Musicman Stingrays - Overrated ?

[WHUFC BASS]

I've had two in the past, a late 80s with a maple neck and a 90s with rosewood fingerboard. Also recently had a Sterling Ray 34. All of them have had 3 band eqs. Most of the time I've got shot of them relatively quickly as they just haven't had the bottom end of other  basses I owned to the point where I'm wondering what the fuss is about them. I'll admit that they're good for slap basslines and finger or pick, just lacked the guts of other basses. Anyone else found this?

[uk_lefty]

Nope. Just bought a new USA three band. Big, full bottom end. Loads of punch and clarity. Particularly enjoy boasting the mids with the bass and treble flat. 

I played a Ray34 on a shop a few yrs back and didn't see/ hear anything distinctive about it, but the real thing is excellent IMO.

[fretmeister]

I think that just means you don’t like them. Not that they are over rated.

 

Good click bait though. 

[stingrayPete1977]

You did put a battery in didn't you? 

[Mudpup]

3 band eq.....thats the issue

Try a 2 band - it'll take your fillings out

[paul_c2]

What amp did you try it with?

[sammybee]

When I first bought my Stingray, it took me a long time to 'gel' with it, having only played Jazz basses. I'd say for the first year I would have sold it if anybody had made me a serious offer - I was that unimpressed with it. Fast foward a few years and now I'm in love with the playability, the build quality and the sound. Try and stick with it.

[drTStingray]

Lack of bottom end is not something I associate with Stingrays. The latest 2018 Stingray Specials have even more available if required, along with a very musical 3 band EQ and all the playability, build quality but more. Worth trying one. 

Edited December 23, 2018 by drTStingray

[scannerman]

Agree.... had my 3band stingray in my collection for a few years, great sound....but only ONE great sound. Great for slap, but  had more versatile basses for other styles. 

[WHUFC BASS]

12 hours ago, paul_c2 said:

What amp did you try it with?

I tried them with a trace elliot stack, SWR Workman combo and a Trace Elliot GP7 1x15 combo. Just couldn't get the bottom end that was instantly available on my 62 reissue Precision and a Status S2 that I also had. In fact every other bass in my collection really. 

[WHUFC BASS]

11 hours ago, sammybee said:

When I first bought my Stingray, it took me a long time to 'gel' with it, having only played Jazz basses. I'd say for the first year I would have sold it if anybody had made me a serious offer - I was that unimpressed with it. Fast foward a few years and now I'm in love with the playability, the build quality and the sound. Try and stick with it.

Maybe that was my problem. Struggling to gel with it and trying to get a suitable sound, which I knew was readily available from my other basses. I didn't keep any for more than a year - the Sterling Ray lasted about a month before it was gone. 

[WHUFC BASS]

11 hours ago, drTStingray said:

Lack of bottom end is not something I associate with Stingrays. The latest 2018 Stingray Specials have even more available if required, along with a very musical 3 band EQ and all the playability, build quality but more. Worth trying one. 

That's something I kept telling myself that there's bound to be one that I'll get along with. The playability and feel was really nice, just sound wise it wasn't happening. I'd really not like to take a punt on another one as I know, for more or less the same price, a Spector Euro would run rings around a stingray 

[bassaussie]

15 hours ago, Mudpup said:

3 band eq.....thats the issue

Try a 2 band - it'll take your fillings out

I agree with this. The 3 band eq is a great bass, no question. But if you think "nah, this is not for me", don't write Stingrays off until you at least try a 2 band, as it's a different animal. The same basic sound is there, but there's something about the 2 band eq that seems to have more oomph than the 3 band.

Having said that, another poster above suggested that maybe it's just not for you, which is also a possibility. Nothing wrong with that, that's why the bass market is full of so many great options.

[LeftyJ]

Owned a Stingray 5, and loved it. It had no shortage on the low end, and especially in serial mode it packed quite a mid punch too!

I don't think they're overrated, just a bit overpriced (new) outside the US for a fairly basic instrument. 

[Delberthot]

I've mentioned this before but I could never get the Stingray sound I had heard in so many recordings out of a Stingray - 4 string 2 & 3 band and 5 string. I tried at least 8 or 9 of them from different eras including a 20th anniversary, 30th anniversary, fretless & a USA SUB5 but came to the same conclusion.

The answer was to buy a Sterling. That is the sound that I was looking for

[Old Horse Murphy]

I struggled with bottom end too when using a 3eq. I found it very insipid and quite difficult to hear myself when playing in a moderately loud band. 

The 2eq Rays however are superb instruments and I'd love to own one again. 

[Lozz196]

I think the bottom end on Stingrays is tighter and more controlled, due to the pickup placement. As such the lows don`t seem as present, but that`s due to less boom. Plus they seem to gravitate to a sparklier sound as well, so that can give the impression of being low-deficient.

[Mudpup]

9 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

I think the bottom end on Stingrays is tighter and more controlled, due to the pickup placement. As such the lows don`t seem as present, but that`s due to less boom. Plus they seem to gravitate to a sparklier sound as well, so that can give the impression of being low-deficient.

The 3 band has a high pass filter built into the eq and it takes some of the booty out. The 2 band doesn't have it so sounds fatter, warmer and generally bigger. I've had both and prefer the 2 band personally.

 

[bassaussie]

48 minutes ago, Old Horse Murphy said:

I struggled with bottom end too when using a 3eq. I found it very insipid and quite difficult to hear myself when playing in a moderately loud band. 

The 2eq Rays however are superb instruments and I'd love to own one again. 

I used a 3 band eq live for a long time, and I think there was always a temptation to use the mid control to cut that part of the sound when it wasn't necessary. It's what I call "the bedroom sound" - a bass can sound amazing in the bedroom when you're just playing by yourself, but in a band scenario, a lot of the bandwith you tend to cut in the solo scenario is exactly the bandwith you need to be heard when playing with a band.

[Defo]

Crazy talk  Took me ages to dial down my amp, you have to accept these are some powerful pickups. Nothing on earth sounds like a stingray. 

[No. 8 Wire]

I love my Ray, when I only had one bass I used to use it for all styles without any issues.  I find mine (3 band) really sensitive to even slightly old strings, the tone just seems to die away instantly.  Although, weirdly I had TI flats on it for a while and it had a great tone with those, but sounded more Jazz like than Ray.

I've played a few 2 bands and really like the sound, but I'm never going to get another MM except possibly a 5 string - I feel like I'd miss the mid control.  I'm tempted to try out the East 4 knob preamp which according to the blurb sounds like a 2 band with the mids set flat.  Anyone tried out the East Pre next to a 2 band to see how close it is?

[stingrayPete1977]

4 hours ago, Old Horse Murphy said:

I struggled with bottom end too when using a 3eq. I found it very insipid and quite difficult to hear myself when playing in a moderately loud band. 

The 2eq Rays however are superb instruments and I'd love to own one again. 

You're not having mine back, lol 

[stingrayPete1977]

I've said it before and it comes across as harsh but anyone that thinks it is a one trick pony is a one trick player imo. 

[anzoid]

23 hours ago, stingrayPete1977 said:

You did put a battery in didn't you? 

You joke (perhaps...) but was in a guitar shop that had a secondhand Ray 34 in superb condition. Someone else was trying it out and it sounded rubbish through an MB CMD121P - weak and lacking. They put it back on the wall and left. I had a go and was unimpressed. Grabbed a sales person and asked if he would check the battery... lo and behold, it didn't even have one in it. He popped in a new one, I tried it out and it came home with me and was very pleased for the money

I didn't actually keep it - neck was just a bit too chunky for me, but made some money on the sale (which is pretty much a first for me...).

[drTStingray]

I'm guessing from these comments most if not all of you haven't played a 2018 Stingray Special? The new 3 band is quite different and along with the neo pick ups and 18 volt electronics make for a great experience.

What you guys talking about the earlier 3 band compared with the 2 band are hearing is the filter cutting the boomy frequencies plus the way the mid is voiced. If you turn the mid down some way, boost bass and treble a little you'll get closer to the 2 band sound. 

You can get more bass response by moving the position you pluck the bass towards the neck - rather than over the pick up (such as where you pluck a Precision or even closer to the neck for instance).

The Stingray has always had more bass and treble than a Precision - that was part of the point of it in the first place - giving the player more flexibility and ability to control their sound. 

Edited December 25, 2018 by drTStingray