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Stingray vs. P or J bass... Which and why?

#83
My favorite bass is essentially a PJ that also does pseudo Stingray tones with the added bonus of the front coil of the BigMan soloed. So I guess I choose all three?

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#86
57pbass said:
It’s surprising that there’s not a builder who has developed a workable interchangeable pickup system that will allow you to mix and match pickups without hassle and sound great.
Just remove one and add whatever.
The technology is available for this to happen and it can be aesthetically pleasing.
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Sims makes pups that can do all the different configs but you dont pop them in and out. Ive watched some demos and think they sound great, but I havent done a side by side to hear how authentic it is
 
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#93
I’ve been a P bass guy for 18 or so years, but after I got a Stingray recently, I haven’t been able to look back. I think it’s good to have both. I’ve never had a jazz bass but I find with PJ basses, I usually just keep it on the P pickup anyway. The Stingray satisfies the need to get more of a crispy attack and edgier punch for me. Best of all worlds (in my opinion): Mustang and short scale Stingray. That’s my winning combo.
 
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#95
A PJ.

I had a Jazz and liked the sound but still wanted the thumpier sound of the bridge pickup in the P position. I wanted something lighter and more comfortable (for me). Ibby Soundgear's had the ergonomics but I like the sound of passive Fenders. Luckily for me when I discovered this bass it was the last one available so I jumped on it. The Nordstrand pickups are designed to be unashamedly Fender and come pretty close for me. It Ps, it Jazzes pretty well, its Nordstrandy and I like that. It has a active mode I use occasionally (not hugely sold on active) and it can do a lot of active stuff including Stingray-ish and Bongo-ish; at least close enough for the sort of thing I do.

I played a Mustang PJ recently and I have to say I would have walked out the door with it if I didn't have this bass.


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#97
I owned all three at the same time but almost always gigged the J so I replaced the P and Stingray with two more Js (not Fenders!). The P was best with TI flats. Lovely sound but had one basic tone. The Stingray was extremely well made but having one bridge humbucker meant it also had one basic tone. I’d have an HH or HS if I got another one. Not keen on active basses though. The J has a narrower neck and versatile pickups. Good for slap and that Jaco bridge pickup tone. I mainly use it with both pickups up full to give that lovely scooped tone.

On a gig the P fits the mix well as it has great mid frequency tones. The Stringray has quite an aggressive trebly tone so also cuts through well. The scooped J sound can sometimes get a bit lost so needs careful EQ’ing IMHO. But I still prefer the J tone.

BTW, I loved the TI flats but found my fingers stuck to them a bit if they were sweaty. Need a bit of nose grease!
 
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#98
Just stumbled across this post from me from over a year ago. Funny how your own opinion can change! I never liked the MIA J and P I had and had mixed feelings about the Stingray. All these went and I got more Js (Sandberg). A year or so later and I decided I wanted a P, J and Stingray again. I now have a Fender Road Worn J and P which I like much more that the MIA J and P I had. I also have a EBMM 2EQ Stingray which is 8.5lb and has the 42-ish mm neck width. I love that too. Hopefully my GAS fuelled bass acquisition journey is at an end!
 
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#99
BasEd said:
Just stumbled across this post from me from over a year ago. Funny how your own opinion can change! I never liked the MIA J and P I had and had mixed feelings about the Stingray. All these went and I got more Js (Sandberg). A year or so later and I decided I wanted a P, J and Stingray again. I now have a Fender Road Worn J and P which I like much more that the MIA J and P I had. I also have a EBMM 2EQ Stingray which is 8.5lb and has the 42-ish mm neck width. I love that too. Hopefully my GAS fuelled bass acquisition journey is at an end!
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You are so right. I was all about the Jazz Bass a year ago. I finally found a StingRay5 that is perfect for me . Quickly became my number one followed by my PBass. Now my Jazz basses are the low men on the totem pole. It is still a great bass. Right now….. I’m loving my Ray and P more.
 
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