Stingray versatility?

[TRBboy]

Hey everybody! I've been away for quite a while, but it's nice to be back. 😀

Sooooo, the title of my post is a bit inaccurate, but not completely misleading. I'm considering ordering another Sandberg, and I've got it in my head that I really want a Basic 5. I know single humbucker basses, such as a stingray, aren't maybe as versatile as a dual pickup bass, but there's just something special about that single pickup, perfectly placed..... Even more so with the Basic to my ears, because the pickup is slightly further forward than a ray.

Despite the obvious limitations, I think that with eqing, different strings, different techniques, etc, etc, there's probably quite a few sounds to be had. If you compare famous ray players like Bernard Edwards and flea, they have very different sounds, and I know Andrew Levy used a ray on a lot of the early brand new heavies stuff, but I wouldn't have instantly identified it as one. I've also heard people playing rays with a sound not a million miles away from a p bass.

So, I was just interested to know everyone's opinion really, how versatile do you think these sort of basses are? Would you be happy to have a ray as your only bass? Do you feel you could manage to use one in any musical situation?

Thanks for your input. 😀 👍