Which of These Stingrays Would You Recommend?

[Michael Jewels]

Stingray owner here.

Without doubt or hesitance, get the Old Smoothie.

I love my Stingray more than any of my other basses, but the five times I played an Old Smoothie, the same Old Smoothie, I fell in love with it equally.

Some people say that Stingrays have too much "Zing", and I know what they mean.

But, to me, an Old Smoothie has much less of that "Zing," and sits very comfortably between a regular Stingray and a Jazz bass.

Warm for a Stingray, hot for a Jazz.
My Stingray.

 

[Michael Jewels]

The Old Smoothie I regret not buying.

 

[akukulich]

I’m also starting to look for a Stingray. The Old Smoothie is at the top of my list, followed by a Classic 4H. To me, a Stingray should have a single pickup.

 

[MattZilla]

How could single pickup sound different? Bridge pickup location is identical for both.

There’s less magnet pull on the strings.

 

[Gothic]

I don't like sig basses. I don't like Commerford either. I also don't like two pickup stingrays. So, Old Smoothie it is.

 

[jam.majors]

I played a Ray for a long time and then got a Yamaha bb735a, which has a great sculpted neck pocket like the Ray special. If my old Ray had that, I might play it more often.
All to say, I voted Special.

 

[Roger W]

If you actually use the neckside H, an HH makes sense.

I voted passive because the only active-pre basses I actually have a measurable amount of want for are Wal, A-C, and in a distant third Sadowsky.


quitting cigarettes or cars?

alcohol

 

[Roger W]

There’s less magnet pull on the strings.

And those are some pretty strong magnets. When I loosened the stings to change them, they were immediately pulled down to the pole pieces. I've never seen a magnetic field that strong on a pickup.

 

[Ronny Berry]

I voted Special...but own a 4H. Very happy with a single pickup...and low action.

 

[MattZilla]

alcohol

congrats! That’s a tough one!

 

[Roger W]

The shame... old smoothie isn't available anymore in Butterscotch... new colors are "Coming soon".

I'm an HH fan... but since you already have one...

The one I'm looking at is in butterscotch.

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

Speaking from experience, I didn’t get along with the slab body style StingRays. Same goes for the HH models. I also owned a passive model. All were returned or sold.

The Special H is where I finally found my perfect StingRay5.

 

[Roger W]

congrats! That’s a tough one!

Not as hard as coffee. Which I'm not giving up.

 

[tvbop]

Played a Stringray all thru the 80's and there was always something missing from the tone....started playing P basses in the 90's and thumpy tonal happiness prevailed. Their just too lightweight for my liking.

 

[burgerdj]

My two cents...

The Special 4H sounds better than the HH with the bridge pick up solo'd. I've never desired a second H with either of my Specials and I've had the 4H a few years now.
View attachment 4361582

That SR5 is gorgeous.

 

[Smooth_bass88]

Definitely test before you purchase. Three out of four EBMM basses I've owned had relatively weak G strings.

 

[amcrory]

FWIW, I've owned a Sterling 5 (US-made) HS, and 2 EBMM Stingrays 4 (US-made), and the Sterling (to me) never sounded "just like a stingray" in the H position. It was a great bass, but it didn't sound like a Stingray.

 

[jefff100]

I voted Tim Commerford.

Specials are nice I suppose, but I dont care for the new bridge. The Tim Commerford gives you the best of both IMHO. Improved neck heel, excellent overall build, classic stingray punch tone and the original bridge design. If they made it as a 5 I might actually shop for one myself.

Yeah I know the new bridge helps with weight reduction. Thing of it is I have a 2012 SR5 HH that is 9.2 lbs and I've never felt that it was heavy.
I'd rather have that beefy bridge and the old style foam mutes.

 

[Briton]

FWIW, I've owned a Sterling 5 (US-made) HS, and 2 EBMM Stingrays 4 (US-made), and the Sterling (to me) never sounded "just like a stingray" in the H position. It was a great bass, but it didn't sound like a Stingray.

I think that the majority of Stingray players would say the same Including me. Sterling basses just don't fully get that characteristic Stingray tone that is why they are cheaper to buy
I have tried many Sterling Basses but have never had the urge to buy one, preferring to fork out more for the real thing

 

[Roger W]

I think that the majority of Stingray players would say the same Including me. Sterling basses just don't fully get that characteristic Stingray tone that is why they are cheaper to buy
I have tried many Sterling Basses but have never had the urge to buy one, preferring to fork out more for the real thing

Are you talking about the Sterling by Music Man basses made in Indonesia or the EBMM Sterling basses made in the USA? I'm pretty sure amcory is talking about the later.