drTStingray

I nominate this - more lavender than purple. Top rate in my view 😎

By your logic, my bass would require more volume and/or EQ than a standard Ray, but it does not - the settings I use for this bass are the same as for any of my standard Stingrays - so the point is incorrect. The redesign of the Ray Special bridge (for weight loss reasons) and pick ups (neo and 18 volt) enabled the string alignment to pole pieces to be improved (for aesthetic reasons) - all purposes as described by EBMM (note the new look is most apparent on a bridge pick up on an HH version on the E and A string). People’s EQ choices on active basses, pick up settings on passive ones and amps/FOH are what creates scoop (enhancement of bass and treble frequencies, suppression of mid range frequencies, and thus generic bass guitar audibility in certain settings). Having watched the video several times now since it was released, the bass actually sounds excellent to me! I just wish you could actually order one!!

Cool bass. I have a Stingray fretless fitted with the very cool Ernie Ball Cobalt flatwounds, and the wraps are purple, the ball ends are not colour coded (photo attached).

I generally use 100-45 EB Hybrid Slinky (pink pack) on my Stingrays - they actually ship with these from the factory so I’ve presumed they think those gauges work best with their basses. Rightly or wrongly, I think they give better string to string balance and avoid the E overpowering the other stings (given the potential to super scoop the sound on a Stingray with the (actually working and quite powerful) EQ) notably the bass and treble controls. I even did this with my SR5, using a 125 B through 40 as well. It sounds great to me with those. Ive tried heavier gauge and lighter gauge on them as well. The light gauge were particularly good for the mid 80s bass and slap sounds. Hearing @Stub Mandrel talking about string bends, has anyone ever noticed the fabulous sound created when bending a low note on a Stingray - I sometimes bend the E or A 3 semi tones. Watch it if you’re recording - it’s very fat and loud!!! 😀

I think it’s probably a trick of the camera angle but as there’s a video, judge for yourself - sounded fine to me (actually excellent)!! I was worried this would have a weak every string - but it’s absolutely fine!!! In fact wonderful 👍😬

I like it (or whatever electronic gizmo it is) on this song by Rita Ora - comes in after about a minute - in that section her voice fluctuates between normal and basso profundo electronically - nice synth bass in that bit as well - doesn’t seem to want to embed unfortunately https://youtu.be/ksdAs4LBRq8

Yeah that’s right. But you can get a feel for the way MM basses with HH pick ups and the 5 way switch sound in the different settings compared with an H. The only MM basses with ceramic are SR5s (1992 ish - 2008/9) and Sterlings. Possibly the Big Al and Reflex also.

No @TheGreek 😂😂 I have a new iPhone that’s so damned clever it implements short cuts without me even knowing and is a dab hand at changing English which is grammatically correct into gibberish - usually converting everyday words to the nearest name in its coding!!! I’ll admit I just didn’t notice!!! Anyhow, here’s the albino pick up version.....😀

The series setting on the single H is good but certainly with my SR5 (the H one is ceramic) I’m usually in parallel mode - the series gives you a bit more mid range presence. However because it’s ceramic it’s not quite the alnico single H parallel Stingray sound. I wouldn’t have bought another just to get that as the series single H is a good sound anyway. Get a used Stingray 5 H 2008/9-2018 if you want to get that. As I’ve said before I use all my dual pick up Musicman basses generally in HH mode 90% of the time (in the case of the Sabre Classic it’s bridge H plus neck single coil - which I dubbed the Lakland - meaning 55/94 - setting)! If you or @SteveXFR are looking at these - try them out if you can. Even an SBMM dual pick up bass will give you an idea of the available tones - the 3 band EQ helps a lot with both pick ups operating - the fact the Sterling has ceramic pick ups adds presence in my view and the series settings further enhance that. My Sabre, although a dual pick up MM bass, is 2 band so I tend to boost the upper mids a touch on the amp with that bass in two pick up mode.

Worth mentioning the SR5 from around 1992-2008 had ceramic also - changed to alnico when the Sterling 5 was introduced. I really love the sound of my SR5. On Stingrays and Sterlings, the bridge pick up is in exactly the same place as on the H models - however if the Sterling 5 HH bridge only setting is in series, you would lose the closest sound to an H Stingray (which is the parallel setting - this is the one I use most on my ceramic SR5H) - you would get that on an H version owing to the 3 way switch. Are we sure the bridge H soloed on the HH is actually in series? Both the Stingray and Sterling HH versions are even more versatile and I tend to use both humbuckers together whenever I use an HH version, and as @FDC484950 said, with the mids boosted a bit. The only initial downside is the pop area of the slap/pop position being reduced by the bridge H - there is still plenty of room to do this however. Both great basses whichever you choose 👍

I don't usually like gold hardware but these seem good to me. Purple or pink sparkle? 😬👍

I’ve always wanted one (from seeing Alan Spenner and Percy Jones using them in the late 70s). In fact previously, I wanted a Precision to sound like Alan Spenner. The Wal sounds great though. I still want one and failed to order one several times over the past 10 yrs or so, being distracted by various offerings by Musicman (which I was hooked on from hearing Bernard Edwards, Louis Johnson and various local bassists who bought them in the latter part of the 70s). I fear the Wal is becoming unobtainium in newly built form (both in terms of price and build time) - which I would need to get the combinations I want - unless very lucky with a used one - presumably the prices of used ones will also increase?

Not sure - but it sure reminds me of late 50s P basses with adonised pickguards - with the exception that this design of pg is actually elegantl!! 😬 I think it’s an inspired choice and judging by the response on Basschat and Talkbass, the bass has shaken many contributors into the internet equivalent of pen and paper - some sounding like Man United fans commenting on a recent Man City triumph 😂😂 The sold out 50 guitars (note Joe and Jack don’t refer to them as pieces......) seemingly have sold to people amongst the vast majority of bass players who DON’T participate in bass fora!! Unless the forumites are keeping quiet about their purchases 😬

I’ve been tempted since it’s been available as well - I might wait and see if the short scale version has a second run - love that white/gold adonised look.

It pains me to say it but I suspect the target demographic may not be the tilted slightly towards geriatric one of bass guitar fora..... I know the weight of an instrument was the least of my worries when I was sub 30 yrs old!!! I just watched the video again - that sound is great (has some reverb on the whole mix at times though). If it hadn’t sold out (in 3 hrs 😳) I would be tempted. They’re right as well - I remember people moaning about the knob on the standard version - so what better than removing it - priceless 😂

Nod to late 50s Precisions (adonised pick guard, white body)? They sold out in a few hours!! Price obviously not a problem to some people. The regular Joe Dart bass now available in satin black also.

Yes I think it sounds great (in his hands) - short scale no controls - Wow!! Great colour combo as well. According to the video, production funded by Jack S as well.

These sound interesting (especially the Bongo). Let’s hope they’re available via The Vault!!

To add to HKH’s post, there’s nothing wrong with bass players being able to play a 12 bar with consistent root 8th notes at metronomic tempo. Or Rock and roll bass parts similarly. I once learned the bass part to Pictures of Matchstick Men - and then realised it was the very early use of phase on the bass which created that ‘psychedelic’ feel (along with the way the group had been dressed when they appeared on TOTP). Not a bad bass part as well!! Funny how musical snobbery can result in quite interesting things being totally overlooked - I also agree they were a great rock and roll band - I have on vinyl Down The Dustpipe (single) and Piledriver (album) from their first release. They were also trendsetters for a lot of shuffle rhythm based music in the 70s - like it or not, from Abba (Waterloo) to Wizzard (various), to Mud, Suzy Quattro, The Sweet etc etc. I suspect worshipping them is a tad too far in my book but they have a lot of fans that do!!!

Nice bass on this - back in the days when it was mixed at a decent volume - none if this ‘bass should be felt but not heard nonsense 😂)!! However I disagree with you - from what I hear on the car radio these days there’s some really nice pop stuff around currently (eg Dua Lipa) - I guess it depends on individual taste. I was first subjected to the Spice Girls album when my daughter had it - along with En Vogue, All Saints and a string of others (Take That and Backstreet Boys were others). I thought they often had interesting bass parts as well!

Thanks for posting - perfect bass sound!

Absolutely!!! And they were around from the early 70s. As I said, the only downside was they produced chest crushing bass and low mid some distance away and especially at the back of a theatre, but did not necessarily produce focussed higher end detail. These were expensive new though - mine was bought used. Prior to that I'd used the more affordable HH with a 1 X 15 Carlsboro - not as good as the Acoustic and far less powerful - a very good rig for the medium sided or small room was the Acoustic with the Carlsboro. Agreed - I remember trying out a new TE set up at Soundwave Bassplace, Romford - it had a built in effect based on a chorus IIRC. As a UK bass player, at the time of sourcing my Acoustic rig, the only Ampegs listed in classifieds (which usually meant the classified pages of the Melody Maker), the only Ampegs I saw were V4Bs. I don't know when the SVT/8 X 10 fridge became a thing but I guess they were fearsomely expensive - I would have though the 8 X 10 was a stadium type thing and from the 80s. I don't recall seeing them used in the UK in that era. Maybe they were a US thing at the time.

I never experienced any problems using 1970s transistor amps - they produced (relatively) clean sound. Bands like Led Zeppelin used Acoustic, along with many R and B and reggae bands (eg The Wailers). Unless you're talking those early Vox transistor amps re reliability (1960s). It was only when I moved away from valve amps I could actually hear myself in a band situation with keyboards etc!! A interesting thing about 18 in speaker cabs and technology, Jet Harris in the early 60s used an 18 in speaker loaded cabinet - the cabinet loaded with sand to dampen the sound - for recording!!! When did 4 X 10s become generally available? I don't recall them in the late 70s - they were a must to get a decent slap sound in the 80s and tweeters help as well. If you look at video of famous rock acts in the late 60s you will see bass players using 4 X 12s with large valve amps (eg Free - using Orange - with a phenomenal bass sound). Others used Marshalls (I recall particularly Leo Lyons used 2 X Marshall 100 or 200 heads, with 4 X 4 X 12). I think reggae acts particularly liked 1 X 18s as thunderous low end is a must in that genre. However 1 X 18 should be fine unless you want to project high end detail or nuance.

I used one for a number of years (it was an Acoustic 301 with a 1 X 18 reflex cab. One misnomer which can be answered immediately is it was plenty loud enough to hear what I was playing - the real issue was it projected a low mid range/bassy sound and all the upper end was lost (even though I could hear it fine). This was late 70s/early 80s and I really wanted a crisp tone. However it certainly rattled the optics on low notes (notably detuned to D) in one or two large pubs (with a 2 band Stingray and the 400 watt Acoustic 370 amp)!! I use a 2 X 10 now (or 2 X 2 X 10) live with a slightly more powerful but class D amp - there is no lack of heft and the tone is crisp and full (and plenty bassy and loud enough). So I know which I prefer - but there again I prefer music with bass mixed a la 70s/80s/90s with plenty of mid range, bass and crisp top end.

The fretboard on these is ebony - it's probably the lighting (to bring out the sparkle) that makes it look like that. My Ray Specials (both ebony boards) range from looking shiny to dry dependent on light. Only the neck (not fretboard) is roasted 😀 I think that looks great - it will be the lighting in the Stingray pictures which makes the edge look black - I have a blue dawn Stingray that is a metallic turquoise blue burst - the edges vary between appearing black, dark blue or purple dependent on the angle and intensity of the light. That harvest orange looks great with the transition to brown on the Bongo.