Stingray VS Sterling neck thickness

[das cruzes]

Hello everybody! I'm new here at Ernie Ball forum.
I don't own a Musicman bass yet but I'm planing on buying one very, very soon.
I have a question for you guys that have lots of experience with different basses (compared to me...); I've searched around the forum (and much more places) and couldn't find the answer so here's the question:
- what is the exact thickness of the Stingray and the Sterling necks? Is the Stingray more "D" type and the Sterling more "C" type?

I play a Yamaha Attitude Billy Sheehan signature; if anybody has played also this base a comparison would be great.


PS- I haven't played a Stingray yet because at the local shop they didn't have one available, so I have to go to another town to try one out. Untill then if anybody could help me out (so I would know what to expect) that would be great.

Thanks!

 

[shamus63]

First-off, Welcome DC!

I've owned three SR's and one Sterling; getting ready to buy another ST soon.

I don't know the technical spec's on the neck radius for each bass, but I just find the Sterling neck a bit more...no, much more comfortable for medium-sized hands (which I have).

Also, if I remember correctly, the single H Sterling pickup is a tad closer to the bridge than the H p/u on the Stingray (techies, correct me here), making the Sterling a brighter-sounding bass.

 

[LowDownDave]

Not sure that info is on the forum (probably is, seeing as EVERYTHING seems to be on here) but it is DEFINITELY on the Ernie Ball website.

Go to the website, click on "Musicman" and then choose the guitar/bass type you are interested in and all the measurement stats should be there.

 

[mro]

You will find the Stingray neck wider than the Sterlings. The Stingray is Precision type while the Sterling is similar to the jazz width of 1.5". The fretboards are flatter than fenders. Try them both, it's all in the feel of your hand and what is comfortable to you. I have owned both and discovered that the Stingray is best suited for me. I have a beautiful Carbon Blue with maple neck. good luck.

 

[mr.shadow]

SR: 41.25mm

SR5: 44.45mm

Stering: 38.10mm

Bongo: 41.28mm

Bongo5: 44.45mm

All width's at top nut.

 

[das cruzes]

First of all, thank you for your answers.
I think I didn't explained well what I was asking:
I asked about the thickness of the necks and not about the width.
Lets see if I'm right: the width is measured on the fretboard side, it's the distance between the G string side and the E string side. The thickness is the distance from the front of the neck (the fretboard side) and the back of the neck.
On Musicman's site (that's where I first went looking) they do not have nothing about the thickness, they do have the width numbers, but that isn'y the same. In other brands they usually have the thickness.

Regards

 

[Golem]

First-off, Welcome DC!................
I don't know the technical spec's on the neck radius for each bass, but I just find the Sterling neck a bit more...no, much more comfortable for medium-sized hands (which I have)..............

Just a comment, warning to not get too heavily into dimensional stuff. I don't have a lot of reach in my fingers, not so much a size thing as lack of flexibility.

I can definitely appreciate the difference between a fat round neck and a jazz type of neck. I have a few really needle neck 4's, and these work well for me, but I have no problem with my StingRay. Maybe I only have problems when a fat neck is combined with a very arched [small radius] fingerboard, which unfortunately for me is a common combination [for 'vintage' feel I suppose..]. The SR has a fairly flat FB. OTOH, a Warwick Corvette also has a flattish FB but I'm definitely put off by the huge round neck.

One thing that's never quantified in any specs is the comfortable hanging angle for a bass. Since hanging angle affects hand and finger angles, hanging angle can affect not only hand stress, but tone, b/c tone is affected by finger 'posture' on the FB. I'm also convinced that fat necks have an inherently different tone than lighter lumber. All in all, you really have to bring your hands and ears right up personal with a bass. Results are not always what the specs imply.

 

[shamus63]

One thing that's never quantified in any specs is the comfortable hanging angle for a bass. Since hanging angle affect hand and finger angles, hanging angle can
affect not only comfort, but tone, b/c tone is affected by finger 'posture' on the FB. I'm also convinced that fat necks have an inherintly different tone than lighter lumber. All in all, you really have to bring your hands and ears right up personal with a bass. Results are not always what the specs imply.

That's an excellent point!

 

[barkatozz]

I've had both & as far as thickness, they felt the same to me. I chose the Sterling over the Stingray because the neck was slimmer & the body smaller.

 

[AnthonyD]

+1

Stingray brought me in, but I walked out with a Sterling (figuratively speaking!)