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

WiresDreamDisasters · February 2021

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 · February 2021

How much moolah?

Bridgehouse · February 2021

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 · February 2021

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 · February 2021

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

fretmeister · February 2021

Sandberg California 2 TT4

WiresDreamDisasters · February 2021

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

Image: https://www.pourlesmusiciens.com/medias/271/fender-jazz-bass-player-lh-gaucher-mex-mn-large-2-146266.jpg

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 · February 2021

What about the haunting mids?

WiresDreamDisasters · February 2021

Funkfingers said:

What about the haunting mids?

Might be a bit too spooky!!

UnclePsychosis · February 2021

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 · February 2021

The noisy stock single coil pickups might prove annoying.

WiresDreamDisasters · February 2021

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

Bridgehouse · February 2021

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 · February 2021

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 · February 2021

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 · February 2021

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 · February 2021

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

Bridgehouse · February 2021

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 · February 2021

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 · February 2021

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 · February 2021

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.

Cirrus · February 2021

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.

Get a Thunderbird then, the growl at 800-1.5k makes my willy tingle.

crunchman · February 2021

Bridgehouse said:

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/

I'd love that Maruszczyk in a right handed version.

Funkfingers · February 2021

WiresDreamDisasters said:
Won't I be burned at the stake!?!

Only if you introduce music technology from the second half of the Twentieth Century to a Rickenbacker.

prowla · February 2021

The basses I like best are Rickenbacker and Warwick.

A good Precision can have a real growl to it and a nice Jazz has a certain authority to the sound.

I've got a couple of Status Graphite basses which are decent too.

Stingrays, Wals, Steinbergers, Alembics, don't much do it for me.

Fake relic'd = forget it.

I played a couple of nice Sandbergs at a guitar show and I do like the aggressive styling of the Strandbergs.

JCA2550 · February 2021

Second hand Dingwall NG-4

stickyfiddle · February 2021

I agree with @Bridgehouse - everyone should have a P. Maybe a P/J if you're a pervert.

There's almost no context a P can't work imo.

wrinkleygit · February 2021

I would keep the ray and have a word with John East,
another option would be try a set of D’adario stainless ground wounds.

fretmeister · February 2021

I had an EMG ray pickup in mine for a while it was very good. Lost all the annoying high end.
Then i turned it into a PJ.

and it’s going back to stock shortly.

But if you buy the Jazz, then put the original EMG J set in. They were designed to be silent versions of 1960 pickups and are excellent. I have them in my Sandberg. Very quiet and great sound.

WiresDreamDisasters · February 2021

I think I'll get a jazz in the coming months. Keep the Ray. Have them side-by-side for a bit. See how I get on.

Bridgehouse · February 2021

WiresDreamDisasters said:

I think I'll get a jazz in the coming months. Keep the Ray. Have them side-by-side for a bit. See how I get on.

Two basses?

*points* - dirty bass player

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

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