In this context, the soloed P was the best. Even the snap in the first part(it sounded old school funk). The PJ was too thin and Ray was good, but terrible picked. Ymmv
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Stingray Special vs. Yamaha BBP34 video
- Thread starter Vanheusen77
- Start date
BobDeRosa
Commercial User
- May 16, 2012
- 2,444
- 4,402
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- Owner, Tritone Jazz Fantasy Camps
Sorry, I was paying much more attention to the Yamaha than the StingRay and I never looked at the controls. I thought the StingRay they were comparing was the Joe Dart.
Very nice video and great playing! I voted Yamaha both pups really just based upon the first section. After that it was tough to pick a winner. They all sounded good and there isn’t a winner, just personal preference. Well done!
I've been playing with the full 50/50 blend on my BB735. With the preamp on it gets pretty darn close to a Stingray tone, though it's obviously not 100% the same thing. I've never really used the bridge pickup on my two other PJs, but it actually sounds really good on the Yamaha. They're awesome instruments.
The Yamaha has a lot more bottom and low-mids in both configurations than the Stingray. I went back and forth between the P-soloed and the PJ, depending on the context, but the Yamaha wins overall for me.
My preference: The 'P' pickup on the BB, followed by the 'PJ'.
The stingray special sounds good for thumping and plucking, but a bit too compressed for my liking when played fingerstyle. Further, I've never enjoyed the sound of a stingray played with a pick without the requisite palm muting. Way too zingy on the top end, especially with round-wound strings. IMO the forte of the stingray is funk, either thump/pluck/slap/pop, or short staccato notes on flat-wound strings ala Bernard Edwards.
The stingray special sounds good for thumping and plucking, but a bit too compressed for my liking when played fingerstyle. Further, I've never enjoyed the sound of a stingray played with a pick without the requisite palm muting. Way too zingy on the top end, especially with round-wound strings. IMO the forte of the stingray is funk, either thump/pluck/slap/pop, or short staccato notes on flat-wound strings ala Bernard Edwards.
I believe the P pickup on the BB basses is a hair closer to the neck than on Fender PJ basses which might be part of the blended sound.
I have sold my SR's because I prefer the USA Sterlings. I own a BB735A and it gets as much playing time as my Sterling 5HH, for the price it is money well spent.
I voted BB P only, but I like them all. (Probably the magic in the hands.)
But most importantly, the song ended way too early.
But most importantly, the song ended way too early.
When it comes to BB series Yamaha’s and Music Man basses, we are talking two of the best productions bass lines in the world. If I could only have one, I would flip a coin and be happy with the result. My only criticism is that I really think Yamaha should start using humcanceling bridge pickups or at least significantly enhance shielding to reduce noise.
The Stingray started out as the winner in this poll but it seems like the Yamaha BB just took the lead! Thanks for all your responses!
I agree, although this I rarely a problem for me in real life. For a while I played a bass that only had a single coil live and when it buzzed a little I usually just turned a little to one side. Guitarists that play Fenders have worked around this for ever, and through overdriven sounds which makes it a lot worse.
Could you pick and play fingerstyle on the Stingray just in front of the pickup please?
Oh, wow! That's mind-blowing! Thanks for the info. I don't think any of us would have ever known there was a difference without you sharing.
It´s always a compromise when you do theses kinds of comparisons. Maybe next time I will try different right hand positions. It looks like I pick right in front of the pickup though. I tried to play them with similar right hand positions but it could be that I ended up further back on the Ray. The Stingray pickup is located about where the P pickup ends on a BB/P bass and not where the bridge pickup is so there might also be some slight optical illusion going on.
Great playing, this is how a comparison video should be. This is perfect.
I voted Yamaha P soloed. It's that extra roughness in the sound that always gets me.
I really liked the PJ sound, too. The Stingray, although having a great sound, goes from "I love it" to "not really" in the same riff.
The P soloed played with a pick. Uau. I have to learn how to play with a pick. Best sound bit of the video, in my opinion.
I voted Yamaha P soloed. It's that extra roughness in the sound that always gets me.
I really liked the PJ sound, too. The Stingray, although having a great sound, goes from "I love it" to "not really" in the same riff.
The P soloed played with a pick. Uau. I have to learn how to play with a pick. Best sound bit of the video, in my opinion.
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Yeah P bass with a pick is amazing, I played that exclusively for a couple of years in almost every type of music. It just cuts and sits perfectly at the same time.
