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Need quick education on Stingrays

Even if it is, it's your bass to do whatever you see fit to do. I've always been, and still am a firm believer in "it's yours to do what you want". There are a bunch of great direct drop in replacement pickups on the market these days, and with the large number of folks that mod, there's gotta be somewhere out there you can buy a new pre-wired passive control plate. Save all original parts should you feel differently about active down the road or decide to sell. Do it. Make it yours and be happy.
Totally agree, and it’s easy to do.
Just disconnect the pickup, ground, and battery wires.
Leave the preamp , pots and jack wired.
Buy new ,jack and pots. wire it for passive . Try a new pickup if you want to…or try the stock one
Literally 15 minutes with a soldering iron.
Everything is reversible!
Modifying and instrument doesn’t equate to damaging an instrument!
 
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Btw that bass looks familiar, here’s my 1994 Stingray:
75F2B5C3-FA41-4DDF-8F7D-CB0FD143511C.jpeg
 
I'll add something that hasn't been mentioned: play it in a live setting before you decide what to do.

I couldn't gel with my Stingray until I did this, as was recommended by another TBer. The tones I didn't like in my home weren't an issue live.

Full disclosure: I did what you're considering. I installed an Aero pickup, passive, Volume/Tone only, and I really like the result. I can restore to original if needed. To be honest, I'm not sure which I like better! Larry at Aero makes extremely good pickups if you want to go that route. Pricey, yes, but top shelf.
 
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View attachment 4533555 So a buddy of mine needed some cash and sold me this gorgeous Stingray on the cheap. It turns out its a 91. In great shape, plays like a dream. I don't fudge with active basses. Just not for me. Considering yanking out the pre amp and throwing a bassline in and convert to passive.

This isn't like some rare sought after bass correct? Is this blasphemy?

Put the strings on it, and play it in passive mode. Just because it has active capabilities, it, doesn’t mean you have to use it.

Congrats on this bass. You owe your buddy big time. That’s on heck of an instrument. If it were me, I’d be more interested in what it can do and what I can find useful out of it than operating on a preconceived notion of what it isn’t before doing anything. No point in spending money if you don’t have to.

But that’s me. In your case, it’s yours to do what you wish, and if you are worried about giving up a fortune in the future, I would venture a guess it would be worth less if you modded it. How much less is anybody’s guess.
 
I'll add something that hasn't been mentioned: play it in a live setting before you decide what to do.

I couldn't gel with my Stingray until I did this, as was recommended by another TBer. The tones I didn't like in my home weren't an issue live.

Full disclosure: I did what you're considering. I installed an Aero pickup, passive, Volume/Tone only, and I really like the result. I can restore to original if needed. To be honest, I'm not sure which I like better! Larry at Aero makes extremely good pickups if you want to go that route. Pricey, yes, but top shelf.

Definitely try it in a live setting. StingRays shine in that environment.
 
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View attachment 4533555 So a buddy of mine needed some cash and sold me this gorgeous Stingray on the cheap. It turns out its a 91. In great shape, plays like a dream. I don't fudge with active basses. Just not for me. Considering yanking out the pre amp and throwing a bassline in and convert to passive.

This isn't like some rare sought after bass correct? Is this blasphemy?

This is the golden age of music man as far as I’m concerned so I would leave it as is. But if you do decide to change out the electronics, I would urge you to keep the original preamp and pick up. When you sell this instrument odds are that’s with the buyer will want in music man will not sell you electronics. They will only allow you to send in your electronics if they are broken and they’ll send you new ones. They don’t want their special sauce getting out into other peoples instruments.
 
It's your bass so do what you want but you would be doing yourself a disservice if you didn't play it for a few weeks , nothing wrong with a good active bass and that one is about as good as it gets. If you do change change this out keep what you take out because if you sell it down the line every buyer is going to ask if you have the original parts or just sell it now.
 
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Holy guacamole. This thread is nutz.

So, I decided to keep this 30 year old active bass all original and will be listing for sale.

What do you think is a fair asking price for this thing.

Just ordered a Jazz bass instead.
https://www.chicagomusicexchange.co...tom-shop-1960-jazz-bass-cme-spec-relic-686380[/QUOTE

If you are interested in a 1998 (I believe) P-Bass, in really good shape -those are light reflections, not bumps or scratches, the bass has been used only for studio work- with retroffited BadAss bridge let me know.
PS: The Rocco Prestia signed pickguard will be replaced by a Fender original.

Body front.jpg
 
For many years I've have active preamps in most of my basses. The pots would get scratchy cause I'd never use them and leave the knobs at center detent, even the blend knob. The past year I've been experimenting with them. It's amazing how much different it is to shape the eq before the amp, than on the amp controls. I love it now.
 
Holy guacamole. This thread is nutz.

So, I decided to keep this 30 year old active bass all original and will be listing for sale.

What do you think is a fair asking price for this thing.

Just ordered a Jazz bass instead.
https://www.chicagomusicexchange.co...tom-shop-1960-jazz-bass-cme-spec-relic-686380

I’d say like 17 or 18. Cheapest I’d let it go for is 1500, 2600 is extortionate and on a good day you can get 2200. Wood is 30 years old, and that bridge is a rarity for a 3eq


But if you’re getting a jazz bass why not just mess with knobs and pickup height and play it lol. Leo designed that pickup to be a fusion of the p and the j, piezos are literally attached to a bridge and they don’t sound cold or anything
 
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