Wanna sell my Stingray ... but what should I get instead?

WiresDreamDisasters

I want a cleaner and purer sounding bass, with lots of headroom, and not the annoying high-end clank that the Stingray has.

Was thinking a Warwick of some kind, or a Fender Jazz (preferably a Brazillian one, coz I don't like too much hair! That's a joke btw)

Is there anything else I should consider?

Oh. And of course I need a lefty!!

Bridgehouse

How much moolah?

Bridgehouse

The reason I ask is, if I were you, I’d go far less mainstream and have something made as there’s so much more choice out there in bass land compared to guitars. 

I’d be ringing Jon Shuker for a quote for a lefty with some high end pickups in and an East preamp - very pure, very shapable sound.

UnclePsychosis

I've never played one but Sire have an excellent range of left handed basses and they're certainly pretty highly thought of.

The first thing that popped into my head was "active jazz"... Problem is Fender's range of LH basses is pretty shit as you know. Squier Deluxe might be a good answer, or one of the Sire active jazzes... Its also very hard to go wrong with an Ibanez. 

Whats the budget? 

WiresDreamDisasters

If I sold my Stingray for about £800, then my budget would be about £1200 or so.

fretmeister

Sandberg California 2 TT4

WiresDreamDisasters

I'm thinking of one of the Fender Player Jazz's:


Nothing super super flash. But a good workhorse, with cleaner output and a more straight up rock tone.

The Stingray "activeness" is annoying me at the moment; and the high-end clank, and the cloudy lows. 

Funkfingers

What about the haunting mids?

WiresDreamDisasters

Funkfingers said:

What about the haunting mids?

Might be a bit too spooky!!

UnclePsychosis

You could certainly do a lot worse. 

There's very little that you can't do with a Fender Jazz, particularly for a man with your production talents.

Funkfingers

The noisy stock single coil pickups might prove annoying.

WiresDreamDisasters

Yes, slightly worried about noisy stock pickups myself. Hmmmmmm. 

Bridgehouse

Some choice used picks from Basschat:

https://www.basschat.co.uk/topic/442123-2016-fender-american-professional-precision-sunburstrosewoodmint/

https://www.basschat.co.uk/topic/442706-maruszczyk-jake-l4p-med-scale-£1000/

Funkfingers

Is it worth keeping the Stingray and simply changing the onboard pre-amp to something more refined? 

@Bridgehouse speaks highly of John East products. Aguilar does some nice, if pricey, stuff. Bartolini does too but I always worry about the quality of the pots they choose to use.

WiresDreamDisasters

Funkfingers said:

Is it worth keeping the Stingray and simply changing the onboard pre-amp to something more refined? 

@Bridgehouse speaks highly of John East products. Aguilar does some nice, if pricey, stuff. Bartolini does too but I always worry about the quality of the pots they choose to use.

Isn't that sacrilege though? Won't I be burned at the stake!?!

Bridgehouse

WiresDreamDisasters said:

Funkfingers said:

Is it worth keeping the Stingray and simply changing the onboard pre-amp to something more refined? 

@Bridgehouse speaks highly of John East products. Aguilar does some nice, if pricey, stuff. Bartolini does too but I always worry about the quality of the pots they choose to use.

Isn't that sacrilege though? Won't I be burned at the stake!?!

Oh god no, bass players are much more likely to tinker and mess with pickups and preamps. 

It’s not a bad idea, but I think you’ve decided you need a new bass. 

I would say this, but what you really need is a nice good old trad passive P or J or even a PJ and then apply your amps, effects etc in your DAW. 

If you prefer a thinner neck and a bit more midrange honk then buy a J - if you prefer a slightly wider neck and a bit more of a classic midrange thump then get a P. 

Personally I think a P fits pretty much any musical style a lot better. If you go for flats on it you will basically have the classic “used everywhere” bass sound which you can adapt in-post to whatever you want

Bridgehouse

(If it was my money I’d get that lefty used sunburst precision linked on Basschat and be done with it)

Bridgehouse

Or, put some flats on the stingray, use for a bit until they dull and you will nary hear a squeak of clank again

WiresDreamDisasters

Nah, I hate a dull bass tone. I want highs, just not that horrid 2-3kHz "ZOMG!! IMMA STINGERRAAAYYYYYY!!! PAAAYYY ATTEENNNTTTIOONNN TOOO MEEEEE!" thing that you get on every stingray ever.

Bridgehouse

WiresDreamDisasters said:

Nah, I hate a dull bass tone. I want highs, just not that horrid 2-3kHz "ZOMG!! IMMA STINGERRAAAYYYYYY!!! PAAAYYY ATTEENNNTTTIOONNN TOOO MEEEEE!" thing that you get on every stingray ever.

Then you want piezo saddles..... 

Funkfingers

WiresDreamDisasters said:

Nah, I hate a dull bass tone. I want highs, just not that horrid 2-3kHz "ZOMG!! IMMA STINGERRAAAYYYYYY!!! PAAAYYY ATTEENNNTTTIOONNN TOOO MEEEEE!" thing that you get on every stingray ever.

The East 3-band, 4-knob EQ system would fix that. The midrange band control includes a frequency sweep pot. Thus, the offending peak can be zapped out.

I am very keen on the EMG-VMC EQ accessory. Often, I find that dialling in the midrange cut/boost suffices. The treble and bass controls of the EMG three-band EQ circuitry stay flat.