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Stingray popularity decline?

#202
And the only way I'd ever play a 4-string Jazz Bass is with a Precision neck. I find the standard Jazz Bass neck too narrow, so it makes sense that I'd like the StingRay neck (and I find the StingRay body to be much more beautiful than the Precision body).
 
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#207
jmattbassplaya said:
Were their necks ever like baseball bats? The SR profile is, essentially, a P bass. To me, a Warwick Thumb is an example of a baseball bat.
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I've played a fair few Ps, and prefer ones with a fairly slim profile, front-to-back. Stingrays seem (from the ones I've tried), more of a full-fat D. Warwicks have chunky necks now, but at the time I actively toyed with the idea of getting a Warwick (20 years ago) they were skinny front-to-back, but seem (much like me) to have put on weight since then.
 
#208
mcnach said:
the Stingray, while being wide, it has a relatively slim cross-section
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I don't mind slim cross-section and P width, but that hasn't been my experience of Stingrays.

If you prefer Jazz basses, then yes, you're probably not going to like Stingrays.
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Even my two current Ps have Jazz necks on them... Even the Warmoth Jazz neck I have on one Jazz is too chunky, even after I took a spoke shave to it.
 
#209
I have a fresh outlook on MM--I've been playing a long time and have never owned a MM. I'm a MM Virgin. Last week I got an Old Smoothie. I love the attack and fatness of this instrument, and the immediate presence of the note. There is no 'ganky' sound on this instrument with any settings. So, I love all of that. The wider neck is going to take some getting used to though. I've played more Jazz styled necks all these years. Gonna be great in an Motown/R&B/Funk band I'm in. Just gotta learn to love the wider neck. BTW, the 'chocolate burst' on these are really nice!
 
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#212
68Goldfish said:
I'd really appreciate a classic SR5 with body contours..Basically a two band five string ray with a ceramic pickup, contoured body and the four string pick guard. Then I'd be down to buy another one. And I've had my share for sure.
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I wanted a classic 2 band Ray, but with more creature comfort, and a narrower neck, so I cobbled together this J-Ray. Nordstrand Pickup, with a Mojotone Clone pre. I'm not claiming it's a perfect Ray, but it has that Ray snarl and punch in much more comfortable form. I added a passive tone for the 4th knob.
JRay1.jpg
 
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#213
40Hz said:
Fair enough. :thumbsup::)

As someone who’s done his share of graphic and typographic design work early in my career (back in the 70s no less!) along with my sister who has an MFA and runs her own design agency, we’ll both have to respectfully agree to disagree in return. To us it’s cluttered, lacking in visual unity and flow, and amateurish looking. And it commits the grave sin (to us) of treating text as if it’s just another graphic element rather than something that’s visually pleasing but still meant to be easily read. But to each their own pet design theories I guess. We’re more in Edward Tufte and Rudolph Koch’s school of design than we are with Andy Warhol or Peter Max.

But that’s the beauty of graphic design. If you can get everyone to agree with what you’ve done, then you’re probably not being original enough. :laugh:
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For crying' out loud, Dude! It's a bass not a piece of modern art!!!! Who CARES what the opinions are about headstock graphics?!?! The bass 'looks' and sounds different than anything else available....then AND now! That's as far as 'most' players are gonna think that kind of thing through.
 
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#214
Joebone said:
It's hard to see the StingRay not swinging back into popularity - and I'm not so sure that it's particularly "unpopular" at this time. The original design was a real step forward for its time, and over the years EBMM has done a great job of keeping quality control up and building on the brand's fundamentals. I would play one if they issued a 5-string with 19mm spacing [Epic fail, but that's another story...] The new run of basic Stingrays looks quite attractive, if they've managed to get the weight down but also maintain sonic punch. And as for popularity, all of the great classic designs ebb and flow in prominence over the years, but also maintain a solid core of users. The Sting Ray is no different. Final note - if the SR seems too much like a slapper's axe, install some flatwounds- happiness.
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.......or simply adjust the tone controls and your technique! It's really not that hard to get different tones out of a 'Ray!!
 
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#215
JoeWPgh said:
I really like the sound of a SR, and for the most part, they're pretty sharp looking. And they certainly are an iconic bass. But there's reasonable points that work against them, too. The confounding naming convention of the different models, the horrible logo and excessive scribbling on the otherwise decent looking headstock. The weight and ergonomics were not all that great. The one thing I never liked about them is the knob placement. They seem just a bit too far from the right hand playing position. Still I have one that I have no interest in parting with.
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The ergonomics of the knob placement is purposeful. Slappers don't have to worry about inadvertently turning knob if they get a little out-of-hand while playing.
 
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#217
nomaj said:
It seems like Music Man Stingrays aren't as popular with working bassists (especially rock bassists) as they were 15-20 years ago, while on the other hand, P basses, J basses and Rics seem more popular than ever in this niche.

Any thoughts on why this may be? The desire for passive grind is the only explanation that I can think of, since the Stingray is otherwise a marvelous instrument.
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Couldn’t care less. I’ll always own one, even if I’m the last guy on the planet to do so.
 
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#218
I just bought a SUB Ray 4 after an entire bass playing lifetime of Fender Jazz/Precision (I also just bought a Yamaha BB735A, so I'm really branching out this year). It's a great sounding bass for the money, and filled the StingRay sized hole in my sound.

It's a very specific sound, but just as specific as a P-bass sound, or a burpy bridge J sound. And if you crank the bass of the OBP it has all the thumpy thud you would want, provided your amp has the headspace to deal with it.

I really dig it, can't believe it took me this long to get one.
 
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#219
Lepparda said:
Hard to think of a better looking bass.
View attachment 3098240
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br1qbat said:
My 2 cents: I always wrote off stingrays as their 'iconic sound' is that trebley 'zing'. Not my cuppa tea. Not to mention it is the sound demos usually focus on.

Then I saw King Crimson and the badazz Tony Levin with his SR5. Thick, meaty, not at all 'zingy'/thin. Then I tried one. That treble knob moves, who knew? I think it can do thick, punchy, meaty. So with the sounds being more old school focused, it might be that folks don't realize the versatility a stingray has.

A 4 string black with maple is on my GAS shortlist now. And yes their sterling/SUB line are to me the best new bass you can buy for $300drooldrooldrool
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I promise you....there's absolutely NOTHING a 'Ray can't do!!
 
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