drTStingray

No? Boiiiing - sorry Mrs you haven't won the Yes/No interlude.... With these spelling things, I was recently advised by a Government official to remember who invented the language to determine which version is right...

Other alternative stories Ive heard are:- 1) An analogue (and thus more organic sounding) version of auto spell auto corrected it incorrectly to a mis spelling. 2) Rather like some people who have very straightforward sounding Christian names but with very odd spellings, some of which may be explained by simple mis spelling by the parents or officials at the registry office in the heat of the moment and thus preserved for eternity, it could simply have been a gross error (mis spelling) by Fender - OMG now there's a thing 😂😂 NB many of the mis spellings on EBay may be caused by inaccurate autocorrect also. I used to have a phone that changed the word ham to IBM automatically - my current one changes Pantiles Tunbridge Wells, a pleasant tourist destination, to panties.....etc etc - and this forum doesn't like the phrase c ock up - changing it to pink torpedo up..... )😯

Really - I thought it was because of this vintage vehicle, which coincidentally was in production when the current 'industry standard' (in some people's eyes) bass guitar (provided it has tort whether used as a bass guitar, toaster, car jack etc etc) was introduced.....looks a bit out of date to me......ladies and gentlemen - the Ford Squire 🤔

Indeed, along with a small number based on standard Rays sold by guitar centre concurrently. But then if it was switchable why use it in passive mode if you thought it was not working mix-wise? Curious!

Wierd because Stingrays been used successfully in probably every genre of music and are extremely versatile in skilled hands - there is a vast range of skills out there but it is usually up to the skill of the player to fit their sound in - there is an adage - a bad workman always blames his ........ in this case how would a Stingray be passive unless modified or a very very rare example of one with switchable passive/active?? But of course the OP and others asked which Musicman (and contrary to popular myth they have and do make a range of basses). The most versatile IMHO would be an HH version of a Stingray 4 or 5. You could get a used one for just over 50% of your budget. Or you could go a little higher on your budget and buy one of the new Stingray Specials. Other factors you will get will be excellent build quality and unlike at least one other make of active two pick up bass, no undue hiss and hum from the electronics (dependent on the era) - along with a whole range of usable tones which will fit in most music settings.

Most if not all of mine in recent years have come through meeting people through attendance at jam sessions - if people hear you backing either them or others competently, when they need a bass player they might ask you. "Back in the day", it was either groups of friends or acquaintances and subsequent to that answering ads in the local paper - I never tried the ads in the Melody Maker for bands although I bought and sold bass equipment through its classifieds. I suspect that as those transactions usually involved quite a drive, the same would be true for bands!!

I use an LM3 with either one or two Markbass 2 X 10s dependent on venue size and use the LM3 line out on about 50% line out gain and post EQ for the PA. I always use a Musicman bass (don't have anything else) but ensure the sound is a good balance between thump, note definition and warmth - it also leaves the option to get more 'modern' sounding if you go in the direction of Hamilton Loomis, Keb Mo etc or some of the funky Albert Collins stuff. In all of this the bass is quite up front in the mix. I don't view using a Precision as essential - in fact Pino actually plays quite busily with John Mayer and I would see his style in that setting almost as a Jamerson/ Babbitt with more 70s/80s and rock influences - fact is he plays that Precision hard - not much difference between a Precision played hard and a Stingray played more softly - perhaps plucked nearer the neck. Works for me - in fact I'm often asked by sound guys at small festivals why you can hear my notes whereas some (but not all) other players get an ill defined sound - it ain't all the bass and equipment I think!! Come to think of it one of the best sounds I got recently was with a Musicman Bongo - so impressed was the sound guy/PA supplier he came and asked about the bass after!! I will confess to having a 2 band Classic Ray with flats and (yes I'm a Pino fan) a Fretless Ray with cobalt flats and the mutes engaged a little. I play what takes my fancy to be honest so long as the band is happy with the result. 5 strings is often useful as well - some if this more modern stuff actually uses the lower notes (as it's very funk/R and B influenced). Youll have seen from the replies in this thread the number of people who have said P with flats - there is undoubtedly some presumption of that among non bassist musicians as well. However it has not stopped me - I guess it depends who you are working with. I hear the comment about Texas Shuffle and Purdie Shuffle - it gets interesting when overly flash drummers try the latter when it isn't even a shuffle.....

And these silly posts are really helpful eh (not)!

This is something that some people seem to experience - I have a lot of Stingrays and don't seem to have this problem at all - maybe I've overcome it over the years and I know many other people don't see it as a problem - I've never heard a Stingray recorded produce this effect which leads me to suspect it's the sort of issue you get with many types of basses, and especially those capable of a scooped sound, in a heavy mix, when heard from 3 ft in front of the Bass rig. Combine that with the tendency for some people to turn the treble and bass up full, not to mention poor after market or do it yourself set up of instruments and there's a whole recipe for disaster in a couple of sentences. Basically if you use the EQ sensibly and set the whole Bass (including pick up height) to factory settings you're far less likely to experience this.

You are definitely correct - and I recognise that middle one!! 👍 I used it the other day at an outdoor festival type gig - broke all the 'accepted rules' - DI from my Mark Bass amp - post EQ. Sounded fabulous - the PA/sound guys came and asked me about the bass after the set - they were highly impressed with the sound and particularly compared with the Rics and Tbirds they were dealing with from other bands. The Bongo's a secret weapon!!

Andertons - ordered beginning of April. On the twin pick up SR4s and SR5s, for the different selections you are picking up signal from a different section (s) of the string - with elements of the two humbuckers selected together there's an element of phase cancelling going on. So yes, the EQ is your friend and especially the mids control. I did a little experiment at a jam I provide the bass gear for and I had my 4HH Stingray with me - after the jam there was a pretty accomplished bass player there who plays the Mark King sort of stuff so he played and I selected the coils and twiddled the EQ - we started with it flat - with a heavy slap line we got every sort of sound you could want, with decent volume balance - BUT - with both pick ups on H mode the mids needed a boost - with the neck H the treble needed a boost but it got in Alembic territory there and with the outer single coils plus bass and treble boost an acceptable Marcus Miller sound was achieved - along with the stock Stingray and Sabre sounds using the bridge H - the inner coils get towards a P bass sound especially with mids boosted. Very versatile basses - not quite so easy to slap on as an H but pretty easy with practice. And the bass itself has no extraneous hum even in single coil mode. If you don't like the pickguard (SR4HH) you can take it off - no extraneous routing (unlike some makes). I do feel quite lucky that my favourite production basses can be had with such nice, boutique quality wood, hand finished necks and hand assembled and set up - theyre on a par with more expensive equipment (such as Custom Shop). What more can you want if you like Musicman basses! The BFR Bongos (out later in August but very limited) appear to have extraordinarily fine wood - plus binding!! I understand the HS models were dropped because of poor sales unfortunately. Most people wanting multi pick up must go for the HH it seems.

Yes the HH has a selection with just the bridge humbucker - it's in the same place as the H so sounds the same - but you also have four more very useable tones using the coil selector switch. Apparently my order is in the course of delivery - to be received at the start of September - HH versions. Mine are Aqua sparkle (example 3rd from back on this rack) and Cruz teal (far end of rack). The Bongo 6 at the front of the rack is a new BFR model - looks to have a roasted quarter sawn neck with incredible flame maple.

I always ask for the PA lead for the bass and plug it in my amp DI (an LM3). I usually have the post EQ button depressed and particularly if playing Fretless. At least then the sound person will get 'my sound' to amplify. Otherwise you run the risk of having a generic sound, possibly to fit say, a Precision (almost invariably scooped mids) - the last thing you want playing Fretless. I usually give them 50% volume on the PA output from the amp (yes MB have a volume control on the output). It has always produced excellent results for me and sound guys have been more than happy.

I agree there's always a certain amount of hype in advertising but if the product does 'bugger all' then they're soon going to go out of business, surely? Sustain is very useful if you're playing ballads (muted thump tends not to be) but the advantage of a muting system you can apply or not is you can make changes between songs and even during them - if you've got one of those trick systems which apply to individual strings you can have sustain on higher strings more thump on lower (if that takes your fancy - I've found it quite useful at times). I was really replying to the OP question of whether bridges make any difference, not whether the difference is desirable or otherwise - I also recall the epic thread covering the desirability or otherwise of sustain on a bass!! Just to be clear, I was referring to manufacturers/luthiers views rather than suppliers of aftermarket equipment in my post (although I still disagree that their product claims are made up - possibly exaggerated sometimes but even that's debatable).

I'm afraid I tend to be very old school on this - in the same way as I trust Mr Dyson to make me a vacuum cleaner that works (even though there may be hype in the marketing) without the need to concern myself whether I need to replace the motor with one which is quite adequate from the 50s or earlier because nothing can possibly better it, but is probably grossly inferior in various ways, I tend to believe what manufacturers say with one exception - if they're trying to sell me a 'vintage' reissue item containing all the characteristics of the original - in that case I have to accept there may be compromises and I may not get the same level of service - for instance a vintage Hoover compared with a Dyson or G Tech. It's the same with cars - gone are the days when I bought after market bits to make the thing go a nanosecond faster from 0-60 and toiled under the bonnet trying to fit them - I generally accept the manufacturer's offering these days. I know there are people who modify cars but there are probably far more who don't!! On bridges, not only do I believe what manufacturers/luthiers say, I also have first hand experience - my Stingrays with through strung bridges (I have two of these and 6 which don't) have noticeably more sustain than the ones I have without the feature - not sure whether it affects Fenders the same - it's even to the extent that other bass players who've used those particular basses have commented they have to be extra careful to mute correctly to avoid it sustaining or other strings ringing when not required. (And by the way - where did anyone get the idea it has ever been difficult to get strings long enough to string through say a Stingray bridge - even as a 20 something in the late 70s I never had a problem with this - Rotosounds always fitted and GHS must have done as the factory used them - flats and rounds 👍 - blimey internet myths eh!!) So whilst there can be all sorts of views (and everyone's entitled to their own), I tend to believe that the design, mass, fixing and saddles on a bridge play an important part in the sound characteristics of a bass. How much or how little is probably a personal opinion - but I'm really much more inclined to believe manufacturers and luthiers and my own experience than anyone else as I said.

I don't think that price reflects how much they'd be, ordered new in the UK. The Classic Stingrays are around in reasonable numbers and although not as many as 4s, there are quite a lot of 5s as well. In terms of relative prices new I can give you some comparisons:- 1993 - £725 - 4 string Fretless incl gig bag 2003 - £1295 - 5 string natural/maple incl hard case 2003 - £1395 - 4 string plus piezo natural/maple incl hard case 2010 - £1695 - 4 string classic/birds eye maple incl hard case Since 2016 special editions have been over £2k and standard models just short of £2k. There's always the US Sub 5 for those wanting the classic look in a 5 string - seen with its Classic (and more luxurious) sibling!! The quote I had back in April for the Stingray Specials ranged from about £2099 - £2399 dependent on colour and 4 v 5 string - the upper prices were 5 string in sparkles or other more unusual colours (including the one I've ordered......)

The bass players in Sweet, Mud, The Glitter Band and Suzi Q herself, along with those with Bowie, Elton John etc etc were pretty handy also.

Ha ha!! The forum has history with Ric. Seriously I see a range of age groups playing them from teenagers through to OAPs - some are women!! The point was I suspect there are very few such players on the forum - the fact they're generally 4 string players from what I've seen is neither here nor there 😂😂👍

Musicman staff have stated on Talkbass that one of the reasons the bridges on the modern Cutlass and Caprice basses doesn't have the deep set side bolts is to assist with getting a more vintage sound. Similarly on the new Stingray Special models - so Musicman clearly believe the bridge design influences the sound, as an example.

If you think a balanced view and statistically valid result can be obtained of such things on this type of forum then I think you're expecting too much - for starters there are hardly any Ric players here, seemingly, and yet in real life I see loads of them!!

Al Krow, if you'd asked the same question in say 1999 you would have got a completely different answer - as many pro players played 5 string then and certainly on a lot of pop music of the time. This was largely because of the need for low notes (sometimes written for keyboard) and also because playing two octaves in one and a bit positions, made playing some music relatively easy - however a word of caution - like playing E at 12 th fret on the E string of a 4 string sounds different from E at the 7th fret of A or 2nd fret of D, that fat B sting can also change the timbre if things. Hiram K has pointed out the use of 5 strings in 80s work very clearly - it applies in the 90s extensively and also 2000s and beyond. Some of us may even remember what a spent force the Fender Bass was in the early 80s - indeed bass guitar generally as keyboards and drum machines seemingly took over a great deal. Its entirely possible to use a 4 string and tune down effectively but many people find this a faff - my son does this often but doesn't have a 5 string (though has borrowed one of mine on occasion and loves them). Unfortunately our educators and seemingly many others fixate on 60s and 70s bass history and as a result we get a distorted view of music and instrument history - I'm very doubtful the demographic on this forum represents a balanced view so the fact a lot of people may say - oh just tune down a 4 string, when they possibly don't even have any experience of playing music recorded on or best played on a 5 string, and in any case the common perception (an error) is you should be able to play anything on a 4 string, is probably completely wrong along with many other commonly held myths of Internet bassdom!! 5 strings may be seen as a bit passé (along with Fretless) in these days of sometimes inaudible bass parts played on vintage instruments - 5 strings certainly aren't passé in the real world and anyone playing anything remotely R and B from the 80s and 90s (even 70s) will probably need to use one - the fact they can make 60s R and B sound good as well is a bonus - ask some of the bassists in top West End shows 😏

Yeah - as with many of us - but the thing is if you are in the habit of running very low action and there's a sudden cold snap or heatwave, you can quickly adjust to maintain your super low action. I suspect those who don't like them have never actually used one as they're much easier to adjust than a bullet truss rod or vintage basses which need the neck removed or similar. Come to think of it, the Musicman system looks slightly better as the cut out is in the pickguard and body rather than the neck itself on that version.

It's on all of the ones I own!! I suspect most people will know it's been fitted to all Musicman basses since about 1990 (so for 28 years!!). I don't think they invented it though - but it's such a simple system to use. As for aesthetics, beauty is in the eye of the beholder but I personally don't think it detracts from a bass (I doubt a lot of people looking at a pre 90 Stingray would even notice the bass has a headstock mounted bullet truss rod instead) - Musicman have even made a feature of it on the Classic series (but not Sabres) by making the wheel a chrome version, looking very smart. I suspect as Fender makes most electric basses and they've never been the brightest (or quickest) of innovators, that has influenced the adoption of the system to their basses, which was included on their Elite series (and thus premium) instruments a couple of years back. So it seems Fender see it as a premium feature to be fitted to the most expensive basses. Probably a matter of economics for them - but interesting they see some of their most expensive production basses needing to compete with Musicman. The same could be said of un lacquered neck finishes which improve playability no end!!

Hey come on - only for those who think the evolution of bass guitar was concluded in 1962, so a version invented in the mid 80s clearly has no relevance!! 😂 If you want a screwdriver thread it will surely be in off topic or maybe accessories, or even repairs - then people can argue that using cheap tools based on 60s technology is perfectly adequate and all you need for a 21.18 century application 👍😏

It depends what music style you're talking but clearly 5 stringers haven't played a great part in indie or punk styles (though Alex from Blur and also Beck have been known to use Stingray 5s - probably studio only). There have been comments in this thread about industry standard 5 string basses, or the lack of. This is actually not true but there have been a range of them over the years - these would include:- MM Stingray 5 (great at a modern sound but also great at an authoritative vintage sound) - subsequently US Sub, Bongo, Classic 5 and Sterling 5. Lakland 55/94 or 55/01 - subsequently lots variants Various Warwick but particularly Thumb, Jazzman or Stage 1/2 Yamaha - various models Sadowski MTD - various Ibanez - various G and L various Somewhat late to the party - Fender (various Jazz and Precision variants) Many of these basses have been active type basses as the extended range arguably works better in this format.