American Original P bass vs. Stingray Special video

[Vanheusen77]

I made this comparison, and of course a poll on which one you like! EDIT: there is now a second video with the Stingray preamp boosted to about 70% on bass and treble (50% being middle detent).

 

Edited April 11, 2022 by Vanheusen77

[dub_junkie]

Prefer the StingRay when played finger style and slap. That being said the P bass didn’t sound worse just different and I’d be happy with either tone.
Precision sounds better with the pick imo

[Cosmo Valdemar]

The Precision sounded better on all examples to me. I like Stingrays but only when they're sitting in the mix a bit more - solo they sound a bit like a duck.

[CPCustomdubwise]

This just serves to remind me why these are my two favourite bass guitar sounds...

Both sound great; different but so useable.

Voted for the Stingray just to maintain the balance...

[fretmeister]

I really liked them both. I prefered the P bass as a di, but the ray with an amp sim. I think the Ray needs that extra fat that a good amp gives it. They can be a bit thin sounding without, but then with a good amp - 'Nard Edwards is right there (probably my favourite stingray sound).

 

I think the Ray just edges it for me, but it's really tight.

[horrorshowbass]

2 hours ago, Cosmo Valdemar said:

The Precision sounded better on all examples to me. I like Stingrays but only when they're sitting in the mix a bit more - solo they sound a bit like a duck.

Lol a duck, good shout. A funky duck at that

[StingRayBoy42]

Both lovely, but I'm a StingRayBoy, so....

I can think of a few songs I'd like to play that P Bass on, though!

[Linus27]

Stingray for finger style.

Precision for slap and pick.

[Bunion]

Stingray for me finger and slap it’s just that tight funky sound.

P for pick 

do you find you play closer to the bridge naturally on the Stingray (looked like it) though so it would sound tighter 

[horrorshowbass]

P with pick is pure joy.

Stingray owns slap. Fingerstyle its a tie for me.

[theyellowcar]

P Bass all the way through, but I’m a P Bass guy. 

[Pinball]

Hmmm, I always love the sound of a P bass when playing at home but for me a Stingray, played with a pick is outstandingly clear in a live band situation. A wonderful clear pick sound at the end. 

[Vanheusen77]

I will make a part 2 of this soon with a slight bass boost on the preamp as well, which I think is the way most people use it.

[Eldon Tyrell]

Slap: Stingray

Rest: P

 

[Bunion]

What strings are on both basses too? 

[gjones]

Context is everything.

 

For blues or country, I would go for the Precision.

 

For funk or rock I'd go for the Stingray.

 

 

[Vanheusen77]

10 hours ago, Bunion said:

What strings are on both basses too? 

They both have Ernie Ball slinky 45-105.

[Vanheusen77]

There is now a second video at the top with the Stingray preamp set to 70% on bass and treble for comparison! Someone pointed out that it would be useful to hear more of the boosted preamp sound since that is how many use the Stingray. There are of course millions of combinations but I settled for this.

Edited April 11, 2022 by Vanheusen77

[drTStingray]

4 hours ago, Vanheusen77 said:

There is now a second video at the top with the Stingray preamp set to 70% on bass and treble for comparison! Someone pointed out that it would be useful to hear more of the boosted preamp sound since that is how many use the Stingray. There are of course millions of combinations but I settled for this.

Thanks for posting that - the Stingray is clearly much more versatile with that 18 volt 3 band EQ. Whilst the P bass is ok across the various techniques (it does verge on agricultural sound wise on slap but there have been slap tracks such as Forget Me Nots which have used the sound).

 

The Stingray sound is generally more refined and especially on the upper notes of the octaves played. 
 

My favourite P bass sound is with the tone rolled off at least 50%. However the Stingray does enable changing the sound significantly using the EQ - and no matter what people say about EQing the P and other effects, changing the tone at the bass and varying playing technique changes things much more than amp EQ, for instance, in my experience. 
 

This shouldn’t be surprising really as much of the extensive development work done on bass guitars in the 70s (Alembic, Wal, Musicman and others) was all about providing flexibility and higher fidelity for players. The Stingray used is the 2018 upgrade using the 18 volt 3 band preamp and represents the most recent development of the 1976 design. Both basses no doubt benefit from vastly improved manufacturing techniques and tolerances compared with their 1957 and 1976 origins. 
 

It’s a really good comparison video and really nice playing, also, 

Edited April 11, 2022 by drTStingray

[fretmeister]

22 hours ago, drTStingray said:

Thanks for posting that - the Stingray is clearly much more versatile with that 18 volt 3 band EQ. Whilst the P bass is ok across the various techniques (it does verge on agricultural sound wise on slap but there have been slap tracks such as Forget Me Nots which have used the sound).

 

The Stingray sound is generally more refined and especially on the upper notes of the octaves played. 
 

My favourite P bass sound is with the tone rolled off at least 50%. However the Stingray does enable changing the sound significantly using the EQ - and no matter what people say about EQing the P and other effects, changing the tone at the bass and varying playing technique changes things much more than amp EQ, for instance, in my experience. 
 

This shouldn’t be surprising really as much of the extensive development work done on bass guitars in the 70s (Alembic, Wal, Musicman and others) was all about providing flexibility and higher fidelity for players. The Stingray used is the 2018 upgrade using the 18 volt 3 band preamp and represents the most recent development of the 1976 design. Both basses no doubt benefit from vastly improved manufacturing techniques and tolerances compared with their 1957 and 1976 origins. 
 

It’s a really good comparison video and really nice playing, also, 

 

 

This post has been sponsored by EBMM!

 

 

[drTStingray]

2 hours ago, fretmeister said:

 

 

This post has been sponsored by EBMM!

 

 

Nope!!! Just stating the blexxing obvious 😀😂 and a personal dislike of the P bass with tone full on (allegedly with treble)!! 
 

It’s an interesting comparison video though? 

 

FWIW the best P bass tone I’ve heard live just through an amp was back in the 70s - it was a natural with maple board, played hard with the tone rolled off - it was a band playing soul music outdoors at a US air base. 

 

Now if you move to the Paul Turner tone with JamieRockway, that was through a pre amp - as was Nate Watts on Sir Duke (Reddit and Alembic respectively). I like both if these as well. 
 

On Runaway by Jamiretc, Paul Turner stated the verses were with his P (through pre amp) and the choruses on a 2 band Stingray - they sound similar but the Stingray has a fatter low end and sounds slightly more refined. 
 

I know it’s all personal preference but these are my thoughts!! 

Edited April 12, 2022 by drTStingray

[ahpook]

The P-bass for me, it sounds friendlier.

 

The Stingray sounds good, but is just more...aloof.

Edited April 12, 2022 by ahpook

[fretmeister]

It is a great video.

 

Unless it's for something specific like Steve Harris or Billy Sheehan tones I'm also of the view that a P bass with the tone up full is a bit crap.

When I play mine (with ti flats) I take the Duck Dunn approach and have the tone at about 50%-60% so I've got a bit of movement both ways to adjust for the room on the fly.

 

I'd love to get a 4 string Stingray (I had a 5 string) but the specials have wider nuts than the previous version and they are too wide for me, and the chances of finding one with an SLO neck that is under 7.5lb appear to be non-existent. So I will just have to put up with that.

[MGBrown]

P bass for everything except the pick playing at the end with 70% bass/treble. All good though. Tomorrow I'll change my mind! In reality it depends on the genre of music, the other instruments and their frequencies, and how forward you to be in the the mix. And personal preference of course.

[drTStingray]

2 hours ago, fretmeister said:

 

I'd love to get a 4 string Stingray (I had a 5 string) but the specials have wider nuts than the previous version and they are too wide for me, and the chances of finding one with an SLO neck that is under 7.5lb appear to be non-existent. So I will just have to put up with that.

My Special is 1 and 5/8” at the nut - identical to my 2014 Sabre Classic. The neck is quite a flat and comfy profile and the roasted maple/ oil and wax make it a breeze to play. I think the more recent basses have a less chunky profile, certainly compared to a 90s bass, for instance. However as they’re all hand finished I guess there’s minor variation. 
 

There were a few SLO Special neck profile versions available through the Vault a while back (rather like small batches of lefties and fretless). But as you say, extremely rare I guess.