I’ve never had a Stingray, but test drove a couple back in the 1980’s. I always felt they were big and clunky and expensive back then and never got one. I was playing blues and a Fender Jazz seemed a much more suitable choice at the time.
However I always was quite impressed with the big sound Tony Levin used to get when playing his Stingray with Peter Gabriel, so that’s what I was after with this bass.
This one is a 2010 Classic Stingray (2-band EQ, single humbucker pickup, active circuitry, vintage neck specs (7.25” radius, small frets, 1 5/8” nut width), beautified flamed all maple fingerboard/neck that feels just like one of my trusty Precision necks), with a red tort pickguard. It is in like new condition; aside from the usual expected pickguard wear, I can’t find a blemish on it. It was advertised in mint condition and that’s how it showed up.
I put a set of Elixir nickel-plated steel medium light (105-45) strings on it (also a new experience for me), and played it unplugged, and the first impression was that this was the most naturally resonant bass I’d ever played (and it wasn’t close).
I then played it through a TC Electronics BQ500 head and a single Avatar SB126 cabinet (1x12 + 1x6 mid speaker), which is my main gigging rig. What a monstrous sound. Low end punch like no other bass I’ve ever played and it just feels so wonderful. It’s a heavy beast (over 10 pounds), but doesn’t feel that onerous. I’m sure the weight helps provide the great tone and power.
I tried it with the amp input set to Active (attenuator on) and the volume wasn’t what I’d like, so I switched switched the amp back to the default Passive (attenuator off) setting and it just roared. I sensed no preamp distortion, so that’s where I left it. It certainly seems like that’s the setting it wants to use. It really is too quiet with the attenuator on.
My wife said , “You bought a pink bass?!” and she might be right, although I see more red/orange. The price was great, so the Coral Red color (OK, it does look a fair bit like pink) might have had something to do with that.) I saw some pictures of similar basses with white pick guards and pickups, and I liked that look. My son pointed out that while he already liked the color anyway, having the white for contrast might bring out the red in the color a bit more. I ordered a white pickguard from WD Music and a white pickup cover from EBMM to try that alternate look (still waiting for the pickup cover). so we’ll see if the white contrast makes it look more red/orange than pink. Either way I’m fine with the color because I’m so happy with how it plays and sounds.
