drTStingray

Ignore all previous attempts - they were wrong - just take your info from these photos - now these are not micrometer or brain surgery accurate but I suspect they are close enough for jazz, as they say, and certainly to locate pick ups in some other make of bass's woodwork - and before anyone asks, no I haven't taken account of the truss rod setting .......😄👍

Just in case anyone wants any further useful info, I did measure to the nearest bus stop, Guildford Civic Centre and various other variables, based on a location 8' 6" and 75 degrees from my television as the crow flies. Of course, none of this applies to the new 2018 Stingray which has 22 frets anyway 😏 😊👍

I'm certainly going to order an SR5, possibly HH in that turquoise green/blue colour with the black hardware and scratch plate. But I like the dark blue sparkle greatly as well - maybe an SR4 in that........ I can forsee a likely depletion of funds on the horizon 🤑

I don't know if you know but they were used on the Reflex throughout its run and have been used on the Bongo for the last few years. I'm guessing the reason for not changing the Stingray ones till now has been concern about the look and upsetting the 'accepted' appearance - perhaps people should moan about Fender using big old tuners on t all their four in line head stocks where the balance effect is surely worse. I guess the Classic Ray will still be available as now (with big tuners).

Sorry I seem to have misquoted you McNach - I suppose I should have said i empathised with your view - take it how you like but my view is based on hands on experience with, currently 8 Stingrays of various types and 1 Sabre - listen to the acoustic sound with your ear against the top horn - elements of the Stingray characteristics are there just from the vibration of the mechanical parts. I know this challenges the accepted view of many on bass forums that it is only the pick ups and electronics which contribute to the sound - this view is challenged also by most guitar makers - the pick ups and electronics often contribute significantly - some more than others - but to say they are the only contributors is rather like saying the ambient volume driving in a car is only created by the engine and mechanical parts - and the tyres make no contribution whatsoever.

Agreed, but made in Germany and relatively heavy - with the changes to the rest of the bass may have upset the balance. I'm guessing the Classic Ray will (might??) still be available. On another point - I love that heavily sparkly silver/black colour and the blue/green.

Are bridge.H and neck H the same spec on a Stingray - they aren't on a Sabre - I have a feeling the poles are shorter owing to probs had with the first pre EB Sabre neck pick ups and string pull. As McNach says, the sum of the Stingray parts is very much the sound (even acoustically) - whilst an interesting proposition, a collection of other parts with Stingray pick ups placed correctly may sound completely different - a bit like Thunderbird pick ups placed in a Precision..... Nice experiment though and I'd be very interested to hear the outcome.

The problem with bought in tuners in California is the trade laws don't let you say the instrument is made in California, USA - thus a marketing issue. I noticed that apart from revoiced and 18 volt powered preamp and neodymium magnets, the SR4 and SR5 have revised neck profiles, revised sculpting at top fret, and revised body contours. Those plus the new colours and options represent a major change and I will be very interested to try them. This creates quite a gap between the new passive bass lines, the Classic Stingray and the updated Stingray.

Hi, I have SR4HH and 4H basses. Here are some Stingray 4HH measurements - subsequently deleted - see later post with pictures

So I'll change my selection to:- 1) Stingray 2) Cort This will be a ceramic pu SR5 (2004) and the series setting fattens the sound. Parallel would have more of the sizzle.

You can get the 2 band Stingray sound pretty well on a 3 band by reducing the mid range significantly from centre detent. it will never have as much bass boost as the 3 band has a filter to remove boomy frequencies. The 3 band mid control is very useful in certain circumstances - I use it when playing Fretless for instance to enhance the mwah sound when required - it gives a lot more control. Amazing how fashions change - 20 odd years ago everyone wanted the 3 band. Standard Stingrays (and US Subs) have 11 in radius (flatter) whilst Classic Stingrays have 7.5 in (and strings through - with more sustain and mutes for less sustain, more thump!!). Lots of choice.

Fabulous bass - congratulations. You guys are doing nothing for my Wal GAS. Love the paduak facing. i was talking to a friend who has one on order last night - he buys a lot of basses having just received a Jaydee Supernatural after a couple of years on order, we were talking about CITIES certificates and whether manufacturers provide them these days? He's had an issue with selling/buying some basses from abroad. He seems to be on a quest to buy one of everything!! Do you know if Wal provide them for a new bass or would it be an add on cost - none of us would ever plan to sell a bass like this but I guess with a Wal it does open further possibilities if the unthinkable does happen.

Hi Al, You mention that both basses have no EQ - do you mean it's turned off or at centre? Also with the SR5 which switch setting is in use, parallel, series or single coil? They sound fairly close as is but the second has a more Stingrayish fret brightness on the hammered notes especially - however as the EQ is off, the electronics would be out of the picture so the differences are pick up and construction. I'd say you have the SR5 possibly in parallel - it would be slightly fatter in series. Now if you turned the EQ on......

I have to admit Chuck Rainey's playing has really influenced me - no one has posted this yet but the bass playing on this is just wonderful. I read in an interview with him he said he was basically playing his take on Jamerson.

They have contours - probably similar I'd guess but haven't tried one.

The Classic EBMM ones are about 9.5 lbs but can vary either way a bit. Of course, they have slab bodies so the standard ones, with contours, should be a bit lighter. However they all balance superbly on a strap and that is perhaps more important. SR5s tend to be a bit heavier - around 10 lbs though there are exceptions. I have a US Sub 5 which is about 8 lbs - great on a strap but neck dives without as the body is so light!! I have found the heavier ones tend to have more thunderous tone and resonance - my main bass is an SR5 in natural ash - about 10.5 lbs - the body resonates so much you can feel it whilst playing - fabulous deep tone though. That's not to say the lighter one are lacking tone though. If you go for an SR4 of some type you should find one in the low 9 lb area - even the two pick up ones seem to be.

The attached article, though 5 yrs old, gives an interesting insight into Fender and its financial issues - citing competition with its own history as its biggest competitor - people wanting only to buy old ones rather than their new ones!! https://mobile.nytimes.com/2012/09/30/business/fender-aims-to-stay-plugged-in-amid-changing-music-trends.html?referer=https://www.google.co.uk/

Yes you are correct - a 5 string list without a Stingray 5 (the original mass produced 5) or a Warwick 5 of some sort is incomplete. The SR5 single H version, especially 1992-2008 with ceramic pick up remains an extremely versatile and capable performer with a superb B string. Dont listen to all of us - go and play some and see what you like best.

Yeah I'd agree that other makes were guilty of this but I witnessed and still do, plenty of woolly bass sound provided by Fender basses, or more precisely some bass players wielding Fender basses. That said there have been exceptions - Paul Turner is a V good example. Like you, I'm always asked to play bass so that the tonality of the notes can be heard. As I said, I will be checking these out - V nearly bought a pair of US Vintage (J and P) ones when they first came out.

Even more so guitars - they didn't sell that many basses particularly in the first few years.

Certainly in the 60s the amplification equipment am didn't help but the issue still persisted in the 70s with much better amplification. I've not heard you but I regularly hear this sort of thing and it seems to persist on televised music as well - there's fitting in the mix and being inaudible! With one or two notable (and probably virtuoso) exceptions you'll be hard pushed to find a Precision in use in jazz fusion music, or even a Precision in use on funk music without something like an Alembic pre amp assisting.

Washing up and tea spoon playing aside, Fender announces a rename of its American Vintage line with some (very mariginally) modified basses and it gets 1370 views and 100 replies in less than 24 hours?!! Good for them if that's what keeps them afloat and is their sales model. I'll certainly be looking at the new models with interest - not sure they'll get over my 70s created aversion to their basses, when lots of other makes started providing a better platform for players to express themselves. However if people generally want to hark back to 60s pop when bass players were generally the rumbling and inaudible poor relation of the band, plodding along in the background then this doesn't auger well for bass players and bass playing in general - it's also to be heard and seen in current popular music as well - not universally though as some producers and players do seem to see the value of bass as a fundamental or leading part of music. The demographic of the forum must have changed and is perhaps over-represented by Fender players - something also visible on televised music but strangely not amongst the range of players I see in local bands where a much broader range of makes appears.

I saw this band in the mid 70s around the same time I saw the Stanley Clarke band (I'd never heard Schooldays as it had only just come out - first song - rather mind blowing), the Crusaders, Roy Ayers, Jeff Beck band, Weather Report and others. It's a testament to the Buddy Rich Orchestra that I remember the concert really well - and not just because of him - the bass player was excellent and the whole band played jazz funk and jazz rock with a tightness and fluidity easily on a par with the best of the time.

Not sure they're addictive - however if you can get on with them they're good. However, there are flat wounds and flat wounds - I was put off them when I bought some of a certain make and once fitted put me off playing the instrument largely because the string tension made it feel like arm wrestling. Probably OK if you're a double bass player wanting to play a bit of bass guitar. Since then I've found several types that I really get on with including TI, Roto Solo bass (actually not fully flat wound but half ground), EB group 3 and EB cobalt slinky flats. These all have one similarity - string tension more or less the same as round wounds. The cobalt flats are absolutely amazing and are permanently resident on my Stingray Fretless whilst TI flats are a current fixture on my Classic Stingray. Im not sure about wearing them in - the first set mentioned resulted in the bass not being used very much. Strings are such an important part of an instrument, I don't think anyone should have to compromise - choose strings that compliment and suit your playing - we are all different and one person's utopia is often another's anathema - including flat wounds - you have to remember flat wounds were really a thing of the 50s, 60s and to an extent, early 70s (when bass was not really heard that much in pre hi fi days - at least in the UK) - ok they are popular currently but it is largely a retro thing in my opinion. I personally love Pino's Precision sound with John Mayer using flat wounds - and am convinced Bernard Edwards used them on his Stingray for some of the famous stuff in the late 70s (based on flatwounds being the only way I can create his popped string sound on We Are Family plus Stingrays shipping with them till mid 78). However Pino is probably one of the world's best bass players - I am not and however much I aspire to play like him I probably won't and I doubt flatwounds would be that much help in me getting there anyway - it's more about technique, knowledge and feel.

Here's another - much more recent in fact positively modern - but the bass part idea sounds slightly reminiscent of Electric Avenue - Eddie Grant - another with a synth bass part.