Advice on which Musicman

[Parkie]

Hi All, new to the site & was looking for some advice. I'm considering buying a either a Stingray (natural 2013 3eq) or a Stingray (Dargie 2007 3 eq) or a 25th anniversary  (reflex I think with the venetian red top) all single H. Just wanted to get thoughts as I'm selling my warwick streamer jazzman & love playing the musicmans & the dargie & 25th are obviously more as they are Ltd editions. But are they worth it, if so which is best & will they sell ok in the future if I need to (don't wanna be stuck) or is it best to get a std Ray???

Cheers for any advice.

[NJE]

In my opinion you will sell a standard Stingray faster than the other two if that is a big issue for you. The Dargie is great colour but a bit ‘marmite’ and might not be to everyone’s taste so you are limiting your market straight away.

The reflex was supposed to be a great bass but there aren’t many around and is not a well known instrument. It’s also very distinctive looking and again not going to appeal to ad wider audience as a standard Ray.

The Stingray is a classic design and almost up there with Fender so always in demand and always fairly easy to sell in my experience.

[casapete]

This exactly ^^^^

Standard Stingrays are just fine IMO, especially in natural as their bodies have usually been chosen for

the best grain. Unless you really have GAS for the wackier finishes/options on the other two, I’d go

for the natural 3eq one. A lot of people reckon the 2eq models sound better, but having had a few of 

both I’d say just ‘different’ really. The 3eq offers a wide range of tones, more than you’ll probably need

but always good to have. 

[Bolo]

Get the one you like most, someone else will like it as much as you do.

[Parkie]

Thanks for the advice guys, I nearly pulled the trigger on the Ray  (it's actually the 2 pick up model) which I reckon I prefer,  but I think what' holding me back is that it' a maple board & I think I prefer rosewood. I say think a lot as I'm not fully sure (lack of bass buying experience)

I reckon the dargie is out as I like the green but not the inlays and as NJE says a bit marmite & I really can' see the point just cos it' a different colour why pay more.

I like the 25th, gives a range of sounds plays nice and I think it looks sweet, but it's  £500 more than the Ray. Also it''s pretty rare. I haven' played the Ray BTW it' an eBay job.

Also I've been playing on & off at home for a few years now & been going to the studio with some buds for jam sessions now & then,. I fancy joining a band & but unsure about turning up with a flash bass and people thinking who' this tosser all the gear & no idea. I know it sounds naff but it' in my mind.

Cheers 

[Delberthot]

If you want something that sounds like a Stingray - get a Sterling 

 

I've said it many times before but I could never get the Stingray tone I had in my head out of any of the 10+ Stingrays I've owned, including 20th & 30th anniversary models. I bought a Sterling last year ( The US made EBMM one, not the cheaper ranges ) and it sounds like the Stingray I've heard on many recordings.

Plus generally they are lighter & they have narrower Jazz bass width necks

Another bonus is that you can usually pick them up even cheaper than Stingrays secondhand.

[stingrayPete1977]

You can't go wrong with a bog standard 3eq Ray, not too flash but at the same time still a serious professional bass suitable for any genre.

All mine have maple boards

[totorbass]

All mine too, I have had a lot of them, but nevertheless  my advice would be a rw neck with 3EQ and at least not an ash body with a maple board, that I find now lacking meat, especially on the treble side.

I had once a sterling that was really very good, but I prefer the wider neck of the SR.

[Mudpup]

On 11/12/2017 at 10:03, Parkie said:

Thanks for the advice guys, I nearly pulled the trigger on the Ray  (it's actually the 2 pick up model) which I reckon I prefer,  but I think what' holding me back is that it' a maple board & I think I prefer rosewood. I say think a lot as I'm not fully sure (lack of bass buying experience)

I reckon the dargie is out as I like the green but not the inlays and as NJE says a bit marmite & I really can' see the point just cos it' a different colour why pay more.

I like the 25th, gives a range of sounds plays nice and I think it looks sweet, but it's  £500 more than the Ray. Also it''s pretty rare. I haven' played the Ray BTW it' an eBay job.

Also I've been playing on & off at home for a few years now & been going to the studio with some buds for jam sessions now & then,. I fancy joining a band & but unsure about turning up with a flash bass and people thinking who' this tosser all the gear & no idea. I know it sounds naff but it' in my mind.

Cheers 

The 2 pickup model will do exactly what the 1 pickup will do but adds in more versatility - don't be scared off by it. It may be even easier to move on at minimal loss  as well because they are a bit rarer than a 'normal' Stingray. 

I think you've made the right call re the Dargie and the 25th Anni as well. I would go with the Ray if it was me (i've had USA Subs, USA Sterlings and 3eq Stingrays as well as my current 2 eq one) 

[Muppet]

What's drawing you to the Stingray? Sound, feel, looks etc? The HH has a wide range of sounds over the H but still does the traditional Stingray growl so I'd go for the natural two pick up model if I had the choice.  (says he with a limited edition Sterling...) 

[Dazed]

Try and play one if you haven't already. I'd always fancied a Stingray and after years I finally bought one. It was a nice instrument but honestly a bit of a disappointment I just didn't connect with it. Strangely I much preferred the USA Sub I later owned. The Sub sold quicker too when it came to selling them. 

 

 

[Misdee]

One thing to consider about a Stingray is that many of them tend to be rather heavy, and they have an inherent problem with the G string sounding weak. My own personal preference when it comes to MM basses is the Bongo, but I totally understand that the looks are not to everybody's taste.  I've got an HH Bongo and it is an absolutely fantastic bass, light with an incredibly powerful and punchy sound.

[Bolo]

7 hours ago, Misdee said:

they have an inherent problem with the G string sounding weak.

Only some owners seem to experience this problem, usually after a home 'pro' restring and setup...

[casapete]

On 12/11/2017 at 19:29, Delberthot said:

If you want something that sounds like a Stingray - get a Sterling 

 

I've said it many times before but I could never get the Stingray tone I had in my head out of any of the 10+ Stingrays I've owned, including 20th & 30th anniversary models. I bought a Sterling last year ( The US made EBMM one, not the cheaper ranges ) and it sounds like the Stingray I've heard on many recordings.

Plus generally they are lighter & they have narrower Jazz bass width necks

Another bonus is that you can usually pick them up even cheaper than Stingrays secondhand.

I had a couple of US Sterlings, and agree with all you say , except for the weight thing. Maybe I’ve just been unlucky, but mine were not noticeably lighter than my Stingrays were, despite the smaller body dimensions. Great basses though, very underrated IMO.

Edited November 15, 2017 by casapete
Spelling

[Highfox]

If I were to get one again, think I'd go for the 2eq Classic, best of old and new.

[drTStingray]

By far the most versatile, whilst still retaining the standard H Stingray ability would be an HH. Coming from a Corvette you may find this the best - really the only downside, if there is one is its not quite so easy to slap with the neck pick up there. 

The dargie delight, amongst a number of other finishes, is really a collector's bass, hence commanding higher prices - and some of the colours available in the past have been fabulous - there are lots of different examples.

Natural with maple or sunburst with maple are really classic colours on these basses - followed by black and also white. However some of the EBMM colours like blueburst, blue dawn, and trans red are equally classic these days. A rosewood board would give a slightly darker sound.

As for 2 EQ or 3 EQ, the latter gives a lot more flexibility especially live in boomy sounding rooms - it can also get quite close to a 2 EQ by cutting the mid a decent amount.

The Classic series give you highly figured neck wood, 2 EQ and adjustable mutes on the bridge amongst a range of cool features.

Id go with that natural HH if it was me (in fact I nearly bought one recently - but I already have an HH in one of the limited edition colours so didn't in the end).

Other EBMM models like the 25th Anni, Reflex, Bongo are as it says on the tin, different models - they are unlikely to give you the exact Stingray sound although they are excellent in their own right. 

Edited November 15, 2017 by drTStingray

[Misdee]

On 11/14/2017 at 22:21, Bolo said:

Only some owners seem to experience this problem, usually after a home 'pro' restring and setup...

To be fair,this a very common gripe about Stingrays, and even EBMM have all but admitted it is an inherent characteristic of these basses. It is not just a matter of people being inexperienced at setups.

[Black Coffee]

For my tuppence worth.  

My 25th anniv 5 string HHS ray was disappointing compared to the sound of my USA sub 5 string and my H 5 string Ray.  The 2eq 4 string ray I had was surprisingly good too compared to the 3 eq sound

The usa sub was actually the nicest sounding of them all looking back.

Its all in your own audio taste, so play them all if you can and listen and choose with your ears and not the pound value and expectation associated with each model.  

[drTStingray]

On 14 November 2017 at 22:21, Bolo said:

Only some owners seem to experience this problem, usually after a home 'pro' restring and setup...

 

8 hours ago, Misdee said:

To be fair,this a very common gripe about Stingrays, and even EBMM have all but admitted it is an inherent characteristic of these basses. It is not just a matter of people being inexperienced at setups.

To be honest, weak G string sound has no place in this thread as the OP has already decided they want a Stingray. Why try to talk him out of it?

I own lots of Stingrays and don't experience the problem - I have never heard any sound sample which replicates this effect in hearing Stingrays recorded since 1976.

Therefore I'm inclined to believe it's a user issue - there are so many variables in play that something as simple as slightly compromised hearing could create this effect (to a listener stood a couple of feet in front of speakers pointing sound out past their knees). 

[DGBass]

I don't think you could go wrong with a standard stingray, 2eq or 3eq and used or new. I've never seen a badly built stingray and there's a wide range of finishes to choose from. I've owned two, a vintage sunburst pre-ernieball with rosewood neck and current eb stingray in creme with all white fittings and a really nice satin finish all maple neck. They both had/have that 'stingray' sound. Backing of the mid knob on the 3eq makes for that classic 2eq sound sort of. Bongos sound great but the shape never has been my cup of tea. Sterlings are interesting basses   Any standard versions of aforementioned sell well secondhand. Custom or anniversary models will likely have a more select audience to sell to.  

 

[Misdee]

14 hours ago, drTStingray said:

 

To be honest, weak G string sound has no place in this thread as the OP has already decided they want a Stingray. Why try to talk him out of it?

I own lots of Stingrays and don't experience the problem - I have never heard any sound sample which replicates this effect in hearing Stingrays recorded since 1976.

Therefore I'm inclined to believe it's a user issue - there are so many variables in play that something as simple as slightly compromised hearing could create this effect (to a listener stood a couple of feet in front of speakers pointing sound out past their knees). 

The original post was asking which model MM to plump for, so I mentioned the Bongo because I am a big fan. I've had a few Stingrays myself, and one in particular had a problem with the G string. You don't have to look too far to find others who've had the same problem. I've played bass for over 40 years and owned some very good instruments. I wouldn't discourage anyone from buying a Stingray, I just want this chap to be aware of some of the issues. They are often heavy and that can be a bigger problem than any tendency to sound uneven.

 Great basses, if you can find a good one, nevertheless.

[totorbass]

I agree with that, I'm using SR's for 15years, the one I have is something like the tenth, and especially with a maple board G tends to sound thin (I know how to EQ too, not all the way up). On some of my ex-basses this tendency was too much pronunced, really a fishing string. The one I have now is amongst the best I had, and the G is just a little weaker than the rest (if PU raised towards it). I can tell that by the led of my comp, and get the strings more  balanced with it too.

 

Edited November 17, 2017 by totorbass

[Mape]

Never really been a fan of Stingray sound but I've been listening to Chic and Bernie Edwards a lot lately. Now I want one, *sigh*. Build quality of every Music Man instrument I've tried has always been outstanding. Feels like you can really count on what you get even without testing the particular instrument first.

One thing that wasn't discussed here is the neck radius which is different on Classic vs 'current' model (7.5" and 11" I think). That's something what makes the decision for me (the flatter the better...) but of course a matter of taste and might not matter at all for some people.

[Parkie]

On ‎13‎/‎11‎/‎2017 at 23:00, Muppet said:

What's drawing you to the Stingray? Sound, feel, looks etc? The HH has a wide range of sounds over the H but still does the traditional Stingray growl so I'd go for the natural two pick up model if I had the choice.  (says he with a limited edition Sterling...) 

Thanks for the advice guys, (that goes to everyone who has posted here).

I used to go for modern ish looking basses (hence the Warwick) but changed a few years ago to preferring more classic styles, i bought a SBMM SUB & the Warwick hardly got a look in after that (£299 vs £2200 when new) just felt better & was better when jamming in the studio apart from the HOT pick up issue. So I decided to get a proper one & they look very cool IMHO. And the sound of course.

Oddly I know there are many Fender P & J aficionados but I just don't gyrate to them (not played one tho) but to me I need a bass I want to pick up first, I dunno for Fender I think Ford a lot fo dough for standard stuff. I'm not F bashing BTW just explaining my thought process & I may well be wrong.

I tried a Sandberg the other day & that's put the cat amongst the pigeons, really nice feeling, sounding, playing & built bass.  But I still think I need to get the Ray outta my system (or keep it in there)

[Mudpup]

31 minutes ago, Parkie said:

I tried a Sandberg the other day & that's put the cat amongst the pigeons, really nice feeling, sounding, playing & built bass.  But I still think I need to get the Ray outta my system (or keep it in there)

This.......

get both, i did ;-)