Music Man Dark Ray

[drTStingray]

The 2 band pre amp sounds slightly different from the normal EB one - the Patrick Hunter video and the one on the EBMM web site seem to give an indication that it’s more along the lines of an ultra clean sound - perhaps like the late 90s Incubus and other similar - but with some of the normal Stingray fatness remaining (especially for slap). 

[ern500evo]

I think what I mean is, I assume they particularly wanted a 2 band eq, otherwise they could’ve just used the 3 band DG capsule which is already in production, and they already use stacked knobs on the 4 band Bongo. Maybe they wanted all new circuitry, more focused around the Ray bite 

[Cuzzie]

23 hours ago, Lfalex v1.1 said:

Next EBMM projects:

The Death-Ray, Gamma Ray and Cosmic Ray, Sterling Silver and last (but not least), the Um-Bongo... (Google it if you're under 30!)

 

Darkglass collaborated with Yamaha - would it be a RayB’s

[Eldon Tyrell]

On 23/06/2021 at 19:11, Lfalex v1.1 said:

Next EBMM projects:

The Death-Ray, Gamma Ray and Cosmic Ray, Sterling Silver and last (but not least), the Um-Bongo... (Google it if you're under 30!)

 

I like these new ray projects. Here is the fitting soundtrack:

 

[Cuzzie]

The bass looks interesting and I do like the new colour, but RE Patrick Hunter demo - close your eyes, it sounds the same as every other thing he reviews, literally he makes all pedals/effects sound the same

[fretmeister]

3 hours ago, Ricky Rioli said:

How often do people blending clean and distorted signals like to EQ them separately?

For me - every single time.

[fretmeister]

1 minute ago, Cuzzie said:

The bass looks interesting and I do like the new colour, but RE Patrick Hunter demo - close your eyes, it sounds the same as every other thing he reviews, literally he makes all pedals/effects sound the same

This is true. But I like his enthusiasm, and that I once won one of his competitions.

[Cuzzie]

2 minutes ago, fretmeister said:

This is true. But I like his enthusiasm, and that I once won one of his competitions.

You have been won over literally 

[Chiliwailer]

I like the Granite, but shame it’s a satin finish as they seem to wear more easily, not great on a 1 of 100 bass for me. Black would match my Special nicely though, so I’ll keep an eye on the classifieds next year, that bass looks like pure fun. 

[drTStingray]

On 24/06/2021 at 10:33, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

I was having a good think about this on the dog walk this morning.

On one hand you could conclude that the inclusion of the Alpha/Omega is a sales gimmick and I think whichever way you look at it, that will at least partly be the case for the Dark Ray. You may also reach the view that on paper, taking into the account the success of the Nolly/Darkglass/Dingwall collaborations of recent years, that there could indeed be some mileage in it.

My head also finds it slightly odd that the Granite Stone version is the Limited Edition. Personal choice I know, but I think an all gloss black/roasted neck or maybe a gloss black ‘midnight sparkle’ with MHS might look a bit more special. Perhaps use matt black without MHS as standard? A moot point anyway, it is what it is now - and I hate that expression 😂.

The burning issue for me, is how that two band Darkglass pre-amp differs from the standard MM pre-amp. I think most of us know what the Alpha/Omega effects are going to sound like, but what will it sound like in standard mode through my rig? 🤔

Waffle aside, I thought the Patrick Hunter video was quite good. It’s what I want from a demo. Same riff played over and over with different settings. It would have been nice to know what the signal path was, but that’s being picky. I also applaud him for the criticism regarding it not having a mid pot. How many manufacturers are going to let someone get away with that and put it on their web site? Old school ‘Ray users will know what they can get out of a vintage Stingray 2 band EQ. For me it’s bass full on, bit of treble and adjust the rest on my amp = smokin’. I can’t help wondering whether Hunter is one of these people who just doesn’t like 2 band ‘Rays or is it because the Darkglass pre-amp is slightly different somehow?

My head says it’s a non-issue. My fretting hand won’t thank me for ordering one. I’ve sold three ‘Rays for precisely that reason, but I can’t help but be intrigued by it all.

56 left and counting….

 

At least one more person on Talkbass has ordered one - have you given in and pressed the button….. 😀 I haven’t but quite like the stone coloured one now - I can imagine it being great fun - as I’ve increased in age and relative decrepitude 😩 I’ve moved from one finger per fret to simandl at the bottom end of the fretboard for repetitive parts (like rock and roll lines like Whole Lotta Shakin Going On) in great sounding but real PITA keys like F and G!! Rehearsal tomorrow - let’s see if the fretting hand complains (after all it’s done relatively little for over 12 months 😕). 

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

5 hours ago, drTStingray said:

At least one more person on Talkbass has ordered one - have you given in and pressed the button….. 😀 I haven’t but quite like the stone coloured one now - I can imagine it being great fun - as I’ve increased in age and relative decrepitude 😩 I’ve moved from one finger per fret to simandl at the bottom end of the fretboard for repetitive parts (like rock and roll lines like Whole Lotta Shakin Going On) in great sounding but real PITA keys like F and G!! Rehearsal tomorrow - let’s see if the fretting hand complains (after all it’s done relatively little for over 12 months 😕). 

Ah, I didn’t check yesterday. I thought the first guy would have had his delivered by now. I’ll have a read later.

No, I haven’t pressed the button yet. Like you, after my initial comments regarding the Granite Stone, that’s the one I would go for - if I did, that is 😬. I still think they could have opted for a better finish for such a small Limited Edition, but that’s probably just me. I think it would probably sit quite well next to my Fender Flea Active in Inca Silver.

If you’re going to do it, you may have to make your mind up soon as there are only 31 left!

 

[drTStingray]

I believe the latest one said this weekend for delivery. Still undecided but I guess this weekend may be the last chance. Do you think Sims could do LEDs with colours to match the two on the bass? Maybe that really would stretch the batteries!!

If you’re going to have a slightly maverick,  slightly OTT bass maybe that is another thought? 

Edited June 26, 2021 by drTStingray

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

1 hour ago, drTStingray said:

I believe the latest one said this weekend for delivery. Still undecided but I guess this weekend may be the last chance. Do you think Sims could do LEDs with colours to match the two on the bass? Maybe that really would stretch the batteries!!

If you’re going to have a slightly maverick,  slightly OTT bass maybe that is another thought? 

Yes, just checked. One should have arrived yesterday and the other guy said Monday.

The way they have been going, you could be right. Maybe one or two left by Monday. 30 left now.

SIMS would add another battery compartment, possibly a double for 2 x PP9’s, not to mention the extra weight that goes with them. I do have a Status with after market SIMS LED’s and it’s a fine bass, but I don’t think I would do it again. For me, the LED’s that Status put in their graphite necks during manufacture are gold standard. The tri-colours in my S2 are just amazing.

It will be interesting to see what these Dark Rays weigh. I’m hoping to find out via our friends in the USA.

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

The Ltd Ed version has made it through the weekend. 21 left. Disappointingly, no one on Talkbass appears to have received theirs yet. There was talk of only a few being ready for shipping, so feedback may be slow coming through. 

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

One of the first to put an order in has received his Dark Ray already. He has posted his thought on Talkbass which I'll paste here:

"Ok. Initial thoughts...

Fit and finish is superb. Balance is a treat. I don't have scales, so you will have to take my word for this. It's light.

Clean sound: I don't hear any compromises here. I compared it with my 2004, 3 band Ray. Sounds more like the Classic Ray I used to own. The two band EQ is subtle. Some great tones. Definitely a 'Ray. But that's not why you buy this sucker...

The Fuzz tone (Red): Sounds much better finger style. Harsh with a pick. That could be the pick, or more likely, my style (I'm heavy handed). Finger style for me, brings out the natural undertones. The flesh on my fingers brought out those undertones, with the effect being more of a pleasant embellishment.

The Overdrive (Blue). Takes it up a notch. Again, sounds better finger style. IMO. See above. I would use this to a lesser extent.

Early days. The blend is very sensitive, but in a good way. I will be more conclusive once I've reflected a little more, listened more to the nuances of blending and once I'm in the mix.

For me, first impression? Happy with it. Very much so. No buyer's remorse.

However, I'm pretty sure it will not be for everyone. I would wholeheartedly recommend trying it out before purchasing. It's a quality bass and comparable (or less) than the price of the latest specials. And I feel, the clean tone is certainly there."

Further on in the thread he goes on to say that he almost exclusively a pick player, so I imagine he'll be selling it some time soon?

He's also put up some nice photos of his bass. The weight is unconfirmed, but allegedly light as per the current Special models.

I really like the individual neck plates. I think that's a very nice touch.

 

Edited June 29, 2021 by hiram.k.hackenbacker

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

On 22/06/2021 at 18:41, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

Just put one in my basket.

£2576.67 all in. Not as bad as I thought.

Mmm. Probably won’t keep it, but would be interested in trying one.

88 left and counting.

I was thinking about pressing the button on one of these. Checkout now shows the total as £2715.19!

I'm not quite sure what has changed in a week, but that's me out 😬.

[Chiliwailer]

6 hours ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

I was thinking about pressing the button on one of these. Checkout now shows the total as £2715.19!

I'm not quite sure what has changed in a week, but that's me out 😬.

Exchange rate? Price may be going back down now, £2657 for me this morning. 11 left. Wondering if you may just score a late winner. 

I’ve emailed Big Poppa asking if he fancies p/x’ing my Jazz... 😁

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

1 hour ago, Chiliwailer said:

Exchange rate? Price may be going back down now, £2657 for me this morning. 11 left. Wondering if you may just score a late winner. 

I’ve emailed Big Poppa asking if he fancies p/x’ing my Jazz... 😁

Yes, probably is the exchange rate. In fact, that’s all it can be really, it just seemed a big leap.

He didn’t reply to me either when I suggested he should make me an SLO version 😂

[Guest]

It’s partly exchange rate and partly that the shipping has shot up since I started looking at the harvest orange StingRays. A few weeks ago UPS Express was about £85 - now it’s about £155. A reflection of the global turmoil in shipping and logistics, perhaps. 
To be honest I prefer the all black one to the matt grey, and anyway don’t play 4s. Those orange StingRays, though. A lot of money, but so tempting…

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

....and SOLD OUT! The Granite Stone version anyway - and yes, I managed to resist! Unbelievable I know 😀