MM Stingray Vs MIA Jazz

[spongebob]

For the first time, I've just got 1 bass, having sold everything else a while back.

I'm on the lookout for something to go alongside my Ric 4003....

Have checked out a new MIA jazz (priced around £800). I had a Geddy, but couldn't go with the neck, so this might be a compromise?

However, I've noticed a few used Stingrays on the 'bay, for between £7-800. Active isn't normally my thing, but when they retail over a grand, I'm starting to think I'm missing out!

This is the trouble - go with what you kind of know, or do something different!

I do love the jazz, but it is a little......obvious. The Stingray has always intrigued me, I had a passive copy some years back.

Any pros/cons for either side?

[Musicman20]

IMO, they are both excellent.

Passive jazz just sounds fantastic, n bridge pickup on it's own is brilliant.

The Stingray just sounds like nothing else....massive in your face tone, middy, aggressive, cuts through like a knife. But, stick flats in it, roll back the treble n it's more controlled.

I will say this, the new Jazzes are great if you find a good one, very nice instruments.

Rays new are expensive, and I'm shocked at the second hand prices. They are coming back into 'fashion', so I'd expect prices to rise for 2nd hand.

[tredders]

[quote name='spongebob' post='736173' date='Feb 5 2010, 01:48 PM']For the first time, I've just got 1 bass, having sold everything else a while back.

I'm on the lookout for something to go alongside my Ric 4003....

Have checked out a new MIA jazz (priced around £800). I had a Geddy, but couldn't go with the neck, so this might be a compromise?

However, I've noticed a few used Stingrays on the 'bay, for between £7-800. Active isn't normally my thing, but when they retail over a grand, I'm starting to think I'm missing out!

This is the trouble - go with what you kind of know, or do something different!

I do love the jazz, but it is a little......obvious. The Stingray has always intrigued me, I had a passive copy some years back.

Any pros/cons for either side?[/quote]

Where abouts are you? I've got a 75 Re-Issue Jazz and a 2004 Ray if you're anywhere near Warwick and wanted to try them out side by side.

[simon1964]

I've got an MIA Jazz and a 2006 Stingray.

Both excellent. Musicman20 is dead right about the Jazz tone. The Jazz is my only passive bass, but is as versatile as any of the basses I own - anthing from growly aggressive rcok to subtle blues and jazz tones.

Not sure I agree with his take on the ray, though. I wouldn't describe the tone as middy - in fact, mine has a slightly scooped tone. Great for slap, funk, or sounding like early Flea! Boost the low mids and you're back to a rock tone. Definately a great sound, and I love mine. But it is more of a marmite tone IMO and not as versatile as a Jazz.

[Musicman20]

[quote name='simon1964' post='736207' date='Feb 5 2010, 02:16 PM']I've got an MIA Jazz and a 2006 Stingray.

Both excellent. Musicman20 is dead right about the Jazz tone. The Jazz is my only passive bass, but is as versatile as any of the basses I own - anthing from growly aggressive rcok to subtle blues and jazz tones.

Not sure I agree with his take on the ray, though. I wouldn't describe the tone as middy - in fact, mine has a slightly scooped tone. Great for slap, funk, or sounding like early Flea! Boost the low mids and you're back to a rock tone. Definately a great sound, and I love mine. But it is more of a marmite tone IMO and not as versatile as a Jazz.[/quote]

I agree as well actually, the ray can def do the scooped slap tone perfectly!

[BottomEndian]

What about a MM Sterling? Like a 'Ray, but a bit smaller, with a slimmer neck. And it's got the pickup switching so you can get a reasonable approximation of an "active Jazz" sound when it's in single-coil mode.

Disclaimer: I've never played a Sterling! But my SR5 has the coil switching, and it's superb (but very different) in all three positions.

[spongebob]

I'm a pick player, and the trouble is, like so many, I suppose I'm a bit stuck in my ways!

Whenever I play something else, I always think, 'it's just not a Ric'!

Those basses are so individual, that once you get to grips with their issues and feel, other basses just feel wrong!

I do like the jazz - and from what I have read, the new MIA are superb, and different again from my old Geddy.

The Stingrays look good - and 2nd hand they are a fraction of a Ric (isn't everything...!), but I always worry that it might be the kind of bass where the novely might wear off.....sorry Stingray fans!!

Funny thing is, nearly every Youtube clip of a Stingray has got somebody slapping and popping the wotsits out of it, the opposite of my own style.

[martthebass]

I don't play pick or slap/pop on my Ray. It can do things other than poor Flea impressions - honest.

[longtimefred]

hey dude,

as you can see by my pic and signature, i play a Ray5 and i dont play slap or anything like that as i play hard heavy metal stuff and also with a pick. I also had a MIJ Jazz Bass for a while but it just didnt cut through the band like my musicman does. I guess in a similar way a Ric would also cut through due it its tone.

I think my Ray is way more versatile than the Jazz was, but for my style of music. Its a tough world finding that right tone to match something else you own so my advice is to try and borrow one of both and give it a blast in a live situation so you can find the right sound for you and also blends well when changing from your Ric to the other one.

[Huw Foster]

I agree with all the above about the Stingray - it's really quite versatile if you let it be. Very much capable of a gritty, bright sound akin to Justin Chancellor's (of Tool) if you want. Or, with an EQ adjustment, mid-range punch suitable for funk etc. Obviously, due to the single humbucker and its position you won't be able to do everything, and it you won't ever be able to eliminate that unique Stingray sound (which I still have trouble describing).

It's definitely still worth a go, even just to satisfy your curiosity. And as it's been said already, now is a good time to get your hands on a used one!

[Sibob]

Which do you like more?
Go for that one!

Si

[Brave Sir Robin]

As far as tone, here's a good promo video, you get to hear it in other styles.

[gjones]

I've got a friend who has had quite a few stingrays in his time who recently bought a & 75 reissue MIA Jazz. I met him in the street recently and he told me that, although the Jazz is a great bass, he missed the Stingray sound so much when gigging that he put a MM humbucker in the middle between the two pickups. I haven't heard it played yet but I'll update basschat when I have.

He obviously wanted his cake and he wanted to eat it as well.

[alanbass1]

I'm a big Stingray fan - much prefer the two e.q. model though

[matski]

[quote name='Brave Sir Robin' post='737085' date='Feb 6 2010, 01:28 PM']As far as tone, here's a good promo video, you get to hear it in other styles.

[/quote]


Wow! Who'd have guessed Wolverine was Irish and could play bass...?

[ezbass]

Check out Ed Fiedland's Bass Whisperer videos on [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67Fo7AKwfA0&feature=PlayList&p=5D76D8F722CEC556&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=9"]You Tube[/url] where he demos the new Sterling by Musicman basses to see how versatile MMs can be.

[Huw Foster]

[quote name='matski' post='738920' date='Feb 8 2010, 01:42 PM']Wow! Who'd have guessed Wolverine was Irish and could play bass...?[/quote]
Haha.

I don't know who he is, but those are some tasty reggae lines.

[tredders]

[quote name='Huwberry' post='739269' date='Feb 8 2010, 07:06 PM']Haha.

I don't know who he is, but those are some tasty reggae lines.[/quote]

That's Dave Marks, bass genius! www.davemarks.com. Contributor to BGM, and also on here.

Or it's Wolverine, one or the other...

[Huw Foster]

[quote name='tredders' post='739289' date='Feb 8 2010, 07:24 PM']That's Dave Marks, bass genius! www.davemarks.com. Contributor to BGM, and also on here.

Or it's Wolverine, one or the other...[/quote]
Dohh, of course! I knew that name sounded familiar - I visited his website (via a link from here) today. Ta!

[KERMITNT]

its not just the tone is the feel in the neck that is so different between both of them. I cant play a jazz at all i dont know but i cant. Is we came to tonal variaety and stuff like that then [url="http://www.ernieball.com/forums/music-man-basses/42214-stingray-sound-examples.html"]http://www.ernieball.com/forums/music-man-...d-examples.html[/url] this will help


If you want more than a jazz with stingray orginal sound go for the HH model m8...

[TPJ]

[quote name='KERMITNT' post='740805' date='Feb 10 2010, 11:31 AM']If you want more than a jazz with stingray orginal sound go for the HH model m8...[/quote]

or a Sandberg j/mm

I've played a jazz for the first 15 years of my bass playing life. I now play a MM 3eq 4. Like Dave's vid shows, you can do just about anything with them.
I put mine though a Sadowsy pre/DI and it really adds another level of versatility.

Just for info, I found out that the pup in a MM is wired differently than the pup in a Sterling/Sub. One is wired parallel and one is wired series. I can't recall which but there you go.

Edit: Just found a post in another thread where it states 'Ray 4 pup is wired parallel.

Edited February 10, 2010 by TPJ

[Duarte]

Or an HS Ray.

using the 5 way switch you can get - Classic StingRay tone, Single bridge coil, all 3 coils, 2 singles (neck and bridge), neck single.

That covers Ray, J and P basses.

Easy.

[OutToPlayJazz]

I've always ended up selling all my Fenders, whether Precisions or Jazzes - Not because I don't like them, but because there's no place for them in my music work when I have Status basses knocking around.

I can make a lot of use of my Stingray, though. It has such an adaptable sound and still has the massive output and punch I like with a more soulful and classic tone.

So if you like classic passive sound, the Jazz is for you. If you want a little more and the added punch of a Stingray, there's your answer.