NBD Music Man StingRay

[Chris P.]

I interviewed quite some Music Man players over the years, also for a guitar mag, like Gail Ann Dorsey, St. Vincent, Louis Johnson, etc. I also wrote a big StingRay special for the mag, but strange enough I only reviewed a SUB by Sterling by MM and a Sterling by MM. Mind you: we have other reviewers, so USA MM basses came by in the mag. But I never really played Music Mans, just on trade shows, like the NAMM.

When I started bass 25 years ago, I had no idea about basses, so I listened to my 'expert' friends, but of course I loved the looks of some of 'm. My local shop had a powder blue Squier Musicmaster with matching headstock and I loved it. But it was short scale and my expert friends told me short scales are for children, women and guitar players. The horror. My second choice was the Danelectro Longhorn reissue. Too ugly, according to my friends, and there would be no place in the band-to-be if I bought that. The third bass I loved - again purely for the looks - had a symmetrical oval pickguard, a smiling quarter moon control plate and a different 3+1 headstock. It was not only too expensive, but my expert friends told me active basses were for funk. Period.

So I bought a black Squier P. My next bass was adviced by a guy who's still a friend, who really was an expert, and nowadays he's the Dutch Gretsch salesman. He worked at Gibson and he sold me a Epi JCS.

Later, when I quit that band, I bought a copperburst Dano Longhorn reissue and much later I found the powder blue short scale Squier, which was my first love. As you know I play short scales a lot nowadays: Höfner, Fender, Gibson, and Danelectro. Many basses came and I even bought a double MM Warwick Streamer but never a StingRay. Why? I don't know.

After writing that StingRay Special some years ago I got interested in StingRays more and more, and I start looking, reading, gathering info. I'm a big Queen fan and after watching some footage of Deacon again, I decided I needed one. First I bought a cheap Sub by Sterling by MM. The EQ is limited but it's a great little bass, which stands up to some of my more expensive basses. I got used to the pickup position and I liked it. So last week a real US StingRay followed me home. A Honey Burst, with rosewood board – suits my fingerstyle pop/rock playing better – and a 3band EQ: I like to push some mids. This bass is a 2011 model, but it was still new in the shop, with even the protective plastic on the pickguard. 9 years of drying wood is no problem to me. And I got a very good deal.
I installed a new Duracell battery, new Ernie Ball Slinky strings - I never use Ernie Ball strings , but I thought it would suit the bass - and I love it.
I play it at home for some weeks now and like it! Great neck, great looks, great sound! Glad I did it.

[Rob]

That is beautiful!

[4stringer77]

Congrats on the Stingray. Hope you have some good times with it. Bernard Edwards pun intended. My first hands on experience with a 3 band stingray came when I went to try out a Lakland P bass at a store. They also had a used Stingray for much less money and that's what ended up coming home with me. Try not to wear out your thumb slapping. 👍

[Dave W]

Congratulations! I prefer the 3 band preamp.

[Chris P.]

Thanks!

I was starting a little discussion on the facebook group of my magazine. As you know I'm mostly playing passive basses, but if I review an active bass - I have three in total in fact - I always like to push mid a bit. I also use low, but I hardly use the highs. Wouldn't it be better if a 2band EQ was mid and low instead of high and low?

In the mean time I discovered that Darkglass makes a hi mid, low mid, low EQ, also used by Dingwall.

[slinkp]

I think I am gonna have to get a Ray some day. That attack is a really special sound.
I'm kind of craving a fretless one.
Yours is pretty!

[morrow]

That looks like my Ray , except mine has a white pickguard . Never gig with it , but it generally stays beside the couch . I put a lot of time on that bass , and love the big chunky neck .
And I'm a huge Dano Longhorn fan . Mine still has the factory strings , from around 98 . It has one huge old school thump .
Whenever I buy a bass I generally gig with it enough times so I break even , and then go back to that Dano . It was a constant for years until I picked up a little Gibson DC Jr .
It seems to be replacing the Dano .

[morrow]

Herself says the white pickguard is like having a little spotlight on my right hand ...

[Chris P.]

Nice one!

I was thinking about changing the pickguard, but I like the '70s vibe of black guards.

[gearHed289]

Herself says the white pickguard is like having a little spotlight on my right hand ...

Great looking 'Ray. I'd like to see it with a clear pickguard!

[Chris P.]

Or tort. I thought about getting a good dark tort for mine.