drTStingray

Hi Zak that's an absolute beauty - I can't see you not buying it - I certainly would!! I've still got your ex Bongo btw 👍 The Jazz and Aria look good as well - a lot of people played Aria's in the 80s along with Ibanez Musicians (now there's a thing - you might find one if the rarer ones in Asia - eg in white). Those Arias sound great.

Yes, I was aware Tears of a Clown was Babbitt. However my point was in the build up of the breakdown in I Want You Back, virtually the same pattern of playing argeggios happens. I hadn't noticed the similarity before - probably because I've never heard the isolated bass track of I Want You Back before. There are many recordings of bass with picks - it's how that initial 'click' or 'ponk' is mixed which makes the difference. Those 60s pop tunes I mentioned above have very trebly clicks, which are mixed that way. A slightly different example but Tim Commerford is quoted for the first Rage album as having grown his finger nails to get a similar attack - that album also has one of the iconic Stingray sounds. Unless you hear these sounds isolated some of the nuance is lost but I'm with @wateroftyne on this - it really sounds like a pick (even though he may not have played with a pick live). My understanding was Jamerson also did session work with Motown and others in LA?

Bellies aside 😁 to me, it's definitely played with a softish pick with the sound not enhanced in the mix. There's no way you'd get that click at the start of each note without either having long finger nails or a pick. When I say 'not enhanced' I mean like the bass sound on Je t'aime Moi etc etc or Everlasting Love where the pick sound on the bass is actually a feature of the song. As for the playing, if I didn't know it was Wilton Felder I'd have said Jamerson or Babbitt!! It sounds so much like them. And is it just me or do I hear part of the Bob Babbitt bass line to Tears of a Clown in the breakdown?

I think poplar and basswood will be more likely, if made well they make fantastic basses (eg MM Stingrays (including the excellent US Sub) and Bongos). Presumably alder for sunburst. I suspect you just won't be able to get a natural wood finish Fender unless you go Custom Shop, and likely Masterbuilt when you put an ash option in. Other manufacturers have been doing this for a while - I can only think Fender's customary lateness to the issue may be based on the fact natural ash or even ash at all is less common than say, alder on their instruments, especially as the late 60s look with flatwound strings is probably more popular right now than the mid/late 70s (such as Marcus Miller's Jazz). Different for Musicman as natural ash is one of the iconic original finishes and has been popular ever since.

Lovely - got to love the Cruz Teal colour. Mine started with white - now has a black pg 👍

Presumably this will mean the end of the natural finish 70s American Original basses. These were as iconic in the 70s as the sunburst ones were in the 60s. As Chilliwater mentioned, Musicman announced something similar some while ago and now only offers the Joe Dart bass in natural. Presumably Fender means you can only specify an ash body as a non-production line bass - ie a Custom Shop one.

Yes, mine's the same - though as I bought an SR5 Special as well that's a tighter fit (came in the same type of case exactly) - I collected both in their original shipping boxes. My Old Smoothie is in the same type of Musicman case as well. I hadn't appreciated that the size of the Stingray case has altered - it was only when I had some stacked up together that I realised the more recent cases are slightly larger - they are also deeper, but to the same basic design. It seems to be from when they started using the red label with white logo on the case - presumably the shipping boxes must also be slightly bigger. This appears to have been introduced somewhere between 2014 and 2016.

The Special version of the Stingray (post 2018) has lightweight hardware (aluminium) which sheds quite a lot of weight - until recently the bodies were lightweight swamp ash - now poplar or basswood owing to the ash shortage. Previously these basses all had, since around 2000, ash bodies -weights varied but I've heard of Sterlings under 8lb - Stingray 4s are generally 9 - 9.75 lbs but there are light ones around. I like the tone of the 9.5 lb or thereabouts ones. Prior to that some had ash, some poplar (solid colours or blueburst) and some alder (trans red). Tone is similar but varies marginally - even with pre EB some colours had alder (some sunburst) - the Old Smoothie bass is alder.

I've posted this before (even in this thread) but you should measure from the 12th fret ps it's in inches because that's how Americans measure things (imperial) and they're American basses 😏 @AndyTravis I think you stand little chance of that - however you could buy an Aguilar pick up and EQ or one of the others (Nordstrand pu plus John East preamp for instance) - they're meant to do a good job. However, I think you need the two pick up version to get that 'little extra' - actually a lot extra - if you tweak the EQ you get lots of cool sounds 👍 The 2 pu with both pick ups on humbucker coils makes the most wonderful sound - nice scooped slap sound as well but there are others - plus of course the standard Stingray sound as well - though they're 3 band, turning the mid down a lot and boosting bass and treble a touch gets you in 2 band proximity (I have a Sabre with 2 band EQ so can vouch for that being correct).

Thanks! Just been playing it acoustically - I really must change the strings!!!

Thanks - it sounds great (and the 18 v EQ is very powerful).

No problem - from 96 to 2018 the non Classic series have a shortened version of that bridge omitting the mutes but still the same substantial steel casting and holding bolts. The cheaper copies (incl SBMM Sub)have a version of the large area bridge but in thinner material and held down at the sides by a couple of screws rather than the bolts. That version can be bought very cheaply on EBay - as you probably know EBMM only do the more major parts for a Stingray on an exchange basis. I shall be interested to see/hear the result 👍

Yeah - Ive had it just over 18 months - now needs new strings - weighs around 8 lbs. Got a bit of banter from some band mates when I first got it asking if I was starting a glam rock band!!

You're right thebpick up position is an important element. Strings through is only on pre EB to around 1980 and on the more recent Classic range. In all cases (except the Special - introduced 2018) the bridge is a thick piece of steel with two holding down bolts going deep into the body - the Specials have the same shaped bridge but in aluminium to reduce weight and omit the deep holding down bolts. They all have significant area attached to the body

Congratulations. Yep I have one - it's extremely versatile with five coil combination settings as well as the powerful 18 volt powered 3 band EQ. That colour you will find even more stunning in person, and it should be light as well. I use mine almost always when I want to use a five string. The roasted maple neck with oil and wax finish produces one of the most playable and superb feeling necks you'll come across.

No problem @Maude you're welcome. I would try and get a cheap high mass bridge - one of those cheap copy Ray bridges they sell on EBay would do (similar to the SBMM Sub) - Juliaplaysgroove on You Tube uses an SBMM Sub Ray and it sounds pretty much like a Stingray to me. I think you may need something better than the BBOT type to get the string snap. Sounds an interesting project! Btw I have to pinch myself every so often as my brain is now rewired to metric, but as you may well know, everything's measured in imperial on a Ray (and Fender) - hence showing inches - American!! 😏

This is true but fiesta red is notorious for looking different dependent on the lighting conditions. Same bass - different ambient lighting - it looks even lighter pink in some lights, almost light orange in others. You can see why people called it flamenco pink or salmon pink - also compounded by the fact the original Cliff Richard Strat import for Hank Marvin was not even called fiesta red at that time (Fullerton red officially, but just red as far as CR/HBM were concerned). You can see where and how the confusion developed.

And if you want a glam rock bass, there are plenty of colours to choose from.

Here you go @Maude - however as stated previously, the sum of the construction of a Stingray, including the bridge, create the sound - for example the potential snappiness of the strings and other characteristics are audible acoustically. Pick up position is the same throughout, 1976 to date.

I think the main reason there are fewer Sterlings is many people want the Stingray as it has the much longer history and is thus more iconic - rather like the Fender Jaguar compared with Precision or Jazz. @ead that SB14 looks great with the matt black pickguard - very early 90s (the first Sterlings had matt pick guards in 93/94 ish).

A passive Stingray is quite feasible - some of the US Subs were passive, the short scale Stingray is passive with parallel, single coil and series switch, and both have treble/bass controls as well. The Joe Dart bass (based more on the US MM Sterling bass) is also passive but just with a volume knob. All have the pick up in the Stingray sweet spot.

Nah - pure form, function, elegance and graceful, natural shape - apart from the tort, which I accept is an abomination. No silly pointy bits top and bottom. The problem with the Precision is the design classic is the Strat - the Precision 57 is basically a re-design to more match the Strat shape. The pickguard is an abomination to cover up unnecessarily removed routs and to mount the controls on like the Strat - so it's a cobble together basically - an engineer's solution with little styling - it's only because we're used to it that many don't appreciate it's bonkers, stylistically and functionally. It doesn't even extend to areas between the pick up and bridge you might pluck the strings (especially with the pick up and bridge cover on), yet it covers the extremities of the lower horn which only contortionist pickers might trouble. The Rickenbacker at least reflects its Art Deco shape and styling. The Precision pg is an engineer's solution to cover up unnecessary and expensive routing.

I was wondering whether this could be considered possibly the most appalling piece of unintegrated design - an afterthought with questionable functionality, and a bit of a marmite (or red wine puke) colour 😩 😬

Is that barelo purple flip colour? Even rarer as Fretless.

I find it's ok if you move your other leg over a little. I love mine - has the piezo as well which has another tonal flavour. They do a fuschia sparkle colour on these currently which is so outrageous it complements the shape really well - this is mine - lava pearl 😀