Stingray Special vs. Yamaha BBP34 video

[Vanheusen77]

Hi! I made this comparison with a poll if anyone is interested in hearing how these two basses compare playing different basslines.

 

[la bam]

You make them both sound excellent!

 

I cant believe how much that yamaha sounds like a p bass. Great stuff.

[horrorshowbass]

I could watch these comparison videos for days

Thanks

[Lozz196]

On 24/01/2022 at 11:35, la bam said:

You make them both sound excellent!

 

I cant believe how much that yamaha sounds like a p bass. Great stuff.

Yep I thought it sounded great on just the P pickup, especially with the playing/bassline with a pick part.

[fretmeister]

I enjoyed that!

[Vanheusen77]

It's interesting how these basses compare when listening in different headphones or speakers, sometimes the BB sounds more solid and articulated and in another speaker it's the Stingray! Another somewhat interesting find: I posted this in another well known bass forum as well, and there it seemed the BB with both pickups on was the most preferred while it seems to be the least preferred here (not that many votes here though). Different continents like different sounds? 

[Guest]

12 votes here, 74 votes there

[EJWW]

I like all three and if I was completely honest would not vote...but I did, for the BB P pickup.

 

I think they all sound great but that P pickup tone is just so awesome, it really makes you sit up in your chair.

 

The thing with the Stingray is that the tone is so easily identifiable and sounds so cool but I really think that the P and PJ tones of the BB are just more useful across more types of music.

 

Actualy I wish I hadn't watched this video as my GAS is starting to rise again and I thought I had beaten it. Damn.

[2elliot]

That  BB sounds fantastic!

[Vanheusen77]

22 hours ago, 2elliot said:

That  BB sounds fantastic!

Thanks, though I keep going back and forth with my preference regarding the PJ vs jazz bass sound. It’s a really good bass!

[Velarian]

I thought the string pulls sounded best on the Stingray but overall I preferred BB on the p-bass only pickup. 

[mihangle]

the BB is my preference by quite a margin ....

[Misdee]

Both sound great, but in a sense their is no comparison because they are so radically different sonically. 

 

Some very tasty and tidy playing there too, if I might say.

[petebassist]

21 minutes ago, Misdee said:

Both sound great, but in a sense their is no comparison because they are so radically different sonically. 

 

Some very tasty and tidy playing there too, if I might say.

Love this playing as well. I tried out this pro-level BB at Bass Direct, and was blown away by the quality and feel of it, and I've heard on these videos the same bass doing a superb jazz & precision tone. 

 

[drTStingray]

Great comparison video - all sounds great. However, I must say the Stingray sound appears far more refined than the Yamaha sound, and particularly with the Yamaha in P pick up only mode - that’s probably more a general comment on a P pick up sound than the way the Yamaha achieves it - which it does very well IMO. 

[Vanheusen77]

Yeah the Stingray can actually sound quite smooth. Someone on this forum described P bass sounds in general as more “rustic”. When you add in the bridge pickup on the Yamaha you get a sound slightly more towards a jazz bass but different.

[Johncee]

To me, the Yamaha seems a little louder. Comparisons are tricky when levels aren't matched.

[Vanheusen77]

1 hour ago, Johncee said:

To me, the Yamaha seems a little louder. Comparisons are tricky when levels aren't matched.

You are definitely right, but in my defence it is also quite difficult to level match. What is perceived as being louder is often different to the actual db, so I compromise. For example a sound with bigger peaks (such as the Ray) will read as being louder than it sounds. If I do this again I will try to avoid looking at meters and only use my ears!

[Guest]

The reality is that the bass is very high in the mix and the backing is sparse. Seated properly in a track you might be hard pressed to hear any significant difference. And none of the settings sound “better” to my ears - just different. 

[Vanheusen77]

21 minutes ago, FDC484950 said:

Seated properly in a track you might be hard pressed to hear any significant difference.

Especially if played through an amp/amp plugin in my experience.

[Sibob]

Those BB P34/35’s do sound excellent, heard a few clips of them recently.

Shame about the weird blue, but hey 😆

 

Si

[CPCustomdubwise]

I agree with the earlier comment that neither sounds "better.....just different", at least in the context of these mixes. 

The exceptions to this are the section where you use a pick, though; the Yamaha sounds actually better to me when using a pick and the Stingray sounds better on the pulls.

Otherwise, they were a selection of great bass sounds and some nice playing.

[horrorshowbass]

I've recently just had my stingray revelation and I'm obsessed with the tone. Love that P tone though too so I want both in my life. Voted for the Stingray though, still searching for a super playable one

[Sweeneythebass]

On 03/03/2022 at 12:52, FDC484950 said:

The reality is that the bass is very high in the mix and the backing is sparse. Seated properly in a track you might be hard pressed to hear any significant difference. And none of the settings sound “better” to my ears - just different. 

This ☝️Not better just different. The different sounds would be appropriate in different musical situations 

[Vanheusen77]

4 hours ago, horrorshowbass said:

Voted for the Stingray though, still searching for a super playable one

I can say that the Stingray Special is one of if not the most comfortable bass I have tried. Very light also.