Best rig for a Stingray?

[Storky]

I do like a Stingray. I had a SBMM Ray 34 and loved it, but could never quite get it to sit right in the band mix, so sold it.

Later I missed it and I thought I had worked out what i was doing wrong, so I brought a proper MM Ray4. I loved this as well. On a couple of gigs it sounded really great, but mostly it didn't. I got a 2nd hand Jap Mustang and it blew the Ray out of the water, so I sold the Ray. Now I miss it again!

I'm thinking my amp is not Stingray compatible? (Ampeg Portaflex PF-500/PF210HE) and as its time to upgrade my rig, I'd like to get something that works with the MM sound.

Suggestions very welcome.

[ahpook]

A little more detail might help - how were you setting up the amp and bass EQs ?

[Storky]

[quote name='ahpook' timestamp='1484668487' post='3217329']
A little more detail might help - how were you setting up the amp and bass EQs ?
[/quote]

I tried all sorts, without going to extremes. I had thought that boosting the mids and cutting the treble on the bass it's self would help it cut through, but just made it sound "cardboardy" (?)

I know Ampeg kit traditionally works with Precisions etc and that's great as I've got one of those as well, but I'm just wondering if any MM devotees out there could suggest a rig that they know works well for them?

[Dancj]

I have a stingray classic 4 and mark bass ninja (with ninja 2x12 cab) and I absolutely LOVE the tone I get out of it.

Tend to have bass tone on close to max and treble just under half. Amp flat with maybe a bit of boost to VLE (basically bass boost and mids/treble reduction). With the amp/ray combo I can get really nice tones for Chic style stuff and more slappy friendly tones too.

I do agree that some amps seem to agree with it more but I think its just a case of playing around until you find the right settings.

Edited January 17, 2017 by Dancj

[ahpook]

If you can get a sound you like with a different bass and the same rig, it suggests to me you don't actually get on with the sound of the stingray.

Edited January 17, 2017 by ahpook

[Dancj]

[quote name='ahpook' timestamp='1484670546' post='3217358']
If you can get a sound you like with a different bass and the same rig, it suggests to me you don't actually get on with the sound of the stingray.
[/quote]

HERESY. In all seriousness ahpook makes a good point. I'd argue that Stingrays don't suit every song (I won't say genre, as you'll have some funk that will need a P, J or MM) but I do think playing with EQ does open up a lot of tonal options. I can make mine fit to every sound I want at the moment, but I'd be lying if I felt that sometimes a different sound might be preferable (66' Jazz in Feb will remedy that...).

Ultimately, if you can justify it, keep the MM and use it when you feel it fits

[Musicman20]

Rays can tend to stick out in the mix due to the sizzling treble....I assume some high mids as well?

Sometimes, with certain tweeters and plectrums, it can make it quite clanky, which is great for some styles, but if you want a different tone, knock the treble back a little, cut the tweeter control a little, try using fingers or flats or both....

I've heard some very dark sounding Stingrays that underpin bands a little more like a P bass.

I would stick to a rig that allows you to have as much treble as you like, so you can cut it or just let it sizzle through.

[ZilchWoolham]

It all depends, of course, on how you want the Stingray to sound. But I have to agree with ahpook here; it seems like you might just not enjoy the sounds a Stingray makes. You said the Mustang blew it out of the water, and regardless of if you happen to like one or the other, or both, it has to be said that a Mustang and a Stingray are to wildly different basses with very different character. So if you prefer a short scale thumper to an aggressive, in-your-face sizzler, I think you might have your answer right there.

Edited January 17, 2017 by ZilchWoolham

[BigRedX]

The answer is obvious. It's all in the name.

So one of these:

[IMG]http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n249/BigRedX/_86_zpsi4czssjb.jpg[/IMG]

[stingrayPete1977]

I like solid state amps of some kind with a Stingray, my old Ray 4 with my old Peavey TNT remains my favourite bass sound.

[jensenmann]

I used to play my Stingray with an old SVT + SVT cab.

[drTStingray]

Another +1 for Markbass. My basses sound great with them and you can adjust to suit any room in my experience.

Also in my experience, most amps work great with Stingrays (or should it be the other way around....) - so pick from Hartke, Acoustic, Ampeg, Ashdown, HH, Trace Elliott, GK - I've used them all and got a great sound out of all of them. I would suggest avoiding amps which seem to automatically cut or suppress all the top end. Regrettably I played through a Fender Rumble which gave plenty of power but cut all the upper mid and top - it may have been the speaker I guess (it was a medium sized combo).

I'm very old school (grew up as a bass player in the 70s, and the 60s and 50s had a range from some to very little relevance) - valve amps and passive basses were the very reason I couldn't get a good sound or hear myself (or even in an FOH mix) as I would like in those days so I took inspiration from people like Family Man Barrett, Jermaine Jackson and many others - never looked back after converting to solid state - first HH then Acoustic - the final piece in the jigsaw was a Stingray in 1979....I have never owned a passive bass since.

As Hiram K said, strings play a big part - so does the player IMHO - play one too hard and inaccurately and they'll sound like a pile of poo poo whereas a bass with less dynamics may be more forgiving.

I am able to and have played Stingrays in any genre - its quite wrong to say this is not possible - however the player needs to be versatile enough to fit any genre as well!!

My recommendation is Markbass, 3 band Stingray (if you use a 2 band be ready to fine tune your amp's mids), and after vast experimentation, I believe you can't beat Ernie Ball Slinkies (100-45) or EB Cobalt Slinky flats with a Stingray. I love the sound of brand new Rotosound rounds on a Stingray also - but they seem to mark the frets with very regular use. All IMHO of course!!

But remember at least some of it's in the fingers (skill of the player). You can definitely get a whole range of great sounds if you have the techniques (eg I rarely hear anyone mention it but they sound great palm muted - as well as slap, finger style funk, pop etc etc ).

Edited January 17, 2017 by drTStingray

[lojo]

If you like the clean sound of your bass then MarkBass is a great option

[Raslee]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1484674033' post='3217402']
The answer is obvious. It's all in the name.

So one of these:

[IMG]http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n249/BigRedX/_86_zpsi4czssjb.jpg[/IMG]
[/quote] Arrrggghh - retraumatised

[Musicman20]

I think I'd agree that I've preferred my Stingrays through solid state amps....I've no idea why.

I used to own an Orange AD200b Mk3 and I think overall my Musicman basses sounded better (or clearer) through a Class D Genz Benz amp.

Maybe my ears are just used to the Ray/Trace combination I used for a long time.

[Bolo]

SWR

Can't fault it.

[Storky]

Cheers for all the advice and comments! I do like the Stingray sound - just can't always get it right with my existing set up and sometimes I can't get it to cut through in a live situation.

I have picked up on the solid state/clean sounds idea and maybe that's the direction I should go. Quite a few positive comments about Markbass and I must admit that was one brand that was on the radar.

[Musicman20]

Anything Genz Benz/Genzler related is also excellent. Very clean and precise....the Streamliner is a little warmer.

[Kiwi]

Mesa Boogie Bass 400+ and an efficient cab like a Barefaced 215 would be phenomenal. The Ray is snarly and muscular with a bass 400.

Failing that, one of the Warwick heads because they're coloured for Warwick basses which are in the same ballpark tonally as a Ray.

If you value mids, avoid Eden and SWR. They're better suited to bright sounding basses like those with graphite necks or all maple through body neck construction.

[Highfox]

[quote name='Storky' timestamp='1484735846' post='3217849']
Cheers for all the advice and comments! I do like the Stingray sound - just can't always get it right with my existing set up and sometimes I can't get it to cut through in a live situation.

I have picked up on the solid state/clean sounds idea and maybe that's the direction I should go. Quite a few positive comments about Markbass and I must admit that was one brand that was on the radar.
[/quote]
I had the same kind of thing at time with my Ray, Nearly always fiddling with the eq on the bass on stage, but it always seemed to sound great out front.
I think it is true especially on a Stingray where you choose to play from, up the bridge end or closer to the neck, fingers, pick, thumb, muting etc. The volume pot really changes the sound as well I found.
I found it to be a very versatile instrument despite the one trick pony label Maybe it can do too much and that's why I have always ending moving mine on in the end. Love them for recording and controlled environment, but fiddle fiddle always with me and a Ray, Same with me and Trace Elliot, but that's another story .

Edited January 18, 2017 by Highfox

[chris_b]

You might [i]think[/i] you like the Stingray but if you don't like the sound of one, maybe you don't.

Trying to buy your way out of a problem might work but usually doesn't. I've played in bands where one bass sounded great and another didn't. That's how it goes sometimes. You've currently got a bass that you like, and as you're happy with it, I'd stick with that.

IMO you can do better with your rig (as I've posted in your other thread) but I wouldn't bother trying to buy amps and cabs for a bass that doesn't work for you. I'd focus on upgrading your rig so your current bass sounds even better.

[Muzz]

[quote name='Storky' timestamp='1484667930' post='3217324']
I do like a Stingray. I had a SBMM Ray 34 and loved it, but could never quite get it to sit right in the band mix, so sold it.

Later I missed it and I thought I had worked out what i was doing wrong, so I brought a proper MM Ray4. I loved this as well. On a couple of gigs it sounded really great, but mostly it didn't. I got a 2nd hand Jap Mustang and it blew the Ray out of the water, so I sold the Ray. Now I miss it again!

I'm thinking my amp is not Stingray compatible? (Ampeg Portaflex PF-500/PF210HE) and as its time to upgrade my rig, I'd like to get something that works with the MM sound.

Suggestions very welcome.
[/quote]

I've had four Stingrays. Every time, I'd hear/see other people playing them and think 'Yeeeaaahhhh', then I'd buy one and...it just wasn't me. So I'd sell it, then a few months later I'd want one again. Took me four goes to finally realise I just don't suit them (or vice versa). That's across lots of different rigs, too, so it wasn't that...


Edit: what Chris just said, above

Edited January 18, 2017 by Muzz

[radiophonic]

I play a '91, 2 band eq one through Hartke. I played the same bass through a big Ashdown rig yesterday. In the past I've played it through a Portaflex. All of these worked for me. I never liked it into a Trace Elliot though. Into a Mark Bass it sounded like plugging it straight into a desk, which wasn't for me. I think the treble needs something to react with - some sort of colouration provided by amp or speaker. Not sure what it is, but that was the problem I had with the Trace Ellio too - the low and high end seemed a bit disconneted and needed some dirt to glue them together. Bass on full, treble pot wound back ~ 20%, fingerstyle. It sounds exactly like I expect. Amp is set almost flat. It is quite a pushy sound though and it might - in the end - not be what you are after.

[Storky]

[quote name='Muzz' timestamp='1484740050' post='3217918'] I've had four Stingrays. Every time, I'd hear/see other people playing them and think 'Yeeeaaahhhh', then I'd buy one and...it just wasn't me. So I'd sell it, then a few months later I'd want one again. Took me four goes to finally realise I just don't suit them (or vice versa). That's across lots of different rigs, too, so it wasn't that... Edit: what Chris just said, above [/quote]

Sounds like me!
Like you say, I like the Stingray sound in other people's hands; and I don't see why I can't get something similar. My logic was if its not the bass it must be the amp. Perhaps it's just that Rays don't work with my playing style (although I don't see why not). Who knows eh!

[stingrayPete1977]

I'm the same with P basses, everyone talks about this massive thump and then I try one and they sound thin to me, spoilt with all my active basses, lol