Chiliwailer

As if my GAS wasn't bad enough already... https://www.talkbass.com/threads/the-2018-stingray-special-color-poll-w-pics.1352598/ Post 12 has pics of all the 4-string colours too.

My NP4 was too polite for my tastes. The BK will be more traditional, I had a 58 which was just that.

Apparently he used the P on a few tracks on Freaky Styley too. Vid of the P Bass getting used, after a few tracks \/

Fixed / or...

I think your absolutely right Mark, nice one. Anyway, nothing wrong with your new pick up, it sounds great, and that HB looks very cool in Shoreling Gold. I bet most of us would have easily believed it was a Custom Shop if we were told so when listening to it. But that's another story, for another minefield of a thread....and it's all in the fingers eh?!

Scrap what I said earlier about the Seymour Duncan being split coil, it was stacked. Similar though I suppose? And blooming lovely too http://customshop.seymourduncan.com/51-p-bass-stack/

Argh, you’re not helping here with that description! I often miss having an old school P, especially with heavy flats. The Loureiro webpage is now safely bookmarked, this could be the beginning of something

They are great pickups pal, I had a split coil on my old CS 55 P Bass, it was awesome. I now use Fralin split coil pickups on my Jazz Bass, absolutely love them. That’s a tempting project of yours....

Well, obviously that attempt to ‘break the cycle’ didn’t work. Maybe this one will? Old Smoothie Stingray, 3 band Stingray, 66 Precision, US Std Jazz

It’d be worth checking the pickup casings - My old telecaster needed an added earth wire to the casing when I added a 4 way switch.

That was scary for a second... we have that same rug at the moment and I have an Old Smoothie 🤔 The 2 band EQ's aren't centre dented, must have been a 3 band you played. Glad you got one, they are quite special.

Basschat spreading the love (ur, GAS) as always

http://www.bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_specialists/STINGRAY_4H_Old_Smoothie.html 2nd hand

They are stunning, I’m very pleased I got one. The Andertons butterscotch one is really well priced, I paid more for my chocolate burst Smoothie. Mansons have a chocolate one still, I think the rest may all be sold now? Their price is high, but they did recently advertise at £2099 so maybe they’ll haggle. https://www.andertons.co.uk/bass-dept/bass-guitars/retro-bass-guitars/music-man-stingray-old-smoothie-butterscotch

Ah mate, Purps is sounding a treat! Nice playing too I’m glad it’s getting gigged, rather just sitting in my cupboard until I want to jam along to Califonicstion LP!!! —-lump in throat—

I’m with you Chris, great post. I just re-read mine, I suppose I didn’t make it clear that the pre EB’s I played, and Marcus talked about, differed in tone, I didn’t mean quality. These days I have a 3 band which does exactly what I need a 3 band with rounds to do, and I’m beginning to bond nicely with my new Old Smoothie with flats. They are both so Stingray, but oh so different to each other!

It’s a tricky one, I’ve found that many pre EB’s vastly differ, even if the same year. Last year I bought a 79 Sabre as I always regretted selling one of the same year. It was a lovely bass, but it just wasn’t the same as my old one. Marcus at Bass Direct was recently telling me how they had 2 pre EB Stingrays in stock at the same time, and they were chalk and cheese. I can believe that having played a fair few in the past, and also found that on old Fenders of the same year and spec. It’s an old cliche, but a good Music Man is a good one, and an average one is an average one, no matter what the year is. Sorry to hear your story pal, hope you find a good Ray that you click with.

Check this link out, much stems from CBS selling Fender https://www.talkbass.com/threads/hard-to-see-fender-1987-88-89-bass.656577/

I’ve literally lost count of the amount of deals Mark and I have done together, buying and selling to each other. He’s a top bloke, reliable and as honest as they come. And only into very nice basses .

duplicate!

You’re absolutely right about the lack of zing, or treble, for the LaBella’s, the EQ became much less versatile when those strings were on. That said, I like that type of string, and quality, just on a different bass. For the moment I’m seeing how the Chromes break in. They sound great on my Fenders, and after the LaBella’s actually felt like a welcome relief in an odd way. If flats weren’t so expensive I reckon there’d be a good few sets I’d like to try.

I think you’re on to something there...

I had the low tension set on, but in the past have not clicked with the regular tension sets either. It’s annoyingly as they are great strings, I still use them on my Steinberger Spirit, they just don’t suit me on other basses.

My LaBella love/hate relationship continues, took them off the bass this morning. The old school vibe was excellent but the lack of volume and weight was bothering me. Will probably put them up on the for sale section soon.