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Short scale Stingray!
- Thread starter BigBigGuy44
- Start date
Great demo, nice groove 
Great gift, nice Wife
Great gift, nice Wife
My SS Stingray is on the UPS truck and on its way right now. Are we sure about the stock strings? The Music Man website says 45 - 105. I'm hoping that's what they are. I've been running 45 - 105 on my short scale basses (Dunlop Super Bright Nickel) and that gauge seems to work best for me. I'd doubt I'll go flats (unless maybe cobalt flats) because I've never had a set of flats on my short scale basses that I have actually completely liked. EB cobalt flats have come close, but my ears just prefer rounds on short scale basses.
Yeah, I saw that on Sweetwater's site too. I'll have to get my calipers out and solve the mystery when mine gets here. After seeing/hearing the video that was just posted, I'm pretty excited. Sounded great... can't wait!
Im confused as to whether these are passive or active. I dont see a battery compartment.
From the MF description -
Pickups
From the MF description -
Pickups
- Active or passive pickups: Passive
- Pickup configuration: H
- Bridge: Humbucking with Neodymium magnets
- Brand: Music Man
- Series or parallel: Both
- Active preamp: Yes
- Special electronics: 20db boost
So it doesnt have an active preamp? Sorry, Ive never been into actives and dont know much about them. I would prefer it to be passive.
- Oct 7, 2000
- 18,619
- 38,939
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist: Musicman basses
Played a loud, wild, rocking wedding last night. But before I tell my thoughts I feel I have to put a disclaimer out there. I'll draw a line beneath that if you want to skip right to the meat. I feel however that his is necessary. And it might get long .
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Disclaimer:
I have an artist deal with Musicman that I was fortunate to get during the time I toured with Bumblefoot, and The Nerve was getting some good press. At the time they offered me the deal I already was a stupidly happy owner of a Sterling and a Bongo 4 HH. I needed a Bongo 5 in order to do the BBFT gig (see the last video in my sig), and that's when I got the deal with them. I have since owned another Bongo 4 (HS), a Stingray HS, a Big Al, a Sterling 5, and a Caprice... as well as a Rickenbacker, Several Jazz basses (MIA and MIM), several Ps, a Huntington 3, a Mustang PJ, an American Performer Mustang, a bunch of Warwicks including a short scale Corvette, and too many basses to mention in between all that.
The basses that have been played most by me are my Bongos, my Stingray, my Big Al, a jazz bass for a while when a Zep tribute was my main gig, my Rickenbacker ( I fell head over heels in love with that), and most recently my MIA Mustang. A troublesome lower back and 3 day 3 set per gig weekends had me shift to short scale, lighter basses.
One of the many things I LOVE about Musicman is that despite the deal I have with them, they never batted an eye at me playing other basses. I remember one time a long while back Sterling said something regarding that he likes when people play other instruments too, as it helps keep them real... or something along those lines. That was the gist of what he said. And they've always treated me with the utmost respect, even during the years after the endorsement when I was struggling, playing 2-3 gigs a month for $75 to $100 per gig.
So..... the disclaimer here is because I get that it will be easy to write off anything I'm about to say because we are required to list our endorsements at Talkbass. I am therefore going to add this last bit that I've been holding off on.
Just around the time I switched from active to passive, MM put out the Caprice. I got one as soon as I could. To this day I think I can honestly say I never played another bass that felt as awesome as that did. Ergonomically for whatever reasons it just worked for me. Felt like it was tailor made to fit my body and playing style. I loved the way it sounded in my bedroom. And then I took it to gig. I won't say I hated the sound because I didn't, but the bass did nothing for me. Sound wise, it was just there. I thought it might have just been the venue, or my mood, or whatever - so I stayed committed. I played around 10 more gigs, read the other reviews people wrote here and didn't quite get it. I loved the feel, even the looks... the bass just did nothing whatsoever sonically for me. I never said another word here about the Caprice. I was happy for MM that others were loving it, but I wasn't sharing the love. I sold it to a close friend for less than I paid (no, MM doesn't give me free gear), and I can't say I miss it.
My point: I'm not going to BS anyone. My reviews, on any bass I own, are sincere. They are also only MY opinioins, so if anyone ever buys anything on my recommendation and hates it, that's on you, not me. I'm only telling the truth of MY experience.
And with that being said:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I swear I was almost crying with joy last night!
This bass brought back a crazy memory for me. My very first gig with my very first Musicman, which was a Sterling that looked exactly like this.
I was able last night to hear every nuance of my playing, and that's something I haven't experienced in a while! As someone else mentioned in one of these reviews, it has a lot in common with the Sterling, but IMO - a whole lot more. The tone, to me, is very similar. It's got all the MM grit, bite, burp and funk that I love. It sits in the mix like nobody's business, and cuts through everything perfectly. Its all MM and has that unmistakable tone I was hoping it would. I don't have much experience with a single H Stingray (so I can't compare), but this is giving me exactly what I always loved most about MM basses. And then some.
My Sterling was my main bass for a long time, but the one thing I wasn't crazy about was that I felt it lacked some oomph. My bass before the Sterling was a bubinga Corvette, so I was used to thunderous lows, and I missed it. While I'm not going to say that this Stingray has the thunderous lows of the Corvette (that bass is active and the lows could knock a building down), it certainly puts the bottom into the tone that I felt I was missing with the Sterling. In series mode it also does go to 11, and because we don't pause at all during our sets I couldn't really tinker with that much. The the switch pulled out there is a fairly significant difference in volume. I played most of yesterday's gig with the pickups in single coil and parallel mode. Single coil (center position) is the most scooped sounding (though I wouldn't say it sounds scooped), parallel sounds like a P/J leaning towards the bridge (burpier and a wee bit more focused, but still thick and punchy), and serious is deeper, darker louder, almost a mix of the other 2 and then some. I've a feeling if I were still with The Nerve, that's the setting the bass would live in.
Ergonomically, I have to admit that it feels somewhat toy like - something that threw me a bit when I first picked up the bass. That toy feeling completely disappeared though once I plugged it into my amp, and after playing it last night I was ecstatic. I think that's actually what almost got me teary eyed. With the issues I've been having with my back its been tough to jump around on stage like I did 20 years ago. I was jumping around on stage last night. It was frikkkkkkkkkeeeeeeen awesome! It felt like I had nothing around my neck. The bass makes my Mustangs feel heavy. And they're not.
Action is great. Fit and finish are impeccable. I didn't notice the blue sparkle till it was under stage lights, and I couldn't wipe the smile off my face. There is nothing I don't like about this bass. I rave about lots of basses (hey, I love bass), but the feeling I have about this are rare. Its all Musicman, it's practically weightless, and gives me the sound I love most from a bass guitar.
Last note, on comparing it with my Fender. While driving home thinking about it, RHCP's Aeroplane came on my radio. I don't know what bass Flea used on that, but THAT'S the sound I could never get out of my other basses. I'm not going to say this bass sounds precisely like that, but that's the character I've been missing, and this bass has it. I'm pretty certain too that with the right EQ, in a recording, I could get exactly that sound. Interestingly, the song was followed by a Stones song. And that's what Fenders do.
Yes, I love, love LOVE this bass.
Thank you to my awesome wife for knowing what's best for me, and of course to Musicman.
I think other's will share my feelings here.
This Ball (pun intended) has been knocked clear out of the park. I think it broke a windshield, too.
I will probably re-post this in the other Stingray thread.
.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Disclaimer:
I have an artist deal with Musicman that I was fortunate to get during the time I toured with Bumblefoot, and The Nerve was getting some good press. At the time they offered me the deal I already was a stupidly happy owner of a Sterling and a Bongo 4 HH. I needed a Bongo 5 in order to do the BBFT gig (see the last video in my sig), and that's when I got the deal with them. I have since owned another Bongo 4 (HS), a Stingray HS, a Big Al, a Sterling 5, and a Caprice... as well as a Rickenbacker, Several Jazz basses (MIA and MIM), several Ps, a Huntington 3, a Mustang PJ, an American Performer Mustang, a bunch of Warwicks including a short scale Corvette, and too many basses to mention in between all that.
The basses that have been played most by me are my Bongos, my Stingray, my Big Al, a jazz bass for a while when a Zep tribute was my main gig, my Rickenbacker ( I fell head over heels in love with that), and most recently my MIA Mustang. A troublesome lower back and 3 day 3 set per gig weekends had me shift to short scale, lighter basses.
One of the many things I LOVE about Musicman is that despite the deal I have with them, they never batted an eye at me playing other basses. I remember one time a long while back Sterling said something regarding that he likes when people play other instruments too, as it helps keep them real... or something along those lines. That was the gist of what he said. And they've always treated me with the utmost respect, even during the years after the endorsement when I was struggling, playing 2-3 gigs a month for $75 to $100 per gig.
So..... the disclaimer here is because I get that it will be easy to write off anything I'm about to say because we are required to list our endorsements at Talkbass. I am therefore going to add this last bit that I've been holding off on.
Just around the time I switched from active to passive, MM put out the Caprice. I got one as soon as I could. To this day I think I can honestly say I never played another bass that felt as awesome as that did. Ergonomically for whatever reasons it just worked for me. Felt like it was tailor made to fit my body and playing style. I loved the way it sounded in my bedroom. And then I took it to gig. I won't say I hated the sound because I didn't, but the bass did nothing for me. Sound wise, it was just there. I thought it might have just been the venue, or my mood, or whatever - so I stayed committed. I played around 10 more gigs, read the other reviews people wrote here and didn't quite get it. I loved the feel, even the looks... the bass just did nothing whatsoever sonically for me. I never said another word here about the Caprice. I was happy for MM that others were loving it, but I wasn't sharing the love. I sold it to a close friend for less than I paid (no, MM doesn't give me free gear
), and I can't say I miss it.My point: I'm not going to BS anyone. My reviews, on any bass I own, are sincere. They are also only MY opinioins, so if anyone ever buys anything on my recommendation and hates it, that's on you, not me
. I'm only telling the truth of MY experience.And with that being said:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I swear I was almost crying with joy last night!
This bass brought back a crazy memory for me. My very first gig with my very first Musicman, which was a Sterling that looked exactly like this.
I was able last night to hear every nuance of my playing, and that's something I haven't experienced in a while! As someone else mentioned in one of these reviews, it has a lot in common with the Sterling, but IMO - a whole lot more. The tone, to me, is very similar. It's got all the MM grit, bite, burp and funk that I love. It sits in the mix like nobody's business, and cuts through everything perfectly. Its all MM and has that unmistakable tone I was hoping it would. I don't have much experience with a single H Stingray (so I can't compare), but this is giving me exactly what I always loved most about MM basses. And then some.
My Sterling was my main bass for a long time, but the one thing I wasn't crazy about was that I felt it lacked some oomph. My bass before the Sterling was a bubinga Corvette, so I was used to thunderous lows, and I missed it. While I'm not going to say that this Stingray has the thunderous lows of the Corvette (that bass is active and the lows could knock a building down), it certainly puts the bottom into the tone that I felt I was missing with the Sterling. In series mode it also does go to 11, and because we don't pause at all during our sets I couldn't really tinker with that much. The the switch pulled out there is a fairly significant difference in volume. I played most of yesterday's gig with the pickups in single coil and parallel mode. Single coil (center position) is the most scooped sounding (though I wouldn't say it sounds scooped
), parallel sounds like a P/J leaning towards the bridge (burpier and a wee bit more focused, but still thick and punchy), and serious is deeper, darker louder, almost a mix of the other 2 and then some. I've a feeling if I were still with The Nerve, that's the setting the bass would live in.Ergonomically, I have to admit that it feels somewhat toy like - something that threw me a bit when I first picked up the bass. That toy feeling completely disappeared though once I plugged it into my amp, and after playing it last night I was ecstatic. I think that's actually what almost got me teary eyed. With the issues I've been having with my back its been tough to jump around on stage like I did 20 years ago. I was jumping around on stage last night. It was frikkkkkkkkkeeeeeeen awesome! It felt like I had nothing around my neck. The bass makes my Mustangs feel heavy. And they're not.
Action is great. Fit and finish are impeccable. I didn't notice the blue sparkle till it was under stage lights, and I couldn't wipe the smile off my face. There is nothing I don't like about this bass. I rave about lots of basses (hey, I love bass), but the feeling I have about this are rare. Its all Musicman, it's practically weightless, and gives me the sound I love most from a bass guitar.
Last note, on comparing it with my Fender. While driving home thinking about it, RHCP's Aeroplane came on my radio. I don't know what bass Flea used on that, but THAT'S the sound I could never get out of my other basses. I'm not going to say this bass sounds precisely like that, but that's the character I've been missing, and this bass has it. I'm pretty certain too that with the right EQ, in a recording, I could get exactly that sound. Interestingly, the song was followed by a Stones song. And that's what Fenders do.
Yes, I love, love LOVE this bass.
Thank you to my awesome wife for knowing what's best for me, and of course to Musicman.
I think other's will share my feelings here.
This Ball (pun intended) has been knocked clear out of the park. I think it broke a windshield, too.
I will probably re-post this in the other Stingray thread.
Last edited:
Played a loud, wild, rocking wedding last night. But before I tell my thoughts I feel I have to put a disclaimer out there. I'll draw a line beneath that if you want to skip right to the meat. I feel however that his is necessary. And it might get long
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Disclaimer:
I have an artist deal with Musicman that I was fortunate to get during the time I toured with Bumblefoot, and The Nerve was getting some good press. At the time they offered me the deal I already was a stupidly happy owner of a Sterling and a Bongo 4 HH. I needed a Bongo 5 in order to do the BBFT gig (see the last video in my sig), and that's when I got the deal with them. I have since owned another Bongo 4 (HS), a Stingray HS, a Big Al, a Sterling 5, and a Caprice... as well as a Rickenbacker, Several Jazz basses (MIA and MIM), several Ps, a Huntington 3, a Mustang PJ, an American Performer Mustang, a bunch of Warwicks including a short scale Corvette, and too many basses to mention in between all that.
The basses that have been played most by me are my Bongos, my Stingray, my Big Al, a jazz bass for a while when a Zep tribute was my main gig, my Rickenbacker ( I fell head over heels in love with that), and most recently my MIA Mustang. A troublesome lower back and 3 day 3 set per gig weekends had me shift to short scale, lighter basses.
One of the many things I LOVE about Musicman is that despite the deal I have with them, they never batted an eye at me playing other basses. I remember one time a long while back Sterling said something regarding that he likes when people play other instruments too, as it helps keep them real... or something along those lines. That was the gist of what he said. And they've always treated me with the utmost respect, even during the years after the endorsement when I was struggling, playing 2-3 gigs a month for $75 to $100 per gig.
So..... the disclaimer here is because I get that it will be easy to write off anything I'm about to say because we are required to list our endorsements here at Talkbass. I am therefore going to add this last bit that I've been holding off on.
Just around the time I switched from active to passive, MM put out the Caprice. I got one as soon as I could. To this day I think I can honestly say I never played another bass that felt as awesome as that did. Ergonomically for whatever reasons it just worked for me. Felt like it was tailor made to fit my body and playing style. I loved the way it sounded in my bedroom. And then I took it to gig. I won't say I hated the sound because I didn't, but the bass did nothing for me. Sound wise, it was just there. I thought it might have just been the venue, or my mood, or whatever - so I stayed committed. I played around 10 more gigs, read the other reviews people wrote here and didn't quite get it. I loved the feel, even the looks... the bass just did nothing whatsoever sonically for me. I never said another word here about the Caprice. I was happy for MM that others were loving it, but I wasn't sharing the love. I sold it to a close friend for less than I paid (no, MM doesn't give me free gear
My point: I'm not going to BS anyone here. My reviews, on any bass I own, are sincere. They are also only MY opinioins, so if anyone ever buys anything on my recommendation and hates it, that's on you, not me
And with that being said:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I swear I was almost crying with joy last night!
This bass brought back a crazy memory for me. My very first gig with my very first Musicman, which was a Sterling that looked exactly like this.
I was able last night to hear every nuance of my playing, and that's something I haven't experienced in a while! As someone else mentioned in one of these reviews, it has a lot in common with the Sterling, but IMO - a whole lot more. The tone, to me, is very similar. It's got all the MM grit, bite, burp and funk that I love. It sits in the mix like nobody's business, and cuts through everything perfectly. Its all MM and has that unmistakable tone I was hoping it would. I don't have much experience with a single H Stingray (so I can't compare), but this is giving me exactly what I always loved most about MM basses. And then some.
My Sterling was my main bass for a long time, but the one thing I wasn't crazy about was that I felt it lacked some oomph. My bass before the Sterling was a bubinga Corvette, so I was used to thunderous lows, and I missed it. While I'm not going to say that this Stingray has the thunderous lows of the Corvette (that bass is active and the lows could knock a building down), it certainly puts the bottom into the tone that I felt I was missing with the Sterling. In series mode it also does go to 11, and because we don't pause at all during our sets I couldn't really tinker with that much. The the switch pulled out there is a fairly significant difference in volume. I played most of yesterday's gig with the pickups in single coil and parallel mode. Single coil (center position) is the most scooped sounding (though I wouldn't say it sounds scooped
Ergonomically, I have to admit that it feels somewhat toy like - something that threw me a bit when I first picked up the bass. That toy feeling completely disappeared though once I plugged it into my amp, and after playing it last night I was ecstatic. I think that's actually what almost got me teary eyed. With the issues I've been having with my back its been tough to jump around on stage like I did 20 years ago. I was jumping around on stage last night. It was frikkkkkkkkkeeeeeeen awesome! It felt like I had nothing around my neck. The bass makes my Mustangs feel heavy. And they're not.
Action is great. Fit and finish are impeccable. I didn't notice the blue sparkle till it was under stage lights, and I couldn't wipe the smile off my face. There is nothing I don't like about this bass. I rave about lots of basses (hey, I love bass), but the feeling I have about this are rare. Its all Musicman, it's practically weightless, and gives me the sound I love most from a bass guitar.
Last note, on comparing it with my Fender. While driving home thinking about it, RHCP's Aeroplane came on my radio. I don't know what bass Flea used on that, but THAT'S the sound I could never get out of my other basses. I'm not going to say this bass sounds precisely like that, but that's the character I've been missing, and this bass has it. I'm pretty certain too that with the right EQ, in a recording, I could get exactly that sound. Interestingly, the song was followed by a Stones song. And that's what Fenders do.
Yes, I love, love LOVE this bass.
Thank you to my awesome wife for knowing what's best for me, and of course to Musicman.
I think other's will share my feelings here.
This ball has been knocked clear out of the park. I think it broke a windshield, too.
I will probably re-post this in the other Stingray thread.
Well, well.... now the anticipation is KILLING me. Hopefully I won't die before my SS Stingray arrives.
We have a similar "bass background" it sounds like. I too played a Sterling for many, many years as my main axe. And just as you say, I loved the smaller body, slimmer neck, and overall sound and switching capabilities. But there was a certain something I wasn't hearing in the sound that I wanted to hear. I ended up switching to Stingrays, which had more of "that sound" that I wanted. Your review gives me hope that I will probably feel exactly the way you do about the new Short Scale Stingray (I've even been playing mainly my Mustangs lately, so I will be able to make that comparison as well). From the sounds of your review, this bass could very well become my main bass.
I think you bring up some very good points, I've been struggling with this bass a bit trying to find the right strings for me and not quite landing on what I find satisfying. I love the feel and the weight and you are absolutely right it actually is lighter than the mustang. However playing in a home by yourself is a world of difference from being on stage with other live musicians and it's something that truly should be considered.
Slightly off topic reply, but I wanted to provide input: Flea played an Alembic on almost every track of One Hot Minute*, but yes, it was in fact a Stingray on Aeroplane!
*from what I remember from an old magazine interview that I can’t find right now, he was actually quite embarrassed to play such a ridiculously expensive bass in the studio, and opted to hold a cheap bass for the album’s artwork and promo shoots.
All of that aside, I’m glad everyone is enjoying these. The fact that they’re passive with a punch is super intriguing...
Interestingly, I find that track was the one track on the album that I was REALLY impressed with the bass tone (and playing, of course). Definitely stereotypical Stingray tone. If I can get that tone out of my new SS Stingray, I'll be a happy camper for sure. But with the coil switching and having owned several EBMM Sterlings in the past with that switching, I suspect I'll be able to get all kinds of wonderful tones out of it.The anticipation is killing me. It's sitting in a UPS warehouse somewhere in SLC right now... ready to complete it's journey to my open arms. So close (only 50 miles!) yet so far away.
This is one Saturday where I'm actually looking FORWARD to Monday. 
i've always dug the look of the MM basses, but just can't go for the 3+1 headstocks, have always found them odd, i need symmetry, past that love the short scale going on here...
Okay, I got mine today. I'll try not to gush too much about it, but it will be difficult. I'm well aware that it's the beginning of the honeymoon phase that will last awhile, and I've yet to play it in a practice or gig, but I have spent a few hours playing it and comparing it to some of my other basses (my Mustangs, J-bass, and Parallel Universe Telecaster). So, I'm sure I'll have more to say in a couple of days after the first live/band situation.
But, I have to say that this bass is already threatening to become my main bass. I've had literally hundreds of basses over the years, so I know what I'm hearing and how it compares even before I'm onstage with it.
First, a couple of clarifications about discrepancies on vendor websites: the strings are EB 45-105 short scale slinkys. They sound great. The nut measures with my calipers 1.509 inches (so 1.5 inch nut width).
Okay, from the beginning: when I went to pick it up at the local GC and they pulled the case out of the box, I honestly thought they had accidentally sent an MM "The Luke" guitar or something. The case is tiny for a bass (of course, tiny, light cases are a good thing!). When I opened the case, I was a little shocked. The bass is also... well... tiny. Technically speaking, it's not that much smaller than my Mustangs, but because of the body shape and the bridge being backed right up against the back of the body, it looks smaller than it really is--but it is still very small for a bass. So, on the way home, I was thinking that the bass looks cool, but it's like a toy. The color is great--bright ultramarine blue bordering on purple. Purple is my favorite color, so that is great.
I got home and plugged my "toy" in. Well, that was the last time I thought of it as a toy. It is lighter than my mustangs (this one weighs in at just over 7 pounds. I think I saw one on the Sweetwater site in the 6 pound range). When I plugged it in, "toy" was the last thought in my mind. The thing sounds great. Ballsy for sure. When I've played Stingrays, Stingray Classics, or Sterlings, I nearly always have the bass boosted way up and the treble cut back. I was a little worried about the passive electronics on this SS Stingray. But, NOT to worry at all. Even with the passive circuit, it naturally puts in that low end I sometimes had trouble getting out of Stingrays. It's just there naturally--the short scale I assume. But even with that nice low end, the rest of the typical "Stingray Sound" is there. It definitely sounds like a good Stingray should (especially in parallel mode).
The thing plays like butter and has a really fast neck. The way it hangs on the strap/body, keeps all frets at a comfortable distance from the shoulder (I have a fairly short "wingspan" and long scale basses get my arm real tired real fast because of having to reach out so far and stay there for hours).
I'm also happy to say that the tone knob is perfect. It is not like the passive tone knob I had on a Stingray a few years back which had a weird midrange boost kind of thing going. This tone knob does what it is supposed to and goes from bright and spanky to smooth and tubby. I haven't messed with the boost feature much and probably won't. But it does increase the level a bit. As for the coil switching, I LOVE it. I see myself keeping it in parallel or single coil mode most of the time, but the series is very nice too, especially for "finger funk" with the tone rolled back.
A complaint that I've heard a lot over the years with the Sterling is that it is hard to hear much of a difference in the three coil settings. I have always been able to hear it, but yeah, maybe it is a bit subtle. That is NOT the case with the Short Scale Stingray. The three settings are quite distinct and all are very usable. If you want the Stingray funk sound... parallel. If you want to cut through a bit more with a slightly thinner sound... single coil. If you want a more woolly, in-your-face tone... series. The series also gives a significant boost in volume.
I'm sure I'll have more to say after playing it in a band setting. But I KNOW right now before even doing it that this bass is going to cut through the mix and sound quite distinct and clear. It may even bring me to tears as was mentioned earlier in the thread.
Here is a photo for size comparison:
But, I have to say that this bass is already threatening to become my main bass. I've had literally hundreds of basses over the years, so I know what I'm hearing and how it compares even before I'm onstage with it.
First, a couple of clarifications about discrepancies on vendor websites: the strings are EB 45-105 short scale slinkys. They sound great. The nut measures with my calipers 1.509 inches (so 1.5 inch nut width).
Okay, from the beginning: when I went to pick it up at the local GC and they pulled the case out of the box, I honestly thought they had accidentally sent an MM "The Luke" guitar or something. The case is tiny for a bass (of course, tiny, light cases are a good thing!). When I opened the case, I was a little shocked. The bass is also... well... tiny. Technically speaking, it's not that much smaller than my Mustangs, but because of the body shape and the bridge being backed right up against the back of the body, it looks smaller than it really is--but it is still very small for a bass. So, on the way home, I was thinking that the bass looks cool, but it's like a toy. The color is great--bright ultramarine blue bordering on purple. Purple is my favorite color, so that is great.
I got home and plugged my "toy" in. Well, that was the last time I thought of it as a toy. It is lighter than my mustangs (this one weighs in at just over 7 pounds. I think I saw one on the Sweetwater site in the 6 pound range). When I plugged it in, "toy" was the last thought in my mind. The thing sounds great. Ballsy for sure. When I've played Stingrays, Stingray Classics, or Sterlings, I nearly always have the bass boosted way up and the treble cut back. I was a little worried about the passive electronics on this SS Stingray. But, NOT to worry at all. Even with the passive circuit, it naturally puts in that low end I sometimes had trouble getting out of Stingrays. It's just there naturally--the short scale I assume. But even with that nice low end, the rest of the typical "Stingray Sound" is there. It definitely sounds like a good Stingray should (especially in parallel mode).
The thing plays like butter and has a really fast neck. The way it hangs on the strap/body, keeps all frets at a comfortable distance from the shoulder (I have a fairly short "wingspan" and long scale basses get my arm real tired real fast because of having to reach out so far and stay there for hours).
I'm also happy to say that the tone knob is perfect. It is not like the passive tone knob I had on a Stingray a few years back which had a weird midrange boost kind of thing going. This tone knob does what it is supposed to and goes from bright and spanky to smooth and tubby. I haven't messed with the boost feature much and probably won't. But it does increase the level a bit. As for the coil switching, I LOVE it. I see myself keeping it in parallel or single coil mode most of the time, but the series is very nice too, especially for "finger funk" with the tone rolled back.
A complaint that I've heard a lot over the years with the Sterling is that it is hard to hear much of a difference in the three coil settings. I have always been able to hear it, but yeah, maybe it is a bit subtle. That is NOT the case with the Short Scale Stingray. The three settings are quite distinct and all are very usable. If you want the Stingray funk sound... parallel. If you want to cut through a bit more with a slightly thinner sound... single coil. If you want a more woolly, in-your-face tone... series. The series also gives a significant boost in volume.
I'm sure I'll have more to say after playing it in a band setting. But I KNOW right now before even doing it that this bass is going to cut through the mix and sound quite distinct and clear. It may even bring me to tears as was mentioned earlier in the thread.
Here is a photo for size comparison:
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