Murphy

On 07/03/2021 at 05:38, funkle said:

So you all likely know my propensity to modify or tweak what I buy. This thread follows my tendency in that...

 

I recent years, I have found that a lot more is about the player than the instrument (to a large degree, anyway), so I might as well buy a cheaper instrument and tweak it to my liking than hack up an expensive bass. Though I do own expensive instruments, increasingly I am getting a lot of joy from cheaper ones. 

 

Now. I became quite entranced with the sound of the Stingray in my youth, but always found they sounded worse in my hands than in someone else's. At least, until I spent about 6 months working on my right hand technique a while back. I bought and sold 5-6 Stingrays for this reason. Now, I am happy with how they sound when I play them, but it turns out I really dislike the 3EQ versions, and eventually I realised the sounds I liked best were 'older' Stingrays. I also favour Jazz width necks over Stingray or Precision necks; getting an SLO Special Stingray looks a very expensive affair. 

 

Not to be mean, but I happen to think Stingrays are mostly a one trick pony, and I can't face stumping up huge amounts of money for that, much as I like them now. So the goal became getting 'the sound' without forking out for a Stingray Classic or a vintage Stingray. 

 

So, in many ways, a Ray4 fit the bill. I bought a Ray4 a year and a half ago - the videos by JuliaPlaysBass on Youtube giving me confidence in doing so. It got about 80-90% of the way to the sound I wanted, and I played it stock for about a year. Good value for money, although I did get the frets levelled and get a new nut installed. (The original nut needed filing down to be properly playable, which I did at home, but a proper fret level by a luthier made the instrument feel just great to play). 

 

Eventually, I replaced the tuners with an old set of Hipshot Licensed Ultralites I had lying around, because the original tuners were not that great, and it felt like I was invested in the instrument after a while. That was a nice upgrade. 

I had to shim the Ultralite tuners to fit the holes, but it was worthwhile. I just used electrical tape, worked fine. I quite like the very practical ethic of not filling the old tuner screw holes, gives a kind of industrial look. 

 

So. As I continued to play the instrument, I realised I wouldn't mind putting more into it, as it had taken on something more personal to me. I did a lot of research using Low End Lobsters series on modding his Ray4s (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrGKPGOKp9M and the Mold Smoothie Project https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRkzMzjkD58) and ended up purchasing the John East 2 band MMSR EQ (without plate to make it cheaper) and the Aguilar AG4M. 

That got me 'the sound' plus a bit more, as the EQ has a slightly bigger range than the original. The install was easy - John's products are brilliant in my opinion - but I got a bit of hum out of the Aguilar, which I did not expect. I ended up shielding the pickup cavity, which seemed to do the trick. I do have a fairly electrically noisy household, so it's good at picking up issues like this. The Aguilar is a 'vintage style' Stingray pickup, so perhaps it wasn't surprising to get some vintage aspects to it, lol.  

So, now I had the sound. 

 

However.....the bridge had been a subtle annoyance to me that I tolerated for a long time, because the instrument was inexpensive, but replacing the bridge felt a bit wasteful to me. It's a perfectly good bridge, and I have never found the magic in a bridge change that many people talk about, though I have swapped plenty in my time. 

 

Eventually, I realised that I could try to fit an old Stingray mute set on there, which would allow some flexibility if I desired it, and also look a lot better. Bass Direct sells them for £28 shipped...so, I bought a set. 

Turns out, the long metal plates of the mutes fit perfectly under the existing Ray4 bridge without having to modify the bridge or bass in any way. Sweet.

 

I spent a long time looking for inserts to put into the wood under the bridge for the mute screws to fit into, but I could not find a supplier here or in the USA for the right size. Strange, but there it is. I bought a few of different sizes just to try them, but the screws never worked right in them - either too small or too large.

 

I dug out old pics of vintage Stingrays with the bridges and hardware removed, and it turned out that it looked like those screws simply went directly into the wood, not an insert.

 

I also messaged Low End Lobster to ask him if that is what he had done with his bass, and he said he simply screwed them directly into the wood as well, and it worked fine. 

 

So, one 4mm drill bit and a lot of measuring later, this is how it ended up...

 

 It's not perfect - the hole I drilled for the screw through the bridge under the G string was 1mm off where I wanted it to go, even though I used a centre punch - but it looks right, and furthermore, the mutes are totally useable and the sound is very cool. Even with some candle wax to lubricate the screws when I screwed them in to the bass, they are a slow turn, so it's not instant adjustability, but a minute or two will allow me to return it to the 'non-muted' sound. 

 

The finished article. I need no more mods. 

 

This has been a real labour of love, over a long period of time, and I am really happy with it. It's cheaper than any of the options I might otherwise have had to consider given my requisites, but it's difficult to recommend it if you're not as picky about necks/EQ etc as I am. A secondhand SBMM Ray34 or similar is better value, though those don't have the forearm contour that I think is critical either. But you get the gist. 

 

I think I spent around £600 all together, and it looks and sounds great. This is now, finally, my 'Stingray'.

 

Pete

 

 

Just so you know...I am pretty sure my old 78 Stingray mutes...which were missing.....But the bridge is shaped to raise from the body where the inserts go..and had threaded inserts for the thumb screws...without damaging the body.....I would just leave your screwed down, as it looks so authentic,,,,Now I believe there is some way to achieve the hex screw bolts on the bridge sides

Anyway....i LOVE what you did,,,and must say I am envious

4 hours ago, ped said:

Err guys who’s topping up the biscuit tin? There’s only two malted milks left

MMmmmmmmm Malted Milk

I really wanted one until I realized the body was still the downsized version....

Yours looks beautiful....

But I want everything and the bigger body shape also 👍😎

4 hours ago, Reggaebass said:

Earl grey and hobnobs 

Earl Grey...Bleh!!!  A CRIME AGAINST TEA!

Now Hobnobs on the other hand....well...That's good dunking! 😂

3 hours ago, PaulThePlug said:

some sort of Jazz..

Of course

4 minutes ago, EBS_freak said:

Bloody love Robocop. Nice one, Murphy.

Dead or alive..You're coming with me

Your Move, Creep

Tort and Flats Precision of course

Well...Now we are back in the giant servers of Talkbass, I would like to take this opportunity to Thank all you wonderful people in Bass Chat for a lovely stay...Toasty crumpets and lashings of hot tea.

You have all been so gracious and hospitable.

It has been great fun hanging out and getting to know some of you.

👍😎

Cheers

Actually I just started writing a Big Thank you to making us TBers feel so welcome here

26 minutes ago, Ricky Rioli said:

Anyone fancy starting a Anyone Else Find BassChat Miserable Rude and Unwelcoming During The Recent Outage? thread on TB?  😇

You sir , have beat me to it !!

Beautiful playing...So COOOOL

I have the same pickups in my AM STD Jazz 5ver and they do sound fantastic.

That was where I got my Prince..Appolonia vibe

I watched this concert a few weeks ago...Austin City Limits...

It probably is just that pickguard having the Pickup hole cut a bit off...

Probably fine with original

Bridge pickup should be a little longer than neck pickup...

Only time they were each the same size was on those early Made In Mexico Jazz basses...Circa 1990s

I am very surprised this is an issue on a modern..relatively...Fender Jazz US..

It would drive me crazy also....No excuse with CNC cutting ...and Quality control...HA!!!

Yes...I watched it too....and it was funny seeing Justin...after first getting into him with Beck...Odelay...Phoenix festival live in 1996..

the SEx pIStoLs headlined and I got to see them the next year in Toronto...

Anyway JMJ looked the same as ever and is a contributor on Talkbass also...

St Vincent...That is a cool gig for him....she seems like the new Prince to me

It is a tone I enjoy very much on my Precision...and very simple to achieve .

ALTHOUGH...I would personally clean up my technique....hahaha 😅

7 minutes ago, robscott said:

The cleaner pulled the plug out to Hoover

I forgot "to Hoover" is the English term for to Vacuum! 

Maintenance unplugged the server whilst vacuuming ....Haha.....Just so Americans could understand

20 hours ago, 2020Jazz said:

Nice, looks way better. Tort has it's place, of course...

 

 

Hahaha....Every bass of mine has Tort on right now.....I do love me some Tort....and TI Flats 👍

Hi Phil...Thanks for the lovely read up on your career.

It freaked me out...as you have lived the exact mirror of my life!!!....................    If my dreams had come true...lol😅

Wonderful to see someone who has lived the dream and remained so humble. 

I am very fortunate with the opportunities I have had and experiences I have got to play in...so small in comparison.....But I am grateful

Greetings from Toronto

There you go again...putting your mark all over it 😁

Still not fixed...will go see if there are any updates on Facebook

Banned?...But you are one of the best contributors!!   Something is very wrong!

Flats and a Jazz bass?...or even a Stingray?

Chorus effect?