kyuuga

I don't know why you think it's a "happy medium". The MH signature bass is pretty much just a P-Bass...with a Jazz Bass body. Nothing else. It's still a Precision, with a typical Precision sound (on steroids). NOW, with that being said, I do think the MH basses are great. I had one that I regret selling. There's 2 versions though: the older one (2001-2005) with the normal P pickup and the newer one (2005-2011?) with the reverse P pickup. Both sound pretty much the same tbh...maybe the reverse P has a bit more lows and less highs but not too much of a difference. From owning and playing one here's what I can tell you: they sound flipping AMAZING with a pick and some overdrive. Classic punk/rock tone, really crispy and will cut through any mix easily. But...they're kinda a one-trick pony. With no tone knob and that Quarter-Pounder pickup (which you could replace but then what's the purpose of buying a MH bass...) it really always sounds agressive and clanky. It's not very good for playing fingerstyle imo, unless you're playing agressive à la Steve Harris (it'd probably be the perfect bass for him come to think of it...). So that's pretty much my take. KILLER tone with a pick especially in punk/rock/metal songs, pretty bland on everything else. I mean it could do the job...but it's certainly not the best for sure. Oh yeah it sounds kinda good for slapping as well...but to be fair a P-Bass really hasn't got the best slap sound - it's not bad, just I feel like the Stingray and the Jazz would do much better.

The SBMM's are a good way to try out the Stingray sound but having owned a Ray34 I can say that the MM has another "sound" to it. Even though the Ray34 does a good impression it lacks that midrange that the Stingrays are known for. And the MM has plenty of it. If you have a Ray34 and get replacement electronics (like a John East preamp) that'll get you to "the tone" obviously but if you're gonna do that you might as well get an used Stingray. Just my 2 cents. Also, the hardware on the Ray34 feels a lot cheaper than the Musicman's...especially the knobs and the tuners - even though the Ray34 is amazing at staying in tune, the tuners are just a bit too big.

This. To me the best thing about the Stingray is the neck. It's just the best neck out there in my hands. Obviously the tone is massive and, despite what people say, it's a very versatile instrument with the active EQ. But that neck man...

What the hell is that string installation process....I feel sorry for the bass!

Plenty of fair (and unfair) criticism in this topic. Figured I'd add my 2 cents as well... I think Fender, like most iconic brands, is doomed to be a victim of its own legacy. On one hand they've got the most successful and time-tested instruments of all time and are pretty much set for life. As long as "traditional" instruments stay in the world of music, I can never see basses like the Precision or the Jazz going away (as well as their guitar lines, obviously). On the other hand, with that reputation comes the fact that everyone wants to have a Precision or a Jazz and nothing else - they don't want weird Fenders, they want THE Fender bass. You wouldn't really go to a BMW stand to buy a family car, would you? You'd go to Volvo or Volkswagen...when you think of a BMW you mainly think of a luxurious sports car - that's their thing. HOWEVER, there are a couple of fair criticisms we can do here: 1) They keep rehashing the same production lines and only change the wording, the colors and more importantly THE PRICE. I think the "Player Series" was a step in the right direction - lightly increase the price but also improve the features, much like what Musicman did with their Stingray Specials. But these new "Vintera" basses are just the same as the Classic ones except with different colors and most likely a price increase. People keep paying more for the same stuff we had 10 or even 20 years ago. 2) They don't innovate when they could. Listen, I'm not saying that Fender needs to go all wild and do something really crazy because, as I said above, I think they're a victim of their own legacy. However, just do simple and small changes. Offer some little variations that will maybe captivate the player-base. Something like: a) a P/J configuration with a reverse P pickup; b) a Jazz Bass with a P style neck; c) a P/P or a M/J configuration (with the M pickup being able to be coil split and call it a Jazz Bass); Plenty of small changes that would perhaps make an interesting model sometimes. It'd still be a FENDER but it'd be something that would captivate longtime fans. That's just my opinion anyway. I think Fender ought to stick with their traditional models but also spice them up a bit sometimes. Keep the money flow steady but try to slowly do some changes in order be fresh and relevant. After all, isn't it a bit ironic that a company who advertises so much with young people & new music keeps relying on the same instruments that were made 70 years ago?

The "problem" with active basses in these videos is that there's always a guy who, instead of using flat EQ controls, cranks it up. The Stingray obviously had either terrible fret buzzing or the treble cranked on the EQ. A flat EQ Stingray would never sound like that. Same with the Corvette...jazz music and the guy comes in with a low B shattering the halls. I mean, these videos are all fun and stuff but showing off these basses while playing different licks on each of them is never a good comparison. Fun video? Yes. Good bass comparison? Hell no.

Seems to be the same...and now it's even cheaper!

I'm not an employee of BassDirect but they do have a pretty stellar customer service/reputation and they currently have a BEAUTIFUL 2nd hand MIJ stacked knob Jazz Bass on sale: http://www.bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_specialists/Fender_CIJ_Jazz_70s_Siennaburst.html Could be what you're looking for.

We know that, but if you're looking for that specific tone a Precision bass might be your best bet. You could use a Jazz Bass with Custom Shop pickups - they have that inherent midrange in them that sounds like that. There's lots of Precision basses with Jazz necks out there as well if that's your issue.

That sounds more like a Precision than a Jazz to me... 😂

I did. I bought a pickguard for a MM Stingray on eBay then when I got it I figured it didn't fit because the pickup had a weird thumb rest in it. And also the measurements were slightly off. I just sanded down some of the parts and then it fit. Nothing too much, only a few things were off.

So jealous!!

Hey folks. I’m looking to purchase a bass and I’d like to hear your thoughts and recommendations. Here’s what I’m looking for: Tone-wise: A strong, defined low-end. Definitely not too muddy but not completely lacking in the lows. A good low mid presence with no overbearing “mud” A powerful midrange. I love having a full tone and I generally dislike scooped basses. The midrange should be solid but in the right frequencies, not really looking for that high-mid sizzle. Clear top end. Not too harsh & bright but clear enough to be heard in a mix. Playability: I prefer thicker necks. Something like a Precision & Stingray neck with a wider witdth at the nut. A good balanced body with no neck dive. 4-string and no more than 21 frets... Here’s what I DISLIKE: Harsh top end with super present high-mids/treble. I like having my action low and I don’t mind a bit of fret buzz but all that “clicking” sound doesn’t appeal to me; I don’t mind if it’s active or passive or whatever the brand is. Would love to hear some fellow bass player recommendations. Let me know what you think would fit me. Cheers.

But the pickup that comes with the Ray34 is already alnico...

Fire the guy who thought those Strat knobs would look good on an American Jazz. That looks like one of those cheap knockoffs with the replaced knobs.

Perfect, thank you! Great demo, I wish all of them would be like that. No fancy stuff, just the pure natural sound. And that's exactly the tone I've been looking to get out of my Ray, the current preamp is a lot more harsh and trebly. The John East one sounds more "full" and even though it does lose a bit of definition it's definitely worth for the increased midrange. Do you think the preamp alone would suffice? Does the Norstrand pickup make any significant difference?

Any chance of sound clips? 😛

Hey don't shoot the messenger!

I'm sorry but that is, without a doubt, probably the ugliest bass I've ever seen in my life... I can see why they were discontinued 😂

Was the East preamp easy to install? I've been thinking of replacing the preamp on my Ray34 as well, the current one is so sizzly...does the preamp remove all that un-wanted clicking noise?

2-band vs 3-band isn't really that different in terms of sound to be honest. You can get both to sound equal with proper EQ, it's more about if you need a mid control or if you prefer simpler EQ settings. But yes, the 3-band is rumored to have an HPF because the original 2-band could get very boomy when you turned the bass up. And Scott is playing a Musicman Stingray Classic in that video, a re-issue of the original pre-Ernie Ball Stingrays from the late 70s/early 80s. Stingray 5'ers are some of the best 5'ers you could possibly get. Let the GAS consume you...

Why would you be? The Stingray (especially the older models) are known for being fat & bassy...think Bernard Edwards from Chic or John Deacon from Queen (Good Times/Another One Bites The Dust for instance). Most Stingray demos you see online sound terrible because it's a very delicate EQ that takes time getting used to. Also, the 2-band is "bassier" because of no HPF.

I don't think the specs are out yet but it's basically a passive Musicman Sterling (according to the headstock) with Ernie Ball flatwounds I'd say. Nothing else. Probably has the newer Musicman stuff (lightweight tuners, roasted maple neck, etc) but apart from that it's a bass that in a realistic world would sell for £1000 max. And they're selling it for $1999 (vulfpeck site only, 50 limited copies). Talk about a great marketing strategy, easy bank for Vulfpeck & Musicman just because of "celebrity worship" (note: this bass WILL NOT make you play like Joe Dart).

What's the issue? As long as the other strings were properly muted before and they aren't ringing, I don't see a problem...when you play music live you're there to also entertain people and acting performance is one of the ways to do it. (obviously as long as it isn't exaggerated and cringy)

Jesus christ, that's gotta be on the top of my "ugliest basses I've ever seen" list... Also, 6 knobs? On a Jazz Bass? Just...why?