Can anyone explain the Musicman Stingray series to me?

[pineweasel]

19 minutes ago, Jack said:

There was a Stingray 4, that led to five string Stingray

Although the design of the Stingray 5 was based on the Silhouette guitar, so it looks nothing like the Stingray 4. Years later they made a 5 string based on the Stingray 4, which they called the Classic Stingray 5. 

[Eldon Tyrell]

3 minutes ago, pineweasel said:

Although the design of the Stingray 5 was based on the Silhouette guitar, so it looks nothing like the Stingray 4. Years later they made a 5 string based on the Stingray 4, which they called the Classic Stingray 5. 

I am confident that in one universe of the multiverse, this makes perfect sense. 

[drTStingray]

I once looked into buying a Fender Precision but amongst the eye watering range of apparently the same instrument from relatively cheap to eye watering prices, I couldn’t decide which one to get………. apparently there’s even one called a Vintera (without Vintera on the headstock) and an Ultra, an Ultra 11, American Professional, American Professional 11 - and various other baffling models. 
 

As per @warwickhunt I concluded Fender, along with Warwick, Musicman and probably several other companies making guitars have very confusing marketing strategies which involve updating their models every couple of years and issuing umpteen variants. Probably Fender is the most confusing to those who don’t follow their activities on a day to day basis. But they all seem to be doing OK!! 
 

Now the Stingray is quite straightforward - there are just several variants (currently) and have been several variants in the past. Best bet is to find a shop with some in stock and try playing them and pick the one you like. 
 

If you want to know what’s available now, the best bet is to go on their web site and look!! The Stingray has been around for nearly 50 yrs - during which time there’ve been a lot of different variations on the same concept. 

Edited December 22, 2023 by drTStingray

[Minininjarob]

4 hours ago, drTStingray said:

I once looked into buying a Fender Precision but amongst the eye watering range of apparently the same instrument from relatively cheap to eye watering prices, I couldn’t decide which one to get………. apparently there’s even one called a Vintera (without Vintera on the headstock) and an Ultra, an Ultra 11, American Professional, American Professional 11 - and various other baffling models. 
 

As per @warwickhunt I concluded Fender, along with Warwick, Musicman and probably several other companies making guitars have very confusing marketing strategies which involve updating their models every couple of years and issuing umpteen variants. Probably Fender is the most confusing to those who don’t follow their activities on a day to day basis. But they all seem to be doing OK!! 
 

Now the Stingray is quite straightforward - there are just several variants (currently) and have been several variants in the past. Best bet is to find a shop with some in stock and try playing them and pick the one you like. 
 

If you want to know what’s available now, the best bet is to go on their web site and look!! The Stingray has been around for nearly 50 yrs - during which time there’ve been a lot of different variations on the same concept. 

As a complete beginner last year I found the Fender ranges to be pretty obvious but the Stingray range to still be confusing although with the help on here I think I get it. Maybe your username suggests you have a long history with them which might help!

Which one would you recommend out of the single pickup range? Not sure which type of pickup would be best for me. 
I would go and try them in a shop if anyone within an hours drive had any in stock. 😞

[ossyrocks]

I'm glad I read this thread. I had thought it was just me being stupid.

I'm still befuddled though.

[Eldon Tyrell]

7 hours ago, drTStingray said:

I once looked into buying a Fender Precision but amongst the eye watering range of apparently the same instrument from relatively cheap to eye watering prices, I couldn’t decide which one to get………. apparently there’s even one called a Vintera (without Vintera on the headstock) and an Ultra, an Ultra 11, American Professional, American Professional 11 - and various other baffling models. 

I am sure Fender will eventually release an American Pro 11 but at the moment we are still only at nr 2 (II) 😉

 

BTW, there is no Ultra II, at least not at the moment, maybe you know more than us (NAMM is around the corner so maybe you have some insider intel :-). There is a Vintera II and an American Vintage II though. 

[Jack]

On 21/12/2023 at 16:12, pineweasel said:

Although the design of the Stingray 5 was based on the Silhouette guitar, so it looks nothing like the Stingray 4. Years later they made a 5 string based on the Stingray 4, which they called the Classic Stingray 5. 

And then the 4 string version of the 5 string Stingray was called the Sterling. That's the USA Sterling mind, not the Sterling Stingray range, which aren't built in the USA. 

[snorkie635]

I wonder what Leo would have made of it all? 🫨

[Bolo]

If you'd just call them by their name much of the 'confusion' would dissipate. Musicman, Sterling By Musicman.

The Musicman Sterling bass also has a different neck profile than the stingray does. 

It's really not rocket surgery.

[StingRayBoy42]

Look, it's really very simple.

They make StingRays and Sterlings.

The Sterling is a 4 string version of  the 5 string StingRay.

They also made a 5 string Sterling, so a 5 string version of the 4 string version of the 5 string StingRay.

Their budget line is called Sterling by MusicMan, which have nothing to do with the Sterling. Unless it's a Sterling by Sterling by MusicMan.

Sterling by MusicMan also make StingRays, so it's a StingRay by Sterling by MusicMan.

They also make a Ray34 (4 string, unless it's a 5 string) and a Ray35 (5 string unless it's a 4 string)

They used to make the S.U.B. but everyone liked them so they stopped, then they made the SUB which is a different thing to the S.U.B.  They also make the bongo, which isn't a bongo, it's a Bass and looks like HR Giger and Hieronymus Bosch had a bet as to who could make the ugliest thing and they both won.

 

Hope that clears things up!

[ossyrocks]

1 hour ago, StingRayBoy42 said:

Look, it's really very simple.

They make StingRays and Sterlings.

The Sterling is a 4 string version of  the 5 string StingRay.

They also made a 5 string Sterling, so a 5 string version of the 4 string version of the 5 string StingRay.

Their budget line is called Sterling by MusicMan, which have nothing to do with the Sterling. Unless it's a Sterling by Sterling by MusicMan.

Sterling by MusicMan also make StingRays, so it's a StingRay by Sterling by MusicMan.

They also make a Ray34 (4 string, unless it's a 5 string) and a Ray35 (5 string unless it's a 4 string)

They used to make the S.U.B. but everyone liked them so they stopped, then they made the SUB which is a different thing to the S.U.B.  They also make the bongo, which isn't a bongo, it's a Bass and looks like HR Giger and Hieronymus Bosch had a bet as to who could make the ugliest thing and they both won.

 

Hope that clears things up!

 

Why didn't you just say that before ! It all makes sense now !

 

 

[stoo]

  

On 21/12/2023 at 15:43, Jack said:

And you can have a USA Sterling, but there is as of yet no Sterling Sterling.

 

There was - except they called it an SB14 and discontinued it again after a while.... presumably after getting fed up of having to explain what it was

 

  

On 21/12/2023 at 15:43, Jack said:

Pretty much their first overseas instrument was essentially a passive Stringray, they called it the SUB. They now use the SUB name for the whole line of cheapest basses they make. They are not passive.

 

You sure?

 

The early OLP "Stingray"s were passive but they were named MM2 / MM3, not SUB

The EBMM SUBs came as both active and passive (I've got an active one from 2003 and a 2004 one that was originally passive) but were made in USA

Then OLP came out with the active HH models in 2007.... named MM22 / MM32, not SUB

I think the Sterling by Musicman SUBs were always active, weren't they? I had one of the early ones not long after they came out and don't remember there being a passive option at the time? Was a while ago though - might be misremembering

 

 

 

Edited December 24, 2023 by stoo
forgot to add pic

[Eldon Tyrell]

Man, I think I better just stick to my Spectors 🙂

[Wolverinebass]

The easy way to explain the Stingray series is - They're all massively overpriced because Ernie Ball are clearly on the gear.

 

Now, you don't need to know anything else. A grand for a Sterling?!! 3 grand for a Stingray?!! It's just insane. I toyed with getting one about 5 years ago when they were £1800. However, now that they're twice that, I think not.

[LowB_FTW]

2 hours ago, StingRayBoy42 said:

They also make the bongo, which isn't a bongo, it's a Bass and looks like HR Giger and Hieronymus Bosch had a bet as to who could make the ugliest thing and they both won.

😂

 

Mark

[warwickhunt]

Pretty much their first overseas instrument was essentially a passive Stringray...

 

You sure?

 

The early OLP "Stingray"s were passive but they were named MM2 / MM3, not SUB...

 

Are YOU sure?  

 

IIRC the first overseas instrument was the Japanese Stingray EX (active) which was effectively the USA Stingray assembled overseas, which was 'exactly' a USA Stingray but doesn't have the made in USA legend on it.  

 

 

 

[snorkie635]

1 hour ago, LowB_FTW said:

😂

 

Mark

Love a Bongo (Santa take note)

 

Hate a Big Al (Santa take note)

[stoo]

15 minutes ago, warwickhunt said:

Pretty much their first overseas instrument was essentially a passive Stringray...

 

You sure?

 

The early OLP "Stingray"s were passive but they were named MM2 / MM3, not SUB...

 

Are YOU sure?  

 

IIRC the first overseas instrument was the Japanese Stingray EX (active) which was effectively the USA Stingray assembled overseas, which was 'exactly' a USA Stingray but doesn't have the made in USA legend on it.  

 

 

 

 

I hadn't assumed my list was exhaustive, but I think what I put was accurate - wasn't it?

 

Had definitely forgotten about the EX ones though...  

[neepheid]

I owned an OLP MM3.

 

No sign of SUB or any other such branding, it was definitely an MM3.  It was definitely passive, because I subsequently modded it with an Artec SE-2A 2 band stacked EQ.