Just picked up one of the new Sterling Stingray SUB Ray4s, or whatever the hell they are calling them these days (which is a steal and the best bang for the buck at $299 IMO). Havent played a Sterling/MM in years and I was just reminded of how awesome they sound and how much ground they cover compared to the last Fender P and J basses I have had which I liked as well. Especially with the onboard EQ. You want to play all out aggressive rock? Its in there. Slap some old school funk? Check. Grab a pick and get a punk sound? Yep. Play some dub/reggae? Absolutely. Jazz? Fusion? Country? I can't think of a single tone or style you can't get from a Stingray and the punch and clarity is top notch. I would argue they are even more versatile than a P bass and certainly sound more aggressive. Are they the most versatile basses ever made?
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Stingray-most versatile bass ever made?
- Thread starter mbell75
- Start date
Yes they are. As are many other types of bass! 
Can you play any style with it? Yep. Just like any other bass. But the most versatile? Aaaaa...no.
Had a 4 string Stingray in the 90s. Not as versatile as my P bass. Had a 5 string Stingray, it had a weak G string, changed it for another, that had a weak G string too, regardless of brand of string, pickup height etc. Gave up, went back to my P. Now I also have a Yamaha BB605 with Aguilar preamp and Delano pickups that kills! I play blues n boogie, latino, Irish, country, rock n roll and jazz standards, so versatility is a must.
Uhhhh...no. I own a MM Cutlass1 (1983) and an Ernieball Sterling (1996) and I love them both...but I wouldn’t consider either the most versatile bass ever.
As far as versatility goes, my Sire P7 kills my MMs. 2 PUs, passive to active mode and awesome pre-amp....
As far as versatility goes, my Sire P7 kills my MMs. 2 PUs, passive to active mode and awesome pre-amp....
Love a Stingray, but sticking with Music Man, Game Changer is a heck of a lot more versatile.
Might want to check this thread:
What's your most versatile bass? (Include Pics!)
A lot of basses in the running for different folks.
Might want to check this thread:
What's your most versatile bass? (Include Pics!)
A lot of basses in the running for different folks.
Love my Stingray for funk playing, but the most versatile bass I have ever owned is a G&L L2500 with the single coil option.
This is the first that I'm seeing someone calling Stingray "the most versatile bass ever". I love it for its signature tone, just like I love my P for its signature tone. I can pretty much play either in any situation needed, and have. Love the 2 band eq on the ray. Still, I wouldn't call them the most versatile. Plenty of multi pickup, active eq basses out there. Most of those do nothing for me though.
Nope- but it's awesome nonetheless!
Really? Look at the huge list of SR players. Everything from punk and metal to jazz and funk and everything in between. The P bass is the only other bass I can think of that comes anywhere close to being used by such a wide variety of players playing completely different genres of music. A SR is pretty much an industry standard in most studios along with P basses. Unless Im forgetting something, I can't think of another bass as versatile and as widely used.
Stingrays are often called "one trick ponies" (and P basses too) here on TB. Yes, both are used in many genres, but so are many other basses. Jazz bass is used everywhere too, and it's arguably more versatile sound wise with the 2 pickups. I don't gel that well with J basses though. Many find that you can't escape the Stingray tone color, while something like a passive J (or P) is a bit more "neutral" in the mix. It's not that it can't be used in a variety of genres, it's the variety of tones you get out of it.
So hey man, I'm with you, I adore Stingrays, and I play one all the time. I wanna add one more to my stable. But I don't look at them as "swiss army knife" basses. Other, more "neutral" sounding (I would say with less character, or if I really wanted to be mean - characterless) basses like G&L, Lakland (44-02, 55-02), plethora of active jazz basses etc. Any multi pickup bass with your switches, modes, 3-4 band eq preamps etc. Basses that are jack of all trades, but maybe master of none? Stingray has a definite character to its tone, you either like it or not. You're not really going to escape it with eq fiddling.
I know "versatile" is always a positive description, but I have never bought a bass because it was "versatile".
IMO it doesn't matter how many tones you can get out of a particular instrument, most people I see find the one they like and stick to it.
It's the players that are usually the "one trick pony" not the instrument. I'm a "two trick pony", but that's only because I have Precision and Jazz basses.
IMO it doesn't matter how many tones you can get out of a particular instrument, most people I see find the one they like and stick to it.
It's the players that are usually the "one trick pony" not the instrument. I'm a "two trick pony", but that's only because I have Precision and Jazz basses.
I have two Ray 4s, both bought new pretty recently. With the latest refinements to the preamp, and etc., these basses sound really, really nice. You can go from the most obnoxious grindy, snarly agression, then dial it back into the most velvety smooth tone. ....And anywhere in between. Most versatile? Dunno, but I can't really see a situation where this bass couldn't fit.
Love the two band eq. These are fast becoming my favorite instruments, ..and I never thought I would be a Stingray guy
Love the two band eq. These are fast becoming my favorite instruments, ..and I never thought I would be a Stingray guy
I didn't know about the Game Changer - thanks for bringing that up. EB sure is busy these days coming up with new guitars and basses. Some really innovative stuff there.
Best to clarify what everyone means by ‘versatile’. I have a Stingray Classic 4 and it is killer. There is something about the one pickup with the 2-band EQ that makes it different from other Rays I’ve owned and sold, it is minimalistic.
I would call it versatile because it will sound good with almost anything, like sriracha is versatile. But it always sounds like a Stingray to me. If you define versatile like being able to use switches and knobs to cop multiple tones with one bass, there are any number of active piezo-equipped basses with 3-band EQs and coil-tappable humbuckers built for that purpose that would do that job better. Is there a Variax bass?
To me, too much choice can be daunting, when I’m playing I don’t want to puzzle over all the knobs and switches and push-pull pots. It makes it easier to dial in a bad sound. My Classic 4 strikes a good balance between one trick pony and Swiss Army knife.
I would call it versatile because it will sound good with almost anything, like sriracha is versatile. But it always sounds like a Stingray to me. If you define versatile like being able to use switches and knobs to cop multiple tones with one bass, there are any number of active piezo-equipped basses with 3-band EQs and coil-tappable humbuckers built for that purpose that would do that job better. Is there a Variax bass?
To me, too much choice can be daunting, when I’m playing I don’t want to puzzle over all the knobs and switches and push-pull pots. It makes it easier to dial in a bad sound. My Classic 4 strikes a good balance between one trick pony and Swiss Army knife.
G&L's L-2000 gets my vote for most versatile & the best pickups in the industry.
If they made a lightweight one w/o neck dive I'd have one.
If they made a lightweight one w/o neck dive I'd have one.
