drTStingray

When you try it, something to consider, the area of the string you pluck and how hard you pluck it make a vast difference to the sound - arguably more so than you would expect - near the neck joint and with palm mute you get a fabulous thumpy sound - between pick up and bridge, and a bit of force, and left hand muting a great Jaco finger style sound - and anything in between. Full on Tim Commerford 1st Rage album sound can be had by bumping up the treble - Louis Johnson slap sound - Bernard Edwards fat finger style - all available if you can play it - far more versatile than one pick up has any business being!! The price is great given the hike in new prices - I certainly wouldn't sell one for that price. As McNach says you may like it - you may not. What they do have is bullet proof construction and when properly set up, a playability to match and possibly surpass anything else available. Good luck and hope it sounds and feels good. A 1998 may well have figuring in the neck also. Here's another link which further demonstrates versatility http://youtu.be/rJN72FvjST0

I suspect there are lots of people playing Warwick basses - just not that many who come on forums and talk about them a lot. In fact I've bumped into quite a few enthusiastic Warwick players. They are a great instrument using quality components and construction and they have their own signature tone. If you can get them for that price used then that's absolutely ludicrous when you consider some if the other stuff you could get for that price, some of which would be distinctly ubiquitous and decidedly average in comparison. Their upper range standard basses are easily in a par with Fender Custom Shop, as are Musicman, US Lakland and G and L - all of which quite wrongly get compared with the more run of the mill US basses. I would not be deterred from buying a new Warwick if that's what I wanted - I'm pretty sure I'd be satisfied by what I received. There is a certain view on this forum that 'getting a used bargain' is somehow better than buying a brand new instrument - as someone who has done both, I have to say ordering and buying a brand new instrument is a great experience and gives a lot of pleasure which, for me, is usually beyond buying a used bargain. I have only once bought a used Musicman which has given me anywhere near the pleasure of those I've bought new - for those that have experienced it, it has some parallels with buying and bonding with a new car. I have no worry about the depreciation on basses - and with Brexit and other political lunatics about, such is the economic situation that there ain't too much depreciation anyway!! For those who live for the used bargain, if that's what floats your boat then that's great. A new Warwick would be quite a pleasure! I would find someone with some in stock and make a trip to try out - then maybe order what you want.

Simple reply - a twin pick up Stingray. You get Jazz-like coil selection at the click of a switch. The HS version does the Jazz best and the Lakland HS sound. And of course, a full fat Stingray H sound. Go one further and the Musicman Reflex gives HSS capability with series/parallel and active passive. Although some people may say otherwise I found the Lakland doesn't do a Stingray tone like a Stingray - I spent about six months in 2003 deciding what 5 string to buy - one thing I wanted was a Stingray tone. I tried Lakland, Warwick, Fender, Yamaha and others and eventually bought a Stingray 5 H - it's combination of parallel humbucker (classic Stingray tone), series humbucker (more Fenderish) and single coil bridge coil gives enough to satisfy my liking for Jaco tones, classic Stingray and more aggressive series tone were good enough for me. I don't have a multi pick up Musicman 5 but I do have a 4HH and a Sabre. Either provide me with a good impression of a Marcus sound for certain songs I play. I'm sure other people have differing views but this is my two penworth!! All of the basses I tried had their own advantages - generally different. The Warwick Streamer Jazzman does a good Jazz and Humbucker sound - as does the Ibanez Musician. I agree the Lakland does a very nice version as well. I suspect the Dimension bass does as well though I've never tried one - do you get coil selection with those or do Fender still rely on two volumes and a tone?

Sad news indeed. The noticeable thing is nearly all of these guys whose fame started in the 60s and 70s are now in their 70s - except Bruce Forsyth, whose in his 80s. It is a sobering thought that time marches on - even Ric Astley and Mark King look (relatively) old to me.

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1479166659' post='3174536'] killers first album, within 20 seconds of the first song you can tell they are a jazz bass using band .... if you want to play Motown use a p, if you want to play 70s funk use a jazz ... just use what sounds right to your ears for the music you're playing. [/quote] Your last phrase is about right - to be honest as many played 70s funk on P basses as J basses and on Stingrays or Alembics in the late 70s - cases in point - I saw both the Brothers Johnson and Rose Royce live in around 1979 and both bass players used Alembic (series 1 I think) - yes Louis Johnson! Pops Popwell played a Jazz with The Crusaders - same era - and sounded fabulous in a different way - they all shared a common factor - stunningly brilliant playing. Nate Watts recorded I Wish on a J bass and Sir Duke on a P bass - however both were recorded through studio Alembic pre amps, so not really passive instruments at all. And he recorded Do I Do on a Stingray. As you said use what suits you and sounds best in your hands - we obsess too much over equipment - different people sound great in the studio on different basses, there is not a one make or instrument fits all. I think there's definitely a current fashion for Precisions to be used in pop music - however coincidentally there are lots of moans from bass players that modern music sometimes has inaudible bass - not sure if there's a coincidence there........ some people say any recording engineer worth their role can get a decent bass sound with any professional level instrument played competently - I would have thought anyone who has to get a decent sound from a drum kit should find recording a bass a relatively simple task - and a simple task to get it to sit in the mix in the way the producer or artists require - regardless of make, provided the player is competent.

[quote name='4 Strings' timestamp='1479122585' post='3174043'] How I love Stingrays. Did the development of the bass guitar stop when they put a 3EQ on one? [/quote] Nope - they made the Bongo with 4EQ - seismic bass EQ as well!!

[quote name='thegummy' timestamp='1478915643' post='3172743'] Out of interest, do you play J/P style basses made by other companies or do you play different designs completely? [/quote] Single or dual pick up Musicman

[quote name='thegummy' timestamp='1478912782' post='3172734'] I think there might be some truth in this idea. Sometimes people want that very specific bass sound as an accompaniment to their own playing rather than wanting to collaborate with a bass player who will choose what sounds to make [/quote] The skill of the bass player is to play a sound and (heaven forbid) with notes and a feel which provides what the band or individual wants. However if someone has a preconceived idea that only a certain type of bass will make a generic bass sound, then they are clearly totally wrong - im afraid I certainly wouldn't be putting my hand in my pocket to service their preconceptions. I haven't found the need to play a Fender bass in nearly 40 years (studio or live) and have never had a problem making a sound that people liked. So I'm afraid I'm unlikely to start doing it now.

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1478899576' post='3172646'] In your opinion. Like I said, it's personal taste. What makes little sense musically to you, makes a lot to others, thankfully. Otherwise it'd be a pretty boring old world 😊. [/quote] I agree with you - however there seems to be an all or nothing focus in this thread - either the solo artist type things with loops or the P bass with flats emulating a double bass somewhere in the background of an orchestral mix. As I said even Andrew Lloyd Webber recognised the bass guitar doubling the melody as an occasional effect - I'm not sure rejecting that principal is just a matter of taste and not a narrow mindedness. I'd accept that not liking Michael Manring or Motown or Cliff Richard or anything else could be down to taste.

I guess it's personal preference - I much prefer NOT to play either a Jazz or Precision but that is just me and the way I play and sound - they both sound too thin to me and can often disappear in the mix - the Jazz more so if used with scooped tone. However I've heard many people sound great on Precisions and also Jazzes - I also heard lots of people sound mediocre on them - I'm firmly of the belief that it's the player, not the bass that determines this. If I was playing in a professional situation and got asked asked to play a certain type of instrument I probably would (if they provided it) and quietly chuckle inwardly because it'll just sound like me whatever!! And the basses I use suit my playing and fit perfectly, so playing something else might compromise my playing anyway - but I'm being paid so more fool them I guess, but how silly!! If someone asked me to buy and play a certain instrument in the semi pro environment I play music in I would politely decline and pursue music collaboration with someone who was after me as a musician rather than a preconceived notion of what instrument you use. I can't think of any situation where I would, for instance, suggest to a sax player they change to a different make of instrument (I can think of one or two who might wrap their sax around your head if you did), or that your acoustic singer songwriter use a specific model of Martin acoustic rather than the Gibson they have. I firmly believe that all musicians (even the bass player) should be treated with respect and not be told what they should and shouldn't play - people who do this, to my mind, are disrespectful and actually miss the point completely. Now if they were James Brown, for instance, it would be a different matter - but I suspect even he would be more interested in the musicianship.

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1478818585' post='3171970'] I thought the thread was solo and melodic bass ? [/quote] Yes me too! It's interesting that even Andrew Lloyd Webber uses bass guitar to double the melody at times - check out Jesus Christ Superstar. I also played on Don't Cry for me Argentina (Shadows tribute version) and the melody is doubled on the bass at the end for effect - and it certainly does add to it. I can understand the 'would be a great band if they had a bass player' point of view- indeed guitarist friends have said that to me after both Stanley Clark and Level 42 concerts back in the 70s/80s - I have also bought albums with that sort of thing and sometimes felt similarly. However I saw Level 42 at the Hammersmith Apollo a couple of weeks back and as well as packing the place out, that guy can really groove on the bass, with a sound that smacked you in the chest at the back of the stalls - oh yes a couple of flash bass solos, and why not when you have that skill - the crowd went berserk during them as well - but songs like World Machine and The Chinese Way; the outro on Livin It Up - serious groove. I do wonder whether some people's apparent objection to people playing anything other than root and fifth or root 8th notes on bass is more to do with a narrowness of musical appreciation than a serious objection - Jameson played tons of notes but still managed to groove!!

I'm pretty meticulous with my basses and try to avoid getting them dinged. I provide bass in a jam session and took my brand new Stingray 40th Anniversary as an extra bass to try out in a high volume situation. I was most careful with it - wore a jumper to avoid any button scratches - put it on the back side of my two guitar Hercules stand away from the drummer and other players - guess what - when I put it away it had two dings on the back - why - a twat guitarist friend of mine had yanked the mains leads from his two pedal boards from behind the amps and guess what the plugs hit?? Oh well my own fault as I should have put it in its case but what a wonderful feeling to have some thoughtless idiot ding your £2k bass on its first outing. I have an even bigger downer on guitards than ever before 😕 A positive note - the bass sounded spectacularly good and drew a lot of attention. I've virtually polished the main ding out and the other has completely gone but the main one is through the clear coat. The guy who did it was probably pissed and didn't even notice.

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1478533071' post='3169658'] C'mon...what on EARTH is going on. https://www.gak.co.uk/en/music-man-stingray-classic-4-classic-natural/40030?gclid=CISQzp_8ltACFUS4Gwodkk8PrQ I've been looking at a Musicman guitar, and it's risen by £300 in a few weeks. It's now out of my range, It isn't a dig at the manufacturer...it seems to be everywhere. I know a big reason is the £, but this surely will just kill sales. [/quote] My Old Smoothie was over £2K just a week ago - but ordered months ago - I was really pleased to get it without an increase from the same shop. I could have ordered it elsewhere for a little bit cheaper but I suspect I wouldn't have it now if I had (there are only 4 in the country right now). In these days when people with the rhetoric of Alf Garnett are popular politicians or prospective presidents (whereas say in the 70s such people were considered a rather dangerous joke with only limited popular support) a 15% price hike in everything with little or no wage increase is probably just the tip of the iceberg. Just don't be surprised by anything!! The exchange rate situation is all about people having confidence to invest - You clearly have confidence to invest in a new Musicman - and why not, they're cracking instruments which you can't go wrong with. Note that for the US price you would need to add 20% for VAT plus import duty on top, plus the cost of bulk shipping, running a distribution operation and if it's not an Internet site, a bit more to pay for the shop operation.it adds up. When I collected my Musicman they had a rather lovely sunburst Musicman PJ (Cutlass) on the wall along with several Stingrays, and a really nice Custom Shop relic Precision in trans blond - in fact it looks a place to spend an afternoon noodling!!! You may be able to pick up a Classic in natural used - but as has been said, used prices are up also, and notably Classic Stingrays in desirable colours.

I play in a couple of bands doing this sort of thing. A good thing about the genre is the use of prominent bass in the mix - it's also great fun to play and to listen to - a couple of examples - http://youtu.be/7kwr9f-e5z4 http://youtu.be/aABGgiukKTk

[quote name='hiram.k.hackenbacker' timestamp='1478092261' post='3166663'] Right, I getting on the blower to find out where mine is! [/quote] Too right!! Any answers? Thanks for the comments guys I'll try and get some decent pictures at the week end. The burst colour seems to change with light - revealing a deep chocolate colour on the edges in bright light. The controls are as per pre EB also - flat topped and with different feel of operation from my Classic Ray.

[quote name='LayDownThaFunk' timestamp='1478028017' post='3166201'] In the video below, he is using a white Jazz with hi mass bridge. Red colour string silks so either TIs or low gauge La Bellas. Using an Aguilar rig too. https://youtu.be/fI2jABvHe9o [/quote] Don't Rotosound Swing Bass 66 rounds have red silks? (I.e. The worn type he's quoted as using). From what I've seen he's a master of string muting so this would be a good part of his sound (rather than string type/flats - he's quoted as using Thomastiks on a Stingray also).

[quote name='sirmuppet' timestamp='1478043198' post='3166387'] Hi all. Just got myself a 2009 Ernie Ball Musicman 4 string Stingray. It has the 2 band EQ. I'd only ever played the 3 band EQ previously and was surprised to find the the 2 band EQ is a treble and bass boost and doesn't have the cut function. Any way my question is this, The basses preamp doesn't function like I believe it should (Boosting the treble and bass). The treble control does nothing until it's on about full, the bass one seems to go full on just after you start to turn it. I spoke to the seller who said it was original and that the bass one is actually an active passive mode even though it's a knob without any indent and the other knob is just a boost. Have EBMM ever come with this stock? I can't find anything to say this is so but it's what I'm being told by the seller. Thanks for any help. [/quote] The 2 band Musicman EQ doesn't have centre detents and is cut and boost - however the neutral position is not at the centre of the rotation of the controls. Dependent on the amp you're using, the bass boost may sound more powerful than the treble - however you should hear a more progressive change rather than an all of nothing. It may be worth checking/changing the battery if you've recently bought the bass. The only version of the 2 band pre amp with active/passive function appeared on the gilded white PDN Stingray and also on some Guitar Centre basses (standard 2 band Stingrays) produced around the same time. One of the controls on those basses has a push/pull function to change from active to passive, becoming a passive tone control.

Well I've collected it and I have to say, I have some great Musicman basses but this one is the best so far. The finish is stunning and I'm finding the playability of the neck is top rate - it is so quick.... extremely balanced and smooth sound across the whole fretboard. I haven't been able to A/B it with my Classic Ray because the string difference (slinky rounds v Thomastik flats) does not allow comparison. However the EQ does exactly what you'd expect a 2 band Musicman to do. I will use it for some gigs later in the month and report back - I might even post some pics if I can work out how!!! Oh and did I say, there are some great pre EB details on this bass in addition to the standard Classic Stingray features - original decal, lacking fret markers on the 21st fret, epoxied pre amp, string tree on D and G string. The neck finish is a thin varnish and extremely slick - the whole bass is so reminiscent of my pre EB but with 21st century construction and quality. I got a DOB from EBMM and it appears to have taken just 17 days from factory to GAK. The wait from order to manufacture was somewhat longer....

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1477129309' post='3159991'] I have a Blue Pearl SR5, it's a flat blue hanging on the wall right now, put it in the sun at a summer festival and it's a glitter ball! [/quote] Nice - I've got a blue dawn SR4HH which is very sparkly in bright light as well. It has fine metal flake in the paint. And therein apparently lay a problem for EBMM - the metal flake gums up the spray system so running a number of sparkle colours as options when most people bought black, natural or sunburst created a problem - I guess that's why they're now done as short run limited editions to avoid tying up the production process on low volume, higher production impact and thus lower margin standard options. The new starry night sparkles should start to appear soon - I read somewhere that some distributors have bought a limited number for stock (maybe Thomann, not sure about S and T for the UK) - there's at least two members here who've customer ordered them. Worth looking out for if you want a heavily flaked colour.

If you mean the red and green PDN sparkles at the end of 2013, they were on an order window of one month. The only one I've ever seen in this country was played by the bassist on The Voice - an SR5H in cardinal red. The other colour was emerald green. They most certainly made them and there are some Big Als, Bongos, Sabre Classic and Stingray Classics - and those are just ones which members of the Musicman bass forum mentioned at the time. There were lots of sparkle colours made around 2000, 2001 - some are extremely rare such as fuchsia sparkle (a sort of pink). If you want to see what there was then look at the colours thread on the Musicman forum. They occasionally crop up on Talkbass but to be honest, unless they were customer ordered from the UK they were unlikely to figure as a dealer stock order so I guess they'll be rare here, even more so in dual pick up 5 string variants. Bass Central had quite a few of the emerald green and cardinal red ones in various models at one time and Station Music in Germany is worth a check as they sometimes have rare Musicman basses. There was also a blue sparkle SBMM Ray 34 model a couple of years ago (I recall Andertons had one) which looked very cool. As well as the heavy flaked sparkles there was a range of more subtle ones, often burst colours such as blue dawn and Autumn Red burst - again quite rare but they do crop up.

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1476879796' post='3158009'] [/quote] Are you absolutely sure there's no solid state assistance there 🙂

[quote name='mikel' timestamp='1476868940' post='3157864'] What I discern, even from the more technically minded on here, is that there is no answer as to why bassists now need 1000 watts when back in the day, when gigs and indeed rehearsals were loud enough to make me temporarily deaf, 100 was fine.. So as one wag just said, watts are obviously not what they used to be. [/quote] As has been pointed out, bassists suffered in the 70s as not having enough power to produce a decent bass sound. I have the opposite problem now - I keep a decent bass sound at high power - sometimes enough to drown guitarists who are very loud on stage but drowned by the bass further back. The speaker coil power compression is interesting - I was not aware of that and have noticed when using one rather than two 2 X 10s. I had put it down to everyone else turning up but maybe not.

[quote name='TrevorR' timestamp='1476853751' post='3157749'] Past two of the woods blog on the Wal History site... this time the body woods... Enjoy! http://walbasshistory.blogspot.co.uk/2016/10/wal-woods-part-2-bodies.html [/quote] That's really good - thanks for posting - and it simply inflames my GAS for a shedua faced Mk 1 or 2!!

[quote name='Roland Rock' timestamp='1476857516' post='3157761'] Why would a P need a blend? I thought the stacked knobs on the P Retro did the following: 1: Top - volume (pull for active mode) Bottom - passive tone 2: Top - mid boost one way,bass&treble boost the other way Bottom - variable frequency [/quote] I would have counted a stack knob as the equivalent of two controls (i.e. two knobs ....... oo er missus).

[quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1476816624' post='3157573'] That post could be the very definition of false equivalence. [/quote] FWIW not really - the development of active basses (from early 70s) was a direct result of striving for better sound reproduction and mirrored other contemporary developments in the same field (SS amps, hi fi systems, better recording techniques. Bear in mind it was quite a quick gestation to get to the Wal type of bass with filter preamp (also Alembic) and for the mass market, the Stingray.