risingson Posted May 22, 2011 Share Posted May 22, 2011 [quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1239951' date='May 22 2011, 07:48 AM']It always amazes me when I see this and then how often we see a thread starting out " I have owned many basses over the years and always loved the look of stingrays but never owned one, last night I lent one at a jam night and oh my god it cut through the mix so well yet later in the set after a quick and simple adjustment of the EQ it was sitting below the mix all fat and punchy, I can't even imagine how good it would of sounded with flats on! " Think disco and how well Rays sit in the mix. Think rock, punk, indie, blues they work everytime just like a p or jazz but better Get one of everything that's the best bet IMO [/quote] Again, everyone's different aren't they. There's plenty of players that will disagree but Stingrays just don't sit the way I would want one to in a band situation. [quote]Because it's a forum... you know, to discuss stuff. You don't have to read it. I started the thread to get opinions, and although I had pretty much decided I want a Fender, if 90% of people had said "don't get a Fender" I probably would have rethought my decision. No need to be quite such a jerk about it.[/quote] Ignore the naysayers. I very much enjoy reading threads like this one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_S Posted May 22, 2011 Share Posted May 22, 2011 I say do it! Then again, I would; I play Fender P's exclusively these days But that Freeman looks ace for the money... I'd pick the black one personally, but both look good and Squier's come a long way quality-wise in the last 10 years or so. I was amazed when I got my VM Precision last year; I expected it to be good enough to try out BEAD tuning for a while but then end up needing replacing with another MIM when I was sure I liked it, but it's turned out to be an absolutely great little bass, and totally gig-worthy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Undead Posted May 22, 2011 Author Share Posted May 22, 2011 [quote name='Ed_S' post='1240198' date='May 22 2011, 12:05 PM']I say do it! Then again, I would; I play Fender P's exclusively these days But that Freeman looks ace for the money... I'd pick the black one personally, but both look good and Squier's come a long way quality-wise in the last 10 years or so. I was amazed when I got my VM Precision last year; I expected it to be good enough to try out BEAD tuning for a while but then end up needing replacing with another MIM when I was sure I liked it, but it's turned out to be an absolutely great little bass, and totally gig-worthy.[/quote] I've heard that the latest Squiers (CV and VM series) are just as good as the MIM Fenders... don't know how true that is? The black one is great, but I've had my heart set on the vintage white one since I first saw it... looks just like a mid-70's. Mmmmm What's your take on the latest Squiers? Would you be willing to gig them without a backup? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BottomE Posted May 22, 2011 Share Posted May 22, 2011 [quote name='Heathy' post='1240028' date='May 22 2011, 09:36 AM']The Holy trinity? I quite like that idea.[/quote] Nearly there. Got 2 out of 3 and the one that gets the most playing is the Hamer Seriously though, after buying and experimenting with a few exotic basses - 5 string Laklands and such there was almost a collective sigh of relief in the band when i started using a US Fender. Very strange. Its the worst built bass i have but by far the most popular with studio guys and in a live situation. It just sits in the mix very well and is nice and easy to play. I'd balance that by saying its the least exciting but most versatile. The StingRay is great live but harder to get right in the studio. By far the best bass is the Hamer but it doesn't have the Kudos/cool factor of the other basses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Undead Posted May 22, 2011 Author Share Posted May 22, 2011 [quote name='gareth' post='1240714' date='May 22 2011, 07:41 PM']what is the maximum you can afford?[/quote] Afford? About £1.50 lol But probably around £400 is what I could stretch to which wouldn't get me far in Fenderland Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Undead Posted May 22, 2011 Author Share Posted May 22, 2011 [quote name='Johnston' post='1240762' date='May 22 2011, 08:31 PM']I paid less than three for an ex demo (Fender not Squier) Mike Dirnt inc postage on the Bay.[/quote] Wow, nice deal! I may well end up going for the Squier Matt Freeman Precision. If it's as good as the reviews, and is CV quality, then it's likely to be well worth the £370 they're asking for it. And it's pretty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_S Posted May 22, 2011 Share Posted May 22, 2011 [quote name='Evil Undead' post='1240606' date='May 22 2011, 06:12 PM']I've heard that the latest Squiers (CV and VM series) are just as good as the MIM Fenders... don't know how true that is? The black one is great, but I've had my heart set on the vintage white one since I first saw it... looks just like a mid-70's. Mmmmm What's your take on the latest Squiers? Would you be willing to gig them without a backup?[/quote] Oh, don't get me wrong.. I like the white one too I'm not sure about the VM being 'just as good as' a MIM.. I have two 2009 MIMs that are my main gigging basses, and as much as I like the VM, they do just feel like a slightly higher quality product. The good news is that it's not by that long a stretch; the MIM has a more carefully finished neck, but that aside, the VM just feels a touch lighter and a little more "rough and ready", as opposed to feeling "fragile" like they used to back in the chipboard days! The resonance of the actual block of wood and the quality of the amplified tone isn't far off the MIM at all. As for gigging the VM without a backup, yeah, I'd fly her solo without worrying unduly. Granted, my VM being tuned C,F,Bb,Eb means that it has a very specific role and consequently doesn't get anywhere near as much play as the MIMs, but all the same, nothing about it gives me huge cause for concern. The worst I can say is that the tuning machines on mine feel a bit cheap compared... but they seem to turn fine and hold perfect tuning thus far, and wouldn't really cost that much to replace if they did eventually start to give up. As long as you aren't planning on sharpening one end and digging the garden with it between gigs, I'm sure you'd be fine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawrenceH Posted May 22, 2011 Share Posted May 22, 2011 You should be able to get a decent secondhand Jap precision for that kind of price, no bother. Or those Classic 50s Ps look pretty tasty, and the Classic series (at least the jazzes I've played) are a cut above the standard MIMs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 A def +1 for the Classic 50s Precision. Very good quality, amazing sound. Probably the only difference I found from my US precisions was no through body stringing, and a slightly wider neck. Other than that, same playability and sounds, way ahead of the regular MIMs. Snap Gareths black one up for £400, especially as he says he`ll buy it back if you don`t like it. It`s a hell of a lot of bass for that money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spongebob Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 I picked up a VM P a couple of weeks ago, and TBH, it feels very, very similar to a MIM P I owned a couple of years ago. Similar weight, neck, etc. I love the colours of the VM/CV basses. Actually prefer them to the current crop of MIA colours! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Undead Posted May 24, 2011 Author Share Posted May 24, 2011 (edited) I decided to go for the Matt Freeman Squier after a lot of thought It should arrive later today, so I'll let you guys know what it's like! Also, thanks for the offer Gareth! I completely missed that before, sorry! Edited May 24, 2011 by Evil Undead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tauzero Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 [quote name='JayPH' post='1239234' date='May 21 2011, 12:26 PM']How so?[/quote] Because I own considerably better basses than the best Fenders I've played (and I used to own the second-best Fender I've played, I pxed it against the vastly superior Warwick). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tauzero Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 [quote name='Heathy' post='1240028' date='May 22 2011, 09:36 AM']The Holy trinity? I quite like that idea.[/quote] Yes, I'd like an ACG, a RIM, and a Shuker too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 (edited) [quote name='tauzero' post='1243713' date='May 25 2011, 12:07 AM']Because I own considerably better basses than the best Fenders I've played (and I used to own the second-best Fender I've played, I pxed it against the vastly superior Warwick).[/quote] You forgot the "in your opinion" And you must have quite a bit of cash left over too going from a Fender to a Warwick Edited May 24, 2011 by stingrayPete1977 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 [quote name='Evil Undead' post='1242870' date='May 24 2011, 12:59 PM']I decided to go for the Matt Freeman Squier after a lot of thought It should arrive later today, so I'll let you guys know what it's like! Also, thanks for the offer Gareth! I completely missed that before, sorry![/quote] Nice one, hope your introduction to all things Fender is good for you. Be very interesting to read up on this bass, not seen much about it before your thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 Look for second hand bargains man, thats where I picked up my jazz for just a few hundred. Haters gonna hate, personally I can't stand all these botique basses, they sound ok but they look daft to me, all jagged and dark. Fenders, rics, musicmans. Pretty much my bass repitoire if I'm the one buying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevB Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 [quote name='Evil Undead' post='1240751' date='May 22 2011, 08:21 PM']Afford? About £1.50 lol But probably around £400 is what I could stretch to which wouldn't get me far in Fenderland[/quote] I got my 2004 US jazz with S1 switching for less than £400 on eBay, including the hard case. It was about 5 yrs ago but it shows that there are good deals out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longtimefred Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 i wanted a quality built active Fender, so i bought a Sandberg no QC issues there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gareth Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 [quote name='Evil Undead' post='1242870' date='May 24 2011, 12:59 PM']I decided to go for the Matt Freeman Squier after a lot of thought It should arrive later today, so I'll let you guys know what it's like! Also, thanks for the offer Gareth! I completely missed that before, sorry![/quote] No problem - enjoy your new bass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Undead Posted May 25, 2011 Author Share Posted May 25, 2011 Here it is! It's even better than I thought it would be to be honest. Plays like melted chocolate, and sounds really good. Quite full sounding, with more of a variety of tones than I expected. Build quality is awesome, the frets are nice and level with no sharp edges. The colour in person is a darker cream than in the photo, more vintage looking. I really like that. It's a rich colour and really easy on the eye. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tauzero Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 [quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1243719' date='May 25 2011, 12:20 AM']You forgot the "in your opinion" And you must have quite a bit of cash left over too going from a Fender to a Warwick [/quote] No, this was in the days when the prices of the instruments reflected their true quality... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 [quote name='tauzero' post='1244845' date='May 25 2011, 09:45 PM']No, this was in the days when the prices of the instruments reflected their true quality...[/quote] Touché sir Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
risingson Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 [quote name='Evil Undead' post='1244624' date='May 25 2011, 07:08 PM']Here it is! It's even better than I thought it would be to be honest. Plays like melted chocolate, and sounds really good. Quite full sounding, with more of a variety of tones than I expected. Build quality is awesome, the frets are nice and level with no sharp edges. The colour in person is a darker cream than in the photo, more vintage looking. I really like that. It's a rich colour and really easy on the eye. [/quote] Looks great mate! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparky Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 Haha - Great thread - Start, middle, happy ending. Well done Evil. Enjoy... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Undead Posted May 26, 2011 Author Share Posted May 26, 2011 Thank you sir Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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