Stingray experience on the cheap?

[Darkstrike]

[quote name='mcnach' post='955211' date='Sep 13 2010, 07:05 PM']Oooooh, pray tell... where from... what do you think of it? [/quote]
As I said above, I got it in a local shop here, in Kerry.

As for what I think of it, absaloutly love it!

I've not much hands on experience with real 'Ray's, to give a direct comparison, espcially tonally.

I've got a 5 string, and its got the seperate control plate, like a four string, rather than the extended guard. The string spacing is tighter(16.5mm, I think, like a Warwick), but I find that comfortable.
Neck is pretty nice, its not fat, but not the thinnest, definatly comfy to play. The preamp is odd, bass seems to be boost only, even though it's got a detent, the mids, they don't seem to do much at all, and the treble, its nice, gets glassy when bosted up. Besides the bass control, the others seem to be boost/cut. The pickup looks well made, and certainly sounds just fine. I dunno how close to a Ray it sounds, but it does sound good.

I'm thinking of replacing the preamp, with one of the John East ones, sometime.

[budget bassist]

[quote name='simon1964' post='954429' date='Sep 13 2010, 09:59 AM']Was that my old ATK Sam?!

Another +1 from me for the ATK. They get much closer to the Stingray tone than anything else I've played. The clever coil switching also gives some pretty good P sounds as well. I only sold mine when I bought my first 'ray.[/quote]
I've tried a few

[luckman67]

Cash Converters & other type shops have the odd bargin from time to time check their websites.

[cameltoe]

If I hear about the SUB you bought for £99 again I'm going to cry!

[luckman67]

No it was only posted to show that there are some bargins out there. I was in Rhyl in North Wales last Saturday & in the CC shop there,they had a Johnson MM copy in red with a maple neck for £99 check their website.

[mcnach]

[quote name='Darkstrike' post='955247' date='Sep 13 2010, 07:30 PM']As I said above, I got it in a local shop here, in Kerry.

As for what I think of it, absaloutly love it!

I've not much hands on experience with real 'Ray's, to give a direct comparison, espcially tonally.

I've got a 5 string, and its got the seperate control plate, like a four string, rather than the extended guard. The string spacing is tighter(16.5mm, I think, like a Warwick), but I find that comfortable.
Neck is pretty nice, its not fat, but not the thinnest, definatly comfy to play. The preamp is odd, bass seems to be boost only, even though it's got a detent, the mids, they don't seem to do much at all, and the treble, its nice, gets glassy when bosted up. Besides the bass control, the others seem to be boost/cut. The pickup looks well made, and certainly sounds just fine. I dunno how close to a Ray it sounds, but it does sound good.

I'm thinking of replacing the preamp, with one of the John East ones, sometime.[/quote]


Sounds promising.

The JE preamp is great, totally recommended. I put one on my 2EQ Stingray and I love it. I got another one to go into an OLP any of these days.

Feel free to post pictures

[Darkstrike]

[quote name='mcnach' post='955608' date='Sep 14 2010, 12:19 AM']Sounds promising.

The JE preamp is great, totally recommended. I put one on my 2EQ Stingray and I love it. I got another one to go into an OLP any of these days.

Feel free to post pictures [/quote]


I have one being put into a bass Gadow Guitars are building for me, I'm thinking I should wait and see if I like it in that before ordering another.


And here's the bass.

[Darkstrike]

Oh, you can't see from that pic, but the fretboard has cream binding.

[mcnach]

[quote name='Darkstrike' post='955617' date='Sep 14 2010, 12:32 AM']Oh, you can't see from that pic, but the fretboard has cream binding.[/quote]


binding???

thank you, you just cured my GAS. I hate binding on necks!

still, it looks pretty nice!

[danny-79]

Just keep your eye out on the used market, was not long ago myself offered an Stingray 4H £400, they do pop up now and again, for the condition that the bass was it it wasn't the deal of the century but was still a good price, at the end of the day wit a Stingray your getting a lot of bass for your cash for a tone that Ive never heard reproduced by a copy before (others might disagree but when i say copy i didn't say cheaper copy )
Hang in there an get the real thing

[Darkstrike]

[quote name='mcnach' post='955651' date='Sep 14 2010, 03:34 AM']binding???

thank you, you just cured my GAS. I hate binding on necks!

still, it looks pretty nice![/quote]


Uhhh, you're welcome, I think......


I didn't think I'd like the binding at all, but it grew on me fast.

Truth be told, I bought it with the purpose of replacing the neck with a fretless Status Graphite one, but could bring myself to do it.

[hillbilly deluxe]

OLP............sorry.There are a few Stingray lookalikes,but i do'nt think that they will be soundalikes.I have one myself,and while it plays nice,it does'nt sound like a Stingray.

Edited September 15, 2010 by hillbilly deluxe

[mcnach]

[quote name='hillbilly deluxe' post='957226' date='Sep 15 2010, 02:27 PM']OLP............sorry.There are a few Stingray lookalikes,but i do'nt think that they will be soundalikes.I have one myself,and while it plays nice,it does'nt sound like a Stingray.[/quote]

The one in the picture is not an OLP, it looks a lot like a Stagg MB300. I have the 5-string version.

[hillbilly deluxe]

It's a Jim Deacon.I meant Stingray lookalike.Oops.

[bassmachine2112]

hiho,musicman sub is what your after.

[luckman67]

The SUB is a great bass.

[stingrayPete1977]

[quote name='luckman67' post='957611' date='Sep 15 2010, 07:52 PM']The SUB is a great bass.[/quote]
But is it cheap? (OP)
How many times have we been here?,For a little extra cash you can get a "real one" secondhand.I never understood why people got them new as £799 or whatever they were was already near the s/h EBMM prices at the time and now both have dropped the EBMM is a steal with room to appreciate where the SUB I feel will just stay the same or drop even further.

[Prime_BASS]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='957772' date='Sep 15 2010, 10:14 PM']But is it cheap? (OP)
How many times have we been here?,For a little extra cash you can get a "real one" secondhand.I never understood why people got them new as £799 or whatever they were was already near the s/h EBMM prices at the time and now both have dropped the EBMM is a steal with room to appreciate where the SUB I feel will just stay the same or drop even further.[/quote]
OP stated he only has £200, and wants to buy brand new. In reality the only semi-decent bass for the money is the Epi thunderbird however, the finish falls off, the bridge is naff, the pickups are weak and the electronics are shabby; and after all that it's not got the MM sound the guy wants.
A lot of say buy used SUB (not off eBay due to inflation maybe from here) as they sell for not a few ton more than 200, I paid £375 for mine, I brought it for the sound not the looks, it's the best stingray sound on the cheap. No OLP I've heard that even came close (with mods) to the Ray sound was cheaper than what Subs have gone for.
I see your point about just saving, but everyone is impatient, and saving up to 6-700 may take a while, where as the up to 400 Mark for used SUBs will take less than half as long.

So my vote goes to SUBs for less than half price authentic stingray tone. Then again it didn't stop my gas and I've still brought the real deal. But it didn't cost as much as it should.

[pandathe3]

Your basically looking at any bass that has connections to EBMM.

OLP
SUB
Sterling Ray
Stingray

In that order for price. For 200 you could get a 4string OLP or a 5 string OLP. For maybe 50 more, and you wait abit (especially for 4 string) you can pickup the HH OLPs.

Then, youll want to slowly build the bass up. New pup first, if however expensive, just grab a graphtech nut and if your still keeping it passive put fresh pots, wiring, jack and shield it out!

Above all else get it set up properly with some medium/heavy strings to give it thatOHMMP.

Ofcourse, buy this point you wouldnt be far of a SUB. Well if your putting a bassline + pre in.


Its all down to money right? IMHO a gutted out OLP will sound great for what ever your doing.


Unless the off chance some offers you a bass duel with a real stinger.....then your fooked

[dave_bass5]

Im probably in the minority here, but IME to get a feel for a SR means not only tone, but how it plays, feels in the hand.
I dont think a Sub or OLP ticks all those points. Certainly not for me going from a Sub to a Ray34 (and trying a couple of SR4's on the way).

Ray34's go for about £300-£350 second hand. Im not arguing whats the better bass but i would say a Ray34 is closer in most respects to the real deal than anything else.

:ph34r:

[mcnach]

I own 3 OLPs. Nice. Not as nice as the EBMM Stingray, but I love those OLPs. Enough said.

*very soon* I'll own a SUB ray 5-string... then I'll be able to see just how "Stingray-like" it really is.

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='mcnach' post='958605' date='Sep 16 2010, 05:54 PM']I own 3 OLPs. Nice. Not as nice as the EBMM Stingray, but I love those OLPs. Enough said.

*very soon* I'll own a SUB ray 5-string... then I'll be able to see just how "Stingray-like" it really is. [/quote]
Niiice. I've heard that the SUB 5 is more like a ray 5 than a ray 5 which is more like a Sterling 5. If that makes sense? :wacko:

[Prime_BASS]

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='958684' date='Sep 16 2010, 07:08 PM']Niiice. I've heard that the SUB 5 is more like a ray 5 than a ray 5 which is more like a Sterling 5. If that makes sense? :wacko: [/quote]

That's right, the SUB 5 ray is made using the same components as a standard stingray 4, thus it generates a stingray sound. Also looks like a stingray and not a silhouette bass.

Where as the stingray 5s of the same time where made using the sterlings components. Which is considered by most more modern and IME slightly thin.

[stingrayPete1977]

Where do they attach the extra string and with the poles missing on the pup it would start even more debate than the already sore point of a weak G? Who told you that anyway give a poke in the eye from me! I cant think of one bit that could come off an SR4 to be used on an SUB 5? :wacko:

Edited September 17, 2010 by stingrayPete1977

[parker_muse]

The 'Vintage' copy of a stingray is damn good too and comes in at under £200. It certainly has my reccomendation.