mcnach

[quote name='thebassist' timestamp='1388060779' post='2318156'] What do you prefer? I don't want to get onto the differences between the two basses, etc. I'm just after your preferences. [/quote] You're only interested about our preference? Nothing else? Stingray then. Without hesitation.

[quote name='DiMarco' timestamp='1387480043' post='2312552'] That is mainly because many bassists don't know any better and really shouldn't be writing reviews. Zoom multifx pedals are toys hence the low prices on them. [/quote] Ah, ok then.

[quote name='Ou7shined' timestamp='1387921182' post='2317312'] I was talking about SUB 4s only. [/quote] I know, and I have two SUB 4s, one is parallel (late 2005 or early 2006) and one is series (late 2003). Sorry my response seemed a bit confusing. Both alnico.

[quote name='clashcityrocker' timestamp='1387913219' post='2317212'] I've heard the Bass Doc on here is the guy to talk to [/quote] this

[quote name='skidder652003' timestamp='1387874831' post='2316604'] are they sort of the squier Vintage Modified of the "Ray" world, if that makes sense? [/quote] Not at all. They are *really* Stingrays. Construction, feel, sound... it's all there.

[quote name='drTStingray' timestamp='1387873628' post='2316587'] Not according to the company who made them - they say they were all parallel - after all parallel wired pick up is part of the Stingray magic. One or two members have dismantled their Sub pick ups and found them wired in series - did they come from the factory like that? Who knows! Perhaps someone can confirm. Has anyone looked at a Sub 5 pick up. For starters the standard SR5 has a glued on pick up cover - presumably the Sub 5 does? Basically the USA built sub is a slab bodied Ray with a poplar body and lower spec finishing and 2 band active or plain passive electronics. Basically they sound virtually identical to a 2 band Ray at about 50 to 60% of the secondhand value of a Ray. [/quote] My 2003 SUB is wired in series, it looks stock and the previous owner claims he did nothing to it (owner from new). It's a nice punchy sound that works really well with teh 2EQ preamp, in my opinion. My SUB5 was wired in parallel, it was a 2004, I think. Very weird as EBMM did not make an alnico parallel 5-string pickup at the time... Mysteries!!! When it comes to sound and playability... I am not sure there is any significant difference between a 2EQ Stingray and a SUB, as long as the lack of contours don't bother you. I have a Stingray and two SUBs, one is parallel and one series... the parallel one is as Stingrayish as it could be. The series one is another Stingray that went to the gym, that's all ;p

[quote name='Ou7shined' timestamp='1387840119' post='2316447'] Stingrays are wired parallel, SUBs in series. And one uses ceramic magnets while the other alnico (I canna mind which is which just now). [/quote] Not exactly. It looks like some SUBs are wired in series, some in parallel. I got one of each, both stock. I suspect it's late ones (2005-6) that are the parallel ones. Same pickup then. All SUBs I've seen were alnico.

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1387828610' post='2316272'] It is a single humbucker pickup with a simple pre amp. I don't need an Ed Friedland review to tell me about a bass I used exclusively for 10 years, tbh. When I think Stingray, I think classic Louis Johnson and the sound of those days have long gone. I think the reason people get a Stingray is for a specific sound... [/quote] well, think again I don't think I play anything sounding like Louis Johnson at all. You can certainly go for that sound, but many people play Stingrays and choose different tones. Nothing wrong with not liking it, of course, but "one trick pony" seems quite a bad description *to me*.

Nice!!!

[quote name='merello' timestamp='1387634607' post='2314016'] Why pm? Get them named! [/quote] +1

[quote name='Ed_S' timestamp='1387534182' post='2312964'] My 30th birthday present! Orange enough? [/quote] beautiful and really interesting pickup positioning, I suspect I'd like that bass sound very much!

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1387465278' post='2312302'] I had demo'd a few Lakland 35" wide spacing 5 string basses before I realised I may as well stick with EBMM for 5 string basses. I found that after a few weeks, I adapted and started to prefer the 17.5mm spacing on their basses. [/quote] I recently bought a Lakland 55-02, and I never found a 5-string as nice to play as this one. The neck and string spacing is really good (for me), but of course, it does not sound like an SR5... that's something that will always bug me. I had other 5-string basses (including a SUB5, which had "the" sound), and just would not work for me. I wish I were more adaptable, like you!

[quote name='aende' timestamp='1387312079' post='2310644'] Persuade or dissuade me! I quite fancy a pj or pm format bass like a schecter model t or a sandberg pm. I am not sure.....I love my mm stingray, but it is a 1 trick pony! Am I being a twat? [/quote] No, you're not being a twat, but you are being a bit silly One trick pony!?? ha! Never!!! I love the Stingray...

[quote name='grayn' timestamp='1387373510' post='2311198'] Definitely like to try one. But on first sight, I'd rather go for a Stingray HH. [/quote] It looks like the single pickup version of the Dimension has the pickup at the Stingray spot, but the two pickup versions have the bridge pickup closer to the bridge, removing significantly its "Stingrayness" and making it more like a fat Jazz of sorts... hmmm.

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1387299035' post='2310442'] Basically, Ray 4 and Ray 5 prices...or thereabouts. For that price, it HAS to be a Musicman. [/quote] except if, like me, you don't like SR5's narrow string spacing... it's the reason I don't own a SR5. That's why I was looking at the Dimension with interest. The mexican version is less than half that (£600-something), and a very attractive Stingrayish sounding alternative for those who like the string spacing wider.

[quote name='NancyJohnson' timestamp='1387370980' post='2311141'] Anyone here running a stock Stingray as a [u]passive[/u] bass? I've never owned one, but the idea of grabbing a cheapish one (and not a SUB or OLP) as a live back up option is growing on me somewhat, although I do have issues with active instruments (I've owned a Bongo 5HH, a Warwick Streamer and a John East loaded Jazz). Switching between a passive (Thunderbird) and an active (Stingray) mid-gig doesn't appeal so much, citing possible battery failure/drain (I do tend to leave basses plugged in when I'm not using them) and disparity between tonal set ups etc. So what's the options? This is a bit of a grey area for me...is it possible to use the MM pickup, pull out the pre-amp and just stick in regular pots? Or just remove the battery? Alternatively, which passive replacement pickup unit would give a similar Stingray tone? Or should I just consider another Thunderbird (heh). Cheers Paul [/quote] I would not worry about battery failures: they last a loooooong time. And with regards with tonal differences between the two basses, they will still sound different even in passive form: those two basses are very different. If you meant output disparities, you may find that the Stingray is not necessarily much (any?) louder than the Thunderbird. Active does not mean higher output. With that out of the way now... Yes, you can run a Stingray passive. The pickup is not an active pickup and works just fine without the preamp. In fact, my Stingray has a bypass switch installed in the volume pot so that it can work without batteries. There is no significant volume differences between passive/active on my bass... but that's because of the settings I use. If you were to boost the EQ controls a lot, you'd notice a difference. So, you could just remove the preamp, and install standard passive electronics. I'd keep the plate, and do a simple 2 control setup (volume and passive tone), and use the remaining hole (assuming a 2-band Stingray) for a parallel/series switch. The standard is parallel, but the series option has a bit extra oomph, more mids, and it's a great sound. Personally, I'd keep the Stingray stock... but if you want to experiment with a passive setup, it would be easy and work well. Just try it stock first, you may find you don't want to convert it to passive after all

[quote name='molan' timestamp='1387364989' post='2311055'] Rather than just unplugging the tweeter I sent the wires from the amp direct to the 12" driver in order to bypass what I assume is a crossover (it may just be some sort of protection circuit for the tweeter but by bypassing completely I thought it would send the full signal to the main driver). Sounds nicer to me anyway [/quote] Hmmm, it looks like I should definitely open mine up, and either try replacing the piezo of bypass it like you did... those piezo tweeters are so... "urgh"!

[quote name='booboo' timestamp='1387332330' post='2310888'] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]I've replaced the Le son piezo tweeter in mine with a Stage Line HT-30 Minature Horn Tweeter. £12-13 online, remove (4xphilips screws) grill, remove (3x philips screws) tweeter. Use a large file / small saw to enlarge the cutout at the bottom until HT-30 drops in. The wires are push fit, blue + black - . The results are so good in terms of reduced hiss and nicer highs that I was tempted to contact MB to suggest they made this a change to the current design. I then realised my combo is still under warranty so I'm keeping quiet in case it blows up![/font][/color] [/quote] aha, that sounds very interesting! Thanks for that!

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1387299670' post='2310453'] And possibly from over-enthusiastic use of the VPF control, which makes the tone sound great solo, but cuts way too much mid for use in a live band situation. When I had a Markbass amp I found it best to minimise both the VPF and VLE controls and have the EQ set more or less flat. This resulted in a completely unremarkable tone solo, but [i]very[/i] nice solid definition in a live mix. [/quote] +1!!!

[quote name='molan' timestamp='1387227446' post='2309681'] At home I have a CMD121P combo (piezo tweeter disabled) [/quote] Oh! So I'm not alone in disliking the tweeter in this otherwise fantastic combo? How did you disable it? Does it entail anything other than opening it up and unplugging it? I have no idea! But if it's not complicated, I'd like to try disabling it too. It just adds a very fizzy high end that I find irritating.

[quote name='TRBboy' timestamp='1387226674' post='2309668'] Interesting stuff guys! No one saying they're an abhorrent pile of crap yet anyway! It's good to hear about the CMD121Ps, because I'm potentially looking to change my rig for one of those and a NY121 in order to have something even more compact and portable. [/quote] I bought one because I wanted something portable but loud enough to work as a monitor on stage (most times my rig is merely that: a monitor, so no point in bringing a 4x10 etc). To my surprise, I really liked the sound. To my even bigger surprise, this tiny thing could get really loud too. As I result, I've used it a few times on its own with a full band (bar gigs), and it worked really well without pushing it too hard. Location helps: use the wall to enhance the bottom end if you have to, etc). I have also used it paired to a Barefaced Compact, and that's a light and reasonably small but very big sounding rig. It's my best bass-related purchase ever, together with my Stingray. At home, on its own, it's kind of "alright". I was even disappointed when I first tried it (I bought it at a local shop, but ordered it on the phone, so that I could use their easy 14-day no-questions return and save me a trip into town)... but it really fits in easily in the band, for some reason. I tend to leave the EQ near flat (slight boost on lows and high mids, slight cut sometimes on the low mids), and both filters off (sometimes the VLE set somewhere between fully off and 9 o'clock, and the VPF I rarely touch it). It works well like that with my Stingray (with onboard preamp set nearly flat, again, with just a touch of mids - John East MMSR with semiparametric mid control) The only thing I don't like is teh tweeter. Kind of harsh. I wish it had a control so I could turn it down, or even off. Still, awesome little beast of an amp.

[quote name='PauBass' timestamp='1386837896' post='2305074'] I only meant I see the argument starting again, I have never contributed to any of them, I have my opinion but I accept and tolerate others. The way I see it, as with any other bit of kit, it's very easy, if you like those cabs fine, if not fine too!... But stop telling people how sh*t you think they are, we all have different tastes and opinions and respecting them should be paramount! [b]I have never seen so much bad talk about a brand, some very nasty comments[/b]....and having recently tried two of their cabs I understand it even less. [/quote] Time to start a Behringer thread then. Oh, I wish I still had my first head, a Behringer BX3000 (which sounded quite alright) so that I could pair it to my BF Compact...