New Stingray Special or New Flea Bass?

[Double E]

I think it's a way to refer to people from the sticks, and that Polk County is a euphemism for Podunk, USA.

Well, it doesn't really matter. They are clearly insulting other members of the forum. Besides being a violation of the forum rules and really, social decorum in general, this doesn't really bolster their argument in any way.

 

[Stranger Danger]

Do you have some sound samples or videos that show these P or J settings of the SRS accurately? I am curious.

I have tons of recordings of this bass but I don't have them marked as to what settings were on at the time plus I use a lot effects so the clean signal might be hard to determine but let me look through this stuff and see what I can find.

 

[Mantis Tobaggan]

I've been playing this bass all day through my SVT CL and fridge. It sounds like Flea. It is very easy to get a nice RHCP type sound out of it. I am loving this bass. I even put a small ding in it but it isn't too terrible. Can't wait to bring it to band practice.

 

[JtSD619]

I've been playing this bass all day through my SVT CL and fridge. It sounds like Flea. It is very easy to get a nice RHCP type sound out of it. I am loving this bass. I even put a small ding in it but it isn't too terrible. Can't wait to bring it to band practice.

View attachment 3264224

Welp, thats the point! A ding already?! lol Christ. Congrats on the new baby!

 

[JimmyM]

Well, it doesn't really matter. They are clearly insulting other members of the forum. Besides being a violation of the forum rules and really social decorum, this doesn't really bolster their argument in any way.

Like I'm worried about it anyway. I'm from Orange County. But Winter Haven is in Polk County, and they have Legoland, so it's not all sticks.

 

[JimmyM]

I've been playing this bass all day through my SVT CL and fridge. It sounds like Flea. It is very easy to get a nice RHCP type sound out of it. I am loving this bass. I even put a small ding in it but it isn't too terrible. Can't wait to bring it to band practice.

View attachment 3264224

I'm sure it didn't take Flea much longer to ding his first one up, either.

 

[Ryan L.]

Wow. Some folks here get wayyyyy too worked up trying to get people to agree that their bass manufacturer of choice is THE BEST.

It's really kinda funny.

 

[dbljointedthumb]

I've been playing this bass all day through my SVT CL and fridge. It sounds like Flea. It is very easy to get a nice RHCP type sound out of it. I am loving this bass. I even put a small ding in it but it isn't too terrible. Can't wait to bring it to band practice.

View attachment 3264224

Ouch ! It is a really fun bass to play. I got an hour to play around on mine today and I'm digging it. It's very responsive and definitely has a tight modern sound. I can see where the finish is going to be susceptible to dings but I still love the feel of it. I have a satin finish on my PRS too and they feel a little more resinant to me but that could just be in my head.

 

[Clifford Lee]

Is it me or are the slots far too wide?

 

[MultiScaleMale]

Is it me or are the slots far too wide?

They're compensated. There are two channels in each slot.

 

[IronLung1986]

Position 4 cut the bass and treble and slight mid boost.

That is....in the ballpark. Close enough for some I suppose but not a replacement for what a P can do. I don't believe in buying a bass to make it sound like a different bass, so I don't mind that the SR has only a fanfiction approximation of the P bass in it. But neither would I hold it up as a feature.

 

[eyeballkid]

Now I'm a huge Stingray fan, in fact I only play Stingrays and Precisions nowadays, but what exactly is immensely better? I'd say the weight loss is by far the best thing they did on the Specials. The hollow saddles that they use (same as on the Classic line) are objectively worse because they don't allow the action to go as low as their standard saddles did. Might not be a problem for some though. So that's not better certainly.

Roasted necks? Cool. Looks pretty. Oil and wax finish is still the same, and it's a "wipe on wipe off" approach as it has always been. I've put 8 coats of Tru Oil on mine to give it a "gun stock" finish as it was intended to be used (Tru Oil is a varnish).

In terms of preamp/pickup/tone, I believe I'd prefer it to the old 3 band, but the 2 band has pretty much been the king for most Stingray aficionados - no high pass filter, fatter, more open tone, gets both smoother tones better and more aggressive ones no problem.

So.. Less weight? Yup. Contours? Never had a problem, even with a slab body rays and old SUBs. 22nd fret? I'd take it or leave it. Tone? That's subjective.

I'm not knocking the new ones, but Stingrays have always been great. Their quality was always high. There's nothing that would make them "immensely better".

I kinda thought the same thing til I played it. It just WORKS in ways I didnt realize my other stingray didnt. It really is "immensely better" than the stingray I thought was almost perfect until now.

 

[Turbo Sparky]

Stingray Special hands down. HH version.
Why would someone purchase a Fender, which is living off the laurels of a gone-by era? That is to say, why spend money and effort on designs and technologies that are re-packaged as "Vintage," "Elite," or "Professional" as a marketing gimmick, regardless of whatever "signature" affixed? IMO the ENTIRE Fender line-up is overpriced by $250-$350. Flea's "signature" strings from GHS are the exact same GHS round wound Bass Boomers (Medium) without his "signature" for example.
Why wouldn't a player, looking for a "new" bass not purchase the EBMM 2018 Stingray Special? This is to say, why wouldn't someone purchase THE bass that has moved the benchmark for the entire mass produced bass industry for the next 25-30 years IMO? Not to mention EBMM's quality control(s) from the get-go.
I've stated it before, and I'll say it again, the new EBMM 2018 Stingray Special has relegated my other Stingrays to back-ups; it's that good hands down. (2014 4HH, and 2017 5H)
Note: If a player likes/loves their Fender's that's fine and cool. Play it until your heart's content. Whatever works.

*^^^*

For the record.
IMO.
Emphasis: Entire Fender line is overpriced by $250-$350 (USD)
U.S. made Fender better bang for the buck?
Nope, not from a strictly QC stock production point of view.
Stop being so thenthitive.
EBMM Sr's from material procurement to end user: PoW!
...IMO.

 

[Admiral Thrawn]

Of the 245 I wonder how many have tried both or either.

I have, though I just got my hands on the Flea bass tonight.

The Flea sounds good (played through a GK head and Fender 810 cab), but I didn't like the few of the neck. Felt big for a four string—I play a SR5 and have no problem with the neck dimensions—but that might have been stepping out of my comfort zone.

The thing that made the most impact on me was how light the Flea bass is. I'd like to say it's like their than the SRS, but I didn't have one to compare it to tonight.

However, when I plugged in a 2017 model StingRay, it just felt better in my hands, even with the added weight. The sound was a bit worse due to dead strings, but it still sounded like a StingRay. The Flea bass in contrast, had fresh strings and sounded more rounded and fuller.

Nevertheless, both basses are a good bang for the buck. I'd stick with the SRS because no matter how hard Fender May try, they still can't match that StingRay growl and tone.

The OP could do well worse than choosing between the SRS and the Flea bass. If I wasn't already going to get a new amp and cab, it'd be hard for me to walk away from the Flea bass, but I would because of how it felt when I played it, not because it's a "worse" bass than the SRS.

 

[Turbo Sparky]

Do you care to explain what this means? I have never heard anything specific about this county. Perhaps aside from the general intent that you are insulting folks that disagree with you, can you be more direct?

"he has a right to his opinion, as I to mine". Thomas Jefferson. "
From the rules.
Previous response removed by mods. No worries.
I'll rephrase...
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Or to quote Nena, "Das ist nicht alles" (German for: This can't be everything.)
Play well, and good luck.

 

[58kites]

Also, claims of better quality is entirely subjective.

....quality standards are very measurable in many industries including bass manufacturing.

 

[Turbo Sparky]

Well, it doesn't really matter. They are clearly insulting other members of the forum. Besides being a violation of the forum rules and really, social decorum in general, this doesn't really bolster their argument in any way.

Thanks for your/our opinion(s).

 

[Double E]

Thanks for your/our opinion(s).

What you've quoted is not my opinion, you were/are directing insults.

That's what one does when they really don't have a valid argument or have exasperated their extent of knowledge on a subject.

It simply cannot be firmly established that one brand is clearly better than the other because it really comes down to preference at this level. The actual quality of both brands is very good. I have only tried to point that out, I don't have a dog in the race, I think both Music Man and Fender are exemplary instruments.

 

[Turbo Sparky]

What you've quoted is not my opinion, you were/are directing insults.

That's what one does when they really don't have a valid argument or have exasperated their extent of knowledge on a subject.

It simply cannot be firmly established that one brand is clearly better than the other because it really comes down to preference at this level. The actual quality of both brands is very good. I have only tried to point that out, I don't have a dog in the race, I think both Music Man and Fender are exemplary instruments.

As I said, thank you for your opinion(s).
Play well.

 

[Double E]

As I said, thank you for your opinion(s).
Play well.

You shouldn't be acting as if you are above criticism for insinuating that those who disagree with you are stupid idiots (from "Polk County"). That this is a direct insult is not my "opinion".