isteen Posted June 23, 2012 Share Posted June 23, 2012 (edited) I could hear the difference, but I'm not quite sure what bass I like the best http://dubsaint.wordpress.com/2012/06/15/p-j-or-ray-whats-the-difference-anyway-part-2-take-the-sound-test/ That said, I love to play on my Jazz - the P is a big chunk of wood compared to the slick and sexy J. Never played a Ray - yet! Edited June 23, 2012 by isteen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigwan Posted June 23, 2012 Share Posted June 23, 2012 (edited) Yes i can tell the difference (although i often mix up clanky Ricky with clanky P sounds). It's all personal taste really. I sway between P and J depending on the type of music i'm playing. Personally i could live out the rest of my days quite happily without hearing another 'ray, i prefer my bass sounds without the 'boinging spring' quality the 'ray has in abundance... I realise my opinion is not shared by the masses... Edited June 23, 2012 by Bigwan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drTStingray Posted June 23, 2012 Share Posted June 23, 2012 The problem with these internet comparisons is they always show different tones on the Fenders (2 for the P and 3 or 4 for the Jazz), and one on the Stingray. The difference with the Stingray is it has real tone controls with extensive and interractive range rather than effectively a tone on and off switch which the Fenders have - thus it has a lot more versatility and because of the dynamic created by the active EQ, a more noticeable difference created by different playing styles. The Jazz, with a volume for each pick up, has a range of tones created by blending the pus, in the same way the Stingray has from blending the bass, middle and treble controls. And that's just the electronics - different body woods make the underlying sound subtly different. Your best bet is to go and try some out, then you'll see how each bass fits your playing style and you can choose the best for what you want to achieve. I ilke them all (but much favour the Stingray as it suits my playing style and many of my favourite bass performance are on them) but recognise that in some cases, you will only get the best approximation of the sound of a particular track from one specific instrument, no matter how hard you try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted June 23, 2012 Share Posted June 23, 2012 Also depends on how the basses are played and recorded. Too many variables for a meaningful comparison, imho. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted June 23, 2012 Share Posted June 23, 2012 Precisions and Jazzes (and I imagine Rays, but I've never played one, and Rickenbackers too) are both (or all) capable of a very wide range of tones so there is no way you can ever be certain about what you're listening to even if you could get it right sometimes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted June 23, 2012 Share Posted June 23, 2012 [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1340450556' post='1704572'] Also depends on how the basses are played and recorded. Too many variables for a meaningful comparison, imho. [/quote] [quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1340450943' post='1704578'] Precisions and Jazzes (and I imagine Rays, but I've never played one, and Rickenbackers too) are both (or all) capable of a very wide range of tones so there is no way you can ever be certain about what you're listening to even if you could get it right sometimes. [/quote] but of course you will probably want an example of each in your collection Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted June 23, 2012 Share Posted June 23, 2012 [quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1340451056' post='1704580'] ...but of course you will probably want an example of each in your collection [/quote] I'm sure that's true for 99% of Basschatters, but I'm a one-bass man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted June 23, 2012 Share Posted June 23, 2012 Well I couldn`t get the clip to work, so can`t comment on that. I`m also not too good at listening to a piece of music, and saying "that`s a so-and-so" due to production etc. But I`m fairly sure I could tell, in a live situation, certainly the P & J apart, if played through an amp, without me looking. The Ray, well if set "flat", to me they sound quite Jazz like, but with a bit more "life" in them. I`d hope to be able to spot the difference there, but not too sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roland Rock Posted June 23, 2012 Share Posted June 23, 2012 (edited) [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1340450556' post='1704572'] Also depends on how the basses are played and recorded. Too many variables for a meaningful comparison, imho. [/quote] The link just leads me to an empty soundcloud page? I've had a 2eq Ray and a P, so would like to think that I could tell the difference. Never played a Jazz. Edited June 23, 2012 by Roland Rock Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted June 23, 2012 Share Posted June 23, 2012 Yeah I've had no joy trying to listen to it either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
isteen Posted June 23, 2012 Author Share Posted June 23, 2012 Nobody want to show their guessing skills? I like the number 3 Sound best, and I might guess it's a P bass. Who wants to take a shot at it, before the correct answers are revealed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prime_BASS Posted June 23, 2012 Share Posted June 23, 2012 [quote name='isteen' timestamp='1340460217' post='1704748'] Nobody want to show their guessing skills? I like the number 3 Sound best, and I might guess it's a P bass. Who wants to take a shot at it, before the correct answers are revealed? [/quote] The sounds don't load up..... I know I can tell the difference, but between a J or P it's down tot he recording, and the Mix, as far too often the bass gets mixed down into some low end much so it could be played on a string attached to a baloon for all we know. Examples of a good precision sound recorded right and mixed and mastered pretty faithful is the bass sounds on Blink- 182's Take Off Your Pants and Jacket. It's very obviously a Precision type sound. A lot of the early Rage stuff is very obviously a Stingray. While a JAzzz sound can be pretty much copied by anything with 2 pickups - providing you arn't going for that extreme nasal sound at the bridge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjones Posted June 23, 2012 Share Posted June 23, 2012 (edited) The link is no longer on soundcloud but I'll comment anyway. Up until recently owned a couple of MM stingray SUBs and presently have a Jazz and Precision. In all honesty I preferred the sound of the SUBs but had to move them on as I have a touch of carpal tunnel and the edge of the body has no cutaway and was pressing on my wrist making it uncomfortable to play. I agree, the MM is much more than a one trick pony when you take that sizzly top end off using the EQ it has a fantastic thump just like a kick drum. I may in future buy myself another Stingray because I loved that sound. The Jazz is a really versatile bass too. The Precision does what it says on the tin. It's a no nonsense bass. Edited June 24, 2012 by gjones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dub Saint Posted June 24, 2012 Share Posted June 24, 2012 Hi Everyone, I'm Dub Saint, the creator of the P, J, Ray sound test. Thanks so much for checking out my blog - I had no idea anyone was still interested in the sound test (I posted it on my blog over a week ago; the results were posted yesterday). It wasn't until I check my blog stats today that I realized almost 400 people clicked on my blog... TODAY!!! Unfortunately, I took the bass test recordings off of my soundcloud site yesterday, assuming the test had concluded and no one wanted to hear the samples now that the results had been posted.... apparently, was I wrong. SO... earlier today I reposted the recordings as they were when I originally made the post on my blog....everything should be working fine now. Thanks, and sorry for the inconvenience! Adam. My introduction to the different basses and the sound test is here: http://dubsaint.wordpress.com/2012/06/13/p-j-or-ray-whats-the-difference-anyway-part-1-introduction/ The sound test can be found here: http://dubsaint.wordpress.com/2012/06/15/p-j-or-ray-whats-the-difference-anyway-part-2-take-the-sound-test/ The results/truth can be found here: http://dubsaint.wordpress.com/2012/06/22/p-j-or-ray-part-3-the-results/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjones Posted June 24, 2012 Share Posted June 24, 2012 (edited) Wild guess 1 - Precision 2 - MM 3 - Jazz edit - wrong Edited June 24, 2012 by gjones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted June 24, 2012 Share Posted June 24, 2012 EASY!!! P, J then Ray. Totally different to my ears. Each sounds very unique. {edit} I think they are SO recognisable that I tend not to use either bass very often, preferring to get my 'own sound' from my bass. Any way I try a J, P or MM they always sound like a J, P or MM. Don't get me wrong, all GREAT sounds, but why sound like everyone else! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Starr Posted June 24, 2012 Share Posted June 24, 2012 [quote name='Dub Saint' timestamp='1340496194' post='1705401'] Hi Everyone, I'm Dub Saint, the creator of the P, J, Ray sound test. Thanks so much for checking out my blog - I had no idea anyone was still interested in the sound test (I posted it on my blog over a week ago; the results were posted yesterday). It wasn't until I check my blog stats today that I realized almost 400 people clicked on my blog... TODAY!!! Unfortunately, I took the bass test recordings off of my soundcloud site yesterday, assuming the test had concluded and no one wanted to hear the samples now that the results had been posted.... apparently, was I wrong. SO... earlier today I reposted the recordings as they were when I originally made the post on my blog....everything should be working fine now. Thanks, and sorry for the inconvenience! Adam. My introduction to the different basses and the sound test is here: [url="http://dubsaint.wordpress.com/2012/06/13/p-j-or-ray-whats-the-difference-anyway-part-1-introduction/"]http://dubsaint.word...1-introduction/[/url] The sound test can be found here: [url="http://dubsaint.wordpress.com/2012/06/15/p-j-or-ray-whats-the-difference-anyway-part-2-take-the-sound-test/"]http://dubsaint.word...the-sound-test/[/url] The results/truth can be found here: [url="http://dubsaint.wordpress.com/2012/06/22/p-j-or-ray-part-3-the-results/"]http://dubsaint.word...-3-the-results/[/url] [/quote] Hey Adam, thanks for doing this. Well I got it right, the Ray stood out and the simplicity of the P sound just about enabled me to get it, the first clip on the Jazz gave it away. I really wouldn't have staked any money on it though. Sadly I liked the P-sound overall, I play a Jazz., oops. I thought it was a pretty fair test and certainly food for thought, surely no-one expects you to go out and buy three sets of five different strings! Part of this has to be dependent upon what style you play. Actually I liked the sound of the Ray slapped but I don't really like slap much and none of our songs need it. Oh, was the picked piece Matchbox 20 or just the universal chord sequence? It is almost note for note/beat for beat what I play for 'How Far We've Come' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted June 24, 2012 Share Posted June 24, 2012 (edited) 1-Jazz 2-P 3-MM Just going to look now, wait for the edit........ Wrong although as you might suspect I got one of them correct and FWIW the Ray sounded best for all three styles IMO, it filled the sound out much more in the first bluesy style clip where the money would normally be on a Fender to do best there and as for the slap there really is no contest! Edited June 24, 2012 by stingrayPete1977 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnDeereJack Posted June 24, 2012 Share Posted June 24, 2012 1. Jazz 2. Precision 3. Stingray Am I right? Do I win a prize? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted June 24, 2012 Share Posted June 24, 2012 [quote name='johnDeereJack' timestamp='1340537920' post='1705706'] 1. Jazz 2. Precision 3. Stingray Am I right? Do I win a prize? [/quote] No your ears are wired like mine then too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted June 24, 2012 Share Posted June 24, 2012 I got it right, but TBH after a few notes it didn't seem to matter what was being played, there was just a good sounding bass prominent in the mix. How many threads do we see that ask 'can I make a x sound like a y'. The truth is with judicious eq and technique it's quite easy to fool people into thinking one bass is another and often more about the player than the bass. There was a clip on the Lakland site of Yes with CS using a Glaub, if you closed your eyes it sounded like the normal Squire Ric tone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garethfriend Posted June 24, 2012 Share Posted June 24, 2012 I recognised the stingray instantly but really struggle with P and J basses it seems Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dub Saint Posted June 24, 2012 Share Posted June 24, 2012 (edited) [quote name='ezbass' timestamp='1340543374' post='1705819'] I got it right, but TBH after a few notes it didn't seem to matter what was being played, there was just a good sounding bass prominent in the mix. How many threads do we see that ask 'can I make a x sound like a y'. The truth is with judicious eq and technique it's quite easy to fool people into thinking one bass is another and often more about the player than the bass. There was a clip on the Lakland site of Yes with CS using a Glaub, if you closed your eyes it sounded like the normal Squire Ric tone. [/quote] So true - I'm a country bassist, and there's a stereotype about the Precision bass being THE bass for country music. On my gig last week, I brought two single pickup StingRays with stainless steel strings - they "sounded country" because my technique and amp settings made them sound that way. I love StingRays, but so often they get generalized as a "slap bass" only - it just isn't true. Check this outlaw country Waylon Jennings/Music Man StingRay clip out: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bI-2n2KcVs4[/media] Here's another video from Ed Friedland reviewing the Classic StingRay - at around 4:02 he shows how versatile it is: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlMStrT5A6M[/media] Edited June 24, 2012 by Dub Saint Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted June 24, 2012 Share Posted June 24, 2012 I swear pre EB Rays have a something extra you cant put your finger on, it's got everything, deep lows, punch and super twang and with the same amp setting! I'm totally biased but how good does it sound on that country clip? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted June 24, 2012 Share Posted June 24, 2012 [quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1340553507' post='1706088'] I'm totally biased but how good does it sound on that country clip? [/quote]Brilliant is how it sounds, one minute solid and beefy, really supporting the song and then at the end really in your face with the popping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.