Stingray - MM or Sterling

Snap

I am prepared to be dissuaded, but I have started suffering from what I thought had gone away long time ago - the urge to buy a Stingray.

Anyone got experience of either the MM or Sterling versions, or even the Sub?

I have the gas twinge for a new bass....

guitarfishbay

Stingrays don't hold their value very well, so keep your eye out on eBay/Gumtree/FB groups etc for a MM. 

Whistler

I have an MM StingRay5. I have played a passive fretless 4-string bass for years and I wanted a bass with frets, a 5-string bass and one with active electronics. The StingRay provided me with all those in one instrument.

It's neck is chunky like my 12-string guitar, partly because the 5th string requires a wider neck. I would recommend at least holding one before buying. It is not a light guitar but a 3" neoprene strap makes it feel more comfortable.

Its value now is pretty much what I paid for it 4 years ago, which is the opposite of what guitarfishbay is saying. I bought mine secondhand from Bass Direct in Warwick for £1,050 in November 2012.

Snap

I love the tone, lots of edge to it, but fat, if you know what I mean. And I have to admit to loving the tone from Pino Palladino's MM on Gary Numan's I Assassin album, 1982. Just check it out on Music For Chameleons (as made famous lately by Alan Partridge;s air bass playing hilarious), or White Boys and Heroes, same album.

guitarfishbay

There's a 3eq on basschat for 729 currently.

http://basschat.co.uk/topic/291697-l729-2016-music-man-stingray-3eq-black-rosewood/page__pid__3131886#entry3131886

DLM

Our bassist uses a limited edition MM, the 3-band EQ version with ebony board, matching headstock and special graphics worth a $150 fine according to the table of Bass Player Infrations: http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/13524/bass-player-infractions#latest Here it is: https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/10383083_10154666434670173_4425044058491248837_n.jpg?oh=3bd58d511cdd256b8f4333a91b053025&oe=587CCDB3 Superb instrument. It really improves the band's sound and is obviously far more versatile than it gets chance to show in our set, even if we're diverse for a thrash band.

octatonic

Funnily enough I just came home with one of these.

Winny_Pooh

The sterling has the narrower beck body and series wired pickup which makes it sound a bit fatter/congested in the mids. Stringrays are on the whole probably heavier and a bit clearer sounding. Unless you like a jazz style neck get a stringray, classic look/tone and more readily available. 

fretmeister

Sterling - smaller body, more frets, ceramic pickup, 3 way switch for parallel series etc. More aggressive sounding. Slimmer neck like a jazz bass.

Ray- heavier, less frets, more chunky neck like a precision, alnico pickup (no switch).

The most important difference is the neck shape. Try before you buy.

Used values are on the low side at the mo. I got my first 5 string for £670! That is an outlier sum though.

£800 ish for a 4 string is common for a used Stingray. 

The 5 string neck is chunky BUT is really quite narrow for a 5 string. Nut width is 44mm - that is the same as a "proper" Precision 4 string! (Classics / 1950s reissues). String spacing at the bridge is 17.5mm when most 5 strings are 18-19mm. It makes a lot of difference to the feel.

guitarfishbay

I thought the question was what series of Stingray to get - confusingly you can buy a Stirling Ray 34, which is a Stingray and not a Stirling.

fretmeister

Why they picked Sterling as a product Line name as well as an individual instrument I will never know.

Anyway - buy USA MM or original US Sub.

Sporky

I may well be putting my 2EQ Stingray up for sale shortly.

Snap

cheers all. I should play a few I guess, but the urge is building. Low pressure at the moment, but I can feel it rising. Perhaps a visit to RichTone will help my condition.

My current bass is a SGC Nanyo Bass Collection 301 Active. Made in Japan. Really nice bass, got a bargain on ebay - £62! Thing is, I am a guitarist, and I don't really have a lot of experience with basses. I've only had a a few in 30 years. In the very early days of being in a band I had a Westone THunder 1A, and I've dabbled with an Aria Pro II fretless, a J bass. a P bass and that'#s probably about it.

The Stingray looks to tick a lot of boxes in terms of verstaility and quality.

those photos have made my belly go funny; I think I need to face it, I am soon about to part with a chunk of cash.

fretmeister

@Snap ;

http://basschat.co.uk/topic/285076-ebmm-sterling-usa/page__pid__3134481#entry3134481

octatonic

Snap said:

cheers all. I should play a few I guess, but the urge is building. Low pressure at the moment, but I can feel it rising. Perhaps a visit to RichTone will help my condition.

My current bass is a SGC Nanyo Bass Collection 301 Active. Made in Japan. Really nice bass, got a bargain on ebay - £62! Thing is, I am a guitarist, and I don't really have a lot of experience with basses. I've only had a a few in 30 years. In the very early days of being in a band I had a Westone THunder 1A, and I've dabbled with an Aria Pro II fretless, a J bass. a P bass and that'#s probably about it.

The Stingray looks to tick a lot of boxes in terms of verstaility and quality.

those photos have made my belly go funny; I think I need to face it, I am soon about to part with a chunk of cash.

I didn't look at the Sterling at all.
I was looking at Jazz basses and Stingrays- they are the basses I've always wanted.
I'm not saying there is anything wrong with the Sterling- but for myself I wouldn't want to own one thinking that I could have had a Stingray- a bass I've been lusting after since I was a teenager.

Just to muddy the waters....
Do you know the Fender Dimension bass?
It is Fender's attempt at the Musicman thing.
They haven't been a complete disaster- they are pretty good basses but they suffer from being a Musicman-style instrument with a Fender logo on them.
I am pretty sure they are discontinued now and I do know that shops have been selling them off cheap.
If you are looking for a bargain then they might be worth a look.

Snap

That Sterling is v nice.

EcoWarrior

I have a Sterling Ray34 (up for sale!).  Great bass, very punchy.  Bit too punchy for me though and went back to my Squire Vintage Modified Jazz. 

Bod

I've wanted a Stingray for at least two decades, preferably HH with maple board.  One day maybe...

Sporky

I would say the answer is this.

One of them is a Stingray, the greatest bass ever made.

The other isn't.

Drew_TNBD

I have a Stingray.

Ner ner ne-ner ner.

fretmeister

I have a 5 string Stingray. Which must be 1 better.