Musicman20

Sterling 5 basses are VERY rare. I've seen about 3 in total on this forum over the past few years. Stingray 5 basses are much easier to get hold of, but not that many around in multi pup format. What spec are you after? Colour? Pup configuration?

I have a Stingray 5 HS and a Sterling 5 HS. The below applies to new Stingray 5 and Sterling 5 basses, not the older Stingray 5's. Firstly, the Sterling is a smaller bass, sometimes lighter, but this depends. The Sterling doesn't have the chrome banana contol plate like a Stingray 4. The Sterling has ceramic pickups, and seems a little bit 'hotter'. The Stingray 5 has alnico pickups. Alnico tends to sound smoother and more traditional, whereas ceramic has a bite and 'mid-bump' to it. The Sterling 5 has three types of configurations, H, HS or HH. The same with the Stingray 5. Difference is that, without going into too much detail, the Sterling is MAINLY wired in series. Series = louder more aggressive output. The Stingray 5 is MAINLY wired in parallel. Parallel = smoother, warmer. I think, from experience, that the Sterling pre-amp is different. It seems to have more range. This might be wrong though. It sounds very very similar. The Sterling 5 also has a really nice neck joint.... The 5 string versions of both have the same neck. 17.5mm string spacing. Personally, I am very happy with BOTH of them. The Ray is smoother and more of a tradtional Ray tone (obviously) whereas the Sterling snarls a little more and cuts the mix a little more. Both can be made, roughly, to sound similar to the other.

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1354467085' post='1886286'] I've never been able to hear a difference between maple and rosewood fretboards but if there is any difference I can't believe it's not over-ridden by whether you play with a pick or with fingers, do you play by the neck or by the bridge, what kind of strings are you using, how is your eq set etc etc etc. I've got a rosewood P and my son has a maple P. Whichever we play we sound like ouselves. [/quote] Agreed. I used to use a pick a lot more with bright stainless steel strings years ago, on a rosewood board P, and it was spot on for that very aggressive P bass tone...in fact sometimes it was too aggresssive. I think its more for aesthetics. I'd like to get a maple P and J to go along with my rosewood P and J, but I know deep down I prefer the classic colours, and most the time a rosewood board looks better. I used to have a 2008 ish sunburst/tort P bass, with a maple neck (very glossy). It was a nice bass, very light, but with tort, the maple looked 'weird'.

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1354456074' post='1886093'] Fixed. [/quote] I've spoken to a lot of Stingray players, and most of them prefer the gunstock oil finish. I very much doubt its that much cheaper...not only that, their paintwork is much better than others so its swings and roundabouts.

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1354425892' post='1885815'] I love black blocks and binding on a Fender- style neck . It alludes to Fender Jazz Basses made between 1970 and early 1974 , which featured such blocks and binding , and looks great to me , depending on the aesthetics of the rest of the bass , of course . I used to go see a band back in the 1980s and the bass player had a sunburst Jazz with black blocks and binding and it looked beautiful to the young Dingus . The fact that he was a wicked player with a great sound didn't hurt either . The early 1970s were the last of the great Fenders in my book , and anything after that just ain't vintage to me I'm afraid . As I have mentioned before , one of the biggest revelations of the internet age has been the insight it gives into other peoples taste ( or lack thereof in certain cases ) . Basses in colour schemes I would have thought to be too ugly for anyone to ever buy are almost always the apple of someones eye on sites like this , and yet there are folks out there who think that black blocks and binding look cheap , ugly and just plain wrong . One thing is for certain though - blocks need binding . Blocks without binding is a big no-no for me . No excuses , it's just not right ! [/quote] Exactly right about different tastes, and I 100% agree that blocks without binding looks like they couldn't be bothered to do it properly, (I think Sadowsky and Sandberg are guilty of this and Sadowsky charge a fortune for blocks).

[quote name='Zenitram' timestamp='1354439119' post='1885866'] Why is maple always lacquered? Or is the question why is rosewood not lacquered? Maple always seems to have a finish, and rosewood never does. Why is that? [/quote] EBMM necks and boards nowadays are not lacquered, just coated in gunstock oil for a more natural finish.

Black blocks on a maple board look cheap and common to me now. Has to be rosewood with white pearl blocks. Much classier.

[quote name='bubinga5' timestamp='1354396555' post='1885619'] i think alot of confusion is caused by this argument... maple vs rosewood... on a PASSIVE bass maple is brighter than rosewood, especially with a laquered board... when you intoduce an active system its almost impossible to tell [/quote] You'd be pushed to notice it recorded. It's a bit of a myth.

White/Tort/Rosewood Sunburst/Tort/Rosewood Best P combos

[quote name='JohnFitzgerald' timestamp='1354366283' post='1885217'] My preference is try before you buy. Two sealed boxes with ostensibly the same instrument inside could be entirely inside the box. A sealed box holds no attraction for me at all. Merchant City Music in Glasgow set up every guitar before it goes in sale. How it should be. [/quote] Hence the good returns policies. Sealed box...crap bass? Send it back at no cost.

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1354312647' post='1884850'] If I remember correctly , didn't you buy a Am St P in white that had a gaping neck pocket gap ? [/quote] Indeed! Some time back now...it looked like a 'Friday' afternoon job to be honest. But...as is with Fender....you kinda have to make sure you are picky until you get a good un.

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1354307644' post='1884758'] You can't beat Olympic White for a Fender, either with rosewood or maple . Strange as this may sound though , my experience has been that when it comes to the much -vaunted Fender lottery , the sunburst basses fare much better than the white ones . I looked at five Olympic White Jazz Basses that were all wrong in one way or another before giving up . The sunbursts were all pretty much perfect in all respects - nut slots . fret work , neck pocket , weight ect . Coincidence ? [/quote] I reckon neck pocket wise it's just loads more obvious if its a touch out on a white bass. But yeah that is odd!

Not only that, compare it to say a Lull or Sadowsky which are double the price or more, and it makes the P5 a bargain with the new cases.

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1354306841' post='1884750'] I really like the look of these basses and would love to try one , but all the recent Fender price hikes coupled with the fact that the 5 string Am St. basses missed out on the 2012 pickup upograde ( but still copped the price increase ) means that I would always be kicking myself for not buying the same bass cheaper when they came out . Still like 'em though . [/quote] Agreed! I'm thinking of getting a P4 and J4 in that colour combo though...it was stunning.

The chaps at JG Windows in Newcastle had a lovely new P5 in when I popped in today. White/Tort/Rosewood. Stunningly light and great paint job. Not a perfect neck pocket but very damn close. The neck profile is brilliant. 18mm spacing, sounds like a P. The B string blends with the other strings which is, IMO, better than the over powering Bs some players like. Compared to, for example, my Ray 5HS, the B wasn't as punchy, but to be fair it's a passive P bass. Very easy to play and super light. Very impressed with it. If you are on the fence about one, id suggest you try one ASAP. The store isn't the cheapest but the staff were really nice and helpful. No pressure, no pushy sales technique.

Cool story.

[quote name='The Dark Lord' timestamp='1354192844' post='1883316'] No. Turn on. Rock. [/quote] Boom Boom Pow. This dude is right. No need for all that messing about.

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1354209162' post='1883678'] Have you ever noticed that Nottingham and Leeds are like the same city just rearranged a bit differently ? On the subject of the online retailers , one of the very best is MB Music . Decent , honest and straightforward to deal with , in my experience . [/quote] Absolutely. I find a lot of cities blend into one another. I think Leeds edges it for up and coming trendy places to live, but Nottingham has a brilliant music scene....really good bands. I was probably at my peak of 'wow, Im actually in a good band' in Nottingham. Granted, I've been in busier bands since, but that band I had in Nottingham were really, really good. A cross between The Mars Volta and Radiohead. Anyway, Leeds bass stores? I used goto Soundconrol, (now PMT)....I don't like PMT now. Nottingham? There isn't that much there in terms of instrument stores unfortunately.

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1354206319' post='1883627'] [/quote] From my point of view, coming from a quiet but nice village, next to an awful town (Grimsby), Newcastle is absolutely brilliant. The city itself offers something I can't quite put my finger. It just seems 'energetic'....probably helped by all the students, plenty of partying, and the amount of things to do. Leeds is great, Nottingham is alight, but Newcastle is where I feel at home (even though it isn't my home town). Think that makes sense?! We need bass specialist store up here. Didn't the Bass Doc used to run one?

[quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1354203493' post='1883556'] But what about the bass??? That's the bit that bassists really need. [/quote] Too much bass is not good. It ends up being a huge thuddy mess. I prefer a tight low end with really punchy low mids/mid mids. Treble to taste. Let the PA do the really low bass.

At his level he has enough money and time to have whatever he wants. I'm surprised at 4 x 15 though? As pointed out...it makes no different really as his tone is satured in effects.

If you switch to Talkbass, the Baer 112 cabs are getting stellar reviews all the time. Apparently the treble in 'just right', and the mids are stunning. They are also, IMO, fantastically well designed from an aesthetics view point. When you are spending big money, aesthetics HAVE to be considered. It is worth noting that the fearful cabs have a very 'PA' like type 'tone'....they say they are fairly neutral, but apparently they sound very different to a normal bass cab. They have a HUGE low end eith polite mids. From what I have heard, its nothing like what I'm used to and I'd probably dislike it.

It's also worth nothing that, to be honest, where is the relegation? I'd actually argue that playing bass 'well' as in properly, and having appreciation for what bass is about is no easy task. Then we have the 5/6 string argument....slapping on a 5 string 17.5 mm spacing bass? Not that easy.

Bass player, first and foremost. Always. I have a nice Tele and Orange guitar amp, but I always pick up bass over guitar. I prefer the way it fits with the drums. One of my old band mates said to me: 'If I wasn't a drummer, I'd play bass, because its close to the drums, and its cooler'. I agreed 100%. It is a dead cool instrument, unless you play a headless.

[quote name='mentalextra' timestamp='1354186519' post='1883160'] I dont want to turn this into a north and south thread but as a Londoner I have yet to experience this "friendly northern welcome". I keep on hearing about it but mostly from northerners. I have a good friend who lives in Bolton and I get the usual banter from him about living down south. But, his young lady works in London frequently and I have often pointed out that in a metropolitan city like this you are not judged by your accent or culture. I live in a road of maybe 100 houses and there are in excess of 30 different nationalites and religious faiths but we all bump along nicely. But, when I go to my mate in Bolton and open my mouth in his local corner shop its like a 'western' when the stranger walks in the saloon and the piano stops playing! My brother in law lived in Holmsforth for over 10yrs. He is a librarian and loves the countryside. He was literally hounded out of his home because of small minded idiots. [/quote] I wasn't for a second trying to say anything other than 'most of the people I've met in Newcastle are REALLY friendly'. That's the truth. I've lived in Leeds, Nottingham, Grimsby and Newcastle. Grimsby is the home town (unfortunately) but I won't be moving back. No city offers a life like Newcastle.