Musicman Stingrays - Overrated ?

[stewblack]

Thanks Paddy - but please no more bass GAS! I need to sell not buy.

[stewblack]

Damn. Guess what I'm doing right now. I swear if we ever meet Paddy *shakes fist*

 

[No. 8 Wire]

26 minutes ago, stingrayPete1977 said:

The 55-94 is a great bass, and twice the price though? 

I dont think any SR5s have an unrolled board, maybe less than some. 

Is there a difference between rosewood and maple boards? My maple board is heavily rolled, but a friends rosewood ray built a year later has much less pronounced rolling (though still comfortable).

[stingrayPete1977]

I'm not sure, every one I've had has been maple 😃

Edited December 28, 2018 by stingrayPete1977

[Chiliwailer]

1 hour ago, Paddy515 said:

Hunt out a passive USA SUB - no disernable difference in tone from an active version but far more user-freindly as regards controling its "zingyness"

Sir, I’ll take your USA passive SUB (which I once owned and enjoyed) and raise you an Old Smoothie - for cleaning up the zing of the pre 2018 Rays, but adding some serious booty and punch if you need it too   

[stewblack]

58 minutes ago, Chiliwailer said:

Sir, I’ll take your USA passive SUB (which I once owned and enjoyed) and raise you an Old Smoothie - for cleaning up the zing of the pre 2018 Rays, but adding some serious booty and punch if you need it too   

Keep going. The more complex and precise the search the less chance I have of finding one!

[drTStingray]

2 hours ago, No. 8 Wire said:

Is there a difference between rosewood and maple boards? My maple board is heavily rolled, but a friends rosewood ray built a year later has much less pronounced rolling (though still comfortable).

They're all rolled but as they're hand finished there may be variation. My 2018 SR5HHS with ebony board has comfortably rolled edges. 

[Jus Lukin]

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Edited March 2, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[4000]

18 hours ago, stingrayPete1977 said:

Doesn't bother me at all, who says I can't handle it? , I play a USA Jazz most the time anyway. 

Did I trash the Ricky in the Ricky thread? 

You can't comment on terrible bridge saddles (that no one else has heard of) and say they are low quality compared to a Rick when in your own thread you are talking about changing the shoddy bridge, altering the pickup height to fix that issue, glueing the other pickup back in straight and having to fit a pickup surround on a hugely expensive bass without getting picked up on it. 

What thread? What are you on about? 😂

[Chiliwailer]

4 hours ago, stewblack said:

Keep going. The more complex and precise the search the less chance I have of finding one!

Well, purely for your convenience I’ll soon be bumping my Old Smoothie advert in the classifieds. Sadly my subtly isn’t quite as smooth as Old Smoothie   

[stingrayPete1977]

31 minutes ago, 4000 said:

What thread? What are you on about? 😂

Not your thread, the NBD thread by RedVee , He said that EBMM are lacking in quality yet in his thread the Rick has most of the niggles they come with that need putting right. 

[stewblack]

56 minutes ago, Chiliwailer said:

Well, purely for your convenience I’ll soon be bumping my Old Smoothie advert in the classifieds. Sadly my subtly isn’t quite as smooth as Old Smoothie   

Get thee behind me Satan.

[RedVee]

52 minutes ago, stingrayPete1977 said:

Not your thread, the NBD thread by RedVee , He said that EBMM are lacking in quality yet in his thread the Rick has most of the niggles they come with that need putting right. 

I have stated that Rickenbackers have their flaws, but I have also stated that Stingrays have their flaws too.This is not a thread about which Bass has the most flaws 4003's or Stingrays it is about Stingrays being overrated.

Obviously with some fanboys it goes in one ear and comes out of the other.

[Cat Burrito]

Just a gentle reminder to, ahem, keep it country, on this thread. No formal warnings but please make sure you adhere to Basschat rules about being respectful and also BC rules about not commenting on prices of things for sale here. I've hidden a couple of posts but no further action at this stage. 

[RedVee]

I like the look of the Old Smoothie especially the Chocolate Burst, but its tone just does not do it for me as it is very mellow, very bottom end. I thought that when they brought it out it would be the closest to the original 76 Ray but that is just not the case. You would be better with a Classic to get you near to that Vintage Stingray tone.

[stingrayPete1977]

42 minutes ago, RedVee said:

I have stated that Rickenbackers have their flaws, but I have also stated that Stingrays have their flaws too.This is not a thread about which Bass has the most flaws 4003's or Stingrays it is about Stingrays being overrated.

Obviously with some fanboys it goes in one ear and comes out of the other.

Like I said all mine are five string so don't have the weak G, I'm still waiting to hear about the problem with the saddles? 

[RedVee]

1 minute ago, stingrayPete1977 said:

Like I said all mine are five string so don't have the weak G, I'm still waiting to hear about the problem with the saddles? 

They have corrected the weak g string on the 4's, but they still use the same saddles on the Specials where you cannot get a very low action via the saddles. There are plenty of posts about this on the Internet just Google it.I would have thought that you would have known this.

[skankdelvar]

muiscmen aNd rikerbakers an fendr all suk big leage  best bas giutar evr is sqire afinnity percizion i got one it so good my brther Cody keeep steelig an hide IT in his room I get back is all out tune I tell mom but she not lssning jus drink mor beer I say Cody yu wait til Dad gt back from deployment he kik yor butt.

Fuk U, logo Nzis.

Edited December 28, 2018 by skankdelvar

[stingrayPete1977]

35 minutes ago, RedVee said:

They have corrected the weak g string on the 4's, but they still use the same saddles on the Specials where you cannot get a very low action via the saddles. There are plenty of posts about this on the Internet just Google it.I would have thought that you would have known this.

I am way too ham fisted to worry about that, two minutes on a bench grinder would solve it should you really need to.

[RedVee]

3 minutes ago, stingrayPete1977 said:

I am way too ham fisted to worry about that, two minutes on a bench grinder would solve it should you really need to.

It would be easier to add a shimm to the neck than getting tools out to correct something that is so small.

[drTStingray]

49 minutes ago, RedVee said:

I like the look of the Old Smoothie especially the Chocolate Burst, but its tone just does not do it for me as it is very mellow, very bottom end. I thought that when they brought it out it would be the closest to the original 76 Ray but that is just not the case. You would be better with a Classic to get you near to that Vintage Stingray tone.

I have both - the Old Smoothie has a completely different circuit based on the 76 Bass it copies. If you've ever played a 76 Stingray you would recognise the sound difference between an Old Smoothie and a Classic Ray. They will both do very bassy if you want. 

[chris_b]

9 hours ago, stingrayPete1977 said:

The 55-94 is a great bass, and twice the price though? 

I dont think any SR5s have an unrolled board, maybe less than some. 

I agree, it's not an equal comparison.

My MM was maple board made in 1989. I thought he fb had an edge, but maybe my memory is playing tricks.

[stingrayPete1977]

5 minutes ago, RedVee said:

It would be easier to add a shimm to the neck than getting tools out to correct something that is so small.

Mine all have room to spare anyway so nothing I will need to worry myself with, Old Horse Murphy had the action down to a gnats knacker on my Classic 5 before I owned it too but I have since raised it up.

[stingrayPete1977]

I have room full of basses here but my 2010 Ray 5 is my all rounder, it has a slightly high fret (6th I think?) if you set the action super low but nothing a pro setup and fret dress stone wouldn't solve in less than two minutes other than that it is perfect right down to the sparkle blue finish, it isn't very heavy either. It feels like a bass you could take on a world tour and need nothing other than strings and a few 9v batteries which is probably why there are still a fair few pro players using them even though more exotic stuff exists.

[drTStingray]

23 minutes ago, RedVee said:

It would be easier to add a shimm to the neck than getting tools out to correct something that is so small.

I do have a problem with your assertion that there is a problem on this. I have no problem with either of my Specials getting the action I want - and it's pretty low. 

Now if you want ultra low you may need to either shim or change the saddle screws on the central saddles for the shorter version (apparently EBMM has supplied these to one or two people who have asked). The point is, apparently, that it's not possible to have saddle screws protruding through the tops of the saddles for user safety reasons, which seems perfectly reasonable. 

As I said my basses have acceptably low action without shimming or changing the saddle screws. 

The weak G string phenomena has never been replicated to my knowledge in any recording despite vociferous people having been asked to do so. As far as I'm concerned I could certainly replicate it, six feet in front of my speaker cabinet if I wanted to, but that is true of any bass guitar and particularly those renowned for G string dead spots in certain areas. 

For me, Stingrays do not have this issue unless I misuse the bass and amp EQ and of the ten I currently own I don't have any issue at all with this - but there again maybe my playing style, string choices, amp and EQ settings play a part. Perhaps my hearing is less bass heavy - who knows - there are so many variables. 

Edited December 28, 2018 by drTStingray