I actually like the Stingray sound better than the P-bass. It's just so punchy but low. You are right, it has a VERY distinctive tone. Just like the old Ricks or Wal basses. You can always pick out a Music Man in the mix.
Completely agree. Done around 1300 gigs with my 97 Stingray. An increadible tool. Here's the thing about Ernie Ball that a load of bass players don't understand, pre Ernie Ball is not the same as pre CBS Fender. Ernie Ball MM just got better & better unlike the shafting of Fender by CBS. Yeah sure, you may prefer the voicing of the old pre EB preamps, but the basses got better & more versatile. I've owned a bunch, including a pre EB 79, loved it too but my 97 was the keeper. Nice one PRJ 👍
This is pretty much my assessment as an owner of a pre-EB StingRay. The more contemporary EB MM basses are solid, quality, workaday instruments and are probably more comfortable to play for long periods due to the body contours that mine utterly lack, but I'm pretty sure there isn't a one of them that is sonically a dead ringer for mine. The models with more than one pickup certainly have more versatility than mine does but on that note, even with just one pickup the effect of the two-knob boost/cut EQ mine has is huge; between that and changes to right-hand technique I have never lamented the lack of a second pickup.
I'm a guitar-player who bought a Sterling Stingray short-scale Bass and I absolutely love it. It's fun to play r&b, funk, motown, reggae and classic rock on bass. This Bass has exceeded my expectations. (also) played by Bernard Edwards /Chic and Paul Denman / Sade. oNe LovE from NYC
I have a 2004 SUB, for $800. Bought it, in 2005. It's a complete funk machine! To buy any MusicMan under a G, at that time, American-made, was unheard of! After I bought it, Ernie Ball discontinued those American-made SUB's. I'm glad I got one! It's that good. Still have it. I have a '62 P Bass Reissue, as well as a '62 Jazz Reissue. Love them all!
Ha! Great minds! That's the second time I've purchased a bass and then discovered you had it! I must let you know that your video gave me comfort as I awaited for that bass to arrive. Thank you!
When I bought my first bass I didn’t know what I wanted, or anything about basses or tone for that matter, so my friend came with, blindfolded me and handed me basses off the wall one after another. I ended up going with the pbass, (I knew it was the one after hearing the open e for the first time) but the only other bass I woulda bought that day was the stingray, but I couldn’t afford it at the time. 10 years later I’m touring the country with a stingray 5 HH special. You really can’t do much better before you start looking at having things custom made.
I agree!!!! I have a Sterling by Music Man Ray 35 and didn't see the need to spend the extra money on USA StingRay-UNTIL I BOUGHT ONE!!!! My 2022 StingRay 5 HH Special is a PHENOMENAL BASS AND THE VERSATILITY IS OFF THE CHARTS!!!! It's the best multi-genre bass you can buy!!!
I had the exact same experience. I had a Ray 35 as my main bass for a few years and it never let me down but I was just seemed to be slightly lacking in “something”plus was really heavy. I had a Sterling five for a while and it was nice, but still wasn’t “there”. Until I decided to drop the money on the Special 5HH when they came out and I was like wow now this really nailed it. It really checked all the right boxes and gave me a wide range of tones to choose from. It’s been my main one for a few years now and it’s never going away.
Got my Stingray new in '93 (same one you are playing in your '96 clip) and it'll stay with me for ever Build quality is insanely high, straight off the shelf. Even though it looks like a "simple" Fender-esque construction, it's perfectly excecuted up 'till the last detail I've had other basses since, because sometime you wanna try something new, but they never last. I always go back to the MM Even more important... the sound. It'll always cut through the mix, specially live, which is tough for most basses
Agree!!! I have my #1 Bass and it's a Musicman Stingray. I have used this bass for the past 14 years on everything. I believe it's versatile and have a solid tone for days. Most of my videos on my channel feature this bass. I love it! Excellent content! I hope to see more videos. Have a Bless on my friend.
I just got a cheapo sterling Sub Ray 4. All I had to do with file and polish the sharp frets, give it a good setup, install strap locks, and…it’s a great bass! Fabulous value for the money.
ooooo that fretless sub is a nice one for sure! i was not aware they made a fretless, very nice! After getting a fretless jazz i am tempted to defret a sterling sub bass if i can find one cheap enough. I love all of the musicman family and owning a bunch ,i never had a bad one that didn't set up well.
I’m whole heartedly agreeing with you here. I love the Fender precision and some of the other variants but to me the Stingray is far more versatile and just feels better in my hands not to mention the tone is far more to my liking. That being said, I’m surprised you don’t have a WARWICK in your collection because even though they’re expensive, they are very very good! Would love to know your thoughts on them. Great video!
I really dig Warwick and I've been looking at them more now than I did in the 1990s! I demoed one on this channel but it wasn't like most of the other ones I've tried. Great looking basses too! I'll revisit them again soon. Thank you!
I have 3 of them. Bought my first one new in 77 and I still have it. Natural finish, black pick guard, white pup. Came with flats, changed them out for round wounds, now back to flats. In 2018 bought a MM Special in charcoal grey sparkle. In 2020 bought a sunburst short scale. That's my go to now. Nice and light and fun to play.
Nice collection! I played a 1978 fretless (natural finish) a year and a half ago that was going for $3,800. It was the first Stingray I ever played with flats on it. Amazing!
@@progrockjock Thanks! I still have 2 Music Man amps from the 70's too. Bass amp, tubes of course, has a 150 watt head with a normal channel too. Cab is a single 15" with a ported bottom. The other is a 100 watt tube guitar amp with an EV 12". Had both amps recap-ed and are still useable, if you're strong enough to lift them.
Three Peavy black widows...15's... back in the day! Seriously bad, dude!! Then, time moved on...now it's a p.a. system...2 18subs and 4 12" 2way , all powered Mackie...it works, 🎶🥴🎶😎
Thank you! That means a lot! There are a few album covers that shouldn't be there (ie. Corine Bailey Rae, if I'm spelling her name right) but 99% of that music has been the soundtrack to my life and I'm grateful to have caught most of it live. The screensaver on my old iMac is actually better. I lost hundreds of album covers when converting to the M2 Pro but this was mainly due to the operating system...ok, I'll stop rambling. Thanks, again!
My first bass was a Sub 5 string. Took that thing on tours and played countless shows. The tone with my Darkglass Vintage deluxe was insane. I absolutely regret selling it to buy a Kiesel and I’m looking into buying a higher end EBMM. Have never had a bad experience playing/trying their products and will probably be using them from now on.
Thanks for sharing your experience! Yeah, those Sub 5s are pretty decent. I have an Alpha Omicron and the Darkglass Ultra plugin that I love! I considered buying a 6-string Kiesel ($1,600) back in February but decided to go Ibanez since it wasn't going to be my primary bass. I think that Kiesel would've been better.
@@progrockjock Kiesel's are nice, I own two Zeus 5s I bought back in 2018 and 2019 but if I'm being honest, with the recent price increase for Kiesels, I can't justify buying or recommending them. Beyond the aesthetics(which I love), you can get basses at the price point with much better feel, playability, and tone out of the box which is why I'm starting to move away from them after being a long time fanboy lol
I have a Sterling Ray34. I believe they're around $900 new. I bought mine on discount for $700. You would never know it's a mid-tier instrument though. The fretwork is immaculate. The neck is roasted maple, and is so comfortable. Maybe the only thing that isn't as good as an EBMM is the pickup. It still sounds great to me, though. But you can always upgrade it if you want.
A Ray34 for $700?? You totally won! I really dig those. I posted a video on a charcoal, roasted-maple-neck, Ray34 a few months ago. I almost bought it but ended up buying the BFR. I still want that Ray34 though.
I was in doubt when I picked my sterling stingray about a month ago And you know? It's funny to mention that is not that I don't like a P or Jazz bass, I mean, in recording I'll probably pick up one, but the Stingray has a very special and distinctive tone for me which I fell in love in the moment I took it, so I decided to give it a try. And since I am a punk lover I was doubting if I made a correct decision because I'm a versatile musician also But yeah, after seeing you, some reviews and trusting myself. I made a good choice picking up my partner 🤙 Greetings from Mexico!
I love these basses as well. The low end ones are set up nice and I love how you get super lows and the beautiful highs. A perfect blend of sound and most on a cheap price.
Right-on about the Sterling basswood body being lighter in weight. Also more resonant in my opinion. Just feels like an alive instrument in-hand. I replaced full-sized brass bridge saddles and an Aguilar 4M pickup. Stock 2-band preamp. Like it much more than my first EB stingray that I had. A keeper for sure.
Oh, that's cool! Thank you! That T-40 was still at Sam Ash Atlanta the last time I was there. I love the look and sound of it but I can't bring any more basses home for a while.
Stingrays are the coolest looking basses without a doubt. They're more similar to P basses than a lot of people think. But, they can be both bigger and more pillowy or tighter and punchier depending on your hand position.
Yes I do agree, I purchased my 5 String Sterling Bass and it truly has a Unique sound. One of the options that I like on this base is the five position toggle switch that you can perfect. The Bass is very versatile. I enjoyed playing it, especially at my Gospel venues it does the job perfectly.
My oldest bass is a 2014 Sterling SUB Ray4. With many other basses having come and gone in my collection since then, this one has stuck around all these years. It has been that good to me. I played it stock until 2019 when the pre-amp died on me for good. I swapped both the pickup and a pre-amp for a Seymour Duncan and MojoTone respectively. It’s not my number one instrument, but I have loved this bass' distinct sound with everything I have played and it is here to stay.
Thanks for sharing your experience! That was a wise decision to replace those components with Seymour Duncan and MojoTone. I really miss having a fretted Stingray in my collection. I'm actually planning to sell my fretless SUB and my Ibanez ATK (a wannabe Stingray) and I will be replacing them with a fretted Sterling Ray4.
Big fan of the stingray myself, have a 4h and 5hh, waiting for a bfr 5hh special now. One thing Ive noticed with my stingray is that their compensated nuts are best suited to their factory stringing 45-100. Ive struggled alot with finding the best setup for my two stingrays (a 4h and 5hh) with 105-strings, but got it right much easier with the 100-set.
The Sterling full scale Stingrays sound incredible for the value and fit into every genre. I added a passive switch so I could play it through my interface without overloading it and aside from not having tone control in passive mode it sounds great. Most versatile bass I've ever owned.
I will agree that Music Man has the best feeling necks and can be setup better than any bass I’ve ever played. I’ve owned a couple. However, for me, there are a few basses I like better for tones.
I’m so close to pulling the trigger on G&L L-1000 to complete my Leo Fender Arsenal. Sandburg makes good instruments as well. I like your profile handle!
I love my stingray. I noticed Pete Wentz from Fall Out Boy has been playing them recently. Not my favorite band but it’s cool to see someone switch to them too
I’m a guitar player that’s finally making the move to learn bass as well I always loved the look of a ray 4 white with the black pickguard lucky me sterling has a ray24ca in white with tortoiseshell
I agree! The Stingray neck feel, growl and sensitive EQ, it's all there. I think it's Leo Fender's masterpiece. I play a Stingray Special 5H. Killer bass!!
I think depending on the model, and how each specific color option is spec'd out, there's some Sterling Stingray Ray34's that come in under $1k that are every bit as good as many MM state side offerings. I snagged a B-stock in firemist silver for $749 to match my Sterling Cutlass CT50 HSS. They're the 2 least expensive guitars in my collection but nobody thinks that.
I've owned about every Stingray from the SUB Series to the Sterling's to a Musicman Pre-Ernie Ball original and I have to agree with your assessment. They are about the most affordable well-rounded bass you can get. I've owned numerous Fenders, Squires and G & Ls to compare them with.
I have nearly the same bass, but red where your Sunburst is, and it’s an HH. It’s ridiculously good. It makes me feel bad for my Ibanez that I’ve really got set up right and sounding pretty damned good, for a $375 bass. No mods. But the Music Man. Besides the beauty, and the feel, and its outrageous sustain, is the sound, and this double pickup layout is the end all. Of course all basses, make, well, bass. But not like this MM does. Plus it does so without compromising any other parts of the tone you desire. But I actually was compelled to comment because I am STUNNED at the diversity of your music in that very, very, few people like the huge r age of music that I do. I see Mr. Bungle, near the top of my book for best albums ever made. Then Arise. Louder Than Love. The Specials. Nuff said.
Thank you for reaching out! I really appreciate you recognizing my eclecticism. I truly love all of the music behind the artwork on my wall, as well as the iTunes screen saver displayed in the background of most of my videos. I never got to see any version of The Specials nor did I get to see Sepultura (unbelievable because I introduced them to a lot of my hesher friends back in 89) but Bungle and Soundgarden are on the long list of bands I've seen live. As for the Stingray HH - I totally know what you're saying. Not to sit here and talk you into watching more of my content, but back in April of this year when I was in New York, I played a double-humbucker Sterling Stingray that blew my mind. I became of obsessed with owning another one (natural finish with maple neck and fingerboard) and was so close to making it happen last weekend, but unfortunately, someone else beat me to it. I prefer having an HH Stingray from now on.
One of the few times I've agreed with a reviewers assessment of a bass guitar line. Musicman Stingray is one of the best all around instruments you can buy.
I've owned a fretted musicman stingray (same electronics as yours) since 1992. I've never played a better all-round bass, it's still what I play 90% of the time. If I could only keep one thing I own, it would be my '92 stingray.
I love how MusicMan basses sound. But finally got to play one and I gotta say, I didn’t like how it felt. The neck felt really stiff, the body felt too big. I play Schecter Stiletto basses and that body and neck just work for me. After I played the MM I picked up just a random Stiletto off the wall and immediately felt in my comfort zone. I’m sure if I played the MM for an extended period of time I’d get used to it but I don’t know if I’d wanna chance spending over 1k for something I’d learn to like/get used to.
@@nickk5948 best way I can put it into words really; it just didn’t feel comfortable. It felt like I was fighting that bass to play it. The neck just didn’t sit well with me
Damn! 😧I just knew you’d mention the MusicMan “Bongo” Bass‼️✨🎸In which I own by chance! I ☝🏾monitored for a Japanese Manufacturer in Tokyo, Japan and got one free and a marriage ensued!! 👌🏾👍🏾👏🏾😍The Bongo deserves more attention as an ”All-Around” Bass!! one more KILLER MusicMan style Bass! Aesthetically they get dissed but their tone Is definitely MusicMan!! Just adore mine‼️✨🎸🙏🏾🥰
I must admit that I don't like the look the Bongo but I've been very interested in playing the John Myung model. Who knows? I might fall in love with it too!
While I’ll agree overall. I know for fact you can buy a good Fender Jazz or Precision for under $500 even $300 the marks is saturated with them, and god forbid you spend a little more down the line to upgrade the pickups or tuning pegs. Honestly as long as you pick one of those 3 up, you’re golden. For playability and repairs. There’s a huge market and community behind these basses, that’s the real take away!
I have a Ray4 Sub, and turned it into a serial killer Bass. lol! I added a Seymour Duncan pickup, Aguilar obp 3tkpp 3 band eq, with push pull knob, and even had the classic mutes installed. This thing is getting cremated along with me, when my time comes. 😂
Sounds like you have an awesome, customized bass! Your comment about being cremated with the bass comes at a weird time. 2 days ago, my son and I had a discussion about my "burial bass" not being buried with me, since I wanted to be cremated and he said, "don't worry, we can just cremate it with you!" 😂
I like the string spacing for the plucking hand on the four string and I wish they maintained that on the five string but they do not. The Gibson Grabber has a three pickup layout which gives it a unique sound. I would like to see that on the Stingray.
I loved my Music Man Stingray 5 (early 90s) with an HH setup, and I could never get the neck adjusted correctly. There was so much tension, and I endlessly fought with the action. For me? I’m a PBass guy, but if I was to try a Stingray again, I’d probably do better with a 4-String Stingray with a single humbucker. It’s likely a better fit for me.
Nothing like a stingray I’ve owned a dozen of them and down to 3 I got 2 specials, and my 04 is my got to the grave bass just amazing basses!!! I want the 30th anniversary sooo bad too!! The ceramic pups are my favorite stingray tone, just so snappy and aggressive I don’t think I knew they made Sub fretless basses, personally I’ve never been a P bass guy, if I want a P tone I’ll use my lakland 5502 and put the neck J pup on, I’m not much of a neck pup solo tone guy,
Ugh, I passed up a candy-apple red 30th anniversary a few months ago because I really wanted that BFR Fretless. Hopefully, we'll live to see the 50th Anniversary - You know it's going to be insane!! Only 3 years to go...and oh, yes, Lakland basses are great! I recently did some recording with a 5-string that was in the studio. The demos I played on were Metal and the guitarist used the John Pertrucci Music Man.
@@progrockjock yea I’m excited to see the 50th anniversary! I love how the 30th anniversary had the ceramic pup, at least the 5er did idk about the 4 banger, I love my lakland soo much! I’m on my 2nd one now, I was a fool and sold my first one to Johnny Lee Long and had to get another one, John Petrucci is a guitar God!! 🙏
Preaching to the choir !!! I have A BFR Fuego Fretless 5, Amethyst Sparkle StingRay5 Special, BFR Crescendo 5, and Ernie Ball Short Scale Stingray Starry Night. I love the Specials and the Original Pre Ernie Ball era StingRay. I would love to have a Tim Cummerford Short Scale with he old school bridge mutes. You can't beat Ernie Ball quality. It rivals boutique quality . There is no genre where a Stingray won't work . To me it is the best design Leo Fender ever did. It's like the best of a Jazz bass and the best of a Pbass all in one. I think they were the first company to master the 5 string.
I wish you had mentioned the Ibanez ATK line ( although not in production). I have a flame maple natural 4-string like one I saw on one of your videos. Plus 2 others (another 4-string and a 5-string). They are heavy, but i like them. Also have a unique sound (s).
I'm totally with you on the ATK line! My ATK700 is the best Ibanez I've owned and played so far. This particular video was taken from 90 minutes of me rambling about many of the basses I own. I've thought about just posting the unedited footage since I went through the trouble to record it. Either way, I'm planning to release a follow-up video all about the ATK line, so please check back. Thank you!
“Chaos AD.” 👊 hey bud I’m an experienced Drummer new to playing bass and I went with the Yamaha broad Bass 4 string you did a video on. I love it so much more than my Ibanez TMB 100. I had a vintage modified squire from 2017 that I ended up selling to my brother which I loved but when I checked the new Squires none of them were as clean as the Yamaha, or as well made as my 2017 Vintage modified Jazz bass. How do you think the Yamaha holds up against the standard music man stingray? It came with really nice low action and has a really comfortable body!
Yes sir!! Sepultura (1984-1997) is one of the best!!! I like the Yamaha Broad Bass a lot and I'm planning to revisit it again soon. Yamaha is as well known as Ibanez, Sterling, Squier and Epiphone but they have a sleeper effect that rivals Lakeland, G&L, Sire and Schecter. In other words, All of the brands I mentioned have hidden gems. I did a video last year comparing the 5-String Broad Bass (with tapewounds) to a 5-String Sterling. I liked the Yamaha better for feel and it would've completely beat out the Sterling if it weren't for those tapewound strings. Much respect to you for being a drummer - It's my favorite instrument! Keep jamming!
To your Point , I say the same thing about IBANEZ. They make $200-$2500 and beyond , they play amazingly , I’ll put my SR5005 against any MM, FENDER even a 5k Fodera. I’m complimented all the time on my bass after gigs.
It's so awesome to read your words!! Ibanez is where it all began for me with the bass. I refuse to part with my 1986 PL5050. I recently purchased an SR506e and I can't put it down but I'd rather have your prestige model! I currently own 3 (PL5050, ATK700 and SR506e) and I'm looking into buying a 4th one soon. Also, I have made hints in multiple videos about doing a video like this for Ibanez, so hopefully you'll see that soon...
Such a nice sound on that Fretless bass of yours ... I have always been a little scared to buy one (because of my skill level- or lack thereof. 😂. Never thought much about Fretless until recently... it's just a cool sound... it's different. Blue Murder was a 3 piece band with John Sykes, Tony Franklin, and Carmine Appice.....I love Tony's bass sound on their self-titled album! Check them out if you haven't. PS...I love the Ratt "Invasion Of Your Privacy" photo!!!!
Thanks about my fretless stingray and noticing the Invasion of Your Privacy vinyl on the wall!! I bet you can guess which 2 are not actual vinyl records in the frames. I will give you a clue one of the pictures is actually part of a promo set I got my hands on around the time the band was out touring...Geez, I just gave that one away 😂...oh yes, I know about Tony Franklin and Blue Murder, as well as The Firm. A fretless monster he is indeed!
i bought a ray 4HH and i was a bit disappointed as the strings that came on it were the worst i’ve ever got on a bass and the set up was really bad. but when i put ernie ball strings and got it set up it’s amazing now
I've had Stingrays at every price point and agree. Should be noted that even the cheap Sterlings 5 have a great B string, which is hard to find at that price. My Stingray Special 5 H is my number one
I agree with you and I will be adding a 5-string to my collection but I want to check out the L-2500 before pulling the trigger. I've never owned a 5-string before, so I want to make sure I give all of Leo Fender's creations a try.
You totally scored!! We used to gig with another band and their bassist had a natural finish Sterling. I always told him to find me if he ever sold it, not giving real credit to the 94 Ernie Ball I owned. Hang on to that bass!
Great video; agree Stingray is King of Basses. I just realized I thumbs upped you to 666 votes; hope that doesn’t bring you bad luck haha. Really enjoyed the info and subscribed. I haven’t gotten my first Stingray yet, but will share when I do. So far happy with my P bass and my 2 Jazz basses. Cheers!
Thank you! I'm cool with 666 thumbs up! I didn't even realize the video had that many likes. Having a Jazz bass actually curbed my desire for another fretted stingray. Sounds to me like you've got all the basses covered!
@@progrockjockYes; I feel pretty covered. I wanted a Stingray at point in my life when it wasn’t financially feasible; so you’re video has sort of rekindled my interest. I agree with you that G& L is no doubt a quality instrument; but I also think the Lakeland Basses are pretty awesome; been looking at their PJ basses, very interesting bridge designs. Your thoughts on Lakeland craftsmanship? Have a great day!
Great video! I would love to hear your thoughts when comparing a G&L Kiloton to a Stingray. I've heard people say it's a weird hybrid between a Jazz, Precision and Stingray all combined into one. I'd like to hear your unfiltered opinion on it because I think it'd be too good to be true. I had the chance to play a Tribute (G&L's cheaper line) Kiloton and I quite enjoyed it but I'm not sure if it's worth going for it or buying a Sterling Stingray instead.
Thank you! I am actually planning to look at a vintage G&L bass this week. I looked at a Tribute tele-style guitar yesterday. I wasn't impressed but GC isn't known for setting up the guitars they hang on the wall. For well over a year, I have been looking deeply into G&L, as well as, Lakland. I feel like the latter is a wannabe G&L. However, I haven't played Lakeland I didn't like. Similar to G&L, Lakland gets completely overlooked, other than the fact that Nate Mendell of the Foo Fighters used to play them and has his own signature model. There are people who think I'm comparing a $2,000+ Ernie ball to a Fender Squier but this is not the case. Right now, Music Man is the only company offering a bass that comes from the factory with great sound and action for around $300. Even from Indonesia! I have some nice basses but I'm still searching for one that covers 90% of my bass needs. I actually hope it's G&L. We shall see...
I know. It's the most ridiculous thing Music Man ever did. Then there is Atlanta naming over 100 streets using the word "peach" 🙄 Anyway, I actually prefer the Music Man Sterling over the traditional Stingray design.
I do think it’s a little unfair to compare cheaper Fenders to a $2000 Music Man bass. Obviously it’s probably not going to be as good. Now, if you want to compare the cheaper Sterling by Music Man line to the cheaper Fender lines, then that’s reasonable.
I agree with you. That's why I kept mentioning that I was comparing the quality of the entry-level, fretted Sterling/Sub basses to the Fender Squier line. The Sub fretless I showed cost me somewhere around $600 give or take. I think all of Leo Fender's creations are great but I believe Music Man and G&L are putting out better quality instruments these days.
I recently picked up a used sterling 34HH From my local music store Went to get it set up in the truss rod was broken and two of the tuners were locked up Went back and exchanged it Truss rod was busted on the second one I don't know if anyone else has had this issue
Lakland basses are totally underrated. I was telling someone else in the comments that I used a 5 string for a studio session a few months back. I was so impressed, I almost bought one but decided to hold off. It's still on the list for consideration.
Dude, if your avatar is who I think it is..."Gattsu"...Berserk is, hands down, my favorite Manga of all time!!!...but I must argue that 95% of the Sterling basses and guitars I've played around here in Atlanta are generally solid. However, Ibanez certainly gives them a run for their money when it comes to quality control.
@@progrockjock yeah its our man Guts... :D I recently bought sterling ray34 with sliver hardware and tuning machines literally ate themselves with first restringing. Additionally, truss rod doesn't have enough freedom of movement to adjust the relief the way it should be. I also read the forums about it and a lot of people have those problems... Just type "stingray purple sparkle problems", you will get what I mean... On the other hand it did sound very good, but it's unfunctional in the long run, so be careful when buying those. I ended up returning mine.
I know I'm a total dork, but Guts is my hero for so many reasons! I wish someone would pick that manga up and do a legit series covering the Black Swordsman evolution. That series released on Netflix, covering the Golden Age Arc, once again, was just tired and not done nearly as well as the OLM version. Speaking of that 1997 series, I covered that Silver Fins song acoustically going on 2 decades ago, but never posted it anywhere. Back to Music Man, Steling - Wow! I'm sorry to hear your experience with the Ray34 was so bad! I actually think I might be done with them. I love my BFR fretless but I am still trying to find the bass that suits me the best or just sort out the electronics in my Pedulla.
@@progrockjock On the other hand, I have MM Stingray special which is top notch in almost every sense... So I definitely recommend those... The only thing I have against it is that neck is quite sensitive to humidity changes, but as I've managed to learn, that is something to be expected from unfinished one piece necks...
@@progrockjock i haven't played one but i heard all the best about Maruszczyk bass. Polish manufacturer located in Germany They make custom basses check them out. They even have a very good configurator on Public Peace site... I'm planning to buy one in the future... P.S. Berserk really needs good anime adaptation... We can only hope it gets done one day. :D
Nice video!! I have the '92 one, but a Luthier put glue on my pickup and I had to throw it away. Music man doesn't sell me the pick up separatelly. Do you think the electronics and the pick from the Sub is the same as the Sting ray enie ball? I could by a Sub and take the pick and the electronics.
Thanks! Man, I think I might try getting a Seymour Duncan Stingray Pickup but I think the pickup sounds about the same. I have a fretless sub and a Ball Family Reserve Fretless and they both sound great!
After seeing this video went and ordered a Sterling Ray34. I didn't want to break the bank so went with something in the middle. Is this a half decent bass?
The Ray34 is an awesome bass! It's the way I will probably go. I bought a pair of Ash Stingrays (fretted & fretless) in 1995 for right around $2,000...yes, for both!
I respect your opinion, but MM have a super glassy, crisp trebly high end that I just can’t stand. For me the P bass remains the most versatile. The high end has a better, smoother roll-off and isn’t harsh at all. ALTHOUGH, there’s nothing like the phat boom of a MM E string, it’s god tier level
And I respect yours. I have had 5 P basses and each one of them had a different tone - All favorable. My first one was actually a PJ Passive/Active. I've never seen another like it. The one I have now is the best. It's probably a 1962 but I need to take it apart in order to verify. Every studio I've walked into with that old P bass has celebrated its appearance. After live gigs, people would ask me about my tone and I would give all the credit to that P bass. It is, and always will be my main bass. However, I just think for beginners and pros, a lot of ground can be covered with a MM Stingray.
This video helped me decide to pull the trigger on an ultralight Stingray Special as a workhorse to protect my injured shoulder and neck.
I actually like the Stingray sound better than the P-bass. It's just so punchy but low. You are right, it has a VERY distinctive tone. Just like the old Ricks or Wal basses. You can always pick out a Music Man in the mix.
Completely agree. Done around 1300 gigs with my 97 Stingray. An increadible tool. Here's the thing about Ernie Ball that a load of bass players don't understand, pre Ernie Ball is not the same as pre CBS Fender. Ernie Ball MM just got better & better unlike the shafting of Fender by CBS. Yeah sure, you may prefer the voicing of the old pre EB preamps, but the basses got better & more versatile. I've owned a bunch, including a pre EB 79, loved it too but my 97 was the keeper. Nice one PRJ 👍
This is pretty much my assessment as an owner of a pre-EB StingRay. The more contemporary EB MM basses are solid, quality, workaday instruments and are probably more comfortable to play for long periods due to the body contours that mine utterly lack, but I'm pretty sure there isn't a one of them that is sonically a dead ringer for mine. The models with more than one pickup certainly have more versatility than mine does but on that note, even with just one pickup the effect of the two-knob boost/cut EQ mine has is huge; between that and changes to right-hand technique I have never lamented the lack of a second pickup.
I'm a guitar-player who bought a Sterling Stingray short-scale Bass and I absolutely love it. It's fun to play r&b, funk, motown, reggae and classic rock on bass. This Bass has exceeded my expectations. (also) played by Bernard Edwards /Chic and Paul Denman / Sade. oNe LovE from NYC
I have a 2004 SUB, for $800. Bought it, in 2005. It's a complete funk machine! To buy any MusicMan under a G, at that time, American-made, was unheard of! After I bought it, Ernie Ball discontinued those American-made SUB's. I'm glad I got one! It's that good. Still have it. I have a '62 P Bass Reissue, as well as a '62 Jazz Reissue. Love them all!
A fellow wielder of the BFR fretless. One of my favorites!
Ha! Great minds! That's the second time I've purchased a bass and then discovered you had it! I must let you know that your video gave me comfort as I awaited for that bass to arrive. Thank you!
When I bought my first bass I didn’t know what I wanted, or anything about basses or tone for that matter, so my friend came with, blindfolded me and handed me basses off the wall one after another. I ended up going with the pbass, (I knew it was the one after hearing the open e for the first time) but the only other bass I woulda bought that day was the stingray, but I couldn’t afford it at the time. 10 years later I’m touring the country with a stingray 5 HH special. You really can’t do much better before you start looking at having things custom made.
I agree!!!! I have a Sterling by Music Man Ray 35 and didn't see the need to spend the extra money on USA StingRay-UNTIL I BOUGHT ONE!!!! My 2022 StingRay 5 HH Special is a PHENOMENAL BASS AND THE VERSATILITY IS OFF THE CHARTS!!!! It's the best multi-genre bass you can buy!!!
I had the exact same experience. I had a Ray 35 as my main bass for a few years and it never let me down but I was just seemed to be slightly lacking in “something”plus was really heavy. I had a Sterling five for a while and it was nice, but still wasn’t “there”. Until I decided to drop the money on the Special 5HH when they came out and I was like wow now this really nailed it. It really checked all the right boxes and gave me a wide range of tones to choose from. It’s been my main one for a few years now and it’s never going away.
Absolutely love my EBMM BFR '22 short scale Stingray. It's beautiful, feels great playing it and I love its' tone.
Got my Stingray new in '93 (same one you are playing in your '96 clip) and it'll stay with me for ever
Build quality is insanely high, straight off the shelf. Even though it looks like a "simple" Fender-esque construction, it's perfectly excecuted up 'till the last detail
I've had other basses since, because sometime you wanna try something new, but they never last. I always go back to the MM
Even more important... the sound. It'll always cut through the mix, specially live, which is tough for most basses
Agree!!! I have my #1 Bass and it's a Musicman Stingray. I have used this bass for the past 14 years on everything. I believe it's versatile and have a solid tone for days. Most of my videos on my channel feature this bass. I love it!
Excellent content! I hope to see more videos. Have a Bless on my friend.
I just got a cheapo sterling Sub Ray 4. All I had to do with file and polish the sharp frets, give it a good setup, install strap locks, and…it’s a great bass! Fabulous value for the money.
ooooo that fretless sub is a nice one for sure! i was not aware they made a fretless, very nice! After getting a fretless jazz i am tempted to defret a sterling sub bass if i can find one cheap enough. I love all of the musicman family and owning a bunch ,i never had a bad one that didn't set up well.
I’m whole heartedly agreeing with you here. I love the Fender precision and some of the other variants but to me the Stingray is far more versatile and just feels better in my hands not to mention the tone is far more to my liking.
That being said, I’m surprised you don’t have a WARWICK in your collection because even though they’re expensive, they are very very good! Would love to know your thoughts on them.
Great video!
I really dig Warwick and I've been looking at them more now than I did in the 1990s! I demoed one on this channel but it wasn't like most of the other ones I've tried. Great looking basses too! I'll revisit them again soon. Thank you!
I grew up playing a stingray and now play a corvette $$. It’s really just a grown up stingray with more versatility
I have 3 of them. Bought my first one new in 77 and I still have it. Natural finish, black pick guard, white pup. Came with flats, changed them out for round wounds, now back to flats. In 2018 bought a MM Special in charcoal grey sparkle. In 2020 bought a sunburst short scale. That's my go to now. Nice and light and fun to play.
Nice collection! I played a 1978 fretless (natural finish) a year and a half ago that was going for $3,800. It was the first Stingray I ever played with flats on it. Amazing!
@@progrockjock Thanks! I still have 2 Music Man amps from the 70's too. Bass amp, tubes of course, has a 150 watt head with a normal channel too. Cab is a single 15" with a ported bottom. The other is a 100 watt tube guitar amp with an EV 12". Had both amps recap-ed and are still useable, if you're strong enough to lift them.
Three Peavy black widows...15's... back in the day! Seriously bad, dude!! Then, time moved on...now it's a p.a. system...2 18subs and 4 12" 2way , all powered Mackie...it works, 🎶🥴🎶😎
Dude. Props for your screen saver. Epic albums popping up. The bass is strong with this one.
Thank you! That means a lot! There are a few album covers that shouldn't be there (ie. Corine Bailey Rae, if I'm spelling her name right) but 99% of that music has been the soundtrack to my life and I'm grateful to have caught most of it live. The screensaver on my old iMac is actually better. I lost hundreds of album covers when converting to the M2 Pro but this was mainly due to the operating system...ok, I'll stop rambling. Thanks, again!
I'm lucky enough to own a Stingray HH and it's an amazing bass. It has so much versatility.
My first bass was a Sub 5 string. Took that thing on tours and played countless shows. The tone with my Darkglass Vintage deluxe was insane. I absolutely regret selling it to buy a Kiesel and I’m looking into buying a higher end EBMM. Have never had a bad experience playing/trying their products and will probably be using them from now on.
Thanks for sharing your experience! Yeah, those Sub 5s are pretty decent. I have an Alpha Omicron and the Darkglass Ultra plugin that I love! I considered buying a 6-string Kiesel ($1,600) back in February but decided to go Ibanez since it wasn't going to be my primary bass. I think that Kiesel would've been better.
@@progrockjock Kiesel's are nice, I own two Zeus 5s I bought back in 2018 and 2019 but if I'm being honest, with the recent price increase for Kiesels, I can't justify buying or recommending them. Beyond the aesthetics(which I love), you can get basses at the price point with much better feel, playability, and tone out of the box which is why I'm starting to move away from them after being a long time fanboy lol
I have a Sterling Ray34. I believe they're around $900 new. I bought mine on discount for $700. You would never know it's a mid-tier instrument though. The fretwork is immaculate. The neck is roasted maple, and is so comfortable. Maybe the only thing that isn't as good as an EBMM is the pickup. It still sounds great to me, though. But you can always upgrade it if you want.
A Ray34 for $700?? You totally won! I really dig those. I posted a video on a charcoal, roasted-maple-neck, Ray34 a few months ago. I almost bought it but ended up buying the BFR. I still want that Ray34 though.
I was in doubt when I picked my sterling stingray about a month ago
And you know? It's funny to mention that is not that I don't like a P or Jazz bass, I mean, in recording I'll probably pick up one, but the Stingray has a very special and distinctive tone for me which I fell in love in the moment I took it, so I decided to give it a try. And since I am a punk lover I was doubting if I made a correct decision because I'm a versatile musician also
But yeah, after seeing you, some reviews and trusting myself. I made a good choice picking up my partner 🤙
Greetings from Mexico!
Thank you so much for the time and effort creating this breakdown, it was very, verry helpful!
You're very welcome!
I love these basses as well.
The low end ones are set up nice and I love how you get super lows and the beautiful highs.
A perfect blend of sound and most on a cheap price.
Right-on about the Sterling basswood body being lighter in weight. Also more resonant in my opinion. Just feels like an alive instrument in-hand. I replaced full-sized brass bridge saddles and an Aguilar 4M pickup. Stock 2-band preamp. Like it much more than my first EB stingray that I had. A keeper for sure.
Great video. I just got a gently used Peavey t-40 (black on black with maple neck). I saw your video on one and decided to get it.
Oh, that's cool! Thank you! That T-40 was still at Sam Ash Atlanta the last time I was there. I love the look and sound of it but I can't bring any more basses home for a while.
Stingrays are the coolest looking basses without a doubt. They're more similar to P basses than a lot of people think. But, they can be both bigger and more pillowy or tighter and punchier depending on your hand position.
Yes I do agree, I purchased my 5 String Sterling Bass and it truly has a Unique sound. One of the options that I like on this base is the five position toggle switch that you can perfect. The Bass is very versatile. I enjoyed playing it, especially at my Gospel venues it does the job perfectly.
I agree and I didn’t like the look of the Stingray initially 😂😂
And yes that raspy baritone voice they have is very unique, especially when wide open.
My oldest bass is a 2014 Sterling SUB Ray4. With many other basses having come and gone in my collection since then, this one has stuck around all these years. It has been that good to me.
I played it stock until 2019 when the pre-amp died on me for good. I swapped both the pickup and a pre-amp for a Seymour Duncan and MojoTone respectively. It’s not my number one instrument, but I have loved this bass' distinct sound with everything I have played and it is here to stay.
Thanks for sharing your experience! That was a wise decision to replace those components with Seymour Duncan and MojoTone. I really miss having a fretted Stingray in my collection. I'm actually planning to sell my fretless SUB and my Ibanez ATK (a wannabe Stingray) and I will be replacing them with a fretted Sterling Ray4.
Between my Ray, my Jazz & Precision Basses, and a Harley Benton Rickenbacker copy I have, I have ended up with the “big four” basses.
Oh, man! How do you like that HB Ric? I hear they're pretty good!
mad respect for that Arise poster - P bass player here . love Spectors too.
Man, I still LOVE that album so much. "Desperate Cry" is my favorite track on that album.
Big fan of the stingray myself, have a 4h and 5hh, waiting for a bfr 5hh special now. One thing Ive noticed with my stingray is that their compensated nuts are best suited to their factory stringing 45-100. Ive struggled alot with finding the best setup for my two stingrays (a 4h and 5hh) with 105-strings, but got it right much easier with the 100-set.
The Sterling full scale Stingrays sound incredible for the value and fit into every genre. I added a passive switch so I could play it through my interface without overloading it and aside from not having tone control in passive mode it sounds great. Most versatile bass I've ever owned.
I will agree that Music Man has the best feeling necks and can be setup better than any bass I’ve ever played. I’ve owned a couple. However, for me, there are a few basses I like better for tones.
I have a fender P, a Sandburg cali SL tt-4, and a G&L L-1000. All are amazing. Next on my list is a stingray 5 string.
I’m so close to pulling the trigger on G&L L-1000 to complete my Leo Fender Arsenal. Sandburg makes good instruments as well. I like your profile handle!
I love my stingray. I noticed Pete Wentz from Fall Out Boy has been playing them recently. Not my favorite band but it’s cool to see someone switch to them too
No one on earth agrees with this premise.
For one…..Steve Irwin.
I’m a guitar player that’s finally making the move to learn bass as well I always loved the look of a ray 4 white with the black pickguard lucky me sterling has a ray24ca in white with tortoiseshell
I agree! The Stingray neck feel, growl and sensitive EQ, it's all there. I think it's Leo Fender's masterpiece. I play a Stingray Special 5H. Killer bass!!
Best part about a stingray is it really doesn’t matter what amp you use, it’ll sound like a stingray
I think depending on the model, and how each specific color option is spec'd out, there's some Sterling Stingray Ray34's that come in under $1k that are every bit as good as many MM state side offerings. I snagged a B-stock in firemist silver for $749 to match my Sterling Cutlass CT50 HSS. They're the 2 least expensive guitars in my collection but nobody thinks that.
I've owned about every Stingray from the SUB Series to the Sterling's to a Musicman Pre-Ernie Ball original and I have to agree with your assessment. They are about the most affordable well-rounded bass you can get. I've owned numerous Fenders, Squires and G & Ls to compare them with.
I have nearly the same bass, but red where your Sunburst is, and it’s an HH. It’s ridiculously good. It makes me feel bad for my Ibanez that I’ve really got set up right and sounding pretty damned good, for a $375 bass. No mods. But the Music Man. Besides the beauty, and the feel, and its outrageous sustain, is the sound, and this double pickup layout is the end all. Of course all basses, make, well, bass. But not like this MM does. Plus it does so without compromising any other parts of the tone you desire. But I actually was compelled to comment because I am STUNNED at the diversity of your music in that very, very, few people like the huge r age of music that I do. I see Mr. Bungle, near the top of my book for best albums ever made. Then Arise. Louder Than Love. The Specials. Nuff said.
Thank you for reaching out! I really appreciate you recognizing my eclecticism. I truly love all of the music behind the artwork on my wall, as well as the iTunes screen saver displayed in the background of most of my videos. I never got to see any version of The Specials nor did I get to see Sepultura (unbelievable because I introduced them to a lot of my hesher friends back in 89) but Bungle and Soundgarden are on the long list of bands I've seen live.
As for the Stingray HH - I totally know what you're saying. Not to sit here and talk you into watching more of my content, but back in April of this year when I was in New York, I played a double-humbucker Sterling Stingray that blew my mind. I became of obsessed with owning another one (natural finish with maple neck and fingerboard) and was so close to making it happen last weekend, but unfortunately, someone else beat me to it. I prefer having an HH Stingray from now on.
One of the few times I've agreed with a reviewers assessment of a bass guitar line. Musicman Stingray is one of the best all around instruments you can buy.
I have a Stingray and Jazz and feel I got it covered.
that groove in the intro 🤌🤌🤌
Thank you!
I've owned a fretted musicman stingray (same electronics as yours) since 1992. I've never played a better all-round bass, it's still what I play 90% of the time. If I could only keep one thing I own, it would be my '92 stingray.
A Leo Fender design. His next step, with Dale, and George, was G&L.
Absolutely! A stingray will become ones go to if they planed that or not. What you said True That!
Thank you! I really need to spend more time with their 5 & 6-string models to see how they feel.
I love how MusicMan basses sound. But finally got to play one and I gotta say, I didn’t like how it felt.
The neck felt really stiff, the body felt too big. I play Schecter Stiletto basses and that body and neck just work for me. After I played the MM I picked up just a random Stiletto off the wall and immediately felt in my comfort zone.
I’m sure if I played the MM for an extended period of time I’d get used to it but I don’t know if I’d wanna chance spending over 1k for something I’d learn to like/get used to.
@@nickk5948 best way I can put it into words really; it just didn’t feel comfortable. It felt like I was fighting that bass to play it. The neck just didn’t sit well with me
Ahhhhhhhhhhh my final frontier. Music Man Sterling Stingray
Damn! 😧I just knew you’d mention the MusicMan “Bongo” Bass‼️✨🎸In which I own by chance! I ☝🏾monitored for a Japanese Manufacturer in Tokyo, Japan and got one free and a marriage ensued!! 👌🏾👍🏾👏🏾😍The Bongo deserves more attention as an ”All-Around” Bass!! one more KILLER MusicMan style Bass! Aesthetically they get dissed but their tone Is definitely MusicMan!! Just adore mine‼️✨🎸🙏🏾🥰
I must admit that I don't like the look the Bongo but I've been very interested in playing the John Myung model. Who knows? I might fall in love with it too!
While I’ll agree overall. I know for fact you can buy a good Fender Jazz or Precision for under $500 even $300 the marks is saturated with them, and god forbid you spend a little more down the line to upgrade the pickups or tuning pegs. Honestly as long as you pick one of those 3 up, you’re golden. For playability and repairs. There’s a huge market and community behind these basses, that’s the real take away!
I have a Ray4 Sub, and turned it into a serial killer Bass. lol! I added a Seymour Duncan pickup, Aguilar obp 3tkpp 3 band eq, with push pull knob, and even had the classic mutes installed. This thing is getting cremated along with me, when my time comes. 😂
Sounds like you have an awesome, customized bass! Your comment about being cremated with the bass comes at a weird time. 2 days ago, my son and I had a discussion about my "burial bass" not being buried with me, since I wanted to be cremated and he said, "don't worry, we can just cremate it with you!" 😂
I like the string spacing for the plucking hand on the four string and I wish they maintained that on the five string but they do not. The Gibson Grabber has a three pickup layout which gives it a unique sound. I would like to see that on the Stingray.
There is always the short-lived Big Al, if you can find one.
100% on their quality control. They're also a good company that looks after its workers.
That's good to know. Sterling Ball seems like a real class act!
I loved my Music Man Stingray 5 (early 90s) with an HH setup, and I could never get the neck adjusted correctly. There was so much tension, and I endlessly fought with the action.
For me? I’m a PBass guy, but if I was to try a Stingray again, I’d probably do better with a 4-String Stingray with a single humbucker. It’s likely a better fit for me.
Yeah, the looks are just right. I consider them tobe th elogical evolution of the fender.
Nothing like a stingray I’ve owned a dozen of them and down to 3 I got 2 specials, and my 04 is my got to the grave bass just amazing basses!!! I want the 30th anniversary sooo bad too!! The ceramic pups are my favorite stingray tone, just so snappy and aggressive I don’t think I knew they made Sub fretless basses, personally I’ve never been a P bass guy, if I want a P tone I’ll use my lakland 5502 and put the neck J pup on, I’m not much of a neck pup solo tone guy,
Ugh, I passed up a candy-apple red 30th anniversary a few months ago because I really wanted that BFR Fretless. Hopefully, we'll live to see the 50th Anniversary - You know it's going to be insane!! Only 3 years to go...and oh, yes, Lakland basses are great! I recently did some recording with a 5-string that was in the studio. The demos I played on were Metal and the guitarist used the John Pertrucci Music Man.
@@progrockjock yea I’m excited to see the 50th anniversary! I love how the 30th anniversary had the ceramic pup, at least the 5er did idk about the 4 banger, I love my lakland soo much! I’m on my 2nd one now, I was a fool and sold my first one to Johnny Lee Long and had to get another one, John Petrucci is a guitar God!! 🙏
Got a 5 jazz... but my 5 Michael Kelly whoops AZZ!!!
Preaching to the choir !!! I have A BFR Fuego Fretless 5, Amethyst Sparkle StingRay5 Special, BFR Crescendo 5, and Ernie Ball Short Scale Stingray Starry Night. I love the Specials and the Original Pre Ernie Ball era StingRay. I would love to have a Tim Cummerford Short Scale with he old school bridge mutes. You can't beat Ernie Ball quality. It rivals boutique quality . There is no genre where a Stingray won't work . To me it is the best design Leo Fender ever did. It's like the best of a Jazz bass and the best of a Pbass all in one. I think they were the first company to master the 5 string.
I wish you had mentioned the Ibanez ATK line ( although not in production). I have a flame maple natural 4-string like one I saw on one of your videos. Plus 2 others (another 4-string and a 5-string). They are heavy, but i like them. Also have a unique sound (s).
I'm totally with you on the ATK line! My ATK700 is the best Ibanez I've owned and played so far. This particular video was taken from 90 minutes of me rambling about many of the basses I own. I've thought about just posting the unedited footage since I went through the trouble to record it. Either way, I'm planning to release a follow-up video all about the ATK line, so please check back. Thank you!
“Chaos AD.” 👊 hey bud I’m an experienced Drummer new to playing bass and I went with the Yamaha broad Bass 4 string you did a video on. I love it so much more than my Ibanez TMB 100. I had a vintage modified squire from 2017 that I ended up selling to my brother which I loved but when I checked the new Squires none of them were as clean as the Yamaha, or as well made as my 2017 Vintage modified Jazz bass. How do you think the Yamaha holds up against the standard music man stingray? It came with really nice low action and has a really comfortable body!
Yes sir!! Sepultura (1984-1997) is one of the best!!! I like the Yamaha Broad Bass a lot and I'm planning to revisit it again soon. Yamaha is as well known as Ibanez, Sterling, Squier and Epiphone but they have a sleeper effect that rivals Lakeland, G&L, Sire and Schecter. In other words, All of the brands I mentioned have hidden gems. I did a video last year comparing the 5-String Broad Bass (with tapewounds) to a 5-String Sterling. I liked the Yamaha better for feel and it would've completely beat out the Sterling if it weren't for those tapewound strings. Much respect to you for being a drummer - It's my favorite instrument! Keep jamming!
They sound so cool, I just wish they had better color ways
To your Point , I say the same thing about IBANEZ. They make $200-$2500 and beyond , they play amazingly , I’ll put my SR5005 against any MM, FENDER even a 5k Fodera. I’m complimented all the time on my bass after gigs.
It's so awesome to read your words!! Ibanez is where it all began for me with the bass. I refuse to part with my 1986 PL5050. I recently purchased an SR506e and I can't put it down but I'd rather have your prestige model! I currently own 3 (PL5050, ATK700 and SR506e) and I'm looking into buying a 4th one soon. Also, I have made hints in multiple videos about doing a video like this for Ibanez, so hopefully you'll see that soon...
Good playing tex
Thank you!
Such a nice sound on that Fretless bass of yours ... I have always been a little scared to buy one (because of my skill level- or lack thereof. 😂.
Never thought much about Fretless until recently... it's just a cool sound... it's different.
Blue Murder was a 3 piece band with John Sykes, Tony Franklin, and Carmine Appice.....I love Tony's bass sound on their self-titled album! Check them out if you haven't.
PS...I love the Ratt "Invasion Of Your Privacy" photo!!!!
Thanks about my fretless stingray and noticing the Invasion of Your Privacy vinyl on the wall!! I bet you can guess which 2 are not actual vinyl records in the frames. I will give you a clue one of the pictures is actually part of a promo set I got my hands on around the time the band was out touring...Geez, I just gave that one away 😂...oh yes, I know about Tony Franklin and Blue Murder, as well as The Firm. A fretless monster he is indeed!
Tim C from RATM plays a music man.
i bought a ray 4HH and i was a bit disappointed as the strings that came on it were the worst i’ve ever got on a bass and the set up was really bad. but when i put ernie ball strings and got it set up it’s amazing now
you should make a video comparing the musicman to the ibanez atk :)
Great idea! It's time to do a side by side, sound and look comparison.
Leo Fender said that he believes that the g&l basses
are the best basses that he ever made
Spoiler: G&L coming soon...
I've had Stingrays at every price point and agree. Should be noted that even the cheap Sterlings 5 have a great B string, which is hard to find at that price.
My Stingray Special 5 H is my number one
I agree with you and I will be adding a 5-string to my collection but I want to check out the L-2500 before pulling the trigger. I've never owned a 5-string before, so I want to make sure I give all of Leo Fender's creations a try.
@@progrockjock the L2000 was my main bass for many years. I've had a M2500 from G&L too. Can't go wrong with G&L or EBMM
I see XTC + The Specials on the wall, I subscribe.
Thank you! XTC is my favorite band!!
God damn that's a beautiful roasted flamed maple fingerboard.
Have a USA made Musicman Sterling 4 string got it for $850 from pawnshop.
You totally scored!! We used to gig with another band and their bassist had a natural finish Sterling. I always told him to find me if he ever sold it, not giving real credit to the 94 Ernie Ball I owned. Hang on to that bass!
Great video; agree Stingray is King of Basses. I just realized I thumbs upped you to 666 votes; hope that doesn’t bring you bad luck haha. Really enjoyed the info and subscribed. I haven’t gotten my first Stingray yet, but will share when I do. So far happy with my P bass and my 2 Jazz basses. Cheers!
Thank you! I'm cool with 666 thumbs up! I didn't even realize the video had that many likes. Having a Jazz bass actually curbed my desire for another fretted stingray. Sounds to me like you've got all the basses covered!
@@progrockjockYes; I feel pretty covered. I wanted a Stingray at point in my life when it wasn’t financially feasible; so you’re video has sort of rekindled my interest. I agree with you that G& L is no doubt a quality instrument; but I also think the Lakeland Basses are pretty awesome; been looking at their PJ basses, very interesting bridge designs. Your thoughts on Lakeland craftsmanship? Have a great day!
Music man Sting Ray, Fender Pbass, Jbass and G&L. All these basses were created by Leo Fender
Great video! I would love to hear your thoughts when comparing a G&L Kiloton to a Stingray. I've heard people say it's a weird hybrid between a Jazz, Precision and Stingray all combined into one.
I'd like to hear your unfiltered opinion on it because I think it'd be too good to be true. I had the chance to play a Tribute (G&L's cheaper line) Kiloton and I quite enjoyed it but I'm not sure if it's worth going for it or buying a Sterling Stingray instead.
Thank you! I am actually planning to look at a vintage G&L bass this week. I looked at a Tribute tele-style guitar yesterday. I wasn't impressed but GC isn't known for setting up the guitars they hang on the wall. For well over a year, I have been looking deeply into G&L, as well as, Lakland. I feel like the latter is a wannabe G&L. However, I haven't played Lakeland I didn't like. Similar to G&L, Lakland gets completely overlooked, other than the fact that Nate Mendell of the Foo Fighters used to play them and has his own signature model. There are people who think I'm comparing a $2,000+ Ernie ball to a Fender Squier but this is not the case. Right now, Music Man is the only company offering a bass that comes from the factory with great sound and action for around $300. Even from Indonesia! I have some nice basses but I'm still searching for one that covers 90% of my bass needs. I actually hope it's G&L. We shall see...
Stingray is the BEST bass guitar ever made.
Sterling by MM is something different than EBMM Sterling. Just as a reminder ;). Good luck.
I know. It's the most ridiculous thing Music Man ever did. Then there is Atlanta naming over 100 streets using the word "peach" 🙄 Anyway, I actually prefer the Music Man Sterling over the traditional Stingray design.
@@progrockjock Don't tell anyone but... me too. Good day.
I do think it’s a little unfair to compare cheaper Fenders to a $2000 Music Man bass. Obviously it’s probably not going to be as good. Now, if you want to compare the cheaper Sterling by Music Man line to the cheaper Fender lines, then that’s reasonable.
I agree with you. That's why I kept mentioning that I was comparing the quality of the entry-level, fretted Sterling/Sub basses to the Fender Squier line. The Sub fretless I showed cost me somewhere around $600 give or take. I think all of Leo Fender's creations are great but I believe Music Man and G&L are putting out better quality instruments these days.
HH version yes.
I recently picked up a used sterling 34HH From my local music store Went to get it set up in the truss rod was broken and two of the tuners were locked up Went back and exchanged it Truss rod was busted on the second one I don't know if anyone else has had this issue
I'm sorry to hear this! I've always had great luck with all of their basses, regardless of the tier.
Lakland QC is the best I’ve ever known, altho they don’t do anything super cheap like the SUB, but I’ve known a few Sterlings have problems with QC
Lakland basses are totally underrated. I was telling someone else in the comments that I used a 5 string for a studio session a few months back. I was so impressed, I almost bought one but decided to hold off. It's still on the list for consideration.
You won’t regret it, they are VERY good!
Regarding quality control, I don't trust Sterlings in recent years, not in the slightest...
Dude, if your avatar is who I think it is..."Gattsu"...Berserk is, hands down, my favorite Manga of all time!!!...but I must argue that 95% of the Sterling basses and guitars I've played around here in Atlanta are generally solid. However, Ibanez certainly gives them a run for their money when it comes to quality control.
@@progrockjock yeah its our man Guts... :D I recently bought sterling ray34 with sliver hardware and tuning machines literally ate themselves with first restringing. Additionally, truss rod doesn't have enough freedom of movement to adjust the relief the way it should be. I also read the forums about it and a lot of people have those problems... Just type "stingray purple sparkle problems", you will get what I mean... On the other hand it did sound very good, but it's unfunctional in the long run, so be careful when buying those. I ended up returning mine.
I know I'm a total dork, but Guts is my hero for so many reasons! I wish someone would pick that manga up and do a legit series covering the Black Swordsman evolution. That series released on Netflix, covering the Golden Age Arc, once again, was just tired and not done nearly as well as the OLM version. Speaking of that 1997 series, I covered that Silver Fins song acoustically going on 2 decades ago, but never posted it anywhere. Back to Music Man, Steling - Wow! I'm sorry to hear your experience with the Ray34 was so bad! I actually think I might be done with them. I love my BFR fretless but I am still trying to find the bass that suits me the best or just sort out the electronics in my Pedulla.
@@progrockjock On the other hand, I have MM Stingray special which is top notch in almost every sense... So I definitely recommend those... The only thing I have against it is that neck is quite sensitive to humidity changes, but as I've managed to learn, that is something to be expected from unfinished one piece necks...
@@progrockjock i haven't played one but i heard all the best about Maruszczyk bass. Polish manufacturer located in Germany They make custom basses check them out. They even have a very good configurator on Public Peace site... I'm planning to buy one in the future... P.S. Berserk really needs good anime adaptation... We can only hope it gets done one day. :D
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If you can't do it on a Stingray or P Bass... You can't do it.
Nice video!! I have the '92 one, but a Luthier put glue on my pickup and I had to throw it away. Music man doesn't sell me the pick up separatelly. Do you think the electronics and the pick from the Sub is the same as the Sting ray enie ball? I could by a Sub and take the pick and the electronics.
Thanks! Man, I think I might try getting a Seymour Duncan Stingray Pickup but I think the pickup sounds about the same. I have a fretless sub and a Ball Family Reserve Fretless and they both sound great!
@@progrockjock good idea!! Thank you!!
Aero pickups, can make a music man pick up with similar characteristics as a P
Bro, you know what fretless is. Musicmen is truly the best fretless I've ever heard. The standard among fretless...
I don’t understand why they can make a Sub Sterling for around 500€ but can’t make a fretless one…
I completely agree 👍
Throw a $120 pickup in a Sterling and wire it in parallel and you have 95% of an EBMM.
Unless you use a lot of pedals, when you will want a passive switch on your Stingray!
I need a fretless ray
After seeing this video went and ordered a Sterling Ray34. I didn't want to break the bank so went with something in the middle. Is this a half decent bass?
The Ray34 is an awesome bass! It's the way I will probably go. I bought a pair of Ash Stingrays (fretted & fretless) in 1995 for right around $2,000...yes, for both!
I love my 34, I honestly think about upgrading to an Ernie ball but can't see the point
I agree 💯
Love Stingrays. But the Jazzbass is the most versatile bass.
Amen!!!!
I respect your opinion, but MM have a super glassy, crisp trebly high end that I just can’t stand. For me the P bass remains the most versatile. The high end has a better, smoother roll-off and isn’t harsh at all. ALTHOUGH, there’s nothing like the phat boom of a MM E string, it’s god tier level
And I respect yours. I have had 5 P basses and each one of them had a different tone - All favorable. My first one was actually a PJ Passive/Active. I've never seen another like it. The one I have now is the best. It's probably a 1962 but I need to take it apart in order to verify. Every studio I've walked into with that old P bass has celebrated its appearance. After live gigs, people would ask me about my tone and I would give all the credit to that P bass. It is, and always will be my main bass. However, I just think for beginners and pros, a lot of ground can be covered with a MM Stingray.
What are your thoughts on Laklands?
Terribly underrated.
I have two Laklands - a 5501 and 5502 and love them both!
Thumbs up for Ratt
1961 jazz bass is the best bass