drTStingray

That'll halve my Bass magazine monthly costs - unless they increase the cost...... For those who don't take these mags my recent copy of BGM had two v interesting bits:- 1) Guy Pratt interview referred to DIs and mentioned an instance of going to house DI with a famous artist at the most famous of festivals - and it bypassing his sound and pedals - basically causing him to play an entire passage totally reliant on delay - which came out as an incoherent mess to the huge live and tv audience - so much for 'trusting' the sound guys - glad I always go post EQ via the amp DI. 2) Marcus Miller (excellent interview by Silvia and Happy Jack 👍) mentioned adding a Pre amp to his bass so he could control the sound going to the board to be used by the Engineer. Great stuff and my thoughts entirely!! 😀

I don't think so - the signigicant addition to your History item is the UK dance scene and its influence on bands and Britfunk of the time (and thus MK and Level 42) and the fact that MK was almost certainly influenced by his music shop interfaces of the time. Its similar really for instance to the inter relationship of rave music and the rave scene of the late 80s/early 90s.

And he is correct that the Brit Funk stuff was based around the dance scene particularly in the south east. I remember Hi Tension well from that era and some of the Reggae groups like Inner Circle. I have always been astonished at the number of women at modern day Level 42 gigs - on a par with the number at say, Temptations, Simply Red etc etc - the link is dance I think - they had a broad appeal - Whereas rock is far more male orientated - prog in the 70s was all about guys in great coats and Afghans with long hair stroking their beards and gently nodding in time with the music whilst Messrs Wakeman and co cavorted around their keyboards!!! I was one of them....... before I discovered jazz, soul and funk!!

Truth is, in the late 70s, the bass guitar was THE instrument to play in a band if you had any aspiration to be a 'good' player - there was quite a history of people wanting to be accepted dating back to the earliest days of 'progressive' (when everyone from Floyd to Fleetwood Mac to Blodwyn Pig were included in that 'genre') to the early 70s Yes and the like wanting acceptance as a 'serious' musician - unless you were a kid playing punk (and there weren't that many of them in spite of what one part of the music press would have you believe) you would be a serious rock or R and B player at that time (R and B including disco and jazz funk, Rock including prog). The most dynamic and exciting form of bass playing (for players and audiences) was slap bass. I heard players like Pops Popwell with the Crusaders long before I knew about Larry Graham's earlier stuff - GCS was an upcoming band in the UK on a par with Kokomo - they were not stars. Any bass player with any aspiration to play R and B or pop would be playing slap - in fact if you turned up at an audition and couldn't, for such a band you would likely not get the job - by the early 80s it was essential. Pino was even doing it on a Fretless at that time!! So I see no reason why MK wouldn't have been influenced by much of what was going on around him - that he was clearly looking for a Stanley Clarke sound and earlyish songs like Heathrow had bass parts bearing great resemblance to SC's lines (Lopsy Lu for example). However the first single (Love Meeting Love), a finger style part, has, I think been attributed to him playing a borrowed EB2 during his shop days - and his interest in a JD was sparked by seeing/hearing Gary Barnacle's brother's white JD - no doubt because of its ability to sound and vaguely look Alembic at a fraction of the cost. Also, at this time, although people may have been influenced by the likes of Jamerson, Babbitt etc - well at least their more famous parts (and remember in the 60s you couldn't hear the bass properly anyway), people were more likely to be influenced by this new wave of players like Bernard Edwards, Stanley Clarke, Pino Palladino and the disco players like Louis Johnson - and really any prominent bass part (Fatback Band, Ain't No Stopping Us Now, Earth Wind and Fire). Unfortunately we suffer from a gradual re-write of history - fuelled by BBC documentaries (which fail to mention such seminal programmes as The Tube by Channel 4 and overly rely on the NME as a source, when it wasn't generally representative), music school resources (Scotts Bass Lessons Included) seemingly focus on the excellent but at the time barely audible and certainly in the 70s, far less relevant early Motown stuff. The 70s/80s was a far more exciting time as a bass player in my view. I am personally doubtful MK would have failed to be influenced by everything music wise and bass wise going on around him - and particularly working in a shop - that he only focusses on snippets and major stuff in interviews is hardly surprising.

I start with my amp set flat. With the bridge pick up soloed I tend to boost bass and treble a little and cut the mid control (as much as 50% cut). With both pick ups selected in humbucking mode (my favourite setting), I tend to bring the bass back to centre and boost the mids a little. With both pick ups there is a natural scoop to the sound hence bringing up the mids - and dropping back the bass. Works for me!

Indeed they are - afraid I'm not but wish I was. They sound very Steely Dan mid/late 70s to me but what they do is great fun as well - there's a live version of Dean Town where the audience sing along with the bass part - who said no one listens to the bass!!!

Great - well done 👍

Blimey - thanks for that. You live and learn - I'd always thought Fender had made it up and wanted to either avoid being sued by the Ford Motor Company, or more likely, had mis-spelt it!! Encouraging the mis-spelling fault lies firmly at the doors of Microsoft (allegedly) and Apple (allegedly) after all 😬

I thought that was a type of - dare I say it - tart? Or perhaps car 🤔

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......)