The Stingray is a great live bass, but it SUCKS for recording!

[madbassplaya]

I have always heard this. It seems that someone really thinks their bass has the stamp of approval when someone records them and compliments their bass. A local guy I know raves about his Fender P because his band just got back from the studio and the producer agreed that he could use his own bass instead of one of the producers. Granted, I see why, but does a Stingray not record well? I have never done any type of serious recording, just some stuff on a friend's macbook in Garage band. I would think that my Ray would record fine especially since other artist like I don't know...Tony Levin quit using Fenders and began using MM because they were a better bass. He records with them too I believe.

I also hear:

P's and J's have a deeper tone.
A jazz has more low end.
A Stingray is clanky.
A Stingray is nasally because there are no low mids.
A Stingray doesn't sit in a mix well. It only cuts.

I've played all of them now. I've owned P's and they never did a ton for me. I like a Jazz bass but compared to my HH SR5 it sounds kinda weak. I honestly don't get where my Ray lacks the low end.

I just get tired of seeing crap like this and if I defend it, I am either a fanboi or don't have experience like other players.

Rant over...

 

[tunaman4u2]

My producer did NOT let me use my Sterling, made me use a ... u figure it out

 

[Aussie Mark]

You just need to refer them to the thread that shows all the well known Stingray players, and mention their best known recordings.

 

[madbassplaya]

My producer did NOT let me use my Sterling, made me use a ... u figure it out

I guess i'm just not sure if I would use that producer.

 

[tunaman4u2]

I guess i'm just not sure if I would use that producer.

I was young & new to the band, didn't want to be a jerkoff about it but now I wouldn't hesitate to stand my ground. He was right about it being light in the natural low end, my new Sterling HH is more thunderous in that area. He was just a super vintage guy, super old Fridge with tube amp & a 60s P bass... whatever. I'll take my Sterling HH over my P any day now.

 

[madbassplaya]

I was young & new to the band, didn't want to be a jerkoff about it but now I wouldn't hesitate to stand my ground. He was right about it being light in the natural low end, my new Sterling HH is more thunderous in that area. He was just a super vintage guy, super old Fridge with tube amp & a 60s P bass... whatever. I'll take my Sterling HH over my P any day now.

I think that's the key! "He was a super vintage guy" and a lot of producers want a bass to fit into a certain niche because that's where they think that it should go and know how to mix according to that. If I wanted to sound like a P bass, I would own a P bass. If I wanted to sound like a J bass, I would play a J. I like the way my SR sounds. I would gladly lay it on a track.

My sound guy has never said he loved my bass one until I got my SR5 HH.

 

[JayDawg]

Thank goodness I am not in a position to where I will ever have to let a producer dictate what I can and cannot use when I record. Especially when it comes to my Music Man basses. I did some recording with my Stingray Classic a few months back and the bass sounded amazing in the recording studio. I then sat in with a friends band at a fairly large show back in May on one song. When I saw the video of the song, quite honestly, that was the best I had ever sounded as far as a mix goes. The bass sounded incredible. Any person, producer or otherwise that says a Music Man sounds bad for recording is full of something I like to call, "The crap!"

 

[cyoungnashville]

i thought the basketball hoop in front of my house / studio was all outta whack until shaq came over for a couple hours and got it working by throwing basket balls at it. then he came into the studio and started singing, and i thought for sure that he had broken my mic.... but later maurice white came in to do background vocals on that same mic, and it inexplicably sounded fine again. weird stuff like this happens in the studio all the time... i call it the "proximity effect". drums seem to be especially susceptible to this phenomenon.

 

[KevinM]

There are different factors involved in how the "feel" of the music flows. Like when you're playing in a new place for the first time. In my early years the unfaniliar surroundings would throw me out of sync. I figured out it was a mental block and now new surroundings don't throw me off. I can adjust to a new place right away. Like Craig said, it sounds like the producer had his mindset in place before you got there and wasn't going to change it.

The point being making the adjustments needed to fit the feel of the song and the surroundings. I found with my HH's that I couldn't blast them all out on the pa's where I regularly play because one is small ane the other doesn't use the subs on Sunday morning. Setting my SR5 to the middle position with the tone nobs about 75% and the volume at 100% gets a good tone that the sopund guys can work with. With my reflex I usually set it on passive with the tone backed off a little from full bass.

On my Ampeg I can blast them all out or back them off and it still sounds good.

 

[supadave]

Pfft. The Stingray can be whatever it wants you to be. Madbassplaya nailed it.

 

[Lynottfan]

My old band recorded two albums and two ep's, 80% of the songs were played using a Stingray ( precision, Jazz and L2000 finished the rest, just to keep the Leo love going ) Without a doubt the best bass sound was from the Ray, I think only one track I replaced the bass line for one on a Jazz and that was more to do with getting a tricky little riff right, and liking the feel of that take.

Stingrays are very versatile in the studio, sit in the mix beautifully, wether you Di or mic them, as the others have mentioned it may be down to the individual in front of the desk.

 

[Rod Trussbroken]

The Sting Ray earned it's place as an industry standard years ago. I'd question the experience and/or qualifications of the "producer".

 

[bassmonkeee]

The Sting Ray earned it's place as an industry standard years ago. I'd question the experience and/or qualifications of the "producer".

I'd just call them lazy.

 

[madbassplaya]

The Sting Ray earned it's place as an industry standard years ago. I'd question the experience and/or qualifications of the "producer".

I'd just call them lazy.

Agreed and Agreed. I just get tired of seeing this in threads when people ask for advice or hearing this when a band goes to record. I've gotta get a p bass because that's what the producer likes!!!

 

[cyoungnashville]

ask to see their "producer's license" and "registration slip". i doubt it will be valid.

hey everybody look... "im a producer", no "im a chicken" , no im an "astronaut".

i would be all 3, except my simple declaration alone wouldnt be good enough credentials for other chickens or nasa, they would want some proof of qualifications. the music industry??? not so much.... sooo , come on in... i hear you are a chicken..ANNND a producer... MAN WE CAN SELL THAT!!! boy do we have a great gig for you ....you ever heard of our new kids lady antebellum, we need a hit for our 4th album, and no doubt you are just the chicken do do it... no stingrays though, ya digg????

 

[CElton]

i call it the "proximity effect". drums seem to be especially susceptible to this phenomenon.

I lol'd...+1, it's about the player.

 

[DTG]

I once got to " ain't you got a fender " .... I think I had my bongo with me at the time and prob my my SR 5 too.

I think my answer was something like ,

"yeah I have two in the van and if I don't like my tone with these I might just get one"

They stayed in the van, he was happy miss singer song writer had no idea what a fender was anyway. power tripper !

Every song I play gets my full attention and devotion however most of the producers I have worked with think they are producing hit singles every week, sadly for me that has never been the truth.

Play strong play confident

 

[Holdsg]

Play strong, Play confident

...Play Musicman.

I would see that on a T-shirt as well.

 

[madbassplaya]

Play strong play confident

...Play Musicman.

Play strong, play confident...play Music Man.

Now that's a slogan fellows!

 

[Lynottfan]

Play strong, play confident...play Music Man. oh yeah a new splash page for an ad campaign if ever there was one, I think I will stencil this on my bass case!