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Stingray vs. P or J bass... Which and why?
- Thread starter Joe Bennett
- Start date
P bass. Comfy, simple, versatile, sounds right 99% of the time, wide expanse of tort.
I love them all for different reasons:
Jazz bass because it's the bass style that I started with and still really appreciate the shape and neck profile. It feels like home to me.
Precision bass because it's the classic and really does fit well in the mix with my band/recording.
Stingray because the style and overall sound from it is the sound that *I* am really looking for.
So the honest answer, if the house was on fire and I could only save one, would be the Stingray because I spent the most on it.
Jazz bass because it's the bass style that I started with and still really appreciate the shape and neck profile. It feels like home to me.
Precision bass because it's the classic and really does fit well in the mix with my band/recording.
Stingray because the style and overall sound from it is the sound that *I* am really looking for.
So the honest answer, if the house was on fire and I could only save one, would be the Stingray because I spent the most on it.
All three. Why choose? It’s just money.
(I’m not kidding. Start saving yer money).
(I’m not kidding. Start saving yer money).
Three distinctly different basses that share some common lineage. I’ve owned and enjoyed all three although right now it’s P’s for me.
If it came down to a 5 string I’d go Ray all day.
If it came down to a 5 string I’d go Ray all day.
You need stingray 5 string + Pbass or Jazzbass 4 string.
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Of course EBMM! And of course Sterling. Best of all worlds!
I recently owned all three, and sold the P and the J, and don’t regret it. Loved them all, but the HH Ray gave me the tones i wanted and the most versatility.
I like and use all three. I prefer whatever bass best suits the gig, although any one of them would manage pretty much anything. It’s fun to have different stuff.
A Jazz neck is the most comfortable and fastest of all 3. But a Jazz bass' slap sound and back pickup soloed are also classic sounds.
The P bass pickup is another totally classic sound and records well and fills out a 3 piece band.
A Musicman pickup always cuts live and sounds great for funk. It articulates like a Jazz bridge pickup but sounds even fatter.
I built the 3 above basses (all with Jazz necks) to cover these options and they get me every sound I'm likely ever to need.
The P bass pickup is another totally classic sound and records well and fills out a 3 piece band.
A Musicman pickup always cuts live and sounds great for funk. It articulates like a Jazz bridge pickup but sounds even fatter.
I built the 3 above basses (all with Jazz necks) to cover these options and they get me every sound I'm likely ever to need.
Which one between those three and why? The answer is “yes”.
None of the above.
That's what makes being a bassist in this day and age means...plenty of viable alternatives without having to commit to this or that.
I like ALL of them.
I prefer the Stingray. Why? It feels just right, I love the neck, and I can always get the sound I want out of one. Oh and no, I don't go for that sizzling buzzy trebly sound that a lot of Stingray demos seem to use.
Next, it's the Precision, then the Jazz. The Jazz is my least favourite mostly because of the thin necks (I've ended up converting Precisions to Jazz for that reason) and I find it easier to get the right sound with Stingrays or Precisions, but they're lovely too. I just love bass, and I can't imagine any single bass that can't be made to make the right noises.
The one in my hands... because it's easier to play it that way.
Have owned them all.
My favorite is a Jazz bass. I like them in all flavors ...... 5 string, 4 string, 60’s or 70’s spacing , active, passive, rosewood, maple, ebony, ash, alder , basswood, blocks and binding , or not , dots.
2nd runner up is a Pbass. I prefer 60’s era styling and voicing on those ala Jamerson , Carol Kaye, Pino, ect .
I love the way a good passive and or 2band Stingray sounds .
My favorite is a Jazz bass. I like them in all flavors ...... 5 string, 4 string, 60’s or 70’s spacing , active, passive, rosewood, maple, ebony, ash, alder , basswood, blocks and binding , or not , dots.
2nd runner up is a Pbass. I prefer 60’s era styling and voicing on those ala Jamerson , Carol Kaye, Pino, ect .
I love the way a good passive and or 2band Stingray sounds .
Fortunately I don't have to pick just one, but if I did it would be the jazz, hands-down.
I have a Stingray, a Jazz, and a Precision. They all have classic sounds and are all worth considering if you're looking for a bass. Can't say one is any better than another in general because it comes down to personal preference.
Keep in mind that I play five-strings exclusively, so that impacts my preferences but my personal favorite is the Stingray. The ergonomics fit me perfectly, I love the general tone with the preamp set flat, and I love the versatility of the preamp to tailor the sound. I'd say the Precision and the Jazz are tied for second for me. I do use the Jazz more for what I'm playing now and I do find the Jazz a little more comfortable for me to play, but the Precision will probably never be the wrong bass in any situation.
And the best thing about those is that they're iconic basses that you can find anywhere so you can try them out to see which feels best and sounds best to you.
Keep in mind that I play five-strings exclusively, so that impacts my preferences but my personal favorite is the Stingray. The ergonomics fit me perfectly, I love the general tone with the preamp set flat, and I love the versatility of the preamp to tailor the sound. I'd say the Precision and the Jazz are tied for second for me. I do use the Jazz more for what I'm playing now and I do find the Jazz a little more comfortable for me to play, but the Precision will probably never be the wrong bass in any situation.
And the best thing about those is that they're iconic basses that you can find anywhere so you can try them out to see which feels best and sounds best to you.
My history of these 3 Basses...
1975 - I spend $200 on a Pre-CBS Fender P.
Shedded and gigged with this. Couple years later, I start hearing a lotta hype(?) about Leo Fender's new company. I behin seeing some ex-P bass players sportin' MM Stingray basses...In 1978, I plunk down $500 for this-
The tone, IMO, sounded "metallic". My P-bass sounded more like "wood". I tell my friend at the Music Store & he turns me onto a new Company outta Cali...So a few months later, I plunk down another $500 to buy a Schecter P-bass. That became my gig bass.
Sometime in the '80s, I notice some of the better local guys & most of the Jazz Fusion guys playing Jazz-style basses. So I added a Bridge PUP onto the Schecter-
In the '90s, I just went full-on Jazz Bass. Why fight it?
1975 - I spend $200 on a Pre-CBS Fender P.
Shedded and gigged with this. Couple years later, I start hearing a lotta hype(?) about Leo Fender's new company. I behin seeing some ex-P bass players sportin' MM Stingray basses...In 1978, I plunk down $500 for this-
The tone, IMO, sounded "metallic". My P-bass sounded more like "wood". I tell my friend at the Music Store & he turns me onto a new Company outta Cali...So a few months later, I plunk down another $500 to buy a Schecter P-bass. That became my gig bass.
Sometime in the '80s, I notice some of the better local guys & most of the Jazz Fusion guys playing Jazz-style basses. So I added a Bridge PUP onto the Schecter-
In the '90s, I just went full-on Jazz Bass. Why fight it?
JeezyMcNuggles
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- Feb 23, 2018
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PJ, cause it's a p bass with options.
P for me. Sounds good, and it’s simple and elegant.
I had all three over the years, and didn’t really bond with a Ray. I need a neck pickup. I do like the modern HH ones! Only wish you could solo the neck pickup in single coil. Perhaps I should check out HS
Jazz is a good bass, when done right. The drawbacks are the thin neck and offset body, but that’s more a preference thing. Also, typically with single coils, so it hums when favoring one pickup.
P bass hits the sweet spot for me. Wide neck, non offset body, passive split coil pickup in the middle. Fewer knobs also means it forces me to get the sounds out with technique, not knob twisting.
I do like Fender “hybrids”. I think the right way to do a “Precision-Jazz” bass is a dual reverse P bass. P pairs best with a P. Or I kinda dig the way Atelier Z puts a Ray pickup between Jazz pickups.
I had all three over the years, and didn’t really bond with a Ray. I need a neck pickup. I do like the modern HH ones! Only wish you could solo the neck pickup in single coil. Perhaps I should check out HS
Jazz is a good bass, when done right. The drawbacks are the thin neck and offset body, but that’s more a preference thing. Also, typically with single coils, so it hums when favoring one pickup.
P bass hits the sweet spot for me. Wide neck, non offset body, passive split coil pickup in the middle. Fewer knobs also means it forces me to get the sounds out with technique, not knob twisting.
I do like Fender “hybrids”. I think the right way to do a “Precision-Jazz” bass is a dual reverse P bass. P pairs best with a P. Or I kinda dig the way Atelier Z puts a Ray pickup between Jazz pickups.
