Stingrays, ...... ?

Fishboy7

I need a bass for a side project / recording thing.  I've never played much bass but always like the look of MM Stingrays.  

So, how much should one expect to spend for a reasonable condition passive 4 string?  

Would £800 be short of the mark??  

fretmeister

USA stingrays are all active.
Yes you’ll find one for £800.

Probably a couple on basschat. 

octatonic

£800 is achievable.
I've seen them as low as £650, especially 2 band EQ models with maple fingerboard.

Basschat, Reverb, Gumtree, eBay- there are usually 4-6 available at any one time.

WiresDreamDisasters

My lefty cost me £750.

Funkfingers

Fishboy7 said:

I … always like the look of MM Stingrays.   

I shall play Devil’s advocate by suggesting that it is unwise to choose a bass guitar for its looks over its sound(s).

Fishboy7 said:

how much should one expect to spend for a reasonable condition passive 4 string?  

The Musicman Stingray pickup is passive but the onboard EQ is active. Together, they give the instrument a characteristic sound that suits some music better than others.

My forum ID should be a clue that I am a Tony Levin fan. I like the Stingray bass, with or without frets. I will never sell mine.

Nevertheless, I still have to admit that there are often times when the right bass guitar for the music is a Fender Precision with flatwound strings.

Fishboy7

Thanks.  There are a few nice looking examples on ebay. Out of interest, what is the SUB version? 

Funkfingers

In Ernie Ball Music Man nomenclature, S.U.B. originally referred to a range of US-made cut price guitars and basses. Poplar slab bodies, necks plastered in opaque black finish to disguise ugly maple. (Similar to the Fender American Special concept.)

More recently, EBMM uses the S.U.B. name for its budget "import" models. Indonesian-made ones are affordable, playable straight out of the box and good platforms for modification. IMHO, the more recent Chinese-made ones are not so good.

Mid way between these two ranges lies the Sterling By Musicman range. Indonesian again. These play nicely but the pickup and EQ are weak points. Take care over the weight of these. Some examples can give Seventies Fender basses a run for their money in the boat anchor stakes.

octatonic

IMHO the genuine article are cheap enough to never have to consider a SUB.

guitarfishbay

Funkfingers said:

Mid way between these two ranges lies the Sterling By Musicman range. Indonesian again. These play nicely but the pickup and EQ are weak points. Take care over the weight of these. Some examples can give Seventies Fender basses a run for their money in the boat anchor stakes.

The same runs true of the Musicman versions.  The stand out heaviest instrument I've ever played was a 4HH Stingray.  Fortunately there are plenty of reasonable weight examples about if you look for them, especially if you only want 1 pickup.

hollywoodrox

From the depths of time I am remembering a company called OLP who did copies that were actually licensed by music man, they did some axis style guitars too. I remember people saying they were very good value for money  and sometimes can be found on eBay. I remember it being about the early 2000s about 03 when I became aware of them . They seemed to do cool stuff

octatonic

hollywoodrox said:

From the depths of time I am remembering a company called OLP who did copies that were actually licensed by music man, they did some axis style guitars too. I remember people saying they were very good value for money  and sometimes can be found on eBay. I remember it being about the early 2000s about 03 when I became aware of them . They seemed to do cool stuff

I worked at a music school (as a repairer) who had about a dozen OLP musicman style instruments.
They were good for the money but required a lot of fettling.

Funkfingers

I remember OLP guitars and basses. Somebody I knew who worked Saturdays in a music shop snaffled up a traded-in OLP bass but had no real idea how to get it usable. I had a go but, without its owner ploughing in funds, it was always going to be a clunker.

Musicman20

I remember when I first saw and heard a Stingray bass. That was it. I had to have one.

Something about the shape and that really cutting raspy tone.

It also helps that they have some the THE best production guitar/bass quality control in the business.

Get a proper Ray. I've now got a fair few, and other Musicman instruments.  

Fishboy7

Musicman20 said:

I remember when I first saw and heard a Stingray bass. That was it. I had to have one.

Something about the shape and that really cutting raspy tone.

It also helps that they have some the THE best production guitar/bass quality control in the business.

Get a proper Ray. I've now got a fair few, and other Musicman instruments.  

You make a convincing case.  The third most iconic bass maybe.........?

I've seen a nice white one with solid rosewood neck on ebay, but would need to stretch the budget a bit

WiresDreamDisasters

Musicman20 said:

I remember when I first saw and heard a Stingray bass. That was it. I had to have one.

Something about the shape and that really cutting raspy tone.

It also helps that they have some the THE best production guitar/bass quality control in the business.

Get a proper Ray. I've now got a fair few, and other Musicman instruments.  

I was a bit like that the first time I tried a German made Warwick Double $$ Corvette. But I couldn't afford one at the time. Skip forward 10 years and they're even more pricey now! My Stingray is a beautiful bass and sounds amazing. But I would chuck it to the curb for a Double $$ Corvette any day I reckon!

octatonic

WiresDreamDisasters said:

Musicman20 said:

I remember when I first saw and heard a Stingray bass. That was it. I had to have one.

Something about the shape and that really cutting raspy tone.

It also helps that they have some the THE best production guitar/bass quality control in the business.

Get a proper Ray. I've now got a fair few, and other Musicman instruments.  

I was a bit like that the first time I tried a German made Warwick Double $$ Corvette. But I couldn't afford one at the time. Skip forward 10 years and they're even more pricey now! My Stingray is a beautiful bass and sounds amazing. But I would chuck it to the curb for a Double $$ Corvette any day I reckon!

I was obsessed by Warwicks until I bought a Thumb, which is instrument I've owned the shortest period of time.

I like my Stingray- it records really well but I mostly play a Jazz Bass these days.

guitarfishbay

I’d love to try a Warwick $$. The players I like who play Thumbs are way better than me and I suspect I don’t have the technique to pull off the kind tones I like from them. Whereas almost anyone can sound good on a Precision or Jazz.

Koa

I do love the tone, quality and playability of my Stingray...apart from the pickup position. Essential to the tone but gets in the way when palm muting , guess that’s not what they’re for. 

fretmeister

One just came up on Basschat

https://www.basschat.co.uk/topic/352188-ernie-ball-musicman-stingray-fs-or-ft/

Lowender

I currently own a 2 band Classic and I love it but I don't think you could get one even used for £800. You could still get a 3 band used for around £800.00 and probably even cheaper for a Sterling. 

mart

octatonic said:
...

I was obsessed by Warwicks until I bought a Thumb, which is instrument I've owned the shortest period of time.
...

Out of interest, what was it about the thumb that you didn’t like or didn’t get on with?