an additional USA SUB Stingray because, you know, reasons.
Last edited:
This was a great read with pics to make it even more interesting.Hello Stingrayites, can I join the club?
I have a long but checkered history with Stingrays. Sit back and I'll tell you the tale...
In the early 80's I acquired a '78 Stingray (traded my '76 T-bird for it). That was my main (and often only) bass for several years. The finish was white (faded to yellow) but I used to cover the body with colored tape and shelving paper to change it's look. God I loved that bass and went through a lot with it.
View attachment 7221758View attachment 7221760View attachment 7221761
Red electricians tape covering the body.
Eventually, in the late 80's, a friend who was a cabinet maker sanded off the white/yellow finish for me, so it became natural. A few years after that, I put the Stingray up for sale, on consignment at First Bass in Denver (a great little bass only store back in the day). When the bass sold and I went to the store to pickup my check, the owner told me that my Stringray had been purchased by Jeff Ament of Pearl Jam (they had been in town playing a concert). I figured he was pulling my leg, but a few months later Bass Player magazine featured a photo on the cover of Jeff Ament playing what I'm certain was my Stingray.
View attachment 7221766
Did I feel a twinge of regret? Yes, yes I did.
I didn't own another Stingray for many, many years as being a bassist took a backseat to focusing on career, family, mortgage, etc.
Fast forward 25 years or so, and I got the itch to be in a band once more. I joined a classic rock "dad band" and needed a bass so I went and bought a used Ernie Ball Stingray in orangeburst.
View attachment 7221767
But it didn't sound quite right, or feel quite right. Could never feel comfortable with it. I sold it, and went through a few other types of basses (P, J, Reverend, etc.). Nothing scratched the itch. I decided to try a Stingray again. This time I bought a brand new EB Stingray Special, natural finish. Beautiful bass, but it too just didn't quite feel or sound "right". It also had the worst dead spot on the neck of any bass I've ever owned. A real disappointment, it was returned.
View attachment 7221775
View attachment 7221776
I gave up and moved on to various other basses as I continued to play in bands, including a short scale phase for the last couple of years.
But recently the itch for a Stingray hit again. I tried a Sire Z7. Close, but no cigar. It eventually occurred to me (since I'm a bit slow on the uptake) that maybe what I ought to do is get another old, pre-EB Stingray like my very first one. Maybe the source of my disatisfaction had been the feel of the newer (Ernie Ball) contoured bodies and sound of the newer electronics. Problem is, I didn't have a spare $3-5K laying around to buy a vintage Stingray or one of the newer EB Classics with the old school 2-band EQ and slab body. Then I remembered the USA-made SUB Stingrays from the early 2000's, with the funky textured "truck liner" coating. They go for around $800.00 nowadays, which made the risk of getting one worthwhile. I bought one on Reverb and as soon as I strapped it on, there was the feel I had missed (thanks to that slab body) and the sound I had sought (thanks to the 2-band EQ and--if I'm correct--older alnico vs newer ceramic pickup). I love this bass. Can't put it down. Happy times.
View attachment 7221963
I was so impressed that shortly thereafter I came upon a 2004 USA SUB Sterling model (I'd never played one of those) and got it too.
View attachment 7221964
It also has a slab body, but 3-band EQ.
It's a matter of personal aesthetic taste, but I love the "truck liner" coating on these. Eventually I'll sand the black paint off the back of the necks though. Now I'm considering whether or not to buy an additional USA SUB Stingray because, you know, reasons.
View attachment 7221974
I’m glad you found those USA SUBs.
I love the old 2 bands but they just aren’t comfortable for me so I get along best with the Specials and have no liking for the pre Special 3bands.
The only thing better than 2 good StingRays is 3!!
My favorite session setup when I bring my '91...
My two EBMMs, and a dilemma.
Context: Rock band with somewhat fast riffs and phrasings. The Sterling works great in that regard.
Enter the fretless.. oh man. This bass plays great! Such smooth neck and beautiful sound. Mwah for days. I have had other fretless basses before but this one is really next level.
The dilemma: Not being confident of me playing play fast enough through riffs without having tuning out of whack. Fretless may not be the more common/useful bass in a power trio.
Next live show is in a month, should I keep it safe or go Palladino all the way?
Will bring it to the next rehearsal to see how it goes.
The MMs:
Invalid Link Removed
Context: Rock band with somewhat fast riffs and phrasings. The Sterling works great in that regard.
Enter the fretless.. oh man. This bass plays great! Such smooth neck and beautiful sound. Mwah for days. I have had other fretless basses before but this one is really next level.
The dilemma: Not being confident of me playing play fast enough through riffs without having tuning out of whack. Fretless may not be the more common/useful bass in a power trio.
Next live show is in a month, should I keep it safe or go Palladino all the way?
Will bring it to the next rehearsal to see how it goes.
The MMs:
Invalid Link Removed
