drTStingray

Most of my favourite pro players have played 5 string basses from time to time - they would probably have been more commonly seen in the late 80s up to the mid 2000s. As an example, take Nick Fyffe of Jamiroquy - live he usually played Yamaha 5 and 4 string basses, switching dependent on the song. As has been said, people often use what they consider the best tool for the job. I bought a 5 string for the particular reason of learning Stevie Wonder songs, many of which are played on keyboard bass or in keys lower than E - note the Nate Watts plays a 5 string also (though this is not the reason I got into playing one). I basically alternate my basses for gigs dependent on what takes my fancy on the day but I go through periods of playing 5 or 4 strings - I never take two basses with me these days. 5 strings seem to be used in some theatre orchestras also.

I think the charcoal one is great but possibly very similar indeed to the starry night. I went for the aqua sparkle - it's a deeper blue in some of the pictures I've seen compared to the front on view on Talkbass - I guess the colour shifts with the lighting - they're all pretty good colours though. And even the 5 strings are quoted as about 8.5 lbs.

I checked up on progress with my order yesterday and they should be here mid August - so the Stingray Specials should be in stores then as well.

Some people can do both (I mean play lefty normally but play a right handed guitar fluently rotated.) The best thing is to go with what you're comfortable with - the most popular basses are available lefty and the fact you'll have less choice will mean you don't buy loads of basses completely unnecessarily - something no one on this forum would ever dream of doing ...... 😂😂😂 You could also have one custom built to your spec should you get the urge to buy more.

There's nothing like a World Cup penalty shoot out involving England to get the adrenaline going - and what better way to relax after than a bit of practicing (acoustically) - I've been trying to perfect What Is Hip (Scott's Bass Lessons recent video spurred me on to it) so had a good go after the highlights of last night's game (yes I watched it twice)!! I even adjusted the action on my SR5 to assist!!

Yeah - for an SR5 that weight is quite something! If you're going to save up I'd go for an HH - bags of versatility and it wouldn't surprise me if they haven't baked in some of that P bass sound for the middle coil setting as they did on the Classic Sabre.

You'll have to ask a dealer - I decided I wanted a 4 and a 5 after NAMM so chased S and T on it and eventually, once they'd worked out pricing, they hooked me up with Andertons - I had a complete price list and was asked to pick my spec from it. There is a dealer stock type order as far as I know as well but I wouldn't expect some of the more esoteric colours... My two HHs are over £2k each but the 4 is almost the same price as my Neptune blue Sabre was in 2014 - the 5 is a little more. For those who prefer the oval pg on a 5, well you can't have everything - though you can buy a Classic Stingray 5 like that. Basically some people prefer the regular SR5 look (I was someone who actually preferred the oval one originally but my view and taste has changed over the years - I now like both, probably shading towards my regular SR5 rather than my US Sub 5 in that regard!!)

As I understand it, fretted standard neck profiles, roasted, currently. Both of the ones I've ordered will have black hardware, ebony boards and stainless steel frets.

This sounds incredible on headphones. http://youtu.be/qzK6YC2J4cs

I have had a 4HH and a 5HH on order for a while so this has increased my GAS and excitement. The finishes on offer are great as well - the 4 will be Aqua sparkle and the 5 Cruz teal. Can't wait to get my hands on them.

Sorry no pissoire stories!! 😬 However I watched some of it - particularly noticed the bit in the studio recording one of the newer albums with John Taylor filmed using Bernard Edwards' Stingray. As a Stingray nerd, it doesn't get much better than that!!! Some nice bass playing on the Duran songs.

I did read it but wasn't totally clear that was a documented reason or even if it was, was actually the real reason - if it was to save money they'd hardly have said so. Also Musicman ceased to use the 3 bolt system around 1979 - I'm not sure that was for the same reason although there were manufacturing issues of one sort or another at CLF. I'm not sure what the levels of acceptability or adequacy you are judging the performance of a three bolt system but clearly as virtually no manufacturers currently use it either you are overlooking some factors or the whole industry is wasting money on unnecessary neck connections. So I think you're probably wrong dependant on the definition of adequacy. If one of my six bolt Musicman basses happened to be fallen on by some weighty object I would feel more comfortable the neck joint wouldn't be damaged compared to a 3 bolt one. I would also expect even a neck and neck pocket with minor imperfections in the wood surfaces to 'mate' when screwed together. More screws would probably improve this.

The original three bolt necks from the mid/late 70s (Fender and Musicman) were originally provided to allow the neck tilt system to be incorporated - a metal shim fitted in the neck pocket which allowed adjustment of the tilt angle of the neck through a little hole in the neck plate. Whilst many people have no problems with their basses from this era issues are not unheard of - such as the ski ramp effect over the neck pocket (upper end of fretboard). However this system was dropped by both Fender and Musicman after a few years, replaced by a four bolt system. Maybe there were issues maybe it was simply cheaper to manufacture and maybe people didn't use the 3 bolt tilt adjustment facility - I certainly didn't with mine. However consider the forces involved and what the bolts are meant to achieve - presumably a strong mechanical joint to resist damage by accidental means, assist in transferring resonance and to prevent shifting. In this context a 3 bolt joint is probably not the best - it's a bit like cars cornering - is a Reliant Robin as stable as say a Mini - the former will lift a rear wheel much sooner than the latter (similar with rotational forces on a neck). Six bolts is intended to prevent shifting in almost any circumstance. Im guessing any use of three bolt necks in modern basses is largely aesthetic, to match a design of the mid/late 70s rather than anything else - do even the Fenders have the tilt mechanism in re-issues? Interestingly from the back that Jerry Barnes Bass looks very similar to Bernard Edwards' Musicman - the front looks Fender Jazz.

Early 80s was possibly the real trough of popularity of Fender - indeed guitars generally as keyboards began to dominate pop music and guitarists and bass players lost work as a result. Also Fender rather belatedly finally started producing active basses at that time and compared with say an Ibanez Musician or Stingray were really not perceived as very good. All that said I've seen nice Fender basses for sale from that era such as walnut Precision models - as stated previously they did try and sort out quality at that time - however they were not that popular in that era for the reasons mentioned - even the reissues didn't get good reviews at the time though they are now quite sought after and the 80s Fenders you see for sale look nice now. You have to remember many of us grew up with 70s heroes who played - 70s instruments. Even if they were heavy etc, they produced good tone and look like the basses we saw famous musicians using. 60s Fenders such as pastel coloured ones were really associated with an era which was pretty much out of date and quite uncool in that era as well (although even then there was a bit of snobbery around pre CBS Fenders). How times change!!

Hahaha - the latter's the CoC (Commander in Chief)!!

You gents wouldn't be fixating on yet another poor old CEO would you? This seems to be a bass forum speciality - apart from Fender which manages to have a debt the size of a small country's, presided over dreadful QC (admittedly improved in the last few years a lot) but never a peep of vitriol aimed at its management...... or named individuals

1) Yes 2) Yes MC053W - possibly but don't know re the other bits - the SBMM Ray 35 definitely uses different tuners and possibly other bits. 3) The EBMM US Sterling 4 board is MC054W

Interesting viewpoint Skankdelvar - however I suspect alienation of your export market or having a trade war will not assist them - sounds like the American manufacturers can use all the help they can get - the fact they all use off-shore or even Mexican manufacture suggests they will all be hit one way or another by current events. And most of us here buy American guitars (well maybe not so many buy new ones - maybe that's part of the guitar industry's problem)!!

No one has suggested that the Commander in Chief has caused Gibson's woes, the OP and others simply suggesting that his ongoing antics may not be any help in getting them back on their feet, to sell more guitars, or be profitable - or Fender or any other US industry to be profitable for that matter!!

International consumers walking away from US goods and services will assist in hastening that. I also admire your optimism - I actually wonder if he did get voted out when the time comes whether he would willingly go. There was a previous nation's leader in the 30s who campaigned on the basis of putting his nation first - at all costs - different coloured combover though 😏

There are lots of reasons not to buy a Gibson in recent years but still lots of reason to buy one - in particular if you want to sound like Paul Kossoff or any number of famous guitarists over the last 50+ years then a Les Paul, 335 and others are what you need - and I believe there'll always be people who want them. The basses have a similar following for reason like Andy Fraser and others. Those who play All Right Now using the thinner sounding Fender instruments have a parallel with thin, soprano level vocals emulating Paul Rogers or Rod Stewart to me. Haven't got the depth of the original. Turning to Mr Trump, I personally find his international pariah attitude tiresome and bullying as a European (he seems to be aiming a lot of his spleen in our direction currently) - and have noticed that since he pulled the US out of the Iran deal the price of my fuel has gone up a massive amount - so thanks for that!! How could this affect Gibson - well apart from trade sanctions those of us who purchase American goods, particularly as luxury items, may well choose to not buy them as a result at being incensed by being treated with such disdain and ignorance by the US leader - so mcds and Starbucks watch out (and pay your tax as well) - Gibson, Fender et al - well do we really need to buy any right now??? I suspect this is exactly what's happened to Gibson guitars over the last few years owing to the reported QC issues. But people will always want their guitars - possibly less so when there is growing anti US feeling!!

I think that was only available on the Sabre bass, from 1979. One factor which influenced my buying a Stingray at the end of the 70s was the playability of the neck - I couldn't get on with the Precision neck - too chunky for my hands..... at least those on sale in shops new in the early 70s were. The Stingray felt a touch narrower at the nut and with a more comfortable radius. Im astonished that there were options on any basses in shops in the 70s - my recollection was you just found one that basically met your needs, colour wise etc and then bought it - the idea that a special order could be placed was totally alien to me at the time!!! As was asking for a hard case - my new pre EB Stingray (sunburst) was taken home in the hard case I already had - it didn't come with one at all! As for modern Stingray v earlier era and pre EB neck profiles, bear in mind the EB ones have always been hand finished so they will vary marginally - the main difference is fingerboard radius:- Standard EB - 11" Classic EB - 7.5" Pre EB - ?? probably 7.5" The Slo Special is a neck with a Fender Jazz type width at the nut - presumably 11" radius fingerboard.

That's because they're all on The Shadows forum (or skiffle, or music died in the 60s or Be Bop or similar). It would be wonderful to know the Basschat demographic - but I suspect the 85th % ile age is between 45 and 65 etc etc!! Probably completely out of touch with youth music trends and have been for years!!!

I think some of us need to get past the idea that if a bass doesn't resemble a well known design from 1957 or 1960 it's in some way odd. I had this obsession in the late 60s and early 70s despite many of my favourite bassists of the time playing such oddities as Gibson EB3s and the Art Deco hinted Rickenbacker. We just should not be questioning what Anthony Jackson wants his signature bass to be in my mind - it's got nothing to do with anyone but him - if some of us don't like the bass (I'm one of them) then tough - they clearly make it because some people want to buy a replica. As for Hiram's Fodera, it looks totally inocuous to me - I'm sure it sounds great (stunning in expert hands no doubt) - I just don't get people's objection to other people's basses - if you don't like it then fine but it seems to me to be crass, if not rude in the extreme to be moaning about it and almost inviting people to justify why they've had the audacity to buy it. I have to say I find Fender basses in sunburst as boring as bland boiled potatoes, and when coupled with a tort scratch plate, an eyesore. But would I post such views generally - and least of all in a thread where someone's referring to selling one on the forum - I personally think its totally out of order 😕 but then I've become a grumpy old git like that singer from the Who!!!

Yes congratulations - but we need pics!! These are very nice basses.