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NBD - SS Sterling by Music Man Stingray Daphne Blue

RodRy

RodRy

Jul 1, 2018
11,577
61,915
Kalamazoo, MI
#1
Well, after wanting one for about a year, a good deal coincided with some overtime money and I decided to make the purchase.
IMG_4543 (2).JPG

IMG_4547.JPG

IMG_4554 (2).JPG


Have not played it plugged in yet, but it feels great and sounds good acoustic. It's pretty much mint condition, and I didn't really find any blemishes on it.

I plan to do a neck swap because I don't favor maple necks, and I know two who are interested in doing a trade. I think a dark wood neck will look super.

Others have similar basses, but as I modify and find accessories for it (gig bag, strap, strings, etc.) I'll post updates here.

Feel free to ask questions.
:D
 
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#6
OK, after a bit of playing plugged into my D4 amp, I have some observations.

1. It's quite versatile. I can't really make it sound like a P or a J, but it has a wide range of tones. I found the first position on the pickup selector to be my current fave. I think that's full-humbucker, because it's both quiet and yet deep. All of the settings tend to really have an edge to them that I think would cut through a mix quite well. This bass does not sound like any of my others, and for that, I am very grateful indeed! :thumbsup:

2. The "boost" button is unreliable. Sometimes it does not change from non-boosted to boosted. Sometimes it does not change back. Seems like the weak link of the instrument. Not sure if that's just an issue with mine. Anyone else? :meh:

3. It does have a blemish. There's a defect in the wood on the fretboard just below the 14th fret near the G string. It's small, hard to feel, and hard to see. It does not bother me, but now I know that it's there. I may be able to remove it with one of my woodworking tools. :help:

4. Slightly neck-heavy. Not a bunch, but it surprised me because the body feels quite heavy, and with a 30" scale I expected better balance. Ah well, I was planning to change tuners anyway. :rolleyes:

Need a new strap, and I found a great one at Coco Guitar Straps on Etsy.
:D
 
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#9
Killing Floor said:
Really cool. I love the maple on Daphne but make it yours. Congrats. True, it won't sound exactly like a P or a J, that's what makes it a great addition.
Click to expand...
Very true, the blue and blond from the neck look good together, but I just like a darker wood under the frets, and I think that looks good with the blue too. It's an aesthetic thing with me, not a practical one. ;)

I played my Jazz, Precision, and Stingray all today, and it's a lovely combination. No two sound alike, and that's what makes them all so special!
:laugh:
 
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#10
Vinny_G said:
Why is this color called Daphne Blue? I knew a girl named Daphne, but her favorite color was purple.
Click to expand...
I really have no idea. From a quick search, it seems it was a Cadillac car color, but probably had a different name then. Leo may have known a girl named Daphne, or thought it was a pretty name, or just wanted to tie into the Laurel tree meaning from the Greeks.

Feel free to speculate on the origins of the name.

My favorite color is purple too. Deep purple. Eggplant even.
:laugh:
 
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#12
RodRy said:
I really have no idea. From a quick search, it seems it was a Cadillac car color, but probably had a different name then. Leo may have known a girl named Daphne, or thought it was a pretty name, or just wanted to tie into the Laurel tree meaning from the Greeks.

Feel free to speculate on the origins of the name.

My favorite color is purple too. Deep purple. Eggplant even.
:laugh:
Click to expand...
Thank you, and congratulations on your new bass, it's very pretty. :thumbsup:
 
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#13
RodRy said:
Well, after wanting one for about a year, a good deal coincided with some overtime money and I decided to make the purchase.
View attachment 4040972
View attachment 4040973
View attachment 4040974

Have not played it plugged in yet, but it feels great and sounds good acoustic. It's pretty much mint condition, and I didn't really find any blemishes on it.

I plan to do a neck swap because I don't favor maple necks, and I know two who are interested in doing a trade. I think a dark wood neck will look super.

Others have similar basses, but as I modify and find accessories for it (gig bag, strap, strings, etc.) I'll post updates here.

Feel free to ask questions.
:D
Click to expand...
Really nice colour! It'll look good with a rosewood neck.

Question: Is the neck width on your Sterling narrower than an EBMM Stingray? (I'm assuming you have played one of course!).
 
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#14
RodRy said:
2. The "boost" button is unreliable. Sometimes it does not change from non-boosted to boosted. Sometimes it does not change back. Seems like the weak link of the instrument. Not sure if that's just an issue with mine. Anyone else?
Click to expand...

I have the exact same bass, and the boost works fine. It may be a problem with yours. To get the obvious out of the way - this is not a push/pull button. It is a push-only toggle button. So you never pull it. If you are pushing/pulling it, that may have unwanted side effects :D
 
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#15
Vinny_G said:
Why is this color called Daphne Blue? I knew a girl named Daphne, but her favorite color was purple.
Click to expand...
RodRy said:
I really have no idea. From a quick search, it seems it was a Cadillac car color, but probably had a different name then. Leo may have known a girl named Daphne, or thought it was a pretty name, or just wanted to tie into the Laurel tree meaning from the Greeks.

Feel free to speculate on the origins of the name.

My favorite color is purple too. Deep purple. Eggplant even.
:laugh:
Click to expand...

I think it comes from "Dauphine bleu". french for dolphin blue . Dauphine and Daphne are not so far apart when you have inhaled the vapors in the paint shop.
 
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#17
RodRy said:
OK, after a bit of playing plugged into my D4 amp, I have some observations.

1. It's quite versatile. I can't really make it sound like a P or a J, but it has a wide range of tones. I found the first position on the pickup selector to be my current fave. I think that's full-humbucker, because it's both quiet and yet deep. All of the settings tend to really have an edge to them that I think would cut through a mix quite well. This bass does not sound like any of my others, and for that, I am very grateful indeed! :thumbsup:

2. The "boost" button is unreliable. Sometimes it does not change from non-boosted to boosted. Sometimes it does not change back. Seems like the weak link of the instrument. Not sure if that's just an issue with mine. Anyone else? :meh:

3. It does have a blemish. There's a defect in the wood on the fretboard just below the 14th fret near the G string. It's small, hard to feel, and hard to see. It does not bother me, but now I know that it's there. I may be able to remove it with one of my woodworking tools. :help:

4. Slightly neck-heavy. Not a bunch, but it surprised me because the body feels quite heavy, and with a 30" scale I expected better balance. Ah well, I was planning to change tuners anyway. :rolleyes:

Need a new strap, and I found a great one at Coco Guitar Straps on Etsy.
:D
Click to expand...

The pickup selector towards the neck is series mode, middle is singlecoil, and towards the bridge is parallel. I agree that there's quite a bit of variance between them - I even switch between two settings in one of my band's songs. To give you an idea of how rare that is for me, I've never even switched between different pickups during a set before, let alone different settings!

As stated elsewhere, it's a push/push knob, not push/pull - you should push it to activate and deactivate the boost. I was caught out by that at first! I've not had any issues with mine before, boost has been very reliable to engage and disengage. I try and always play with the boost engaged, with the knob 'out' (for want of a better phrase). It's probably all in my head, but it feels like it's a better sound that way. As it's a passive bass, you're not really boosting, but 'cutting' when the knob is in, and I'd rather just let the pickup run at full - even though it is HOT!

Mine balances perfectly on a medium width leather strap, very slight dive using a Mono Betty, but I put that down more to the more slippery material. It's never been a problem for me standing, but when I change the tuners I'll likely get Ultralites just to completely eliminate it.

Congrats on the new bass! I've bought two while at home this year, and this one gets 90% of my playtime, and has been to taken to every practice, recording and a livestream gig. It's light, compact, plays like a dream, pickup is like a cannon, and I love how well it cuts through a loud mix. I hope you end up feeling the same about yours!
 
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#19
swink said:
I think it comes from "Dauphine bleu". french for dolphin blue . Dauphine and Daphne are not so far apart when you have inhaled the vapors in the paint shop.
Click to expand...
An early 60s Renault in Dauphine Bleu.

1200_799____2__renault_dauphine_03_4191.jpg


( EDIT: it's been gently pointed out to me that the car itself is called a Dauphine, and that means I'm talking absolute bobbins. Still, pretty car, eh? :laugh: )

A very very long time ago, a french nobleman put a dolphin in his coat of arms, and so his lineage got nicknamed Le Dauphin, and their territory the Dauphiné. I'm trying to find out if Dauphine Bleu is related to a colour in his livery or just simply to dolphins. Or both.
 
Last edited:
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#20
Ricky Rioli said:
An early 60s Renault in Dauphine Bleu.

View attachment 4041247

A very very long time ago, a french nobleman put a dolphin in his coat of arms, and so his lineage got nicknamed Le Dauphin, and their territory the Dauphiné. I'm trying to find out if Dauphine Bleu is related to a colour in his livery or just simply to dolphins. Or both.
Click to expand...
It wasn't just any nobleman, it was the crown prince. Dauphin of France - Wikipedia
 
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