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Short Scale StingRay

Surprise from Sweden

markbass99

markbass99

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Sep 19, 2008
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292
Very impressive gesture Mr. Strummer. I considered trading my blue dawn Bongo a couple of weeks ago and I'm glad I didn't since it has the strongest bottom end out of all my Bongos. Blue Dawn is the closest thing you'll ever see to a sparkle finish on the Bongos, it really looks good under the lights.
 
GreyDad

GreyDad

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strummer said:
Jepp vi är bäst, och Neil är en grymt trevlig prick:)
Ja, jag har ju en rosewoodhals du nog borde lägga dina fingrar på, och så måste du ju spela på Heinz när han kommer också:)
Click to expand...

Jag förstår inte vad du talar om alla dessa hemliga svenska grejer verkligen förvirrar mig...

And why does it say "Neil" and "prick" in the same sentence? :D:D
 
GreyDad

GreyDad

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Blind Lemon said:
Hey Magnus,
That was a really nice gesture dude, if you ever get over to the UK other than
for the Bash each year, you must come and visit us at S & T.
The Old Lemon will look after you
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He has a standing invitation to come and stay with us whenever he wants - even bring the kids!
 
patobrujo

patobrujo

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Santiago de Chile
really cool gesture, way to go strummer!! i know this an internet forum and so, but this kind of things makes it really something cool...
 
GreyDad

GreyDad

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Yep, it's all good - this is what the world needs more of, basic thoughtfulness and kind gestures which don't even register on the GDP figures and economic indicators.

I've been having a play exploring all those tones and widdly knobs and generally trying to get a feel for the thing the past couple of days. It's fantastic to play but very different in feel to the 4 stringer. I can't quite get the bite and growl that the 4H gives but playing at home overall it seemed quite mellow and laid back - I think Mogee said polite and that's a good way to describe it. I wasn't sure it grabbed me that much, although it was pleasant enough. The piezo's make a difference: I like them dialled in a bit, around half way I think sounded good.

So I took it to practice with my new band last night. I told them the story and showed them the BD and they ooh-ed and ahh-ed and all agreed Magnus must be a complete nutter to trust me with such a beautiful instrument. We had a new guitarist (Steve) last night who turned up to try out with us - connected up via the net and he came along to see if we got on. I forgot the BD and fired up the 4H and off we went for most of the evening (had a good session too).

At the end of the night the others started packing away so I took the BD out again and plugged in just to mess around. Now, I don't know what happened here but in the larger hall with an extra bit of volume the sound that came out was this incredible rich creamy tone which sounded nothing like I had been getting at home. Steve the guitarist literally stopped in his tracks and turned to me and said wow that sounds bloody fabulous, have you got a chorus on? I'd had the same thought, it sounded like there was a subtle chorus going which thickened the whole sound. I have a sub octave on the Ashdown but that was off and I had no pedals. I did have some valve pre-amp drive but I'd had that earlier and hadn't noticed this sound.

Is this the piezo's? If so they're worth every penny. I turned them down but this sound was still there to an extent.

Anyway, it was amazing and I played around on my own for another half an hour with a completely different opinion about what this bass could do. It doesn't have the massive thump of the double HH Stingray 5 I've got and it doesn't bite Rottweilers like the 4H but somewhere within all those knobs there's great sound, especially when all 3 (H, S and piezo) are on to some extent.

Next week I'm going to try it in a band context, seeing if I can hear it through the drum and lead mix like I can my others. I suppose if I have to it's back to the bridge humbucker but I'd be disappointed if I couldn't get that tone to punch through somehow.

Anyone with an HSp willing to give me some hints and tips I'd appreciate it.

Cheers

Neil
 
GreyDad

GreyDad

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Well, Fran, you did tell me! :D

There's a whole tone of tone to be explored with the piezos it seems - and I haven't even tried the evil bow on it yet.
 
GreyDad

GreyDad

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So why don't you like it so much, eh? Depends on style of music I guess, maybe it doesn't suit what you do. The 4H is a dream for straight rock stuff and paradoxically I also just want to slap the damn thing. The Stingray 5HH likewise, loads of thump or rock tone and surprisingly ok for slapping if only I could do it properly. The B5HSp is something different to both - don't know where it might go but just suggests to me a different direction and feel.

Thing is since I don't really do covers I'm not looking for a bass that sounds just like a specific known song. I sort of put together tunes around the sound I can get out of my bass, so the tone sets the style (I know this is an ass-backwards way to write music). I think the HSp opens up the possibility of different styles of songs to create which is pretty exciting. Don't know if I explained that correctly, sounds a bit pretentious and I'm not trying to be as I'm only an amateur dabbler.

Now there's the nagging question following from Fran's comment that an HHp would cover what the HSp does but still have that thump as well. Dear oh dear...

I wonder what a fretless version would sound like? You don't happen to have one of those spare do you?
 
drTStingray

drTStingray

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This bass looks fantastic, and how cool that he's lent it to you - I sort of guessed that the surprise you were waiting for from Sweden might have originated with Strummer..............I did wonder if there was going to be an Abba connection initially but obviously not :D

Have you gigged with the HSP yet?
 
GreyDad

GreyDad

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Yes, having Agnetha or Anni-Frid arrive in the post would have been cool but I got this third-hand bass instead - but at least the B that arrived was a Bass and not a Benny or Bjorn though :D

But it is a beautiful bass. I've been spending more time playing it this weekend and exploring the tone controls. It's much more complex than anything else I've got. However, the piezo is coming up as quite a surprise. It's harder to get that gritty rock sound than with the H or a conventional Stingray but I've found some really great tones nonetheless - only problem is remembering how to set it up to get them again! It would be sooo great to be able to store them as presets to memory. I finally found an amazing slap sound, with the bass boosted a bit, the mids slightly boosted, treble neutral, both pickups 50/50 and the piezo on 75% - killer through the Ashdown. Fran is right, turning the piezos off makes it feel like something is missing, I've got into the habit of always having some of it blended in.

Haven't gigged it but I'm taking it to band practice on Tuesday night and plan to use it exclusively this time, see how it sounds in anger. It's near me as I type, I've been trying to record it into garageband today - I'm really warming to this fabulous bass but don't tell strummer ;)
 
Grand Wazoo

Grand Wazoo

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Planet Remulak :)
GreyDad said:
Yes, having Agnetha or Anni-Frid arrive in the post would have been cool but I got this third-hand bass instead - but at least the B that arrived was a Bass and not a Benny or Bjorn though :D

But it is a beautiful bass. I've been spending more time playing it this weekend and exploring the tone controls. It's much more complex than anything else I've got. However, the piezo is coming up as quite a surprise. It's harder to get that gritty rock sound than with the H or a conventional Stingray but I've found some really great tones nonetheless - only problem is remembering how to set it up to get them again! It would be sooo great to be able to store them as presets to memory. I finally found an amazing slap sound, with the bass boosted a bit, the mids slightly boosted, treble neutral, both pickups 50/50 and the piezo on 75% - killer through the Ashdown. Fran is right, turning the piezos off makes it feel like something is missing, I've got into the habit of always having some of it blended in.

Haven't gigged it but I'm taking it to band practice on Tuesday night and plan to use it exclusively this time, see how it sounds in anger. It's near me as I type, I've been trying to record it into garageband today - I'm really warming to this fabulous bass but don't tell strummer ;)
Click to expand...

I reckon it's a keeper... mark my words, you don't wanna go cold turkey do you? Time to cough up the dow to Mr. Magnus yay! Unless he is after a swap with something else you've got.

Oh and remember what I already said a couple of times and I got slated for it...

A 5 stringer can do anything a 4 stringer can but not the other way around, plus it has a piezo and a single coil happy slapper in the neck, what more do you wish to own?
 
S

shakinbacon

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Joined
Feb 5, 2008
Messages
791
i agree

GreyDad said:
Yes, having Agnetha or Anni-Frid arrive in the post would have been cool but I got this third-hand bass instead - but at least the B that arrived was a Bass and not a Benny or Bjorn though :D

But it is a beautiful bass. I've been spending more time playing it this weekend and exploring the tone controls. It's much more complex than anything else I've got. However, the piezo is coming up as quite a surprise. It's harder to get that gritty rock sound than with the H or a conventional Stingray but I've found some really great tones nonetheless - only problem is remembering how to set it up to get them again! It would be sooo great to be able to store them as presets to memory. I finally found an amazing slap sound, with the bass boosted a bit, the mids slightly boosted, treble neutral, both pickups 50/50 and the piezo on 75% - killer through the Ashdown. Fran is right, turning the piezos off makes it feel like something is missing, I've got into the habit of always having some of it blended in.

Haven't gigged it but I'm taking it to band practice on Tuesday night and plan to use it exclusively this time, see how it sounds in anger. It's near me as I type, I've been trying to record it into garageband today - I'm really warming to this fabulous bass but don't tell strummer ;)
Click to expand...

I'm actually surprised how much I like the piezo option too. With it off I miss it as well. The more I play my recently acquired Bongo 5HHp the more I appreciate having subtle changes in pickup/piezo levels.
 
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