MM Stingray 1998

[stingrayPete1977]

The biggest thing you'll notice to start with will be the nut width, I can't get on with skinny Jazz necks that well so I like a Ray neck. Some ebmm ones are a bit clubby if you're not used to them, I prefer the flatter profile of the older ones which is good as my 5 strings are all like that as is my Jazz v.

I can't be doing with passives basses these days, I don't know what it is but I find they lack heft far more than a class D and an active bass!

You need to try it out for size and see what you think, at £700 you're unlikely to lose any money.

[ProfJames]

[quote name='drTStingray' timestamp='1479495124' post='3177053']
Some people prefer the sound with a rosewood board over a maple - they both have different advantages - rosewood can be warmer sounding and slightly less in your face, maple can be slightly more bright - but remember Bernard Edwards's bass has a maple board - and recorded sounded warm, fat and mellow - albeit probably with flat wound strings.

Figuring in maple neck wood is basically interesting birds eye, flame (striping) or quilt in the neck wood. Current Classic Stingrays have this and quite often basses from the 90s.
[/quote]Thank you

[ProfJames]

I will pick it up next week. I'm looking forward to it. I would post a photo if it was easy but the media link keeps refusing! And in the meantime I have been offered a Gibson Thunderbird...........in A1 condition..............2004...........

Edited November 18, 2016 by ProfJames

[lojo]

I paid around £700 for a 1997 stingray this year in reasonable condition

[ProfJames]

[quote name='lojo' timestamp='1479538644' post='3177291']
I paid around £700 for a 1997 stingray this year in reasonable condition
[/quote]

Were the late '90s a good period for Stingrays?

[Japhet]

In my opinion the quality control on Stingrays has been consistently good as opposed to Fender who have been all over the place for decades. I've played quite a few Rays and they've all been spot on.

[lojo]

[quote name='ProfJames' timestamp='1479542804' post='3177304']


Were the late '90s a good period for Stingrays?
[/quote]

I don't know the consensus , but I'm very pleased with it, it's exactly what I wanted , flea bridge, string mutes etc

[stingrayPete1977]

I've so far owned Stingray basses from 79-2010, all solid work horses.

[mcnach]

They don't appear to have "black periods", which is refreshing. My own 2002 is lovely, and if I haven't liked one I tried it was because it was badly mistreated and poorly setup, no fault of the bass.

[Jon bass]

I have a '92 stingray and a decent jazz, both great but different to play. Definitely worth having both to cover all the tones you're likely to need.

[blue]

All these responses are subjective. It depends on how, when and where your using it.And whether you like it.

Things like what year it was made make little to no difference.

I assume when you guys are commenting on the sound of a bass your talking straight bass to amp , no eq.

Blue

[drTStingray]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1479952099' post='3180593']
All these responses are subjective. It depends on how, when and where your using it.And whether you like it.

Things like what year it was made make little to no difference.

I assume when you guys are commenting on the sound of a bass your talking straight bass to amp , no eq.

Blue
[/quote]

The bridge with mutes ceased around 94 with a transition without mutes but the larger bridge in 95. The shorter bridge started 96.

The highly figured necks (only an aesthetic issue but the figured ones are very cool) are much more prolific from 1987 ish to the mid 90s though I've seen some from the later 90s. Apart from the Classic series of Stingrays and some limited editions the highly figured necks are very rare on standard Musicman basses since around 2000.

Functionally a late 90s bass will be similar to any standard 4H Stingray produced since then with the exception of the compensated nut (introduced around 2005 I think). The 2 and 3 band EQs have been available throughout. Most people bought 3 bands in the 90s and probably 00s.

Some cooler (in some people's view) colours like peach and blueburst had gone by then but periodically replaced with a host of others including sparkles and various trans colours (including one nicknamed puke yellow - which didn't last long - real name trans green). colours white, black, natural and vintage sunburst have always been available and still are - other classic colours like teal and trans red disappeared a few years ago.

Everyone knows body wood makes no difference to sound - yeah right!!!! Trans red Stingrays up to mid 2000s? were always alder bodied - the solid colours in the 90s poplar and blueburst either poplar or alder. The rest are ash. Some of us nurds think the non ash versions sound slightly mellower - as do basses with rosewood fretboards.

Blue is right much of this is subjective - a lot is aesthetics. They're pretty well consistent throughout in terms of sound, playability and functionality.

Edited November 24, 2016 by drTStingray

[blue]

[quote name='drTStingray' timestamp='1479984955' post='3180742']

Blue is right much of this is subjective - a lot is aesthetics. They're pretty well consistent throughout in terms of sound, playability and functionality.
[/quote]

I know the StingRay had been a favorite to a lot of bass guitarists for years. I could never get pass that round pick guard.

Thanks for all the detail on the specs and history of the StingRay.

Blue

[Bolo]

I adore my '96 SR5. Trans teal, some birdeyes near the headstock and flame down the neck. Also the maple neck and fingerboard are from one piece with the joint hardly showing. They cut the fingerboard with a very fine saw to put the trussrod in and glue them back together.

[stingrayPete1977]

Trans Teal and maple is as they say "for the win!"