Stingray 5 Weight

[Basstax]

I am interested in a Stingray 5, but the black one I just played weighed a ton. Does anyone know it a lighter wood is used with any other finishes???

 

[bassdude63]

I believe that if you try out a few different Stimgray 5's with solid color finishes you'll find there are some that are lighter weight that others. My Stingray 5 is an ash body in translucent teal and it is pretty heavy. I've gotten used to it over time but I agree with you. I played a few others at my local Guitar Center(1 in metallic blue pearl 1 in metallic silver) that were'nt as heavy as mine. I'm under the impression that MusicMan basses that have opaque finishes have bodies made from poplar. Poplar wood is considerably lighter than ash, generally speaking. I own 2 Sterlings made from ash; one is slightly lighter than the other. If you like the sound of the Stingray 5, keep searching-it'll be worth it. Happy Hunting, D.M.

 

[Guildu]

Hi!

I've got a Stingray5 and that's right: she's heavy!
(just a question: when you talk about a bass do you use she or it? I know i'm a pro for english speaking...)
She's black so you must be right about the relation between color and weight.

 

[bassdude63]

Yes, it's customary in the USA to refer to things (like your automobile) as "she". I've never thought much about it, but I have named my 2 Sterlings: My trans red one after my wife, my trans green one after my daughter. My Trans teal Stingray-5 has'nt been named and I'm expecting my second daughter in January. But "she's" really heavy(The bass, that is)so I might opt to name the Onyx I'm planning to buy after my unborn daughter and name my Stingray-5 "Mack"- After the diesel trucks. But one thing about "Mack": "She" sounds awsome!

Keep on truckin', D.M.

 

[Guildu]

Hi

You must have part in EB to buy so much MM bass!!
I think i will name my stingray.
I 've also a Jazzbass and a fretless Cort (my first bass!).
I have to find name for each...
Of course the Stingray is my favorite.

 

[faggums]

just to puts something straight (completely un bass related but oh well) although it is common for people to call things she etc. everything other than animal are neutral unlike in other languages that have maskulin (i cant spell) femminim and neutral. der die and das in german.

faggums

 

[bassdude63]

My school days were a long time ago, and I'm not an English teacher, but in the USA it's customary(but maybe not grammatically correct?) to refer to an inanimate object(such as a car)in the femmine tense:" Check out that 69 Mustang-she's a beauty!" I recall that other languages use the the masculine tense. Is this true in Great Britain-you may refer to a nice Bentley as "he"? Well enough of my language questions- the Stingray-5 may weigh a ton but it sounds fantastic. It's possible though to find one Stingray-5 that may weigh a little less than another if you try. All the best to you and yours-D.M.

 

[chewstermaniac]

Try playing an Old Gibson RD Artist Bass......makes the weight of the MM5 seem much less...just saying that many a bass weighs more and for a 5 string the weight is just great!

( think of that punchy, low B......mmmm....bass...... )

 

[bassdude63]

No doubt. I have an early 70's Jazz bass with EMG's, Badass-II bridge,etc,etc, that weighs in at over 10 lbs. It's odd, but I prefer a heavy body. It seems to sound "tighter" and it also improves the balance of the instrument.

 

[faggums]

I dont know that i would say i prefer heavier basses but some basses are discustingly light. Some P bass imitations are just awful. when the headstock weighs twice the weight of the rest of the bass. it makes them virtually unplayable.

faggums

 

[bassdude63]

Exactly, I had a late 70's vintage re-issue 1957 Fender P-Bass that was constructed of a very light piece of alder. It sounded awesome(I've since sold it to a friend in L.A. who uses it as a backup to his late 70's pre-EB Stingray),but it would "dive bomb" when I'd take my left hand off the neck. I installed a Badass-II bridge to counteract this. It helped a bit, but it was still a little neck-heavy. So even some real Fenders are neck-heavy. Another bass that was terribly neck-heavy was the B.C. Rich Mockingbird. Great materials, hardware, and workmanship but terrible balance.
Even my modified 70's Rick 4001 is a bit neck-heavy. It's hell to add extra work on your fretting hand. I have'nt had these problems with my MM basses. I understand Carl Thompson makes very balanced, lightweight basses, but they're also very expensive. -D.M.

 

[montana]

yeah, i must agree... balance is much more important than overall weight. i bought a '74 gibson ripper a little over a year ago, and of course i played it sitting down in the store... duh! as soon as i got to rehearsal, the struggle began! i only played two gigs with that bass, then it mostly sat in the case until two days ago when i used it for trade value towards a 4-string stingray. the gibson was actually quite lightweight, and sounded great, but i just couldn't get comfortable with the balance of the thing! i felt like i was fighting with it when i played it standing up, so now it's gone. the stingray is heavier, but much more comfortable to play.

 

[Eric Moesle]

I have two 5 string stingrays that weigh very differently from each other. The transparent finished one is quite heavy, while the solid black one is much lighter in weight. I believe the transparent finished one is made of ash, and the solid black one (made in '93) is made from poplar.

If you want a lighter bass, check out the solid finished ones, especially the older models. I've also learned that the pre-1995 SR5's had chrome battery covers, the newer ones have the plastic "pop-up" type, if that helps.