Passive Stingray Specials at Sweetwater!

[BigBigGuy44]

Anyone have a chance to try one of these? Color me intrigued. I had one of the old Gilded White PDN classic Rays a number of years ago and thought the passive option it was an interesting take. Still had the Stingray fundamental but also leaned into P bass territory. I'm wondering how close these are to the active ones.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...bass-guitar-scoville-red-sweetwater-exclusive

 

[uOpt]

I run my Sunburst Stingray passive. I like it a lot. I have the Seymour Duncan Alnico pickup in there.

 

[RedWire75]

The passive one costs the same as the active version?

 

[SJan3]

I played an active 2 band EQ Stingray circa 1980 for over 20 years exclusively until I reached the point of "zing fatigue" and sold it. After a while I purchased a 3 band EQ Stingray and liked it even less. I sold that and it's been passive P and J basses ever since, BUT...
the thought of a PASSIVE Stingray has me intrigued. But the price..

 

[bassist4dalord]

A passive MM is pretty high on my GAS list. The Sterling models are more my price range. The Joe Dart and Pete Wentz models are definitely intriguing, as well as the SBMM Sterling. This one looks very cool, as well.

 

[FugaziBomb]

So they figured out a way to sell their flagship product minus it's flagship feature and charge the same price for it. Genius!

 

[BigBigGuy44]

Yeah the price is a little off-putting but then again, it's that way for a number of brands right now not just EBMM.

 

[AngelCrusher]

I got a used boutique stingray for less than an Ernie ball and it’s incredible. Not passive but it is bass/treble and the third knob is for tone roll off. Having a tone knob on a ray is pretty great.

 

[DrBnz]

Now I'm a sucker for a painted headstock. Not sure I like the transition to the albino neck. Not sure what passive will do for a Stingray. But really.... it sounds like they're selling me a DIET OREO for $2950????? Come on now.....

 

[Jeff Scott]

That price!

 

[Lammchop93]

$3k for a mass produced passive single pickup bass is crazy. No thanks. $2k is much more in line with their competition.

 

[Smooth_bass88]

The passive one costs the same as the active version?

Three freaking grand!! Geez, I remember when USA StingRays were $749!!

 

[ahbradot]

Instead of the passive offering, I will install LABELLA Deep Talkin' 760FL - 43-60-82-104 on my existing StringRay and adjust the tone, etc.
It just might be enough to satisfy the passive urge.
I prefer passive with my Fender Precision and Jazz basses, etc.

 

[Wood and Wire]

So they figured out a way to sell their flagship product minus it's flagship feature and charge the same price for it. Genius!

To be fair, anything that deviates from the cookie-cutter (of any company with a production line) impacts productivity, and costs money.

The passive models don't have a route for the battery box, which means the bodies have to be managed, and supervised separately from every other StingRay body.

Sure, you aren't getting the signature active preamp, but you are getting a different electronics package, that is in itself quite complicated, and intricate (it's not like the pickup is wired directly to the output socket), and of course EBMM has an economy of scale with the quantity of active pre-amps they manufacture - the passive package probably costs more to produce.

 

[nonohmic]

Now I'm a sucker for a painted headstock. Not sure I like the transition to the albino neck. Not sure what passive will do for a Stingray. But really.... it sounds like they're selling me a DIET OREO for $2950????? Come on now.....

That price!

$3k for a mass produced passive single pickup bass is crazy. No thanks. $2k is much more in line with their competition.

Three freaking grand!! Geez, I remember when USA StingRays were $749!!

But it's 'exclusive'

 

[aprod]

The Stingray sound IS the active preamp. I would get something else.

 

[BassicJazzy]

Another thread a couple days ago had link to Basstheworld's review of the Indonesian version of this bass. The tone was somewhere lacking (to my ears), sounded a lot like a G&L Kiloton bass. Hot p'up but no pre. Of course that Indonesian version of the bass is $750. For the price of this one, I would think it's be nice to have the pre-amp too? One thing though, at least they got the weight down to 8 lbs. Baby steps.....

 

[sheesh]

funny there were at least two other parallel threads here - the stingray special was the mm to get - and stingray better than fender . . . I am going to go practice now, I promise . . .

 

[RedWire75]

Three freaking grand!! Geez, I remember when USA StingRays were $749!!

I remember my first one I bought used around 1995 for $750. Adjusted for inflation that’s $1620. Looks like I can get away cheaper now. A few examples on Reverb for $1400.

A new one would have had to be $1400(ish) in 1995 to equal the $2949 they are asking today. Couldn’t tell you what the new ones were going for then because I was a poor college student. Had to borrow the $750 from my great-grandmother as it was.

 

[BassicJazzy]

I remember my first one I bought used around 1995 for $750. Adjusted for inflation that’s $1620. Looks like I can get away cheaper now. A few examples on Reverb for $1400.

A new one would have had to be $1400(ish) in 1995 to equal the $2949 they are asking today. Couldn’t tell you what the new ones were going for then because I was a poor college student. Had to borrow the $750 from my great-grandmother as it was.

Yes, cost of instruments has way exceeded rate of inflation. I bought my '90 Fender Jazz Plus with Kubicki pre back in '91 new for $649. I think that's about $1,500 in today's dollars? It was the top of the line Jazz at the time, USA-made. To get the equivalent now you'd have to get one from the custom shop, and it would be a lot more than that.