drTStingray

Wow that is gorgeous. Enjoy.

Tug bar on mine was in black plastic held on with two chrome screws a la Fender of that time. If you look at the picture I sent you, it appears to sit slightly lower on the scratch plate than a Fender one would.

I had mine for about 8 yrs and for part of that played in a very busy covers band touring the country - it was totally reliable and seemingly well built. I took the covers off mine as soon as I got it - the last thing I wanted was something that reflected the 50s or 60s - no one had covers on Fender basses by the early 70s - not only were they restrictive of playing styles but at that stage anything 50s or 60s was deeply uncool and out of date. They had yet to become items of nostalgia.

[quote name='Coldflows' timestamp='1430344312' post='2760600'] Really? All the pics I found have the style that I used, I'd love to see what a full ashtray cover would look like! Can you dig it out and take a photo if you still have it? Id much prefer to use the correct parts! [/quote] As Bassassin's post shows, that is the cover style my bass came with. I'll try and find it at the week end.

[quote name='Coldflows' timestamp='1430339814' post='2760536'] So currently- Found a bridge cover that fits Ordered a vintage thumb rest to stay in keeping with the bass. [url=http://postimg.org/image/58yv1lfct/full/][/url] [url=http://postimage.org/app.php]print screen windows 7[/url] To do- Find a similar bass pickup Replace the missing pickup Replace the jack If anyone has a maxon pickup anywhere in their spares box I would be so grateful! I also need to look at the action and repair the bridge as one of the saddles is sat on a nut. [url=http://postimg.org/image/6uiq744kv/full/][/url] [url=http://postimage.org/]free photo upload[/url] Ben [/quote] FYI mine had a Fender Jazz sized bridge pick up cover - basically identical but without the f - it had a strip of foam rubber inside it. I took the cover off and used it ........... as an ashtray!!! I sold the bass around 1980 for £100 having replaced it with a brand new Stingray. However the cover wasn't sold with the bass and I think I still have it somewhere packed away in a box. The bass came with black tape wound strings as new.

Haven't a clue what the answer is but I had an Antoria Jazz Bass with the same pickups. Body was walnut coloured and apart from that truss rod cover was v similar. I've never seen another one like it before or since so your photos are quite evocative! I recall that a year or two after I had mine (new in 1973), they started selling Antorias which copied the jazz bass more exactly, including the pick ups.

[quote name='ianrendall' timestamp='1429817923' post='2755347'] Currently doing a week run of 'Oliver' with a Bernard Edwards tone! [/quote] That sounds great fun but also try the Paul Denman tone - it's good as well (see Sade live clip posted). I played for two years in a Cliff and the Shads tribute band using generally only a coral red 2 band Stingray - sounded great (much better than a Precision, which are generally too honky sounding against the Hank B guitar in a live setting - unless you can get tone off to sit in the mix - which implies full FOH and sound mixing capability - and even then it may be less than audible)

[quote name='badboy1984' timestamp='1429860471' post='2755562'] The mids on the stingray is so good that the notes is not muddy, even when the bass eq push up to mix on the preamp. [/quote] Glad you're enjoying - the Stingray has a lot of variation in sound in skilled hands (have a look at the new post I just made)

I have to learn this for a show and came across this live version - what a sublime bass tone and sound in the mix http://youtu.be/ZhijV9i5bXU Also, for Mr Discreet if he's around and Hiram K Hackenbacker - link to a nice white Stingray for sale - post #8 is the one that made me think about you guys!! http://forums.ernieball.com/music-man-basses/19780-sale-trade.html

As an avid Stingray owner I've got a number of these instruments. They tend to be a bit more dynamic than your average passive P or J bass which may be the reason I say the following. The ash bodied maple boarded Stingray can be a particularly bright sounding beast - almost shrill if pushed. That's not to say it can't produce warm and fat bass sound a la Bernard Edwards/Louis Johnson. However move to a rosewood boarded one and you will hear and feel a subtle difference. Change the body wood (I have a mahogany bodied Sabre and an alder (I think) Stingray) and again they sound different. The mahogany bass has a particularly warm Low mid range sound. So yes in my opinion the woods used can make an appreciable difference which you'll only really become aware of if you use the different ones over a period of time. In blindfolded listener tests I don't think anyone can tell what bass is what and that has been proven on occasion, including in a game show on TV where the expert got every one wrong....but that is something quite different. I'm sure as a player I can tell the difference be it resonance, sustain and to an extent tone. I think weight makes a difference as well. The reason I say you need time to appreciate the nuances - when I bought my SR5 I couldn't really feel much difference between the series and parallel switch settings - I've had it well over ten years now and the difference is like chalk and cheese to me!!

I've found 100 to 45 are great for a Stingray - especially helps sound balance across the strings when selecting s bassy EQ. I once used a set of 90 to 30 on an SR4HH which also sounded excellent - certainly moved the bass from 70s to Level 42 style 80s/90s sound. I once bought a five string set of Roto 77s but they had phenomenal tension on my SR5 to the extent I stopped playing it - I never did adjust the set up but this may have helped a bit - I'm afraid I'm not up for using strings which require arm wrestling strength to play!!!

[quote name='ianrendall' timestamp='1429118572' post='2748253'] Great video. Should be noted that there is a great chunk of foam under the strings too. May be tempted to convert to flats when I next change my strings in about 3 years! How do flats affect neck tension vs same gauge rounds? Am I right in remembering that TI flats are fairly gentle on the neck and fairly loose? [/quote] Roll on the mutes if you have a pre mid 90s Ray or a Classic but a chunk of foam helps otherwise. According to a discussion in Talkbass the original Rays came with GHS flats and changed to rounds around 78 so Bernard Edwards' Ray would have had flats and he famously referred to not changing the strings. He also seems to have plucked the strings on his Ray between the pick up and the bridge at least some of the time which makes an interesting sound. I've got TI flats on my Classic Ray and Ernie Ball Grp 3s on my fretless - both have tension not unlike roundwounds so don't stress the neck and are great to play. The Classic Ray particularly gets the BE thump but the EQ can be made to get the BE pop and slap sound - eg We Are Family.

[quote name='ead' timestamp='1428994189' post='2746686'] I too get massive and entirely unaccountable urges in this direction. Is there a cure or will I have to find something I can afford at some point [/quote] Nope - no chance!! I've had it numerous times and now have five Rays - the other couple of times it transformed into a Sabre and a Bongo!! I was having GAS recently for a late 80s/early 90s trans red Ray but seem to have resolved it by bringing out my 2007LE 4HH Ray after a few months sat in its case - it can sound very much like an active Jazz a la Marcus Miller sound in some settings - but a full fat Ray or Sabre in others - we all know wood makes no difference whatsoever but a rosewood board and ultra light weight seem to help this bass have a different sound - but still unmistakably Ray with the bridge humbucker soloed.

They didn't make a factory Sub fretless but that looks great. Stingray fretlesses are great - in 3 band or 2 band form.

[quote name='cana.dan' timestamp='1428052828' post='2737428'] HI all, Maybe I've been out of the loop for a while but I was perusing Thomann the other day and came across a Stingray Classic in a trans blue finish. Is this a brand new option or has it always been there? http://imgur.com/rtYKyMj Looks sort of like my old favourite and sadly discontinued Trans Teal finish, and I've been wanting a classic Stingray as I never really gelled with my HH, so on the phone I got to GAK and I now have one on order. Waiting sucks! [/quote] Trans Blue became an option about a year ago - seems to have replaced Diego blue (which I tried to order a Sabre in but too late!). They rotate the colours on the Classics. Nice colour.

[quote name='funkle' timestamp='1428083238' post='2737943'] Yep. Still though, it means I get to try out a Stingray 5HS I've had my eye on...silver lining and all that... [/quote] Sorry to hear that - as you say the 5HS has great sounds available. The SR5 is a lot more resonant IMO than the SR4 (well at least mine is - top horn vibrates exceptionally).

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1427984583' post='2736702'] Leo used Ash for sunburst finishes (as the grain shows through) and alder for solid finishes (as it doesn't). I don't think he had any strong views about any perceived tonal differences - it had a lot to do with what was locally available. So in short - I don't know! [/quote] They used alder because the grain of the wood has less natural dents and it was thus easier, quicker and thus cheaper to finish to a high quality gloss - even sunburst. You will also find early 80s sunburst Stingrays in alder. Now you know there are different schools of thought on the affect of body wood on tone - my take is alder produces a slightly more refined, mellow and less strident at the extremes tone - it sure does in a Stingray and I think this is true with Fender guitars and basses also. Nice that you get an alder body with such a keenly priced bass with these.

Ibanez - but I would also look at others such as 4 string Lakland mainly because the other two will not sound anything like your existing Lakland IMHO

As you probably saw further up this thread I have an MM Sabre in this spec - the frets look great against the darkness of the figured maple neck but in my view make no difference to the sound and it is anything but clanky!! However I'd say the sound is somewhat different from a regular ash bodied MM - possibly warmer sounding - mahogany one piece body and roasted maple neck may contribute. These basses have a fabulous colour effect particularly under bright light. The weight is no more and probably less than a regular ash bodied bass. So you will have a rare, great looking, great sounding bass. In my case, there are few if any other Sabres in this spec. It is one of my go to basses so has been gigged regularly since delivery last August.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1427746062' post='2733862'] I would probably be reluctant to string flats through-body too, but then I'm reluctant to do that on any bass - flats don't seem to like it much. [/quote] Discreet, I know it's a different bass but I've got Thomastik Jazz flats on my string through bridge Stingray Classic and it's absolutely fine - in fact they're my favourite of all strings I've had on the bass and probably bring the best out of me with the bass. Thanks for the thorough review of the V7 and the sound sample is excellent. As you say these basses are good for a Jazzophobe if you want one in your arsenal - Nice colours as well ......... I'm quite tempted - and just imagine if they made a Precision as well!

I think Musicman dealers will get them in on SoR also - the list of dealers is on both the main Musicman site and the Musicman UK site. One other point, you can get a Stingray with the Sterling type neck - called an SLO special - it has one less fret (the Sterling has 22 frets as per the SR5 whereas the Stingray 4 string has 21).

Flip Flop and Fly - at breakneck speed with walking bass part, strident brass and harmonica parts and Ott solos - strangely I can sing harmonies on this without screwing up the bass part. Also close to the response - Tainted Love - hybrid rockabilly cum Soft Cell version - goes down a storm possibly because everyone in the audience knows the words and can bawl them out after a few (especially women)!!

[quote name='Duarte' timestamp='1426881403' post='2723172'] Just sayin' https://youtu.be/blkk3rrRXiE Can't find the one with vox tho! [/quote] Fabulous - this came on the radio when I was parked in the supermarket car park - at last, a song with a good bass mix compared with all these whining background passive sounds of today - really rattled my speakers and the bass actually helps drive the track - strangely I heard a Winehouse track this morning which uses the backing of a Motown song and a classic bass part - and the bass drum was more prominent than the bass guitar in the mix...... Jamerson would be horrified. The chic track really made me smile because it's production is just great and it's very catchy - doesn't sound a 'second' to me and it actually stands out in the current crop of singles, rather like the Daft Punk and Pherell ones did over the last couple of years. Makes me want to grab one of my Stingrays (or Bongo or Sabre) and play some BE lines (many of which he played on hIs Stingray). How nice to see you back here and other places Mr Duarte 😊

For me the most important thing a bass player has to do is create a groove with the drummer. Being able to play guitar doesn't help with this and indeed many guitarists are not good at playing grooves. A good rhythm section with a rhythmn guitarist who can groove and understand usage of space sounds awesome However having some understanding of music theory helps you to create bass parts and harmonies and understanding of what the other musicians (and singers) are doing. Do you need to be able to play guitar. Well it's nice if you can but as the bass guitar is an amplified bass instrument, so for those who think it's essential for a bass player to be able to play some guitar (and I've come across such people), would they also think that an orchestral double bass player should be able to play violin or cello? I think not!! This sounds like an argument conjured up by guitarists who think they're the centre of the universe........... or band!!

You'd do well to try a Sterling by Musicman Ray 35. Based on the daddy of 5 strings, the SR5, if you like them then pick up a used Ray 35. I played my SR5 at a gig last week end and had forgotten what a thunderous beast it could be - fabulous and focussed deep bass sound, killer B string (34 in scale).