Precision feel but Stingray sound?

[Crikey!]

hi,

I recently traded my EBMM SUB stingray on here for a Fender Precision. The reason I had to move on from the SUB is the slab body causing problems with a rib injury.

After getting the Precision i found it instantly more comfortable to play. The body is just the right size, its a nice weight, the neck is perfect and it sounds amazing BUT i'm missing the stingray bite.


So what i'm after is suggestions for a compromise. I'm not interesting in modding the Precision and ive only got a little bit of money to play with on top of whatever i can sell the Precision for. I started looking at SUBs and then remembered why i got rid of mine to start with, so thats out.

Any suggestions appreciated, and if anybody has anything for sale that might do the job, feel free to PM me.

Cheers

Ben

[thisnameistaken]

L2000?

The body is more Precision shaped, and it can get more Stingray-like sounds. It doesn't look as cool as either a Precision or a Stingray though unfortunately.

You could also look at the Sandbergs with a J-position MM pickup, see if that does it for you.

[Jigster]

A PJ configuration?

I've just got hold of one like this and I notice the J pick up adds a really nice 'honk' growl blended into the deeper tones of the P pick up

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='1260293' date='Jun 7 2011, 09:16 PM']L2000?

The body is more Precision shaped, and it can get more Stingray-like sounds. It doesn't look as cool as either a Precision or a Stingray though unfortunately.

You could also look at the Sandbergs with a J-position MM pickup, see if that does it for you.[/quote]
The L-2000 doesn't do Stingray... not even close in fact. Even the Sandberg PM or JMs can't nail it as the MM pup is a good bit away from the sweet spot.

This is a bit more like it.



P neck and MM pickup placement accurate to the mm.

[stingrayPete1977]

A normal Ray would do the job by the sounds of things if you liked everything about the SUB other than the slab body. I'm not sure how much more you would need to put on top of your P in a trade?

[BassBod]

Try plugging into an external preamp? The Aguilar DB924 and Sadowsky pedal were both (allegedly) voiced in the style of the early Music Man circuit, and add a bit of low end hump and treble bite....whichever you prefer.

[Crikey!]

i had an L2000 which i sold to buy the SUB.

I think a normal Ray may be the way, but im not sure i can afford it... trying to think of what i can sell.

[nash]

won't £600 get you a used ray?

[Wil]

My sterling feels a lot like a P, body wise. Fits me like a glove. The neck is somewhere between a P and a J.

[Prime_BASS]

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='1260325' date='Jun 7 2011, 09:33 PM']The L-2000 doesn't do Stingray... not even close in fact. Even the Sandberg PM or JMs can't nail it as the MM pup is a good bit away from the sweet spot.

This is a bit more like it.



P neck and MM pickup placement accurate to the mm. [/quote]

+1

You could do some saving for a pukka ray, you wont regret it. A used one doesn't cost too much.
If not you could go for a used SBMM Ray 34. L-2000 does have that middy and treble bite but it doesn't sound like a ray, and I've played 1 or 2 with quite thin necks.

[Musicman20]

EBMM Stingray 4 HH

[Musicman20]

This guy demonstrates the front H in this track: [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sv3hmab_lEo&feature=related"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sv3hmab_lEo...feature=related[/url]

If you click on him he does a good Master of Puppets cover as well but with the two outer coils. NICE!

[stingrayPete1977]

[quote name='Musicman20' post='1260460' date='Jun 7 2011, 10:51 PM']EBMM Stingray 4 HH[/quote]
Not going to be cheap for a while though are they? A beat up black and rosewood Ray with a black pickguard FTW get looking

[Crikey!]

I think im gona have to keep an eye out for a bargain... I'd love a used ray, Black and maple. I'm gona have to find me some work.

Cheers guys. Any more suggestions would be appreciated though, might be something i havent thought of yet.

[Me And My Bass]

I would let my Stingray go for about the £600 mark mate. its in the buying section, not black and maple though. Check it out, defo lighter bass than my MM Sub as well.

Edited June 7, 2011 by Me And My Bass

[Crikey!]

[quote name='Me And My Bass' post='1260505' date='Jun 7 2011, 11:20 PM']I would let my Stingray go for about the £600 mark mate. its in the buying section, not black and maple though. Check it out, defo lighter bass than my MM Sub as well.[/quote]


Will PM you mate.

Anyone got any experience with the Ray34s? Could be an option.

[munkonthehill]

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='1260325' date='Jun 7 2011, 09:33 PM']The L-2000 doesn't do Stingray... not even close in fact. Even the Sandberg PM or JMs can't nail it as the MM pup is a good bit away from the sweet spot.

This is a bit more like it.



P neck and MM pickup placement accurate to the mm. [/quote]

Where abouts in Aberdeen do you stay Rich so I can steal that beauty

[Jakester]

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='1260325' date='Jun 7 2011, 09:33 PM']The L-2000 doesn't do Stingray... not even close in fact. Even the Sandberg PM or JMs can't nail it as the MM pup is a good bit away from the sweet spot.

This is a bit more like it.

<snip>

P neck and MM pickup placement accurate to the mm. [/quote]

Couldn't you have the s/c mod carried out on the L2000 and run inner/inner coils on the two humbuckers, which might get it closer to the MM location?

[neepheid]

[quote name='Jakester' post='1260672' date='Jun 8 2011, 07:38 AM']Couldn't you have the s/c mod carried out on the L2000 and run inner/inner coils on the two humbuckers, which might get it closer to the MM location?[/quote]

Done it, doesn't work (not that I was trying to make it sound like a Stingray per se, but an opportunity arose to A-B it with a Stingray and just simply, no.). It just sounds (slightly) different to the parallel setting.

Additional: I am becoming disillusioned with the desire to make basses sound just like other basses. My L-2000 sounds like ... an L-2000. Additionally, it sounds like ... a bass. It's getting to the stage that as long as it sounds like a bass, I'm happy. I think my priorities have shifted thus: 1) neck must feel nice to play 2) sound (as long as it's got a "good" sound (as defined by me - a bit of character, a bit of grit, plenty bass (duh!), if it sounds assured and authoritative through my 30W practice amp then I'm happy) and 3) appearance. To be honest, I'm getting really tired of this pointless obsession with tonal micro-differences. Johnny Punter won't notice, and I've come to the conclusion that my time would be much better spent improving my technique than ripping basses to bits and making pickup/wiring changes in a fruitless quest to turn an apple into an orange.

Don't flame me, it's only an opinion.

Edited June 8, 2011 by neepheid

[BB3000S]

[quote name='Me And My Bass' post='1260505' date='Jun 8 2011, 12:20 AM']I would let my Stingray go for about the £600 mark mate. its in the buying section, not black and maple though. Check it out, defo lighter bass than my MM Sub as well.[/quote]
Get this ^^^
Amazing price, great looks, and nothing will do the Stingray sound as good as a Stingray - simple as that.

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='munkonthehill' post='1260514' date='Jun 7 2011, 11:26 PM']Where abouts in Aberdeen do you stay Rich so I can steal that beauty [/quote]
Oh you silver tongued devil with your west coast ways, how can I resist.

[Musicman20]

I've tried it, no bass sounds like a Ray, they have their own character.

If you want the Ray tone, don't compromise, save for the Ray

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='Jakester' post='1260672' date='Jun 8 2011, 07:38 AM']Couldn't you have the s/c mod carried out on the L2000 and run inner/inner coils on the two humbuckers, which might get it closer to the MM location?[/quote]
Tried it. I rewired Neepheid's L-2000 trib for him to see if we could open up the possibilities and get a 'ray-esque tone... couldn't - the physical differences are just too vast, let alone not having the correct eq.

Not long after that I realised that the only way to get a 'ray tone (even as a reference tone) is with a 'ray.... or a SUB...

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='neepheid' post='1260781' date='Jun 8 2011, 09:31 AM']Done it, doesn't work (not that I was trying to make it sound like a Stingray per se, but an opportunity arose to A-B it with a Stingray and just simply, no.). It just sounds (slightly) different to the parallel setting.

Additional: I am becoming disillusioned with the desire to make basses sound just like other basses. My L-2000 sounds like ... an L-2000. Additionally, it sounds like ... a bass. It's getting to the stage that as long as it sounds like a bass, I'm happy. I think my priorities have shifted thus: 1) neck must feel nice to play 2) sound (as long as it's got a "good" sound (as defined by me - a bit of character, a bit of grit, plenty bass (duh!), if it sounds assured and authoritative through my 30W practice amp then I'm happy) and 3) appearance. To be honest, I'm getting really tired of this pointless obsession with tonal micro-differences. Johnny Punter won't notice, and I've come to the conclusion that my time would be much better spent improving my technique than ripping basses to bits and making pickup/wiring changes in a fruitless quest to turn an apple into an orange.

Don't flame me, it's only an opinion.[/quote]
Could have saved myself a post if I'd seen this.

Second part : I suspect you've been listening to your tutor (or someone else banging on about your technique) too much Matt.
This new negative thing about what Johnny Punter thinks (or not) about your tone is pish. The assumption that no one listening to you is a bass or indeed a music fan is bad - ok the percentage won't be high but there will be some punters out there who can tell a good sound when they hear it... do it for them/us. Also there's the science bit (which I'm sure is what you got off on to start with) it's not just about "upgrading" it's about exploring the possibilities and learning the limits of your instrument. Like you did with your Les Paul - in your quest for excellence you've modded it out of it's own price bracket but you did it, it was fun and you learned stuff. Cheer up bud. [/sermon]

btw - I've turned many an apple into, not an orange but a peach.

[Prime_BASS]

I agree.

If you get it right people will notice.
It's just that making small advances in sound require big expensive steps.

To the OP the thing with ray34s is the quality, I'd played two in a store and one was great, the other had bad frets and even worse setup and just sounded off, so I think the marketing drabble about them all being inspected in the US is BS. But they both had that "toyish" feel you get from something that's made to a budget.