Tony Levin: Stingray Special 5

[jmattbassplaya]

OK, fine. So it's an updated Ray in all its glory with a point and shoot tone that is unstoppable with the 3EQ preamp. So Tony Levin basically defined the tone for multiple genres of music and happens to have King Crimson, Peter Gabriel and Pink Floyd in his bio.
What else you got? Am I supposed to be impressed that one of the all time most influential bassists is playing a better version of one of the best basses ever made? I mean, big deal, you throw a guy on a bass that is one of the most recognizable instruments in popular music and he happens to be the guy that easily 1/3 of the world's bassists try to sound like whether they know it or not, and then what? I'm supposed to want a new EBMM? Really? Just because it's awesome and he's awesome? Does it even come in blue?

It does come in blue

 

[Aldo Sanchez]

Great video, thanks for sharing. The standard 3 band stingray appears to be discontinued. I understand the advantages of the lighter weight and user friendly eq on the new specials. But what if a player desires the classic stingray "grind and clank" and does not want to buy a used bass?

 

[Vanheusen77]

The new ones seem awesome, big improvements! Cool that they still innovate. Even Fender has finally started using different neck joints and contours. It sure is a great time to buy a new bass.

 

[Funk With Me]

Regardless, the man has one hell of a resume, and most of all, for me, he's 1/4 of Liquid Tension Experiment. 'Nuff said.

I just read yesterday that they are working on a new record.

 

[Todd Hamby]

I’ve owned a ton of basses over the years. Stingrays will always be my first love. There’s so much you can do with them

 

[bdplaid]

But I really hate that giant pickguard.

 

[roller]

Nice video. Music Man has done a good job with their marketing over the past few years... and it doesn't hurt to have a such a well-known name prompte your products.

Definitely cool to see more stainless frets at Music Man.

But today's Stingrays are too "boingy" for my tastes. If it suits someone else, more power.

 

[Bassmunnky]

StingRay...one trick pony..pfffffft

P-Bass - The YoDA of basses...the be all end all..

Whatever...freakin talkbass

 

[rogerbmiller]

SRs are definitely not one trick Pony's. They just do one trick really well.

Also, tone is in the hands.

 

[dkelley]

Having owned two 2-band USA S.U.B. 5 basses (both amazing) and rented one 4 string USA 2 band stingray (Before I bought the SUBs, which honestly I found nearly identical and slightly nicer sounding in the highs with the SUBs), and then more recently renting a 3 band stingray 5, I can conclusively say that I love them all, but for someone like me who does a lot of music where mid-forward bass tone is more useful than anywhere from incredibly scooped to quite neutral (but never mid-forward) bass tone (aka the 2 band ray tone limitations), I absolutely would love to own another stingray if:
it was 5 string
it was notably lighter than any of the USA EBMM rays/subs I have owned/played so far (all were 10+ lb)
It has a 3 band eq, preferably with semi-para mid, but at the very least a mid control that lets me boost

So I think, honestly, that the model Levin reviewed in that video is probably exactly what I'm looking for.

Which PISSES me right off.

As anyone who's read my posts over the years might recall, I have met tony levin, am a super fan of his (he's one of my all time favorite bassists, started as a kid with the chuck mangione album Main Squeeze), have been told repeatedly that I play somewhat like him (maybe because I cop some of his licks from when I was a kid learning bass, still, after all these years).... and a singer/songwriter for whom I was the bassist for many many years, but had to stop working with as she moved across the country and I am at home parenting.... on her new EP (that she wanted me to play on and was prepared to pay me well for, but I had to turn down), I was replaced by - yup - Tony Levin.

And NOW I want his apparently new favorite updated bass model, simply because it happens to fit my choices to a tee?

What the hell LoL

 

[markjazzbassist]

I can't stand his tone...fretted, anyway (his fretless sounds good). Regardless, the man has one hell of a resume, and most of all, for me, he's 1/4 of Liquid Tension Experiment. 'Nuff said.

his technique is awful too, strings clanking, uneven notes, I can’t stand his playing. The studio magic does wonders to clean all that up.

 

[fauxtoe]

I just read yesterday that they are working on a new record.

That they are! Due Spring 2021

I'll be happy to hear 1/2 of Dream Theater with Portnoy again. Nothing against Mangini as he was phenomenal when I saw them live during the last tour, but Portnoy hits the drums with a kind of soul (and a little self-inflated ego) that turns me into an air drummer. I probably know his beats in my head better than the bass lines - especially since you can't hear it on DT albums! LTE is a whole different story with Tony Levin and I definitely can not wait!

 

[Bob_Ross]

a singer/songwriter for whom I was the bassist for many many years, but had to stop working with as she moved across the country and I am at home parenting.... on her new EP (that she wanted me to play on and was prepared to pay me well for, but I had to turn down), I was replaced by - yup - Tony Levin.

I feel yur pain. Reminds me of the time -- and I will readily confess, the only time -- I did a mega-budget album on a major record label with a big-name famous producer in a huge world-class recording studio...and every time there was the slightest delay in getting the bass sound, or bass feel, or bass anything nailed down instantaneously, Mr. Big Name Famous Producer would turn to his engineer and say "should we call Will Lee?" Freakin' passive-aggressive dickwad must've said this a half dozen times in the space of a week. But by the end of the week I was like "Dude, put up or shut up, I wanna meet Will Lee!!! Call him in, I'd love to hear him play!!!"

Idiots wound up using me for the album.

 

[dkelley]

I feel yur pain. Reminds me of the time -- and I will readily confess, the only time -- I did a mega-budget album on a major record label with a big-name famous producer in a huge world-class recordings studio...and every time there was the slightest delay in getting the bass sound, or bass feel, or bass anything nailed down instantaneously, Mr. Big Name Famous Producer would turn to his engineer and say "should we call Will Lee?" Freakin' passive-aggressive dickwad must've said this a half dozen times in the space of a week. But by the end of the week I was like "Dude, put up or shut up, I wanna meet Will Lee!!! Call him in, I'd love to hear him play!!!"

Idiots wound up using me for the album.

Awesome! LoL - that's intense, I hate passive aggressive behavior.

In my case it was totally on the up and up, and she only did it because she couldn't get me. I already played on her older stuff and toured with her - of course that was before she started making it semi-big suddenly in 2019/2020 with her new buddy Kim Mitchell who was like exec prod of the project.

I'm just groaning about my own life and how if I had decided to be selfish and stay single I'd probably have made it somewhere LoL.

 

[Evets1987]

Can anyone explain why there’re loads of used SR Special in the classifieds and reverb then? Looks like people tend to get rid of them very soon after they buy them. I took one of them off the EB booth at NAMM and was impressed how light and balanced it was! 8,5 lbs or so for a fiver! But I didn’t have a chance to plug it in so I have no idea how it sounds. But when I saw two batteries compartment I didn’t care about it as I generally prefer passive basses or 9V preamp as maximum. Never understood that “bigger headroom” thing, always been happy with 9V pre, but it’s me again. Also, I haven’t heard anything good about neodymium pickups so far, strange choice of magnets material after glorious tone of older ones with Alnico magnets...

Can anyone explain why there’re loads of used SR Special in the classifieds and reverb then? Looks like people tend to get rid of them very soon after they buy them. I took one of them off the EB booth at NAMM and was impressed how light and balanced it was! 8,5 lbs or so for a fiver! But I didn’t have a chance to plug it in so I have no idea how it sounds. But when I saw two batteries compartment I didn’t care about it as I generally prefer passive basses or 9V preamp as maximum. Never understood that “bigger headroom” thing, always been happy with 9V pre, but it’s me again. Also, I haven’t heard anything good about neodymium pickups so far, strange choice of magnets material after glorious tone of older ones with Alnico magnets...

To come up with the funds to buy another Stingray Special?

 

[osonu]

I would love the lighter weight, but I've A/B'd them and really don't care for neo pickups