drTStingray

[quote name='Meddle' timestamp='1464439506' post='3059474'] The Chinese manufacturers are not building with the intent to make a high quality instrument. They are simply trying to deceive the end buyer, by presenting a surprisingly cheaper alternative. There is no incentive for them to build a better product, unlike the Lawsuit manufacturers of the '70s. [/quote] The lawsuit manufacturers of the 70s were not putting fake logos on their instruments (although unscrupulous owners may subsequently have done so) - they were making v good copies at a time when the real thing was possibly not even as good. At a lower price - they had taken over the motor cycle industry, make a big inroad into the car industry and several others by making what people wanted, at a consistent level of quality and reliability at a reasonable cost, something which US and UK builders had either forgotten how to or couldn't be asked to make - or maybe their idea of quality was significantly wide of the mark. The Chinese will get there before too long. At the moment some of the fakes are laughable (did anyone see the misshapen bmw mini they showed on Top Gear - hilarious). The business of incorrectly labelled fakes is pure deception when it comes to selling in the market. If I bought a bass or a car or anything else that was a fake unknowingly I would be furious as I would have been deceived into parting with money for something I hadn't got. And someone would have made a profit by deception which, last time I looked, was a criminal offence. Incorrectly labelled fakes for personal use...... not entirely sure what that's all about. Have some posts disappeared from this thread? Fake Rickenbackers and Musicman instruments are less common partially because the company owners and ethos appears to actually value their customers and by protecting them from fakes, protects the company's interest as well. You get the distinct feeling Fender couldn't give a toss!!

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1464381267' post='3059124'] Scenario #1 - Just Dave Swift on the cover: 95% of bass players: [i]'Who's that bloke on the cover of BGM?'[/i] Scenario #2 - Jools'n'Dave 95% of bass players: [i]'Oh, Jools Holland's bass player in on the cover of BGM.'[/i] It ain't rocket salad, people. [/quote] I suspect your percentages may be a little off but I get the point - I'm looking forward to getting my copy tomorrow as I'm curious to read about his current interest in Ibanez Musician basses.

I do worry how these copy basses will be sold used in about 20 yrs time - when no one remembers the real story. Scope for plenty of buyer confusion I guess. Anyway I worry enough trying to buy allegedly original basses used - and especially old Fender basses.

[quote name='EBS_freak' timestamp='1464346437' post='3058641'] Do other artists featuring on the front of the mag also have other band members appearing with them? I honestly don't know - it's been years since I've bought bass comics. [/quote] Fairly recently - Paul Weller and hmmm Paul Weller's bass player.... I don't know why they do this - most bass players know who plays with who and if they don't they only need read the headline - don't need them to be pictured with someone else. The Paul Weller one showed Paul Weller with a bass.....

[quote name='Bikenbass' timestamp='1464090844' post='3056456'] Various tracks I've heard via YouTube means the album's on my purchase list. Great to hear them again, not quite the same without Davy, but still the Monkees. Cheered me up to hear them. (My beloved cat was put to sleep at the weekend.) [/quote] I wonder if it has Carol Kaye on bass - or was it Joe Osborne on the originals?!! US sessions people anyway.

I'm not entirely sure why people use a dedicated DI with EQ abilityrather than the DI output from their amp - I'm sure there are reasons. I've also heard of occasional stars using basses without tone controls but do people not use the tone control on their passive basses - I was led to believe they do - hence my feeling that active basses generally give better, more flexible tone controls (albeit powered with a low voltage). And you are right - the cut ability is as useful sometimes as the boost!!

[quote name='ahpook' timestamp='1463903373' post='3054768'] No, but you're right, given what it was I should have just given it a miss. [/quote] The video would have enlightened you about this historic bass - that might have enabled you to take an informed view about it rather than simply making negative comments based on presumption or preconceived ideas. But hey ho, this is the Internet after all. Anyway I will be ordering one - I used my Stingray Classic last night on a gig with the mutes on and TI flats - what a sound - and I could still get a decent slap sound out of it.

[quote name='Telebass' timestamp='1463750011' post='3053839'] "I end up over hitting the strings to get the fattest sound I can" - except that's not the way to do it, IME. Turn up the amp, play softer with less dynamic range. All the fatness you could ever want. [/quote] We will have to agree to differ - for me the epitome of fat bass sound is Musicman, Wal or Warwick. Others need preamp help to get there in my opinion (but that is not to say they don't sound nice in passive form - just lacking in that fat, almost synth sound - perhaps it's a lack of girth....)

[quote name='hiram.k.hackenbacker' timestamp='1463785714' post='3054148'] I just paid the deposit and ordered one through Bass Direct this evening. Mark still doesn't have a firm street date for them, so I'll just have to be patient. They should be shipping sometime mid-summer. [/quote] I haven't ordered mind yet but I was told there are two batches one for June and the other for August. Likely to order mine in July. Someone has a very tempting 30th anniversary Ray in the classifieds also......

Done - took a little time - and I didn't perceive the questionnaire to be about reading ability. Many people seem to be able to play in many keys even if, like me, their reading ability is not good - to me it's a fundamental of being versatile enough to play with a range of other people and especially singers (although I have come across some guitarists who resolutely refuse to play in any key but E and possibly A, in spite of those keys not suiting the singer at all).

[quote name='highwayman' timestamp='1463692708' post='3053484'] Thanks fellas - nickel or stainless strings? I play (so far) with a pick, post punk & 'hair' metal... [/quote] I've tried a variety of strings over the years on Stingrays - I've concluded the EB slinky pink pack 100 - 45s do it best for me (these are what they are fitted with as new). The 100 E string also evens up response across the strings (especially useful with the powerful EQ and the thump those mutes can create). The cobalt slinky flats are also excellent - I suspect they'd be good with a pick also. Normal long scale strings are fine with the through body stringing of the Classic and pre 80 pre EB - plenty of length. That is a very nice Stingray Classic.

[quote name='AndyTravis' timestamp='1463691430' post='3053471'] Before I do any tinkering, having done set ups on Pre-EB stingrays and having owned a classic... Do the 1990's ones with the big bridges all have the thumb wheels but not actually function? Just got a 1994, and the thumbscrews seem a bit reluctant. [/quote] Yes they should work but they can jam especially if over tightened. From around 95-96 the mute plate and mutes are omitted from bridges and the holes in the bridge plugged with hex bolts - these can be taken out and the mute kit purchased as a part and installed. After 96 they have the shortened bridge without mutes.

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1463480393' post='3051613'] I've always found that passive basses sound better & sit in the mix better than active ones when recording. [/quote] It really depends what music you play, the level of playing skill and the level of recording/mixing skill. However it really shouldn't matter (and doesn't at the highest level) - so long as you create a professional bass sound then you should be ok. Some people prefer more sound sculpting to get 'their' sound and really an active bass only gives you more tone control - you can mess around with your playing style and the controls to make an active bass overdrive the signal and other things but really it is simply broader tone control at the end of it all. And as we have to accept, some players prefer one type to another, as they prefer one bass type to another - I say thank goodness for variation otherwise we'd all be playing one bass type, in one colour, with flats (for instance) - I don't get enforced choice - reminds me of 60s Soviet block country cars!!

Glad you guys are happy with what you've found. Guys like Pino play a variety of basses in different situations. Alex James famously used an SR5 in the studio! All those great 70s guys like Nate Watts put their P and J basses through outboard pre amps. I'm into my 60s, have been playing since the early 70s and discovered 'fat' sounding basses and extended bass styles - the last thing I want to do is return to passive style basses again as that's what didn't do it for me after the mid 70s. I was watching a famous act on the tele the other night and the bass sound was fat and prominent - it then appeared in shot and it was a Warwick - I thought what a breath of fresh air compared with the inaudible stuff I often hear. I've tried to re-bond with the good old P bass tens of times over the last 10 yrs but it just doesn't do it for me - and I end up over hitting the strings to get the fattest sound I can, especially in a noisy mix with a loud drummer. And I need to spend £3k plus to get what I want......... if not more. So I shall not be returning to passive personally any time soon!! I'm glad you guys have found the sound you want but I always can't help thinking, are you getting the best out of bass guitar - it seems to me to be analogous with having a top of the range GTI type version of a car and turning all the sport features off - or having the heater and air con removed to get back to basics. Each to their own though.

Best value IMHO - an active USA built Sub 5 Stingray - built for about 3 yrs from 2003, I bought one for £400 recently and it's a killer - fabulous bass, and I just love the industrial look about it. They have the 2 band MM EQ and pick up. Sort of a classic Ray 5 in cheaper clothing!! One piece of advice if you are taking up five string, get your muting technique sorted - the bottom B string will vibrate when you don't want it to (like an overtone droning sound as in bag pipes) if you don't mute it when you're not plucking the B string - this catches people out whose normal technique is to plant their plucking hand thumb on the pick up.

[quote name='sunburstjazz1967' timestamp='1463172659' post='3049347'] I think this was the first one officially for sale, if they had kept this one then the next one would have been the first one officially for sale and so on, I think there was a few basses that the reps took around that feature different serial numbers? a few test mules too. [/quote] It was never sold in the first place - according to the guy who owns a lot of the early factory records the serials for B00001 and G00001 were given to Forrest White by Leo and the instruments were produced later in 1976 - the bass has his initials in the neck cavity and presumed he built it. One of the other partners was given serial 0 or 2 but those instruments were never built. (it's all on the MM bass forum under a thread of a similar name to this one). Fact is this bass was Forrest White's, is in mint condition, looks and sounds great and is a piece of bass guitar history. As a Stingray lover I would love this bass but could not afford or justify spending that much. I believe it should be in a museum. Sounds a bargain when you consider you can buy a tatty non original stack knob jazz for about the same money!! The story of Musicman up to and after 1979 is really quite interesting as there was a major disagreement between CLF (the factory) and Musicman over quality control which led to a parting of the ways. Some very interesting stuff in this context has come to light recently amongst other info on instrument production - it's all in the MM bass forum thread. The factory has plenty of old and interesting basses which may explain why EBMM haven't picked up this instrument. Strings and Things have, I think bass #7 also - displayed it at LBGS 2015. None of this should detract from what is a time machine bass in immaculate condition, made (presumably) and owned by one of the original partners in the venture. A real piece of history.

Just bought a Stingray off Jay. Good communication,quick postage and all arrived safe and as described - I've never known a 13 yr old Stingray headstock to be ding free but this one is. Hassle free and recommended.

I thought it was pretty good. Spookily I went out in the car shortly after hearing it on here and it came on the radio - it's actually quite catchy and also comes from the school of thought that bass guitar didn't die as a part of pop music in the last ten years!! The bass makes quite a contribution.

I think the point with these, as has been picked up elsewhere, is that you would get a traditional sounding/looking bass but with the excellent build quality, playability and neck feel associated with a Musicman bass. They've also produced some pretty decent passive tone controls in other models so these should be versatile. Im personally not a massive fan of basses in the P, PJ (or J) tradition so will not be ditching my Stingrays in favour of them. However there are good reports of the feel, playability and sound of these basses. I wouldn't mind trying them when available.

I remember once getting involved in a thread on Talkbass in which someone had asked why they kept hearing people mispronunce Rickenbacker as Rickenbocker, whereupon there ensued a great long thread which basically concluded that Rickenbacker don't know how to spell their own name and of course it should be pronounced Rickenbocker - etc etc etc or Richenbacher even - oo er!!! I'd forgotten until I read this thread and more importantly caught a bit of a radio 2 show (there's an admission of my demographic!!) when driving at the weekend, which was about Erasure and particularly about a cover they did of a famous pop song. The American lady commentating/ dejaying was saying what a remarkable cover of an Obboh song this was - it immediately brought the Talkbass thread flooding back - I must admit I've never heard Abba mispronounced before...... or maybe they spell their name wrong as well ha ha ....... However all that aside I quite like it sometimes. As fur clubs - well yes being #1654 in the P Bass or Stingray club seems a little run of the mill - however if you have something a little more obscure and are one of say 50 or so it can add to the interest when new members join and there's interraction on the subject of the bass type.

[quote name='Rich' timestamp='1462005048' post='3039437'] As for "It had, much to Costello's horror, five strings", this just makes him even more of a complete tit AFAIC. [/quote] Singer/songwriters - you gotta love em eh? I remember many years ago watching some sort of late night BBC4 documentary where that exact moment with Costello and McCartney was shown and when asked why he didn't use the Hofner, he said it was a problem because for instance, it didn't play in tune (or stay in tune - I can't remember the exact words) - presumably this sort of issue is not a problem for the vintage loving officianado as they can digitally correct any recordings made......maybe they're not too bothered about playing absolutely in tune live anyway?

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1461768749' post='3037472'] I have show Friday night. I take a solo in an old Buddy Miles song "Them Changes" I plan on soloing around the Purple Rain structure. Blue [/quote] It's a good structure for soloing around - nice bass and keyboard parts as well.

[quote name='Norris' timestamp='1461768364' post='3037466'] Our tribute is not to ruin any of his songs. We just don't have the electromagical gizmos to do them justice. That's probably why most bands are doing Purple Rain - because it's the only song that might be vaguely recognisable when reproduced down the Dog & Duck by the Weekend Warriors [/quote] I've previously been involved in reproducing several of his songs including Purple Rain. The most horrific was Signs of the Times, which relies on minimalism, awesome groove and R and B feel, and an appropriate voice. Unfortunately the average Dog and Duck lot often have too much crunch, a distinct lack of soul and groove and can often turn things into a blues rock widdle fest, be it Hard to Handle, Prince, Stevie Wonder etc etc. There are exceptions but not many!! Oh and Prince was awesome in my book - sadly I never saw him live.