martthebass

Must be some variation then L, The maple/maple neck on my 1990 (matt lacquer) was a bit chunky (I was playing it back to back with a Jazz at the time), wheras the 2005 Maple/Maple Ray I've currently got is quite slim, fast and easy to play.

[quote name='Lfalex v1.1' post='541541' date='Jul 15 2009, 07:05 PM']Or save up another £300 and buy a Status Streamline. Someone around here's got one with an MM pick-up in it. I'm sure Rob would oblige. Okay, they don't do a "woody" tone, but they do everything else! Maybe see if you can hunt down a s/h one- or a bolt on S2?[/quote] My Ray couldn't do woody if it was nailed to a tree. Amazingly my Streamline seems to be able to do mellow, albeit with a bit of knob twiddling.

Lovely but expensive. Did it myself once but the other way around, put a Status fretless neck on a MIM Jazz. I was lucky and got it cheap (£165 inc. Hipshot h'ware). If I had been looking at full price I might have stalled. I still love graphite necks (obviousy got one on the Streamline), the feel is excellent and on the through neck there's no dead spots to talk about. However if I was just trying to make a 'standard' fretless bass fretted I think I'd probably go down the Warmouth route, you'd save a few hundred quid and not much loss in terms of sound.

[quote name='solo4652' post='539765' date='Jul 13 2009, 09:50 PM']Ah, yes - I have a 2H G&L - My No.1 bass. Simple flick of the pup switch enables you to move effortlessly around P-tone, J-tone and MM-tone. I don't generally bother too much with the other switches - too many options for me too! Thanks for your offer of the 1H 'Ray. Realistically, It's not quite what I'm after - the G&L on the rear pup does that sound for me already. Still looking for that good CIJ/MIJ or Highway 1 P bass as a possible trade, however...[/quote] No problem, good luck with your quest. If I had time to sell the Ray and make you an offer I would but holidays are beckoning.... You suprise me regarding the G&L comment tho, I could never get mine to sound like a Ray when I switched to the bridge pup - it was always much darker and less defined. Maybe it was just my G&L?

[quote name='solo4652' post='539318' date='Jul 13 2009, 01:39 PM']1 or 2 pups?[/quote] Just the one. I had a 2H G&L - too many tone options for my simple brain.

[quote name='solo4652' post='539112' date='Jul 13 2009, 09:22 AM']Thank you to everybody for your helpful thoughts and suggestions. I'll go away and have a think about the best thing to do. I'm leaning towards offering it for trades on here... Steve[/quote] If you'd like to change this into a 2005 candy apple red 3EQ Stingray maple fretboard with frets - let me know. Cheers, Mart

IMVHO, the only way to significantly open up the versatility of a Ray is to go for a HH type. I've got a SR4H and fortunately love the stock sound but it isn't good for everything. My G&L 2500 was far more versitile as is my Double Buck Sandberg - but they couldn't/can't emulate a Ray H if you go single pup.

[quote name='Faithless' post='393199' date='Jan 27 2009, 10:36 PM']Why are those Thumbs so heavy? Sorry, but, hey that's me...[/quote] Don't think they are - mine was only 8.5lbs but balanced like sh1t. Felt more like 11lb.

[quote name='Ray' post='534640' date='Jul 7 2009, 01:28 PM']I had a 3TS fretless US Fender Jazz that's been about a bit. The last owner I know of was Essential Tension I think.[/quote] Yup, I was the intermediate owner on that one. Lovely bass, traded it for a G&L which became a SR5 which turn into a Status.................. I also recall having the Black Lakky Bob Glaub with Villex pup for all of a week sometime last year.

[quote name='Kaiu' post='529646' date='Jul 1 2009, 03:13 PM']Do these sound anything like a Musicman Sterling? I have a sterling at the moment that sounds great, however I love the shape and feel of the Jazz style basses and I was thinking of getting one of these. Thanks, Ed[/quote] Hi Ed, If I remember correctly that particular Sterling (i.e. yours) was nice/hard and growly. The double MM config I've got in my Sandy Basic 5 is a lot smoother and doesn't cut through in the same way, but there is a lot more depth to the sound. Switching to the neck humbucker only and rolling back the treble gives you even more sweetness/thump - more like a precision. They are quite different, also the active 3 band pre isn't as obtrusive as in a MM plus you can go fully passive (though I don't think this is a plus in this particular bass because the active is sweet and not too in your face). Get to Electro and try one out - if Dave's still got some in.

+3 I guess. They are so different that you can't really compare em. They do different jobs. If you want an out and out spitting rock/slap beast that cuts through anything then it's a Ray. If you want something smoother, more versatile and laid back then it's a DJ or JO or Fender Jazz (pretty much interchangeable - Ducks from the Lakky fans).