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Bongo 2026 Collection

Are Sterlings typically brighter than Stingrays?

philthygeezer

philthygeezer

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 9, 2004
Messages
389
...Or is it just the maple board on mine? The Stingray is mellow and thumpy whereas the the Sterling is more piano-like and snappy.

Is this more the pickup or the fretboard? IE. If I get a Sterling with a rosewood board will it be very close to the sound of my darker Stingray?
 
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Rosewood will be much 'warmer' than the maple.

Hope that helps
 
philthygeezer said:
...Or is it just the maple board on mine? The Stingray is mellow and thumpy whereas the the Sterling is more piano-like and snappy.

Is this more the pickup or the fretboard? IE. If I get a Sterling with a rosewood board will it be very close to the sound of my darker Stingray?
Click to expand...


Does your current Stingray have a rosewood board?
 
Geezer,

You might want to check out a Sterling with a piezo. I have one and it really adds to the warmth- although it may or may not be what you are looking for; the piezo really changes the dynamics of the whole instrument. Mine has also has a rosewood neck. I love it- it has great tonal variety.

Hope this helps.

Tony
 
kilgore777 said:
Geezer,

You might want to check out a Sterling with a piezo. I have one and it really adds to the warmth- although it may or may not be what you are looking for; the piezo really changes the dynamics of the whole instrument.
Click to expand...

I have a piezo equipped bongo and although I enjoy the sound it offers me I wouldn't say it has anything to do with making the sound warmer. I think it gives it a bit more air... a tad like an upright. If you play the piezo by itself it is very thin sounding.

Andrew
 
Mantaray said:
Does your current Stingray have a rosewood board?
Click to expand...

Yep.

IMG_4719.jpg
 
JB1 said:
Rosewood will be much 'warmer' than the maple.

Hope that helps
Click to expand...
I've got both maple and rosewood Rays, and I can't hear a difference. I know that theoretically maple "should" be brighter, but I'll be darned if I can hear it.
 
Jazzbassman23 said:
I've got both maple and rosewood Rays, and I can't hear a difference. I know that theoretically maple "should" be brighter, but I'll be darned if I can hear it.
Click to expand...



....and that's been my experience too.I prefer rosewood and yet I do most of the gigs I play on a maple neck - but I really prefer rosewood.
 
Well, I have my own theories about this rosewood vs maple question. Or actually, I should say I have questions.

Whenever I play an open string, the string does not - ideally - contact the fingerboard. So then how would the type of wood influence the tone? I can understand that the relative stiffness of the neck itself might be a factor, but....the fingerboard?

And then I fret a note, and I see how much contact area there is between the string and the fingerboard, and you know what? It's not a lot. How much influence can there BE?

Plus I'm old, and I can't hear a lot of silly crap in the twilight zone anymore, but I've never really heard the difference between maple and rosewood boards.

Can someone tell me how maple is supposed to be brighter and rosewood warmer? The science behind it? Has anyone ever done a blind listening test and got it right every time?
 
wait a minute - are Sterlings brighter than Stingrays? I 've never owned a Sterling because I prefer the extra heft of a Ray ..Would the smaller mass of a Sterling do that? Do Sterlings have the same pickup? Does the swich make them brighter?
I'm not sure that I could handle much more zing than I get from my Ray with fresh rounds.It can be pretty glassy and yet have a real bottom.
Is a Stingray bassier than a Sterling?
 
bovinehost said:
Well, I have my own theories about this rosewood vs maple question. Or actually, I should say I have questions.

Whenever I play an open string, the string does not - ideally - contact the fingerboard. So then how would the type of wood influence the tone? I can understand that the relative stiffness of the neck itself might be a factor, but....the fingerboard?

And then I fret a note, and I see how much contact area there is between the string and the fingerboard, and you know what? It's not a lot. How much influence can there BE?

Plus I'm old, and I can't hear a lot of silly crap in the twilight zone anymore, but I've never really heard the difference between maple and rosewood boards.

Can someone tell me how maple is supposed to be brighter and rosewood warmer? The science behind it? Has anyone ever done a blind listening test and got it right every time?
Click to expand...

I'm thinking that it's not so much about contact as it is about wood type and construction. It's the string that vibrates, but the neck vibrates too, along with the rest of the bass. The neck will resonate differently depending on whether it's a laminated fretboard or a single piece neck - and this isn't considering fretboard wood type.

That's my theory. Dunno if it holds for a Sterling/Stingray comparison though.
 
philthygeezer said:
I'm thinking that it's not so much about contact as it is about wood type and construction. It's the string that vibrates, but the neck vibrates too, along with the rest of the bass. The neck will resonate differently depending on whether it's a laminated fretboard or a single piece neck - and this isn't considering fretboard wood type.

That's my theory. Dunno if it holds for a Sterling/Stingray comparison though.
Click to expand...


This does make sense, but I think the real reason they sound different is because they ARE different. The pre amps, body size neck size etc.
 
philthygeezer said:
...Or is it just the maple board on mine? The Stingray is mellow and thumpy whereas the the Sterling is more piano-like and snappy.

Is this more the pickup or the fretboard? IE. If I get a Sterling with a rosewood board will it be very close to the sound of my darker Stingray?
Click to expand...


Philthygeezer, my Ray is EXACTLY the same as yours(only a bit more beautiful wood grain) :D .Actually Kubicki said once that the most important factor for the tone of a bass guitar is its neck material. More important than body wood. He also cited an example. Try and put your bass against the wall with the headstock touching it, pluck a string and put your ear against the wall. Now do the same but with the body touching the wall instead of the headstock. With the headstock against the wall, you can hear beter the note. The vibrations are more intense on the neck and the vibrations result to your tone.

I tried a friend's Warwank a few days ago which had a wenge neck. Very tough material. With steel rounds I was surprised at the stingrayish sound it had not only in acoustic mode but also when recorded. It souded a bit thinner with less bottom, but it was ultra zingy.
 
Jazzbassman23 said:
I've got both maple and rosewood Rays, and I can't hear a difference. I know that theoretically maple "should" be brighter, but I'll be darned if I can hear it.
Click to expand...

If you use flats then forget it. You won't be able to hear the difference.
 
bovinehost said:
Even on open strings?
Click to expand...

Errr, nope. Quite right old boy.

And I should have said 'are generally touted to be warmer' than 'will be warmer'

I stand corrected.

;)
 
Mantaray said:
Try and put your bass against the wall with the headstock touching it, pluck a string and put your ear against the wall. Now do the same but with the body touching the wall instead of the headstock. With the headstock against the wall, you can hear beter the note. The vibrations are more intense on the neck and the vibrations result to your tone.
Click to expand...

put your teeth on the headstock and you can hear it too...(i dont know if it would be good on a painted part though, i only do it on my olp)
 
Mantaray said:
If you use flats then forget it. You won't be able to hear the difference.
Click to expand...


I agree with this. I can hear a pretty good difference between my rosewood and maple SR. However, I like fresh roundwound strings and a bright sound. For slapping, the maple board has more click and a brighter sound overall.

With a thumpy flatwound setup, I don't know if you would hear much difference.
 
Just a question or three here. Is click desirable when slapping? Isn't click on a fret the most complained about thing ever?

Funny how different we each really are isn't it?

I think noisy fretting would surpass any difference in woods on the neck.
Conclusion. Anyone that hears a difference prolly has a setup problem. LOL JK it could be EQ settings on the amp or maybe the choosing of round wounds when everyone should know flats are the strings supposed to be on a bass.


tk
 
prickly_pete said:
However, I like fresh roundwound strings and a bright sound.

.
Click to expand...


Anyone in the UK willing to exchange necks?
I'd gladly exchange my Ray's rosewood neck for a maple ray neck.

Please let me know if somebody s interested
 
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