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Stingray Classic or Stingray Retro 70s

Which is the better bass?

  • Stingray Classic

    Votes: 45 52.3%
  • Stingray Retro 70s

    Votes: 45 52.3%

  • Total voters
    86
I understand that people have nostalgia and enjoy reissues. But, forgive me if I'm wrong I had never heard of the retro70 and had to look this up.... but it seems to me like the retro70s has the bullet truss rod, the 3-screw neck plate and micro-tilt which I always thought was Fender's way of saying "we can't figure out how to make a neck/pocket fit, you sort it out yourself". So the retro70s is missing the stuff which improved (just IMO) stingrays over the years?

Ok it's got the mute pads and the string-through option, but the Classic has that too, right?

Honest question, what am I misunderstanding here? The retro70s seems like three steps backwards to me. Someone please edumucate me.

To me , people need to stop confusing the correctly executed CLF/Musicman 3 bolt neck arrangement to being the same as the incorrectly executed CBS/Fender 3 bolt one.
My preEB 3 bolt necks never moved!
For a long time, G&L used the 3 bolt and those didn't move either.

If you want a Classic then get the Classic.
For this time around, they went with a true reissue.
 
Fender (and most other production line instrument manufacturers), on the other hand glue two unrelated pieces of maple together, and not only is the join clearly visible, the colour rarely matches.
This is a very odd assertion - I don’t know about other manufacturers, but maple board Fenders are well known for being constructed as a one piece neck with a contrasting skunk stripe on the back.
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I picked up a 2011 Classic on December 18th, wanted one for years. Unfortunately when I received the bass, I noticed it had terrible “ping buzz” as I call it when it buzz’s like crazy and is on a dead spot.

Took it to a gig the next day, two songs in I switched to my jazz for the rest of the show. It had no power in the slides you know? That “Tommmmmb!” When you do so, more “dillllll…..”

Took it to my tech, it needs a complete re-fret. I saw a few worn frets, but he showed me how worn some of them were!! Dead spots all over, especially anything up from the 12th fret. Not too worried though as stainless steel medium jumbo ones are going in! I’ll post after the work is done, hopefully before the end of January.

(I only had the bass for 2 days before taking it to my tech, so I didn’t get of it, hence the one from the website)

Also 3-D printed a thumb rest, the yellow one it a prototype, too brittle. I got some reinforced plastic to make a black with will be going on after the re-fret is done.

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I'm a stingray tragic having owned three classics and many specials. I currently own an unmodified special, a PDN mahogany and a special that's been retrofitted with a Pre-EBMM 2-band.
You're just the man I'm looking for! How would you describe the difference in sound with the Special's stock preamp and and the swap to the 2-Band? I myself own a Special 5H and while I love the Highs, I would prefer the bass and mids of it's predecessors preamps. I feel like the HPF is a little too high in the special preamp but I'm not sure.
 
You're just the man I'm looking for! How would you describe the difference in sound with the Special's stock preamp and and the swap to the 2-Band? I myself own a Special 5H and while I love the Highs, I would prefer the bass and mids of it's predecessors preamps. I feel like the HPF is a little too high in the special preamp but I'm not sure.
From AI; No, the standard active preamp in the StingRay Special does not include a high-pass filter (HPF). The onboard controls consist of a 3-band EQ (volume, treble, mid, and bass) powered by an 18-volt preamp.

I have Mesa WD 800 with variable HPF and you can clearly hear difference in Bass with HPF set around50- 70hz and then 25 hz

AI isn't always trustworthy but Special preamp is different from pre Special that was rumored to have HPF; EB has not mentioned anything about HPF in new preamp

I prefer my Special to either Classic or Retro[both also excellent Basses] but you may like 2 band and that's what count's regardles of what I prefer or Bigswifty1
but I don't think HPF is applical or signifacant difference in this case
 
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I haven’t played a retro, but I would really like to try one. I have a few bases with microtilt and they are fine, but the neck can be a little shifty even with a tight neck pocket. I think the six bolt is an improvement. Also, I know a lot of these can be heavy, but I got lucky with my classic at 8 1/2 pounds.

I’m not as interested in a true reissue so I think the classic is good. For those that want those details definitely get a retro.View attachment 7102094
The perfect Ray...I am drooling :drool:😍
 
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