Blasphemy

[cgworkman]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=4713&item=3729727304&rd=1#ebayphotohosting

I found this one eBay - All of these modifications are blasphemy!!!

 

[Psychicpet]

I don't really dig the look of the pick-up and pick gaurd but man, those are all the upgrades to make it cook! Hipshot, cool; Bart, sorta cool; COIL TAP SWITCH,way cool! just put some racing stripes and a racoon tail on it and take out to 'the point' for a game of chicken!

 

[johans]

hey guys ..
would changing the stock pickup to bartolini
improve a ray's tone a lot?

 

[Mantaray]

Ain't nothin' like the original. That's why you pay for it what you do.......

It would be different if I saw these mods on an OLP.

 

[Fuzzy Dustmite]

Not a total loss though, he's sending you the original pickup, you can slap that puppy back in there, and put the bart back on the bay and recoup a few bucks.

As far as the hipshot, don't know if it requires any headstock mods, but if not, swap that bad boy out as well and you're back to stock...unless I missed some other mods. Oh well.

 

[cgworkman]

hey guys ..
would changing the stock pickup to bartolini
improve a ray's tone a lot?

I can see doing that to a $300 Fender Jazz. But a stingray?? You buy a Stingray for it's sound. Why modify the reason for getting one in the first place - it just doesn't make sense.

 

[TSanders]

Just my personal opinoin, but I think that abalone pg looks gross on the natural finish.

 

[Jazzbassman23]

Damn. This is no fun. I agree with everyone in this thread. Don't understand swapping out the MM pu. Give me a black pg any day. If I need a drop D, I'll use my SR5. Sweet looking bass though.

 

[Mobay45]

I have a hipshot on my P bass. It didn't require any mods and makes for a quick way to tune down. As for the other mods, I'm not too sure they were good ideas. I do agree that the abalone p/g looks like crap. It needs either black or torty.

 

[Nick2]

I like that bass.The pickup looks good, the pickguard looks good, and it has a hipshot tuner on it, so you can de-tune down to lower tunings.

 

[oldbluebassman]

First let me apologise. I have sinned. I have blasphemed. I have done those things that I ought not to have done. I bought an SR5 with a Bartolini pup and an OBP3 pre-Amp.

I really like my stock SR5 for it's neck, it's feel, it's weight, balance, etc, but I find the bottom end to be a bit muddy and the bass control is extremely coarse. I have a pro-friend who had an SR5 with a Bartolini pup and pre-amp and I really liked the sound of that so when this one came up on Ebay I went for it.

So I have an SR5 with a slightly different sound, but it's still got that zing and growl but I think it has better definition and a bit of a bark. It's like a cross between a Jazz and a Ray. It's less boomy plus I like the switchable mid control.

It'll be very interesting to see see how it performs alongside the Bongo when it comes.

 

[Psychicpet]

Oldblue...er..Dave, is the OBP-3 really good?!??! I do love my SR5 and have gotten alot of work out of it and due to it BUT my eq settings are always flat due to the weird(sometimes non-useable) frequency centers. I really have heard a ton of good things about the OBP-3 and that's one of the only mods I've considered is to get a more usable and smooth eq. The sound of StingRays are great and unique but like any other bass, when recording they always monkey somewhat with the tone, not alot but somewhat.

Peter

ps. on a completely unrelated note, if a Country singer by the name of Dane Stevens is ever in your area go check him out. Great classic Country singer, and a good bloke too!

 

[oldbluebassman]

Hi Peter

I find the OBP very user friendly. It's not too violent and I prefer the sound I get to the stock SR5 in a live situation.

On the OBP I run the bass full up, the mid 400Hz almost full up and the treble at the detent, although it depends on the venue.

After some pedals I go through a Sansamp which has the bass and treble set to mid, the presence and drive at ten-to. I don't know what it is about this unit but somehow it tightens the sound.

Then on the amp I then fine tune with the 180Hz slider and crank in a bit of 1.3KHz to give a bit of brightness, everything else being flat. Playing against 3 guitars and a keyboard I find that the bass will now cut right through the mix, whereas before it was just lost in the bottom end mush. I used to love loads of boomy bass but of late I've gone for a much more middly tone. That's probably where I differ from those on the other side of the pond who like loads of very low end grunt. If I did that it would probably just shake our old antiquated building to bits.

If I get in the right frame of mind I'll have to try and record some samples for you.

 

[cgworkman]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT I'M READING!!!!!

 

[Psychicpet]

I hear ya about the middly thing. i just went and saw POD and they were great but the bass was completely lost as soon as the guitar kicked in, the low end,aside from the kick, was just mud.Very loud mud but mud none the less.I guess taht's why i like my Avalon, clean and not really any blurriness in the lows.

 

[oldbluebassman]

WHY ?????????????????????????????????????????????

 

[Psychicpet]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT I'M READING!!!!!

it's ok dude, when you get to hear enough gigs and wonder why you even bother practicing because all that's coming through the mains is Mmm MM mMM mmMM MM mmmmm MMM and not Dow dow dow dow dada Dow Dow (like a proper Strong Mad bass line)then you'll hop on board of the Mid Trian. Not hi crappy mids but mids that bring out the bass and let the kick have the ultra lows.... except for when the lo-B is engaged

 

[oldbluebassman]

Thanks for the explanation Peter.

It's always a balance between how much fundamental and how much harmonic content you have. If you kill off all the harmonics you get mush.

With regard to the 5th string, I regularly use low D and although that doesn't shake the foundations, there is enough fundamental and harmonic content to sound really punchy.

 

[LeftyLB]

I wouldn't know how to describe my sound, perhaps it is pure s**t and might not even sound like a Ray to the traned ear, but I was quite pleased with it when I heard a recent live recording. Playing aside that is!

Does anyone have an ADSL/Broadband connection and be willing to take a listen to some live tracks of our band and let me know what you think of my bass sound - however harsh the feedback, I don't mind.

Thanks

Liam

 

[Mobay45]

I wouldn't know how to describe my sound, perhaps it is pure s**t and might not even sound like a Ray to the traned ear, but I was quite pleased with it when I heard a recent live recording. Playing aside that is!

Does anyone have an ADSL/Broadband connection and be willing to take a listen to some live tracks of our band and let me know what you think of my bass sound - however harsh the feedback, I don't mind.

Thanks

Liam

Can you post a link. If not, I can send you my e-mail address and you can send it there. I would love to hear it!