good catch. The other Ms. (black+white) is a decade younger and has been in four films with "Red" in the title.
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Stingray popularity decline?
- Thread starter nomaj
- Start date
I greatly prefer my fully custom warmoth P (Jazz neck) or a G&L ASAT, both of which can be bought for several hundred dollars less than a typical new MM.
MM necks feel like playing a 2x4. They are basically just a bass full of compromises, not very versatile or particularly great tone wise. P's sound better, J's and G&L's are more versatile, the MM just kinda falls short in both respects.
Have pity on all those musicians out there who own/play Fender American Standard instruments..................
It’s the same width as an American P Bass and it’s thinner front to back. Warwick’s and Ricks have thick necks. My SR neck is pretty much average thickness. About the same as a G&L.
Great. I love playing unpopular instruments, as long as they do what I need them to do.
I will say that Stingrays never look out of place in any context. Country, metal, reggae, jazz, whatever. You’ll never lose an audition showing up with a Stingray. Can’t say the same thing about any bass with a pointy headstock.
I will say that Stingrays never look out of place in any context. Country, metal, reggae, jazz, whatever. You’ll never lose an audition showing up with a Stingray. Can’t say the same thing about any bass with a pointy headstock.
I agree. I think Flea sold a lot of Stingrays in the late 80s/early 90s for EB.
Man, I want some of what you’re smoking.
- Feb 8, 2005
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- Endorsing Artist: Bag End - Dean Markley - Thunderfunk
I've long since moved on to custom Stambaughs, but for about 10 years a Stingray was my main bass. They're excellent instruments. I actually ended up having the neck at the nut on my '88 (#B027077 if anybody out there ended up with it lol) shaved down to Jazz Bass width and made fretless.
Every song I played on the album (7 total) was with my fretted Music Man.
True story: Around 1993 I recorded an album with Othello Molineaux. It was reviewed in Bass Player and when instrumentation was listed, it indicated: Marcus Willett: fretted and fretless Jazz Basses.
Every song I played on the album (7 total) was with my fretted Music Man.
Part of the problem is probably that everyone you listed is 50+ years old now and most of the dad band guys already have Musicmans if they want them.
I agree
my dingwall and my last stingray. May look completely different to some people but for people like myself who’ve mostly owned coffee table basses I’d say they both have kind of a similar vibe aesthetically.
He’s 68 years old. Everyone above 40 who wants a musicman probably already has one by now.
very good point, I agree this is a big part of it.
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
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
A couple of excellent bassists that I know have both played Sting Rays since the mid 70s - early 80s. They always sounded killer too. I think that the re-done MM Sting Ray are probably good instruments. My only concern about them is their gigantic price increase that puts these basses into a different class.
As far as the marketing goes, EB needs to take a long look at what its doing. They have three lines of basses (and guitars too) without enough differentiation. I'm not going to criticize their convoluted logos, only the lack of any clear signs of what each line is and does. They're lowering the value of the products that they're now charging big money for.
As far as the marketing goes, EB needs to take a long look at what its doing. They have three lines of basses (and guitars too) without enough differentiation. I'm not going to criticize their convoluted logos, only the lack of any clear signs of what each line is and does. They're lowering the value of the products that they're now charging big money for.
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A Ray was my main bass for many years. Besides Ps and Js, StingRays and Sterlings are the next most common basses that I see in the wild.
I have that album!
Bought it when it came out. I finally got to see him a couple years ago at a nearby jazz club.
The bass market has been slow for the past several years. Stingray's were not exempt from this. Having said that I believe we will shatter records for Stingray's (Special) produced in the next calendar year.
