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Sting Ray?

#21
eshears said:
Took my 4-year old daughter to see Horton yesterday...she loved it and I laughed out loud a few times, too! :D
Click to expand...

Took my sixteen year old friend to see it yesterday, and I think she liked it more than me!

As for a 'ray, I think I would go for the maple board over anything. At least with the ones I have played the maple board sounded a little brighter, but with much more mids. Seemed warmer and less hifi than the rosewood ones. Less scooped if you will.

Hey justin, so you tell us of a 35+ passive bass collection. So what kind of basses do you have in there?
 
#23
Hi Justin, I am a big fan of yours and the artist you work with.

I happened to have owned and played a good majority of the available options of Stingrays. I would reccomend either the Classica 3 band Single H or the HS. I find the single coil in the neck position to give a more interesting/useful variety of tones than the H in the neck position.

And don't worry about the extra pickup effecting the true Stingray tone. The bridge pickup only setting sounds exactly like a regular Stingray because it is the exact same pickup in the same location.

Also, you might want to give Ernie Ball a call and speak with Derek in artist relations. He should be able to give you some good insight on what would be the best fit for you. He is a really good guy.
 
#25
Smallequestrian said:
And don't worry about the extra pickup effecting the true Stingray tone. The bridge pickup only setting sounds exactly like a regular Stingray because it is the exact same pickup in the same location.
Click to expand...

Sorry about the hijack, but I had heard that on the Bongo at least, bridge the pickup is in a different place on the HH and the H?
 
#28
Damn!

OK, gonna have to work on pics...you guys are relentless! I have pics somewhere...will look around. I've been seeing that mantra many times on these boards to the effect of "pics or they don't exist". I shouldn't have opened my big mouth!!

Thanks for all the tips, y'all. This is a deeply helpful thread to me.

JMJ
 
#32
JMJ,

From one collector to another (and from what I have read and seen in the pics up here, we have quite a few pieces in common), here are my thoughts on Stingrays. Remember, free advice is what you pay for it!).

-The HH Rays are cool, but they use coil split combos to divvy output from the 2 pickups rather than coil taps and volume/blend. So the combinations are relegated to what Ernie Ball has chosen for you. That said, they do offer a broader variety of tones than a classic Ray and one of the preset tones is bridge pickup only, ala classic Stingray, so there you go.

-If you opt for the single H stingray (the classic), I would actually try to get a slightly older one if you can-- 1992 to 1995 to be exact. Basscentral should easily be able to source one for you if they don't already have one in stock, and in my opinion, these offer some goodies that you cannot get in a new model:

1) They had string mutes. Many people never use them, but they are good to have, and add to that, the bridge mass is greater to accomodate the mutes. I notice a difference but maybe I am imagining it.

2) You can get these older basses with all birdseye maple necks, including fingerboard. Definitely a brighter sound ala maple on maple and a better response I think too. Also, the Birdseye necks are cut a little deeper-- more of a 'C' profile which I dig, but then I am a big fan of old Aria Superbasses.

3) 1992 was the first year that the bridge saddles were cut and configured to give the Stingray's a perfectly straight stringpull from Tuner to bridge. Like on a Wal, and we both know how great those play! Not to say that the pre 92 Ray's aren't cool-- they are awesome-- but they are different basses with the 1992's and after being just a little easier to play, I think. So stay between 92 and 95 if you want the mutes, or 92 and 2000-ish if you want the birdseye.

As an obsessive collector, I advocate buying more than selling, as you will only regret it later, like with your Stingray. But if you really are thinning the herd, I am in the market for an RD Artist (as well as a pre 1980 Stingray) so if you are really looking to move one of yours, let me know.

Good luck with your search. I shopped for months for my first Ray back in 1995 and I decided that they were all good-- even the bad ones!


RBM
 
#33
rogerbmiller said:
JMJ,

From one collector to another (and from what I have read and seen in the pics up here, we have quite a few pieces in common), here are my thoughts on Stingrays. Remember, free advice is what you pay for it!).

-The HH Rays are cool, but they use coil split combos to divvy output from the 2 pickups rather than coil taps and volume/blend. So the combinations are relegated to what Ernie Ball has chosen for you. That said, they do offer a broader variety of tones than a classic Ray and one of the preset tones is bridge pickup only, ala classic Stingray, so there you go.

-If you opt for the single H stingray (the classic), I would actually try to get a slightly older one if you can-- 1992 to 1995 to be exact. Basscentral should easily be able to source one for you if they don't already have one in stock, and in my opinion, these offer some goodies that you cannot get in a new model:

1) They had string mutes. Many people never use them, but they are good to have, and add to that, the bridge mass is greater to accomodate the mutes. I notice a difference but maybe I am imagining it.

2) You can get these older basses with all birdseye maple necks, including fingerboard. Definitely a brighter sound ala maple on maple and a better response I think too. Also, the Birdseye necks are cut a little deeper-- more of a 'C' profile which I dig, but then I am a big fan of old Aria Superbasses.

3) 1992 was the first year that the bridge saddles were cut and configured to give the Stingray's a perfectly straight stringpull from Tuner to bridge. Like on a Wal, and we both know how great those play! Not to say that the pre 92 Ray's aren't cool-- they are awesome-- but they are different basses with the 1992's and after being just a little easier to play, I think. So stay between 92 and 95 if you want the mutes, or 92 and 2000-ish if you want the birdseye.

As an obsessive collector, I advocate buying more than selling, as you will only regret it later, like with your Stingray. But if you really are thinning the herd, I am in the market for an RD Artist (as well as a pre 1980 Stingray) so if you are really looking to move one of yours, let me know.

Good luck with your search. I shopped for months for my first Ray back in 1995 and I decided that they were all good-- even the bad ones!


RBM
Click to expand...

Sweeet info. Mine that I sold about 10 years ago was a '93. So awesome, I kick myself. It was that strange pinkish color transparent over swamp ash. Birdseye neck with string mutes. So there you go. I should keep it in that realm. What about alnico magnets or any differences in pickup design or tone?

Much, much obliged.

JMJ
 
#34
Hey, glad this is useful info.

Yep-- that's the realm to be in for sure. Those basses are the bomb. Think about all the great music during that era made by bands whose bassists played that same bass. You know the ones, and because of them, I consider Stingrays to be classics as much as Fenders, just for a slightly more contemporary era. The Stingray is THE seminal active bass guitar.

Regarding pickups, they have been pretty consistent over the years. Most of the variation in electronics has been with the preamps which went from soldered parts in the old days to printed circuitbaords in more recent times. Here is a good page on a musicman devotee site that has some info for you to peruse on that end.

http://musicmanbass.org/mycustompage0019.htm

Lots of people who get Rays replace the pickups with SD's, Barts, Kent Armstrongs, etc. I like to keep things stock, myself. Why fix something that isn't broken?! But there are certainly lots of aftermarket options if that is what does it for you.






jmjbassplayer said:
Sweeet info. Mine that I sold about 10 years ago was a '93. So awesome, I kick myself. It was that strange pinkish color transparent over swamp ash. Birdseye neck with string mutes. So there you go. I should keep it in that realm. What about alnico magnets or any differences in pickup design or tone?

Much, much obliged.

JMJ
Click to expand...
 
#35
Justin, I have played both the Stingray and Sterling and have come to prefer the Sterling, mainly because of its extremely comfortable neck. I have the single pick-up version, with a rosewood neck. You may want give the Sterling a try, if you haven't already.

My other fretted bass is a U.S.-made Peavey Cirrus 4 string, a very different bass in almost every respect, but each is a pleasure to play.

-John
 
#36
I have a great transparent green 1994 Stingray and from what I've noticed, that (or maybe 1995) seems to be one of the last years the MM basses were made really, really well. Mine and a lot of others from that era have really nice woods...an insane birdseye neck, and the whole thing just resonates like a million bucks. For some reason, the ones from the late 90's and on seem to be lacking a bit....much more mass production feeling.

I don't really use the Stingray bass that much these days, but I could never sell it...because it's kind of special to me and you never know when you might need it for something...
 
#37
Just out of interest how much do gibson rippers go for out in LA? I'd love to pick one up next time im out there!

I've got a black on black with maple neck stingray 5 string - i used to love it when i was in my old funk punk band... it's pretty trashed now but still sound great and it looks a bit more quirky to my eyes than the normal mm shape..something about comfortable about a beat up bass!

Since i joined a more rock orientated band i've favoured a 4 string jazz reissue tho... the drop d sound is just loads more punchier than the d on a five string bass.. it just gets muddy!
 

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