dub_junkie

Just goes to show how we all can perceive tone a bit differently. I've had a number of ceramic pickup StingRay 5s and never thought them to have as much grind as the Sterling. Always thought the SR5 was a bit more polite, sit in the mix nicely bass and the Sterling a bit more aggressive with more prominent mids.

Another vote for the Sterling getting the Special makeover/treatment fwiw. I had a few USA Sterlings over the years and I never had one that was lighter than any other MusicMan bass I owned at the same time. Which I always found a bit odd as the body is downsized from a StingRay. If they ever did it as a Special I would hope they would stick to ceramic magnets on that model. Definitely grinds a bit more than any alnico or neodymium equipped MM I've owned. Always loved that (and the neck) about the USA Sterling bass

Swapping some basses round and as part of that, I managed to pick up another USA Dimension Deluxe, this time an H in the rootbeer finish. Had a couple of Dimensions before (both HH).

Stingray 5 Special has a great neck profile and dimensions but unless there are specific features you want that the Special has, any StingRay 5 is easy to get round. Only issue is that the G is close to the edge of the board and may need a bit of adaptation in technique to stop pushing the string off the edge of the fret. I only ever had one Sandberg 5, a VS5 and I thought it was a really good feeling/playing bass. The plek'd neck allowed for a silly low action. Cort NJS-5 Elrick is 35" scale and has a slightly bigger profile at the first few frets than I generally go for but I genuinely love mine. So much to like about that bass and I gig mine regularly over instruments costing three times as much. I had a Sire V5-24 and while I liked the neck profile, I couldn't get the action quite as low as I wanted and the roasted neck was way too dark. The neck I am really enjoying playing at the moment is my Lakland 55-02. Again plek'd neck and crazy low action. Bigger neck than any of those above but supremely playable. I've come to realise that I don't mind a bigger neck profile if the action can be made low. And also that if push came to shove and I could only afford one 5 string I'd pick a Stingray 5 every time 🙂

2023 Stingray 5 Special in smoked chrome. Haven't weighed it yet but can't be anymore than 9lb. Looking forward to comparing it to my 2005 StingRay 5.

Love the subtle edge bursting on this finish. That and the board with no markers looks fantastic!

Indeed!

I've only owned two Laklands and they have both been terrific. The Plek'd necks are a dream. The 55-02 I bought off Paddy feels top drawer. What I will say about my NJS-5 is that not only does it play brilliantly but also sounds very even across the strings and throughout the length of the fretboard. All the strings can be heard clearly when all the other instruments are going too. With some basses the D and G strings can get a bit lost. On the Cort everything is very clear.

My NJS-5 has the same yellowing around the inlays. It's a fine bass and gets more playtime than other more expensive basses I own

I tried to swap the pickguards between my two J/J 5 strings and neither fitted each other. One was a 2020 The other was from 2021

Met Stuart again today to hand over the Klos Apollo 4 string he paid for prior to the meet. Sat and had a coffee, chatted basses. Always great to deal with you Stuart. Remarkable how much alike our taste in basses are. Till the next one Stuart. Cheers!

Pics don't do the BlingRay justice. This thing pops like no ones business! 🤩

Yes I am definitely going for a 5 string. I would pick one of the flame tops but no word on pricing apart from 20% higher than the 4 string. If the flame top models are too pricey I'll happily settle for a solid colour. Also they are now offering 21 and 22 fret options on the replacement fender necks.(2.5" heel width) Hopefully one of those will be going on my Sledge Sabre for a pseudo Cutlass II vibe.

Wish they did an unlined fretless though

I recently got a Special and there is a lot to commend it, particularly when compared to StingRays that preceeded them that were heavy and seemed to lack some of the hand finishing/detailing. I had a 2010 black/rosewood 2EQ that was like that. They were to my mind,and recollection, getting more and more like that pre 2018 Special which probably necessitated the rethink/re-jig of the model. However my '96 blueburst Stingray 5 is to my mind nicer than my Special. Probably not built to the same tolerances but the neck has softer more radiused edges and this gives it a more appealing feel in the fretting hand. The birdseye neck looks better than the plain roasted maple as well. And there's the fact that my 5 still retains a lot of what I used to ogle at and drool over in the late 80s/ early 90s when I would go to Denmark St and salivate at Rose Morris who always had some amazing looking Musicman basses. The Ernie Ball models then had some ridiculously figured necks and the see thru finishes were lush. Those were my favourite EBMM, the ones from that period.

Hi Billy it's a 34" scale length Link to the bass and spec: https://acguitars.co.uk/project/053g-j-type-5-34/ Cheers Keir

Met Robert at a train station in rural Scotland yesterday morning and traded StingRays. Robert is a stand up guy and couldn't have been more helpful throughout the deal (logistics etc) Was good meeting with you Rob. Really pleased you're happy with your new bass, I am too. Keir

Picked up a new Graft 5 in the Frostbite finish today directly from Alan at ACG HQ. Absolutely loved it from the moment I pulled it out the very nice gig bag. Acoustically felt and played just right and plugged in I was taken aback at the wide spread of tones from a passive bass. Bridge pickup can honk with the best of them and it does the hollow two pickup slap tone supremely well too. Can't wait to start using it with the band! Also had a look at some Retro B Standards with coloured figured tops and East preamps. They were superb and something I will be investigating further. Picking up a used Krell 4 string turned me onto the brand. Glad it did 😍

Beautiful bass. Droolsome spec! May it serve you well. Keir

Bought Wayne's Cort Elrick NJS5. Superb bass that sounds incredible in a band setting. Rehearsed with it half an hour after picking it up and will be gigging it this Saturday. What will it be I get next from Wayne? Always a great guy to deal with. Thanks again mate!

I paid £1100 for a Classic StingRay four years ago, and also £1250 for my first Classic Sabre.

I would always choose a StingRay over a P bass. But I'd always choose a Sabre or USA Sterling over a StingRay. Love StingRay 5s above all others though. They're my favourite bass.