P bass or Stingray - One and only. (Poll)

[landrybass]

Love a P/MM! Floored every time I get to see and hear one. I hope they never catch on, because then the secret is out the bag.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

Yea, I noticed that. I read a few reply posts and then looked at the poll numbers. Oh, wow, P by a huge majority.

... <Schultz-voice> Very Interesting

Must be the “silent majority”….

 

[dbsfgyd1]

For Recording: The P
For Live Work: The Ray
In Reality: I prefer a PJ

Therefore: I voted carrots.

+1 P for recording.

+2 on Pj.

 

[jd56hawk]

Yinz are weird.

I still think it's one of the best-kept secrets in the bass world, but I have to wonder if I should be spreading such a secret.

 

[Pet Sounds]

If the Ray was a Special, than the Ray. The Specials have a very flexible eq and can cover a lot of ground, great neck feel and overall quality. However I do love the foolproof simplicity of a P

This. I would choose a nice Precision Bass over a pre-Special StingRay, but I might be willing to chose a Special over even the nicest P-Bass. I'm glad I don't have to make that choice, though!

 

[roller]

I like both, but only if the Music Man pickup has switching capabilities (parallel to single-coil)

But if it's just straight-up standard P vs. standard Ray, I'll go P walkin' away as it just fits so many more styles of music.

And I'd easily put a good standard Jazz over a standard Ray.

If you could have only one fretted four-string bass with rounds for general soft-rock / pop usage, what would it be? P or 'Ray (Stingray)?

I'm considering replacing my Warmoth custom 'Ray with a P. The 'Ray is my only fretted with rounds and I've enjoyed the sound and playability (a lot) but my 32" scale basses are really light weight and absolute joys to play. I have a spare fully-loaded med-scale P body so all I need to add is a neck. Hmm .....

 

[benjomanbass]

P would be the default answer but to be honest most basses will suit most things if you make it work.

 

[bmusic]

If I could only have two, they would prolly BOTH be P’s…

 

[jdaunt]

Tough choice for your situation, I have an HH Ray Special and if I had to just keep one bass, that would be it.

 

[Rnr..........4]

Curve ball. Rickenbacker!

 

[jemerpi]

A Stingray is more versatile, as well as more modern in every way. The P bass is as fundamental as it gets and a classic through and through. Just choosing one? As in every reasonable comparison, it's the one that's best suited to your sensibilities and style.

 

[58kites]

If you could have only one fretted four-string bass with rounds for general soft-rock / pop usage, what would it be? P or 'Ray (Stingray)?

I'm considering replacing my Warmoth custom 'Ray with a P. The 'Ray is my only fretted with rounds and I've enjoyed the sound and playability (a lot) but my 32" scale basses are really light weight and absolute joys to play. I have a spare fully-loaded med-scale P body so all I need to add is a neck. Hmm .....

Both the StringRay and the Precision have been used successfully for every genre of music.
But I think a StingRay (especially with the two-band EQ) is more versatile than a P bass for soft-rock/pop usage...and also for funk and in some cases heavy rock and heavy funk-rock.
For Blues, Blues Rock and a lot of Hard Rock the P Bass gets the nod IMO.
I think for modern metal and all the speedy/proggy modern metal an active bass with EMG's tends to be the more usable bass to fit the sonic space.

 

[CoffeeLove]

If you could have only one fretted four-string bass with rounds for general soft-rock / pop usage, what would it be? P or 'Ray (Stingray)?

I'm considering replacing my Warmoth custom 'Ray with a P. The 'Ray is my only fretted with rounds and I've enjoyed the sound and playability (a lot) but my 32" scale basses are really light weight and absolute joys to play. I have a spare fully-loaded med-scale P body so all I need to add is a neck. Hmm .....

I need a 5 string, and the neck profile on 5 string Fender P-bass necks is crap, IMHO . Nut width and spacing both too wide to be comfortable.

 

[Raman]

 

[CaribooBass]

Möhren for I would use a Warwick thumb bass.

I have found this bass to be very versatile and it has never let me down.

 

[bordinco90]

P for me!

 

[Paradilum]

I need a 5 string, and the neck profile on 5 string Fender P-bass necks is crap, IMHO . Nut width and spacing both too wide to be comfortable.

FWIW, the P and J 5s are the same nut width. That's what drove me to the narrower EBMM SR5.

 

[_One//Man//Mutiny_]

I would say P unless it was an HH Ray, then that would win for me!

 

[gtirard]

Makes me wonder why I've never seen a bass with P and Stingray pickups?

 

[Paradilum]

Makes me wonder why I've never seen a bass with P and Stingray pickups?

Sandbereg California VM5 - P/MM with the P split reversed, a-la Leland Sklar. There is a pic of a 4-string earlier on in the thread (#37)

I don't know for sure that the pickups are in the classic MM/P locations along the strings. Eye-balling things, it looks like the MM on the Valenti is closer to the sweet spot.