drTStingray

I risked it - and it's usually ok. However there's currently a thread with several indignant posts - concerning Limelight guitars .......

Crikey - have the men in White coats released you guys yet? Come to think if it today's and my last couple of gigs involved no Stingray .............. but they did involve a SABRE - so I must still be ok!!!

[quote name='DunRockin' timestamp='1415911146' post='2605242'] So - they be dark ('royal') blue silk at both ends with ball ends plain/uncoloured. I'm not at all familiar with flats, but the flat windings are very, very close and strings feel completely sheer. And the tension is clearly no more than rounds. If anything slightly flappier. [/quote] The strings on my fretless Stingray match this description exactly - they are Ernie Ball group 3 flatwounds. Can't upload pics from phone unfortunately. Re another reply in this thread - I've also had green wrapped strings - they were Rotosound Solo bass (half wound - mid way between flats and rounds).

To the subject of the venerable old Precision bass - in some cases less venerable. The real cheap ones such as JHS, Squier or Encore can certainly get a nice P bass sound at lower volumes and recorded. However these are entry level basses although Squier make the slightly better CV and VM. My view is the Mexican P bass sounds rather good of the genre and reasonably priced. I once tried loads of new and used ones back to back and the best of the bunch (nice and woody sounding) was a new 50th Anniversary one. It was certainly better than a couple of old 70s ones to my ears. I guess a good used American Standard or if you want to spend more money, Custom Shop would be good also - but entirely depends how much money you want to spend. If it was me I'd go Mexican or used American standard.

[quote name='dannybuoy' timestamp='1415102409' post='2596620'] They are 30p but if you are in a hurry and don't have the correct change you can go for free by just pulling the turnstile towards you just enough to pass through (and I'm not small)! [/quote] That could be a little dangerous in my case - invariably offloading 30p for a P at a major terminal is absolute desperation so the thought of squeezing through in such circumstances is unthinkable .........

[quote name='cameltoe' timestamp='1415023121' post='2595717'] +1 for CV [/quote] Oh yes agreed - Carol is still gorgeous in spite of minor flirtation with the Conservative Party....... Rachel Riley's not bad as well ............. note to self - must get out a little more, especially in the afternoons!

Another benchmark - and very difficult to do IMHO - strange accents http://youtu.be/JbNx7HDZDY8

[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1415405836' post='2600143'] I often think that someone slapping down the pub thinking he's Larry Graham is similar to the bloke who plays football on Sunday mornings and thinks he's Ronaldo. Two are legends in their own lifetime while the other two are legends in their own bath-time. [/quote] That's a very funny analogy - to make it a little more inclusive surely someone playing Come Together thinking they're Paul McCartney or All Roght Now thinking they're Andy Fraser fall into the same category - or indeed anything a bit flash on any instrument in a cover band! I often think that slap bass gets a bad press largely from bass players (some of whom haven't learned to do it) - nice to see Guy Pratt play 2 of 3 numbers with Bryan Ferry tonight on Jools playing slap bass - what a rebel he is!!!!

Burgundy mist 64 with EMGs I think. But yes agreed - excellent. Bryan Ferry seems to be one of the few these days who has a band with a 'proper' bass sound rather than something from 50-60 yrs ago!!

Excellent stuff. V interesting. The funny thing about slap bass used sparingly is audiences love it! V powerful technique - not to be played in sunshine of your love but great used sparingly in R and B and other genres.

[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1415200517' post='2597799'] Sounds like the bass solo could well be Demonterious Lawrence (aka Detoxxx). He has played bass for Kendrick Lamar on previous recordings as had Stephen 'Thundercat' Bruner. Both are top bass players in Hip Hop. Not bad bad for an old fella eh? Why don't 'the kids' on here know this stuff? [/quote] Hip hop drums and bass often have great groove. As for youngsters - haven't got a clue - my children have always opened my mind to new music - unfortunately so great is the groundswell of general pop muso centricity towards 60s and late 60s/early 70s rock music that seeing under 30 year olds basing their entire musical style around it is very common. Free rarely gets past All Right Now - Deep Purple, Black Knight etc. Extremely sad. That music is great but is 40 - 50 yrs old.

Loved it except for the guys voice - bass solo was excellent - I would have been shocked if I'd heard that on radio 1 as well!! Cool change when the sequence changes on the breakdown. Sounds a bit Jaco-esque - possibly a fretless - if it's a keyboard it doesn't sound like one!! Too many bass guitarisms in there - I've heard that bass sound before - Gerald Veasley/Jimmy Haslip? Who's that guy you're on about - Paul Rogers? Oo I remember now - he fronted a band I went to see in 1971 - fabulous 3 piece with an upfront bass sound - so impressed was I that I went to see them another 4 times!!

I blame that fella whose name rhymes with a UK music genre of the 90s - has the acronym to U Know I'm Pissed - spookily had to be filmed with an ice cream rather than a pint recently not far from here as he would have breached the no drinking alcohol in the street by law - anyway it's a shame she got sent back and missed the wondrous Level 42 - I've seen them 3 times and can vouch for their brilliance by totally unscientifically based opinion 😀

[quote name='Bolo' timestamp='1413729009' post='2581278'] IF bodywood matters in this way, the finish and treatment of parts matter too. Your example can in no way be connected to solely the wood genus. You may believe what you want ofcourse, but feedback from punters at a live band situation on a limited run specimen is unscientific. Cool to get positive comments on a collector's item like that though [/quote] Cheers Bolo. I wasn't suggesting anything I was saying bore any relation to a scientific approach - it's purely an anecdotal view of someone who has a few MM instruments and gigs them all regularly (including the rare Sabre)! But this really is the point - I don't buy the scientific arguments - I don't know if any of the rest of you have been around long enough to remember the early 70s tele ads claiming 9 out of 10 people couldn't taste the difference between xyz margarine and butter in a blind taste test!!! That was allegedly a scientific result (although they probably didn't tell you the sample had all been treated to a vesta curry (remember them bwahahaha) not long before - or perhaps they all had colds. I haven't concluded or articulated what I think the difference between my sabre and an ash one is but the wood looks denser - it's also one piece - suffice it to say it is quite different sounding to my ears - all I'll say for now is it sounds less compressed and has more sustain - aesthetics and playability are top notch - it's s beautiful bass.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1413671309' post='2580872'] The one fly in the ointment is the mahogany Stingray 30th anniversary model, everyone has agreed that it sounds different to every other Stingray made of the more usual,ash,alder or poplar. More punchy comes up everytime? [/quote] I have a brand new MM Sabre with a mahogany body and roasted maple neck. As it may be the only one in existence there's unlikely to be anyone to back up my view on the sound. I'm told by gig listeners who are bass players it sounds very focussed (more so than the ash bodied variant), nicely bassy sounding, but still sounds recognisably Musicman. It has phenomenal sustain - probably the best of all my Musicman basses. I've also noticed it can be more bassy. And another thing, in a hot, sweaty gig, the neck gives off a fine maple syrup smell. So yes, I believe the wood of both the neck and body makes more than an aesthetic difference. Pete, you could email EBMM for details of your solid coloured MMs. However unless trans red, they're likely to be ash if post late 90s. People always say good things about the 2003-2005 ish USA Sub Rays - these have poplar bodies. I have a 93 blueburst Ray which is either poplar or alder but most likely poplar. It sounds different from the ash bodied ones also. And particularly in the upper register.

[quote name='4 Strings' timestamp='1412152528' post='2566081'] Not played a 'Classic', if I was buying a new 'Ray and had enough money I'd be looking at those first (although if I had that sort of money I'm sure I'd be looking for another Pre-EB!). I don't think they have any magic, they just suit me perfectly. The neck is quite wide (top to bottom) but also fabulously slim (front to back). Not sure I'd notice the board radius but I'm sure that adds to the feel. Do the maple Classic 'Rays have one piece necks (i.e. no separate fingerboard)? [/quote] The radius change reduces the depth front to back of the neck I think. The neck and fingerboard are made from the same piece of wood (for maple fingerboard basses) - the fingerboard is fitted to the neck after the truss rod has been fitted. It's a glued joint and extremely strong making for a rigid structure - it's very difficult to see the join as they match the woods. As you know, the pre EBs use a walnut insert (skunk stripe) as do the EBMMs up to the early 90s, with the truss rod adjuster at the headstock end - More recent MM basses have the wheel truss rod adjuster at the body end, as do all SR5s (from the start of production in 1987) The Classics generally have a varnished finish which is very slick to play (unless you get an LE like my new Sabre - it has an unfinished roasted maple neck which is even slicker than the regular one). You should try one - mine pushes all the classic Stingray buttons for me.

[quote name='4 Strings' timestamp='1412104389' post='2565741'] 'Pre-EB Guys'? As an owner of a Pre-EB Stingray, I can report certain factual things about my bass. The neck is very slim (to my taste), the treble control adds a very high frequency fizz to the sound (fab for slap and general livening the sound if needed) it's not unduly heavy and plays like butter. I've had some EB Stingrays and liked the mid control, but the necks have not been the same and they don't give that very high frequency with the treble control. [/quote] Hi 4strings, I used the 'pre EB guys' moniker to avoid using the nasty 'f' word ....... I think you'll find the EB Classic Rays have the neck feature you describe (theyre 7.5 in radius compared to the regular 11 in radius), and the 2 band should give that shimmering treble sound. I used to own a pre EB (from new)and one in decent condition is a great instrument - indeed I wish I'd bought the inca silver mentioned above, a few years back. Love my Classic Ray though.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1412112720' post='2565886'] I would be tempted by another pre EB ray if it was in mint as new condition and if it was Inca Silver even though I would not really use it enough, it is [u]the [/u]best colour IMO. [/quote] But extremely rare - I once found such a beastie - it was immaculate with a white pu cover and hadn't started to go green, as they sometimes do - the one that got away as it were ......... I found out white pu covers were an option until around 1977 - which I guess is why Alan Gorrie has one on a natural bodied Ray on an AWB DVD I have. I had a 'Back in the day' conversation with my son a couple of days back and he was asking me what bass colours were popular in music shops in the late 70s and particularly pre EB Rays (I was a fan back then also). My recollection is that until the mid 80s the only ones I ever saw in shops or otherwise were natural, sunburst (not as common) and black (I saw one - in the hands of the bass player from a band with a number 1 single). I didn't even know they made brown, silver or white ones until about 15 yrs ago!!!

[quote name='hiram.k.hackenbacker' timestamp='1412108808' post='2565805'] This should help anyone with Stingray GAS. No, they're not for sale! [/quote] Cripes Mr Hackenbacker ........ a NAMM 100th!! The others are pretty good as well.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1411988821' post='2564507'] That's one funky bass! Is it weighty? [/quote] It's quite light to be honest - feels lighter than my Classic Ray (which is 9 3/4 lbs). Gig on Saturday so I'll be able to compare sounds and feel better.

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1412018625' post='2564983'] why the hurt? you have yours, I have mine, and we're allowed to disagree [/quote] Just so long as we all understand that Messrs StingrayPete and McNach are right 😉 😃 If I was going to spend £400 to get a soundalike StingRay I think I'd buy an SBMM version - at least I would get the rest of an approximation of the StingRay experience ........ or maybe a used USA built Sub. Crikey if it's good enough for one of the late James Brown's bass players, it's good enough for me!! And of course the pre EB guys can have their view, just like those that tell you a battered 63 P bass is worth £8k, and is that much different from a new AVRI P bass (also nearly £2K) - they will certainly both shed paint by merelyly standing in a decent wind - whereas your Mexican P bass won't, and sounds pretty similar to me - I don't get it with them but I sure do with Stingrays. But that's the bass guitar market for you!! To the OP and others with Stingray GAS, go and try some - if you can get your hands on a Classic Ray to try out then do so. All those little details like the figured maple necks and chrome truss rod wheel just add to the overall feeling of playing a quality instrument.

Yes they should've spoken to you and sorted out what was happening. To not do so is a failing in communication and common courtesy -unfortunately all too common in my experience in groups (and with some musicians - and often the ones with the most challenged musical skills) - it sounds to me like you're unhappy with what they've done so if you went back their actions and the threat of it happening again could always be a problem. Have your time off and then set out on a new project - you could always start a new Police tribute band, particularly as you're playing the lead part - although the guitarist and drummer would also have to be good to carry it off.

[quote name='BassTractor' timestamp='1411767418' post='2562735'] Hadn't I done so? I'm sure I had in that I-never-understood-people-and-their-NBDs thread. The Bongo is said to be due in December. [/quote] Oh yes, so you did!! Did you order the Bongo during the extra ordering window recently?

[quote name='gary mac' timestamp='1411712805' post='2562072'] Enjoy the gig, I'm sure it will sound superb and be a pleasure to play. [/quote] Thanks (and to everyone else's comments) - I've been playing it through my ABM500 at home and it really sounds great. I said it before but the Neptune blue version of the Classic MMs has an oil and wax rather than lacquered finish - this makes for effortless movement up and down the neck.

[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1411744948' post='2562500'] Nah, you'll soon get bored with that. Chuck it my way and I'll give you a couple of quid for it out of generosity [/quote] Kind offer but it won't be going anywhere lol 😑