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Stingray Versus Fender American Deluxe Precision

nashman

nashman

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 30, 2005
Messages
441
Location
Toronto, Canada
I want to buy my final axe ... one that I will have until my sound is muffled 6' under. I'm trying to decide between a Stingray 4 (or 5) and a Fender American Deluxe Precision (4 or 5). I would value your input ...

1. Fender or Ernie?

2. 4 or 5 string?

and why ... ? Thanks in advance!
 
Ermm...you do actually know which manufacturers' forum this is don't you? :confused:

Think carefully, and I think you can guess the answer you will get. :rolleyes:
 
Oh, and get a 4 string

Why?
because I have five of them

and I have traded every 5-string I have owned.
 
Bassmonkey ... I assumed that there would be many individuals on this forum that have considered/owned a Fender Precision and would have meanigful input as to their decision criterea. Build quality, sound, longevity, lighter etc..
 
I have a Fender Hot Rod Precision Bass strung with TI flats and a Stingray 4 2EQ with super slinkies on it. I love the way that both sound and play, but the Stingray is more audible when I play along with the stereo. It's the one I tend to practice on the most.

Ernie Ball worksmanship and sound have a crispness about them that Fenders do not posess.
 
nashman said:
I want to buy my final axe ... one that I will have until my sound is muffled 6' under. I'm trying to decide between a Stingray 4 (or 5) and a Fender American Deluxe Precision (4 or 5). I would value your input ...

1. Fender or Ernie?

2. 4 or 5 string?

and why ... ? Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

I was looking for a P when I got my Stingray. I tried out maybe 30 different fenders and four or five MMs. The MMs were head and shoulders above the Fenders for what I needed.

There are legions of Fender owners who'll say Fenders are better than Musicman basses, and they might be right, in terms of what they need.

The only way you can figure out whether a fender or an MM is better for you is to try out a few of each.
 
Lots of guys on this forum own non-MusicMan basses. We realize that's part of the fun of being a bass player. But you will find a unanimous vote here on the forum, that MusicMan basses are among the best in the world.

The StingRay is a great bass, but you should also look into a Sterling or Bongo. You really need to play them to understand the quality of these basses. Hopefully, you are near a music store where you can see and hear them for yourself.
 
nashman said:
Bassmonkey ... I assumed that there would be many individuals on this forum that have considered/owned a Fender Precision and would have meanigful input as to their decision criterea. Build quality, sound, longevity, lighter etc..
Click to expand...

You assumed correctly. I have been playing for 20 odd years. I really don't understand why, but I only played my first Musicman this year!!!! I played a lot of other basses over that time, including some real high end exotic stuff. You know what, I now lament all that time I spent without a Musicman. (Check my sig, I got these basses within 3 months of each other, I was that impressed with the fretless I just had to get a fretted)
 
unless you actually play a 5 string and know it's what your all about already; don't go there!

otherwise, I have 3 words for you my friend: STINGRAY-STINGRAY-STINGRAY

reason: fenders can't touch the tone and overall feel (not to mention craftsmanship) of a EBMM, period!

I have owned both types of basses from these manufacturers. guess which one I still own and would buy again and again if they were stolen or damaged beyond repair???
 
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With this being the EB forum, you already knew the answer. :p

I'd say go with the StingRay 5. "Why a 5?" you ask? Because it's more versatile. And do you really think a low E will shake a room as well as a low B? :D

Either way, as long as it's a EBMM, it's good in my book. ;)

Andrew
 
I'm actually looking at the Fender 'Sting' Bass as my primary blues bass, because (IMHO) I feel that the P-Bass is the right bass for that particular style.

But, that's as far as my spending with Fender will go. I love the Bongo waaayyy too much to not use that for everything else (including as a backup bass for blues gigs).
 
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i have a frankenstein bass which i made to be my "all in one fender". so this little frankenstein has a J bass neck, Fender USA P pickups and a Duncan Hot Jazz Stack pup ... so its super similar to what the Fender bass that has a P + humbucker. With the knobs on my frankenstein I can "turn off" the stacked jazz and it becomes a USA P bass. I had a USA P bass and they sound the same. So the main difference here is that my bass is passive and the Deluxe is an active bass.

So ... i had a USA P bass, have a frankenstein P/J and had a Stringray (sold it to buy a HH Sterling) .... with all that said i like the Stingray better. IMO. Even with the Stringray's knobs all set flat the Ray has more "life" in it vs. the P bass. the preamp gives you a lot of tonal felxibility - tho i dunno how the active fenders work. The Ray could do what the P did but more. The P is a P bass and thats all it is (but whatever floats your boat).

another main issue i have w/ Fenders is that the bridge is garbage. they string thru now ... but i always hated the flimsy bridge. the MM bridges are solid and get great sustain and tone. IMHO every fender bridge needs to get swapped w/ a Badass II ASAP.

So the Ray is tonally diverse ... but one thing you can NEVER change on a bass is how it feels in your hands. This kinda gets overlooked sometimes. a bass can sound as good as it wants ... but if your hands cant play the damn thing then it sounds like < insert crickets here >.

Good luck and I hope you enjoy your SR4 ;) ... i mean, i hope you enjoy whichever you end up buying
 
When I got my first "nice" bass, a Fender Amer. Deluxe Jazz, I thought I had reached the ultimate in tone, playability, looks, etc....... My bubble was burst when a Fender Mexican Deluxe Jazz that I bought used for $200 blew my American Fender out of the water. At that point I knew somewhere along the line, something went wrong. In the three months that followed I traded my Amer. Deluxe Jazz for a 5-String Amer. Standard Jazz, which I then traded for my beloved Black/Black Maple Stingray 5 which is as far as i'm concerned still the best bass in the world.My quest was over and 4 and half years later i'm still happy.Other gear may come and go but my first Musicman isn't going anywhere.Moral of the story, BUY THE STINGRAY :D :D :D :D
 
oh ya ... just a few more points.

the unfinished necks on the MMs are smooth as silk and after playing one its honestly pretty hard to go to a finished neck (Bongo's are finished but w/ some magic stuff that isnt sticky).

one thing that is also worth pointing out is the Sterling. I beleive all the new Fenders, including the Deluxe series, have the S1 switch. This changes you're pup wiring from series to parallel ... the Sterling also has this fucntionality in the form of a 3 way switch. Here you get series, paralell and single coil. Couple that w/ the on board preamp and you really have a LOT of tonal variety outta one instrument.

You should look into the Sterling too. IMHO its the best bass ever made, ever. the tonal variety i just described + the best neck profile man has ever known make it the best bass ever (again, IMO).
 
I'd go with the Ibanez Soundgear lefty.

If you can't find one, I'll sell you mine, as it will be replaced with a new Sterling in a month ;)

Seriously, for my 'ultimate' to-the-grave bass purchase, I was considering a Carvin Bunny Brunel, Fender Deluxe American Jazz, and the Sterling.

Dropped the Carvin idea, as I already own one (yes, it's as awesome as the Carvin fanboys say) but decided I didn't need two of the same brand unless I was sponsored by them -- and at one gig per month at local taverns, I doubt that will be happening soon.

Dumped the Fender, as for a lefty they only had two-three color choices, and they are a mass-produced item. I've also gathered several notes from those on the bassplayer.com forums that Fender has some QC issues -- even in their USA instruments. Figure dropping over a grand, I don't want a 'I hope it works' deal.

Ordered the Sterling b/c it has the things I wanted for in a Carvin (some control over 'customization' of the instrument, and satisfaction knowing the thing was built just for me) and a Fender (presence and recognization on stage by even non-musicians as the 'real deal').

Instrument tone, the small neck, and the wonderful people on the board helped seal the deal for me. It tis a fun place to hang out, I must say.
 
Arin...I am putting together a Stingray for fat Mike....Is that cool or what?
 
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