Most aggressive: Thumb vs Stingray vs Wal

[4000]

So, inspired by a conversation I had recently, for those of you with experience of all three, which of the following do you consider the most aggressive-sounding bass (all other things being equal, i.e. player, amp etc):

Warwick Thumb

Musicman Stingray

Wal

 

[itu]

Humbuckers and a very functional preamp, need I say more?

[TheGreek]

Buy an Enfield and you can virtually cover all three...

[gareth]

2 hours ago, 4000 said:

So, inspired by a conversation I had recently, for those of you with experience of all three, which of the following do you consider the most aggressive-sounding bass (all other things being equal, i.e. player, amp etc):

Warwick Thumb

Musicman Stingray

Wal

 

G&L L1500/1505

[4000]

4 minutes ago, gareth said:

G&L L1500/1505

You give three options and everyone chooses something different.😂
 

So, OUT OF THE THREE LISTED, which do you consider the most aggressive. 😉

Edited May 20, 2020 by 4000

[4000]

FWIW, I have extensive experience of all 3 but was just interested to see other people’s opinions.

[ezbass]

33 minutes ago, 4000 said:

You give three options and everyone chooses something different.😂

C'mon this is BC, you should know better 😂. To paraphrase an old saying, put 2 BCers in one thread and get 3 points of view.

[ped]

P with flats

[ClassicVibes]

J with flats!

[ped]

But srsly of those three I think a Thumb can sound the most aggressive. Really nice sound 👍🏼

[4000]

Just now, ped said:

But srsly of those three I think a Thumb can sound the most aggressive. Really nice sound 👍🏼

I tend to agree, FWIW. 😁

[OliverBlackman]

I’ve only owned a thumb and stingray. Out of those two the thumb was much more powerful across the board.

[4000]

1 hour ago, OliverBlackman said:

I’ve only owned a thumb and stingray. Out of those two the thumb was much more powerful across the board.

See, that’s a great response. It can be done! 😂

[itu]

2 hours ago, 4000 said:

You give three options and everyone chooses something different.😂

Come on, my answer was the third from the given options.

[CPCustomdubwise]

I have also had all three and, as we know from another of your threads, the Thumb didn't do it for me....

Whatever, many years having elapsed and the one I still have ( well, not the SAME one....this is Basschat after all) is the Stingray.

So my qualified answer, especially via a GK800rb, is

Stingray.

[4000]

2 hours ago, itu said:

Come on, my answer was the third from the given options.

It was indeed. Sorry, hadnt meant to include you. 😁

[4000]

2 hours ago, CPCustomdubwise said:

I have also had all three and, as we know from another of your threads, the Thumb didn't do it for me....

Whatever, many years having elapsed and the one I still have ( well, not the SAME one....this is Basschat after all) is the Stingray.

So my qualified answer, especially via a GK800rb, is

Stingray.

Cheers, thanks for the response.

[shoulderpet]

I'm gonna throw a wildcard in, I played a Sandberg bass at a jam night that had a p pickup with huge polepieces, that bass sounded angry, I thought maybe the person on before me had an aggressive style, nope when I played it the tone was just as aggressive

[NickA]

Wal aggressive?  Mine aren't. Fat yes, aggressive, not really.  Subtle and gentle beasts.

Thumb has more growl than anything, even without the bridge pickup!

Ryan Martines Vs Lawrence Cottle / Mick Karn / Percy Jones.

I guess that bloke in tool sounds a bit aggressive, but it's all effects isn't it?

Edited May 20, 2020 by NickA

[4000]

1 minute ago, NickA said:

Wal aggressive?  Mine aren't. Fat yes, aggressive, not really.  Subtle and gentle beasts.

Thumb has more growl than anything, even without the bridge pickup!

I think Wals can be aggressive. Leigh Gorman has what I consider a fairly aggressive tone, and I could cop that, more or less, with my Pro IIE. My Custom could get pretty aggressive too. And Flea on Blood Sugar? That’s aggressive to me. 
 

Strangely in my experience the least aggressive is the Ray, even though I hear lots of people get plenty aggressive with them. So far I’ve not found one that gels with me; they always just seem really nasal when I play them. Still, I have the same effect on Jazz Basses. 😉😁

[NickA]

Lee was playing a pro2e (with a pick?) and mine are customs played with fingers.  Pull out the pick attack, all bridge pickup with the filter knob out and turned to 8 .... getting there I think.

Just listened to two blood sugar etc recordings .. the live one's pretty harsh, but he's playing a stingray😄

Maybe depends what we're calling "aggressive".

I'm still voting thumb tho.

[OliverBlackman]

36 minutes ago, 4000 said:

I think Wals can be aggressive. Leigh Gorman has what I consider a fairly aggressive tone, and I could cop that, more or less, with my Pro IIE. My Custom could get pretty aggressive too. And Flea on Blood Sugar? That’s aggressive to me. 
 

Strangely in my experience the least aggressive is the Ray, even though I hear lots of people get plenty aggressive with them. So far I’ve not found one that gels with me; they always just seem really nasal when I play them. Still, I have the same effect on Jazz Basses. 😉😁

It’s worth pointing out my Stingray was a 2006 3EQ. I don’t think this was a particularly good production period and the 3EQ wasn’t punchy compared to the newest classic and special models. I haven’t played an older one but the 80s/ 90s models with 2EQ are supposed to be aggressive. In fact that’s what I loved about the USA SUB basses.

[dub_junkie]

Another vote for the G&L L-1500. The one I had was lairy!!

I have owned a few Stingrays and briefly owned a Wal Pro IIe and a Thumb 4 neck thru a long time ago. I don’t remember much about the Wal and tbh, I couldn’t really pick between the Ray and the Thumb as they sound very different. But I do recall that my Thumb was more aggressive sounding than the Streamer Stage 1 that preceded it and I’ve always found USA Sterlings more aggressive sounding than Stingrays (Ceramic magnets vs Alnico?)

[drTStingray]

I think the 3 band StingRays from all eras can sound very aggressive - I have a 93, 03 and 07 - I tend to play them with the mid range cut to make them more mellow. 

That said my ceramic SR5 can sound warmer but also more aggressive dependent on how you play and the settings. 

Wal, Thumb and StingRay all have fat sounds IMHO. 

Edited May 21, 2020 by drTStingray

[Highfox]

I'd say the Wal, haven't owned a Thumb (bit did have a custom Streamer, if that counts)

The Stingray goes well aggressive with the highs, the Wal is more controllable and doesn't really overdrive any of the frequencies imo, just more and more