Big Poppa
Well-known member
Credit goes to Dudley for all neck shapes...I have input but he has the midas touch
- Thread starter bovinehost
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bovinehost
Administrator
I'll ping Dudley, see if he wants to wax poetic.
Those must have been interesting times, Biff. It must be so satisfying to see the Stingray 5 - the first real native design, post-Leo - become such a ubiquitous instrument. They're everywhere! They really can do anything.
I might be Lord Bongo and all, but I sure have had some fine Stingray 5s - and still have the best of the bunch*. It's in my lap right now with some Norah Jones to play along with. And it sounds so smooth and mellow - to those who think the only thing a Stingray 5 can do is rock or funk, you just can't imagine (if you haven't tried it) how nice and easy and downright pretty a Stingray 5 can be with flats and all the treble rolled off. Even with my big, fat fingers.
And with one big, fat humbucker - in just the right spot. What a spot-on design this truly is.
Chuck M bought one from Beaver one time a long time ago, and I think it was the first time I'd really had an opportunity to sit out front and really just listen to someone play a Stingray 5. Every time Chuck hit a note, it sounded like he was triggering a bass drum. THUMP. But clear and defined.
Tony Levin and the SR5 were a match made in heaven. I think it's telling that while he has his basses and his favorites, he can still just grab one off the rack anywhere and be perfectly happy.
Man, what a bass. Really.
Jackie
*All due respect, Heinz is a mofo. Ugly? Eye of the beholder. But what a player.
Those must have been interesting times, Biff. It must be so satisfying to see the Stingray 5 - the first real native design, post-Leo - become such a ubiquitous instrument. They're everywhere! They really can do anything.
I might be Lord Bongo and all, but I sure have had some fine Stingray 5s - and still have the best of the bunch*. It's in my lap right now with some Norah Jones to play along with. And it sounds so smooth and mellow - to those who think the only thing a Stingray 5 can do is rock or funk, you just can't imagine (if you haven't tried it) how nice and easy and downright pretty a Stingray 5 can be with flats and all the treble rolled off. Even with my big, fat fingers.
And with one big, fat humbucker - in just the right spot. What a spot-on design this truly is.
Chuck M bought one from Beaver one time a long time ago, and I think it was the first time I'd really had an opportunity to sit out front and really just listen to someone play a Stingray 5. Every time Chuck hit a note, it sounded like he was triggering a bass drum. THUMP. But clear and defined.
Tony Levin and the SR5 were a match made in heaven. I think it's telling that while he has his basses and his favorites, he can still just grab one off the rack anywhere and be perfectly happy.
Man, what a bass. Really.
Jackie
*All due respect, Heinz is a mofo. Ugly? Eye of the beholder. But what a player.
Big Poppa
Well-known member
Seriously it is gratifying to see the SR5 where it sits in the market. WE really didnt know the pressure there was on trying to build on Leo's foundation. It was just a instint and youthful energy.....
The stingray 5 was the only 5er I ever considered when bumping up to a five string. Everyone I know swears by them.
I also have another question for BP. Maybe 2. Was the SR5 bridge ever considered to be string thru body configuration?
And the magical numbers of the bridges on the BFR family reserves, was saving those something you set out to do or did that just happen...?
I also have another question for BP. Maybe 2. Was the SR5 bridge ever considered to be string thru body configuration?
And the magical numbers of the bridges on the BFR family reserves, was saving those something you set out to do or did that just happen...?
Big Poppa
Well-known member
Sring through body is not a big plus for me. I really dont believe theere is a tonal difference. I think it puts striss on the string and is sort of urban legend. I am not saying that some people cannot hear a difference or may prefer it but it was never considered.
Saving the first ten was an accident....unless Dudley chimes in differently
Saving the first ten was an accident....unless Dudley chimes in differently
Smakbass
Well-known member
Yeah I had a bass where you could do the string through body or bypass that and just go through the bridge, I liked going through the bridge more as well. The strings seem to be more lively that way if that makes sense.
timmy5strings
Well-known member
What about the switch for pickup coils, series/ parallel ? When, why and how did that come about ?
Big Poppa
Well-known member
that was us wanting us to maximize the sonic abilities of the humbucking...make it a more versitle bsdd
Guitarburetor
Well-known member
A little late to the Party, but...
Jack, thanks for giving me the heads up re. this thread. I suppose most of what happened regarding development of the SR5 has already been covered, but I may have a few tidbits to add or give a redundant nod to.
The neck size/ shape were very important as all the other 5 strings I had seen up to that point were all wrong to me. Either the neck was rediculously wide or the strings were so close together that it was hard for most players to navigate comfortably. The 11/16" string spacing worked well for most players and made the neck really comfortable.
Re. scale length;
We discussed making the bass longer at one point, but realized significant repercussions such as the length of winding on the strings, etc. Being a string mfr. we could deal with that, but decided that we were already set up to make the 34" scale so let's do that and see what happens. It worked great, so we decided to go with that.
Re. the bridge;
Ya, we did make a bass using a BadAss bridge or something, but it was ONLY to get a prototype together to check out other things, probably 'cause BP was getting impatient, haha!! We made all kinds of bridge plates, kind of like a mobile of bridge plates and beat on them with hammers and verified the bent steel plate (ala Sting Ray) had the best resonance and sustain.
Re. the EQ;
We had already started using the 3 band EQ designed by Mark Wentling and Tom Walker in the Sting Ray. BTW, one of the artists we worked with on that was Joel DiBartolo from the Tonight Show band. I had done work for Joel at Valley Arts, he was a Music Man endorser, and he is the guy who actually introduced me to Tony Levin although Tony was already a Music Man guy too.
Tony was one of the artists we had testing the Sting Ray 5 early on, and also this guy named Randy Jackson. He was playing in Journey at the time, and we had to make really loudly painted basses for him to compete with the spandex. There's really nothing quite like a huge guy wearing spandex and a beehive hairdo to get your basses noticed. Randy was a lot of fun!!
I'm hungry now, I'm going to lunch...
Jack, thanks for giving me the heads up re. this thread. I suppose most of what happened regarding development of the SR5 has already been covered, but I may have a few tidbits to add or give a redundant nod to.
The neck size/ shape were very important as all the other 5 strings I had seen up to that point were all wrong to me. Either the neck was rediculously wide or the strings were so close together that it was hard for most players to navigate comfortably. The 11/16" string spacing worked well for most players and made the neck really comfortable.
Re. scale length;
We discussed making the bass longer at one point, but realized significant repercussions such as the length of winding on the strings, etc. Being a string mfr. we could deal with that, but decided that we were already set up to make the 34" scale so let's do that and see what happens. It worked great, so we decided to go with that.
Re. the bridge;
Ya, we did make a bass using a BadAss bridge or something, but it was ONLY to get a prototype together to check out other things, probably 'cause BP was getting impatient, haha!! We made all kinds of bridge plates, kind of like a mobile of bridge plates and beat on them with hammers and verified the bent steel plate (ala Sting Ray) had the best resonance and sustain.
Re. the EQ;
We had already started using the 3 band EQ designed by Mark Wentling and Tom Walker in the Sting Ray. BTW, one of the artists we worked with on that was Joel DiBartolo from the Tonight Show band. I had done work for Joel at Valley Arts, he was a Music Man endorser, and he is the guy who actually introduced me to Tony Levin although Tony was already a Music Man guy too.
Tony was one of the artists we had testing the Sting Ray 5 early on, and also this guy named Randy Jackson. He was playing in Journey at the time, and we had to make really loudly painted basses for him to compete with the spandex. There's really nothing quite like a huge guy wearing spandex and a beehive hairdo to get your basses noticed. Randy was a lot of fun!!
I'm hungry now, I'm going to lunch...
bovinehost
Administrator
RobertB
Well-known member
Thanks for weighing in on this thread Dudley. Very cool.
I love these stories! Thanks Jack for introducing these and thanks to Dudley and BP for their input. I think you all hit it out of the park with the 20th anniversary. I have yet to try the Sterling 5 but am anxiously awaiting it.
Dudley with Randy's polka dot bass, is it true you taped quarters all over the bass to get the dots?
Dudley with Randy's polka dot bass, is it true you taped quarters all over the bass to get the dots?
MK Bass Weed
Well-known member
Is someone writing this all down....I'd buy the book...
Thanks for that information...it's so cool to know about all of this stuff.
m
Thanks for that information...it's so cool to know about all of this stuff.
m
Guitarburetor
Well-known member
Quarters my ass!! Them was Silver Dollars...
At least that's 4x the story. Really, the masking was done with paper adhesive dots. but coins makes for a better story- so let's say that!
At least that's 4x the story. Really, the masking was done with paper adhesive dots. but coins makes for a better story- so let's say that!
Guitarburetor
Well-known member
...and one more thing-
We DID try a string thru bridge for the SR5, but the low string did not make a graceful bend over the saddle. We even tried some other string that was not wound over the bridge saddle to see if it was an option, but they sounded terrible and wouldn't intonate at all.
BTW, just to see if we had missed something we tried the string thru bridge again on the Bongo 5 protos and ended up with the same conclusion.
We DID try a string thru bridge for the SR5, but the low string did not make a graceful bend over the saddle. We even tried some other string that was not wound over the bridge saddle to see if it was an option, but they sounded terrible and wouldn't intonate at all.
BTW, just to see if we had missed something we tried the string thru bridge again on the Bongo 5 protos and ended up with the same conclusion.
Thanks Dudley for clearing up that story! Now if only Randy would sell that bass! I have a friend who asked him last week about that bass and Randy's response was that it has been in storage for quite a while. A shame such a cool bass is hidden.
Rod Trussbroken
Moderator
BP / Dudley... The SR5 pickup pole pieces have recently changed from Ceramic to Alnico. Is there a new pre-amp aswell or does it remain the same?
