Have you ever fell out of love with an awesome bass?

[AngeR]

Hello basschatters! 
first of all sorry for my english, it’s not my main language.

 

When I started playing the bass, I was a huge Flea fan and of course I wanted that sound. Long story short, I got a Stingray and I was a happy chap for about 15 years…

Then, when I was being hired for sessions and tours, my sound preference shifted to a more Fender thing (J and P basses). The sound guys and the producers wanted that sound so a P was becoming my main bass.

 

After a while, I sold the Stingray because it was always sitting home without use. Funny thing is that I always missed that sound but being reasonable, that bass wouldn’t fit on the projects that I was working on.

 

The last Christmas I was really decided to buy a new Stingray because everytime I heard a Stingray I was like “man! i have to buy one for me and keep it!”

 

Well I did! I bought myself a new one, with the color that I always wanted. Just beautiful! Guess what… I don’t use it!

 

Everytime I pickup a P, I really enjoy playing because it’s a really dinamic instrument and I love the way it sits on the mix.

 

As you can tell, when I play the Stingray it lacks something. 
When it’s in my hands just doesn’t sound good to me. When someone picks up my bass and play it, I always think “wait! This bass sound cool”

 

I was wondering if I’m alone in this situation.

 

have a great day

 

 

 

 

Edited Wednesday at 08:13 by AngeR

[neepheid]

Your English is excellent, fear not and absolutely nothing to apologise for!

 

Tastes change.  These things happen.  Your tastes might come back around.  I don't get the disconnect between other people playing your bass and yourself - that's your mind playing tricks on you IMO.  It's the same bass - I think you are conflating the playing chops of the other player with tone and using it as a stick to bash yourself with in your head.  They may be able to play things you can't (yet), but that's the player, not the bass.  If they used different amplification, then it's the amp.  It's not the bass.

[AngeR]

Thanks for the reply Neepheid!

I honestly think that this it’s not the case here. The other bass players that used my bass was on my setup and it wasn’t a “better or worse” thing. 
 

I do agree that it’s probably my mind is tricking me and as you said, taste changes.

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

I bought my first mustang bass in about 2007, a secondhand 'crafted in Japan' one in olympic white. It was my main bass for the band I was in, and I thought I'd never part with it.

 

Fast forward a number of years and I now own several additional mustang basses, most notably three JMJs (two blue & one black) which have a much chunkier neck profile. After playing these I find the narrow glossy neck of the CIJ just isn't as much fun to play as the others, so I sold it.

[Lozz196]

I`ve been in the same situations with Stingrays, I love them, how they`re crafted, how they play, how they sit on a strap, everything. Except for the sound. When I hear someone else play one it sounds awesome to me, yet when I play one it just sounds wrong, probably through so many years of playing Precisions, so after the initial high of getting a `Ray I tend to fall out of love with it quite quickly.

[AngeR]

29 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

I`ve been in the same situations with Stingrays, I love them, how they`re crafted, how they play, how they sit on a strap, everything. Except for the sound. When I hear someone else play one it sounds awesome to me, yet when I play one it just sounds wrong, probably through so many years of playing Precisions, so after the initial high of getting a `Ray I tend to fall out of love with it quite quickly.

It seems we are on the same page here.

one thing I really miss when I play a Stingray is the tone control. I use it a lot and the treble knob isn’t the same thing

[itu]

For me marketing has raised serious GAS a few times, but...

 

I wanted a Steinberger L-2 a lot. They were rare, and it took quite a long time to get my hands on one. What a bulky neck profile! It felt like a thick, round double bass neck. Played it for five minutes. Now I hate it.

 

Wal. Similar experience. Terrible neck. To me, that is.

 

J and P look so old, straight from the 50's. Yes, they set the standard, but not my cup of tea. I do have two basses that are obvious descendats of the J, but if I had some extra money, I would remake the bodies by a luthier. Lighter, more ergonomic etc.

 

Single cuts, well, the idea sounded good, but I am still waiting to see one that looks good.

[Terry M.]

I think the Stingray 5 is so awesome I've tried about 5 or 6 times to keep one. I had to admit defeat in the end as the 17.5mm string spacing just isn't the one for me. If they came out with a 19mm spacing fiver I would rethink. I really like the vibe and the sound as well as the stellar build quality but cramped finger spacing on any bass turns me away.

[HeadlessBassist]

I think we all have different sounds/instruments for various situations. I'm mainly a Jazz Bass player these days, due to mainly playing 50's/60's in a touring live tribute show, but I still love to get the Status basses out and playing in the world whenever I can. It's basically horses for courses. Hopefully they will be out a lot in another forthcoming tribute project, but I definitely wouldn't be without them. It's my sound.

[simonlittle]

I too had a similar situation with a Stingray. Had a lovely pre-Ernie Stingray that I played for years with the Divine Comedy. Lovely slim neck; so easy to play. But I could never get it to sit right in the mix. Certainly never recorded with it. 
Had a brief dalliance with Precision basses before eventually settling on a Sandberg as my main gigging bass. Had one made that looks just like my old Stingray and I love it. 

[chris_b]

I've owned a Precision since March 1969, and now my main bass is a Mike Lull PJ5 with flats. For awhile I played an SR5, a Lakland 55-94 and a couple of Wal's, but I'm back.

 

All I know is a P bass makes me feel happy and confident when I'm playing.

[jonnybass]

I’ve owned 3 stingrays over the last 30 years, 2 five strings and a four. Absolutely lusted after them since the mid 90’s. All were great to play and for workhorse live basses they are great. But I have played other peoples, and I’ve played ones in shops that all played better than mine and as such all

have been moved on. I think in terms of the four, I didn’t spend long enough playing it live to get used to the sound and how it would work for me. 
 

jonny

[AngeR]

Thanks for all your feedback guys! 

They are in fact fantastic basses with an amazing build quality. 

Honestly, the 17,5mm doesn’t bother me at all. I think that how it sits in the mix is the key here. To be more specific, IMO the midrange is too harsh comparing with the P. The P is rounder and sits well in almost every genre. Might be my error but the Stingray don’t.

 

My tone preferences shifted from modern sounding basses to a more vintage vibe. P with rounds and flats, a J with rounds but in the last months I’m really digging more a Jazz on steroids thing like an F bass, Xotic or a Elrick NJS. I don’t know but might be a new direction

[itu]

Yes, one more which I have happily forgotten. A '91 Modulus Graphite Quantum 5 SPi custom. 17.5 mm string spacing. I sold it and got a chance to buy a black MG Genesis 5 from a gentleman here. 19 mm spacing, love it.

[Terry M.]

57 minutes ago, AngeR said:

 

Honestly, the 17,5mm doesn’t bother me at all.

That's for the 5 string. Did/do you have a 4 string version?

[mikebass456]

6 hours ago, Lozz196 said:

I`ve been in the same situations with Stingrays, I love them, how they`re crafted, how they play, how they sit on a strap, everything. Except for the sound. When I hear someone else play one it sounds awesome to me, yet when I play one it just sounds wrong, probably through so many years of playing Precisions, so after the initial high of getting a `Ray I tend to fall out of love with it quite quickly.

I was exactly the same! Bought one second hand in candy red sparkle, and had Jon Shuker refinish it in gloss black. Played it for about a year on and off, but kept going back to my P basses, so sold it on through Bass Bros a couple of years ago.  Always wanted one, but then when I got one, couldn't get the sound I wanted, or heard from others playing them.........don't regret moving it on though.

[AngeR]

29 minutes ago, Terry M. said:

That's for the 5 string. Did/do you have a 4 string version?

No, I just have the 5 string. The B string on Stingray sounds good 😉

[AngeR]

Thanks guys. It’s good to know that this isn’t paranoia. it seems that I’m not the only one. 
have a great night
 

[joel406]

I don't understand the question.

 

I never owned a bass I didn't have feelings for when I first met it.

 

Stingrays don't interest me. And I've never lusted for a bass only to later want it out of my life.

 

I have been fortunate enough to love every bass I've ever owned. Ones I no longer have I wish I still had.

 

All that I have and any I will get in the future will have a forever home here. 

 

Current stable is 15. I think I have too many.  Yeah when "you" think you have too many your past intervention levels. 

 

So I hope all my itches are scratched, nobody needs to tell me I need to start on pedal boards or amps. I have 7 pedal boards. And 3 amps and 4 cabs. I could go on for "a while" on my inventory of "stuff" I have here.

 

So no! I've never had a bass I fell "out" of love with.

[Stub Mandrel]

I can't relate!

 

I have quite a few basses. If I have two similar ones I do something to make them sound or feel different- fit mutes, or flatwound strings.

 

I like swapping between neck widths and profiles, string spacings, 4 and 5 strings, headless and normal, cheap and not so cheap, passive and active,  light and not so light, aggressive and mellow.

 

Currently getting a huge kick out of my £70 Harley Benton kit bass with a Squier neck. Very light and sounds HUGE! Before that it was my Sire P10 getting all the attention, totally different bass!

 

So no I don't fall outof love with basses, I'm polyamorous with them!

[Grooverjr]

It can happen.....Ped fell out of love with his Vigier Passion, and now I am in love with it. I have no idea how you could ever fall out of love with something so wonderful but it just means others get to love it, I suppose.

I like playing the field but I have never had any desire to own a Ray. They look good and all but sonically don't really do it for me. 

 

[Terry M.]

10 hours ago, joel406 said:

I don't understand the question.

 

I never owned a bass I didn't have feelings for when I first met it.

 

 

 

So no! I've never had a bass I fell "out" of love with.

Sounds like you understood the question to me ☺️