Stingray alder body sound

[Mr.Freeze]

Hi all,

Here's a long and weird question,i own a 94 Stingray 4(trans red)and rosewood witch i was told is made out of alder.

I'd like to know if there's a difference between alder and ash tonewise?

I'm asking because it looks like my bass doesn't sound as the other Stingrays that i've played threw the same amp(Ampeg SVT head and cab)The alder bass doesn't seem to have the"classic Stingray sound" that we all knowI might be crazy but even with a Sterling by Musicman Ray 34 it sounded more like the real thing,by the way i do know that string type,age,playing skills changes the sound but i am an experienced player and my bass is strung with super Slinkys(2 weeks old) .

So,to get back on the track,does alder sound different than ash ? To me ,it sounds like there's alot more midsor could there be a difference between 94 and curent basses???

 

[laneline]

In the most general of terms I feel alder has a warmer tone sometimes even dark where Ash is usually has a brighter tone and rings more. But it sounds odd that it doesn't have a n MM signature sound, maybe the pkups were changed at some point. Did you call Customer Service with the serial number ? Throw up some body pics, front and back, again generally, you can tell the difference between the two, alder usually has less apparent grain. But it's wood so there aren't any absolutes. The current basses have Alnico pkups.

 

[Mr.Freeze]

In the most general of terms I feel alder has a warmer tone sometimes even dark where Ash is usually has a brighter tone and rings more. But it sounds odd that it doesn't have a n MM signature sound, maybe the pkups were changed at some point. Did you call Customer Service with the serial number ? Throw up some body pics, front and back, again generally, you can tell the difference between the two, alder usually has less apparent grain. But it's wood so there aren't any absolutes. The current basses have Alnico pkups.

And her serial no is 40270,i've already asked for the number info and it was accurate....94 transred\rosewood and the pickup and electronics seems stock to me.
Also,it's not obvious on the pics but it's a tight wood grain
thanks for helping me out

 

[Musicman Nut]

And her serial no is 40270,i've already asked for the number info and it was accurate....94 transred\rosewood and the pickup and electronics seems stock to me.
Also,it's not obvious on the pics but it's a tight wood grain
thanks for helping me out

Looks Like a Poplar Body to me.

 

[Mr.Freeze]

Looks Like a Poplar Body to me.

Ok,and is poplar sounding different than ash...normaly?

 

[kubš]

As far as I know trans MM colors are presumed to be Ash...but this grain is hard to judge. I don't think its alder...alder wouldn't have such grain.

Poplar has usually very ugly grain and not "clear grain color". Grain of poplar is also "greenish" and sometimes there are black "wood years", so its not great wood to trans color.

Poplar and Ash from what I read should be similar in terms of sound characteristic.


Its hard to tell whats the problem in your case, for me MM sound lays in specific pickup type and pickup position. I don't think that MM must be strictly from ash to be considered MM sound.

Look at new "Anniversary" series, many very different wood types like mahogany etc. and I don't think they don't sound like "classy" Music-Man. Mahogany for me is very different from ash or alder...but MM sound retains.

 

[oli@bass]

I'd like to know if there's a difference between alder and ash tonewise?

Yes. All woods sound different. And different pieces of the same wood sound different again. That's as much grief as it is fun.

According to my 1996 catalogue, the following combinations were used:

Poplar: Black, Blue Burst (Steve Morse), Translucent Teal, Peal-Blue

Alder: Translucent Red, Pearl Red, Pearl Blue, Pearl Green, Pearl Purple

Ash: Sunburst (now called Honeyburst), Natural Velvet, 3 Tone Sunburst, Translucent Pink Burst (Albert Lee)