BTW, the Classic Sabre, Bongo, and Big Al basses are also excellent choices for rock. Nice, lively, punchy sound. Fun to play. Look cool. Good cases.
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Music Man Stingray - Rock?
- Thread starter AkaGoal
- Start date
Is there really any such thing as a bass that wouldn't work for rock?
Im just pleased fugazi is the most mentioned band in this thread so far!
You can do anything with a stingray, except play a wrong note, cos everyone will hear it in their hips if you do.
You can do anything with a stingray, except play a wrong note, cos everyone will hear it in their hips if you do.
First of all guys: You've written it once, twice and even more often that this is a stupid question. I understood that and I don't need any new post like "serious question?", "dumb question" or anything like that. I was curious what you think about that because where I live, in Austria, there are nearly no Stimgray's or any Music Man Basses (is Music Men ok?) I could test a sterling by music man stingray and it sounded dead and not very punchy, so I asked about the real Music Man.
Sorry for my bad english, I hope my DUMB question let's you sleep at night
Sorry for my bad english, I hope my DUMB question let's you sleep at night
Stingray's are killer for rock and pretty much anything else out there. They have a fairly distinct tone so I would make sure that it's something you like before getting one.
Take a listen to some YouTube videos. There are LOTS of great examples...
-The 1st Rage Against The Machine album is all Stingray into an SVT
-Tool's 46&2 and "H" was a Stingray IIRC
-I don't care if you like the band or not, but the Chevelle album Wonder What's Next has excellent bass tones and it's all vintage Stingray (2 band) played w/ a pick into a vintage SVT. The intro to "An Evening with el Diablo" showcases it really well IMO.
Take a listen to some YouTube videos. There are LOTS of great examples...
-The 1st Rage Against The Machine album is all Stingray into an SVT
-Tool's 46&2 and "H" was a Stingray IIRC
-I don't care if you like the band or not, but the Chevelle album Wonder What's Next has excellent bass tones and it's all vintage Stingray (2 band) played w/ a pick into a vintage SVT. The intro to "An Evening with el Diablo" showcases it really well IMO.
This is a good point. I'm struggling to come up with some basses that aren't and I'm having trouble.
Dont take offense. ALOT of guys read the original post and immediately reply without reading anything else and dont see that 15 other people already said something similar. FWIW alot of guys basically think of a Stingray as THE rock bass for punchy, ballsy, bitey groove so much so that they cant imagine anyone hasnt already realized that. But, even though I am a dedicated Stingray lover, there was once a time where I had no idea what that bass was soooooo good for. We forget, while awash in the age of information, that sometimes there are things that are 'old hat' to us that someone else has to ask for the first time.
Get a Ray, YOULL LOVE IT!!
First, to answer the OP's question without a picture or smart alec remark, some examples of Stingrays in rock include:
The album Disintegration by the Cure. Simon Gallup used a Stingray for most of it
The album Rage Against the Machine
The last 4 albums from the band Isis (bassist Jeff Caxide)
Already mentioned, "46&2", "H.", and "Push it" by Tool
Just about everything done by Tony Levin (bass player for Peter Gabriel, King Crimson, John Lennon, among others)
Already mentioned Mxpx, Fugazi, and early Blink 182
Cliff Williams from AC/DC uses them live (not sure about on albums)
Tom Hamilton of Aerosmith has used them
Benjamin Orr of the Cars has used them
To name a few. To be fair, quite a few of the bassists I've just listed no longer use them. Also, Flea (the most famous rock Stingray player) really only played them live- outside of the first RHCP album (and that's maybe), he never used them to record EXCEPT "Under the Bridge" which was a SR5 (the rest of BSSM was recorded with a Wal).
Second, while they work for many, you have to really play one to know if a Stingray will work for you. They have big low ends and a very zingy (almost brittle) high end and a natural mid scoop. Many liken them to P basses, but I don't at all- they really don't have the low mid bump of a Precision. As a result, I would not call them "warm" at all but rather "biting", if that makes sense.
I've owned quite a few Stingrays, all 4 stringers but with both the H and HH pickup configurations as well as 2 and 3 band eq's. I personally think the single pickup is the way to go- there is a greater "variety" of tones with an HH model, but I didn't find many of them usable. Also, there is a subtle difference between the 2 and 3 band eq's- you can't get a 3 band to sound exactly like a 2 band, and vice versa, but the difference is so subtle that I don't think anyone listening would notice at all.
You only live once. If you have the means, I'd say get one. A used one will save you the resale hit if that's something that concerns you.
EDIT: Unrelated, I just looked at my post and apparently if you type "Push it" in the way it's spelled on the album, you get "Pupoopie". Hilarious!
The album Disintegration by the Cure. Simon Gallup used a Stingray for most of it
The album Rage Against the Machine
The last 4 albums from the band Isis (bassist Jeff Caxide)
Already mentioned, "46&2", "H.", and "Push it" by Tool
Just about everything done by Tony Levin (bass player for Peter Gabriel, King Crimson, John Lennon, among others)
Already mentioned Mxpx, Fugazi, and early Blink 182
Cliff Williams from AC/DC uses them live (not sure about on albums)
Tom Hamilton of Aerosmith has used them
Benjamin Orr of the Cars has used them
To name a few. To be fair, quite a few of the bassists I've just listed no longer use them. Also, Flea (the most famous rock Stingray player) really only played them live- outside of the first RHCP album (and that's maybe), he never used them to record EXCEPT "Under the Bridge" which was a SR5 (the rest of BSSM was recorded with a Wal).
Second, while they work for many, you have to really play one to know if a Stingray will work for you. They have big low ends and a very zingy (almost brittle) high end and a natural mid scoop. Many liken them to P basses, but I don't at all- they really don't have the low mid bump of a Precision. As a result, I would not call them "warm" at all but rather "biting", if that makes sense.
I've owned quite a few Stingrays, all 4 stringers but with both the H and HH pickup configurations as well as 2 and 3 band eq's. I personally think the single pickup is the way to go- there is a greater "variety" of tones with an HH model, but I didn't find many of them usable. Also, there is a subtle difference between the 2 and 3 band eq's- you can't get a 3 band to sound exactly like a 2 band, and vice versa, but the difference is so subtle that I don't think anyone listening would notice at all.
You only live once. If you have the means, I'd say get one. A used one will save you the resale hit if that's something that concerns you.
EDIT: Unrelated, I just looked at my post and apparently if you type "Push it" in the way it's spelled on the album, you get "Pupoopie". Hilarious!
I don't agree with gasman at all on his description of the stingray sound UNLESS you have a 2 band and crank the treble and bass ALL THE WAY UP. Then its mid scooped and huge low end and brittle top end. But if you have it set in the middle, OR have a three band set at center detent then its a very luscious, thick, balanced tone that is slightly mid forward. Never assess any gear by playing it "all knobs at TEN!!".
I usually cut treble slightly and leave bass middle on a 3 band. Boost mids or leave mid. Cut bass and treble 25% each on 2 band. Still scooped to my ears. To each his/her own.
A brand new Stingray costs 2000 € and with €/$ rates sinking these days the next batch will cost more.
Getting one for 600 is a great deal, assuming it is not a SUB.
As for them being fit to rock, with hundreds of famous rock bands using them the question barely makes sense.
Getting one for 600 is a great deal, assuming it is not a SUB.
As for them being fit to rock, with hundreds of famous rock bands using them the question barely makes sense.
