What got you into the "Stingray" sound

[bigvissch]

You know I hadn't really thought about it until now. I think at the time it was all because I was in the market for a fiver and there weren't that many around (back in the early '90s). I knew that Musicman had a five string, they in fact had one at my local music store, I tried it, the price they gave me was really good and the rest, as they say, is history.

So it was reputation and availability that lead me try one, and of course as soon as i tried it, I loved the tone, I loved the feel and gee it looked really sweet too (still does actually).

 

[cky4ever]

1 - Tim C's tone on that 1st RATM album.
2 - saw flea live a couple times in the early 90's

Same thing that got me hooked too.. I wasnt as lucky to see the chili peppers live though...

Also as of late alot of up and coming punk and rock bands that arent mainstream are using them and they sound different and cut thru heavy guitars very well.

 

[oli@bass]

When I started playing bass, I was a huge fan of Steve Harris. I totally loved the sound he had on the first Iron Maiden album (and still think it's his best sound). Naturally, I had to have a P bass, and naturally I tried to copy his sound, but never quite got it. What really stuck with me was the quest for a very defined trebly yet punchy bass sound. But except for Fender and Ibanez, there wasn't any bass brands I was aware of.

Then one night, I went out with a couple of musician friends, and we ended up in an illegal club where normally they'd start jam sessions after midnight. The instruments were there (and looked extremely beat up) and there were only few musicians there. So after a couple of drinks, I was confident enough to grab that weird looking, beat up bass and jam along Knocking On Heaven's Door...

That beat up weird looking bass was a Sabre. And despite its old worn strings, it delivered the trebly punch I had been looking for years (only about four or five, to be more precise ). That stuck in my mind. For some while I tried to find such a bass (naturally, I couldn't remember the brand) but couldn't. It seemed as if that was the only one in existence.

Many years (about anther four) and many other influences later I still was on my tone quest, and somehow stumbled into MusicMan. I think it was the coincidence of marc Lynn of Gotthard doing ads playing a translucent red StingRay, and Michael Anthony (VH) doing ads for the 2Tek bridge on his (natural?) Sterling. I way actually more interested in the 2Tek bridge at that time, but then thought that maybe I should give this wierd looking bass a try.

Being used to Jazz type necks, I found that the StingRay delivered exactly the sound I wanted, but the neck was too wide. So I looked for several months to find a Sterling, and I immediately felt at home. It didn't have exactly the sound of the StingRay, but it was close enough. I bought one. And another.


Many years went by, and many basses. Every now and then I'd picked up a StingRay, loved the tone, and not bought it. And every time I regretted it afterwards. So last year I finally gave in to the urge I had for all my life and got my first StingRay.

To me, it's the quintessential bass tone...


...but I still wish my way would cross with that Sabre again...

 

[Figjam]

Tim C's tone on first ratm album as well.

 

[Caca de Kick]

Paul Denman, Louis Johnson, and Bernard Edwards are who sucked me into the StingRay back in the day. Been stuck with that sound in my head ever since.

 

[Jawshco]

I have agree with Dellers and Caca de kick....LOUIS JOHNSON! He's the one that made me want a Stingray. Flea is pretty cool too, but LJ is the one I really wanted to emulate.

Billy Gould of Faith No More is probably the first guy I heard that made me want, nay...have to play bass, but his bass was one that I'd never seen around. I think it was a Zon(?). Anyhow, the Stingray was the only bass that allowed me to get close to that sound as well.

 

[foomanfat]

Ska punk bass players got me on the Music Man train. I always saw my favorite players Roger from Less Than Jake and Matt Wong formerly of Reel Big Fish playing them, and I had to have one.
To me, it's the quintessential ska punk bass.

 

[johnnylager]

If I would have toughed it out I probably would have gotten use to it.

I did, in 4 days of solid playing. Move over GL Jazz, hello '79 'Ray.

 

[jaylegroove]

Got my first Stingray back in 80. I had been playing a RIC 4001 for 3 years or so, and I was after something that would still "bite", while being more versatile. Fenders P & J wouldn't do it for me at this time. Finally went to my favourite shop, tried the Ray, traded the 4001 in and went out of the shop with the Ray.

 

[Lucas G]

for me, it was the late dave blood of the dead milkmen. despite those dudes being a funny bunch of dudes and maybe not the most serious of musicians, dave had a great bass sound and wrote great and very memorable lines. he is also one of the reasons i became a bass player in the first place.

 

[bradfordws]

You can't forget Charles Meeks with Chuck Mangione! I think the "Feels So Good" title track is one of the most recognizable pop jazz hits that is still played on all the lite jazz stations today. Pick up that record if you don't have it - Meeks is playing his natural MM Stingray 4. I think that record came out in 1976 and I was playing drums and piano at the time. It was right around this time that I got my first bass, a F#### copy that cost me maybe $100 in 1978! Anyway, the first bass line I learned was "Feels So Good" and then I saw Chuck in concert at the Hollywood Bowl in 1977 and my attention was on Meeks and his Stingray playing through a nice Acoustic rig - the good old days. I finally got a Stingray in 1980 - a sunburst with rosewood board - and it was stolen within a year or so! Yeah, I still want to catch that bum, but it's a little late now. My next Stingray was a 1984 natural with maple board. I still have my eye on a sunburst SR4 like the one that was stolen, even though I've become a Sterling nut. When I find the right SR, I'll have to go ahead and get it. I would have to agree with others listed in this thread - Johnson, Denman, Edwards - and what about Pino - all that cool stuff with Paul Young!

 

[RobertB]

I have to say, even though I'm not an active "fan" anymore, for me it was Flea. At the time that I got into RHCP (around '90, I guess), I was playing guitar & had been for a while, and so hadn't really paid alot of attention to the differentiating characteristics of different basses.

But I was always a percussive guitar player, so when I heard Flea on stuff like "Backwoods" & "Johnny Kick a Hole in the Sky", and realized how percussive you could be on bass & still have the elements of harmony and melody to play with ... that was it.

Granted, there were other great players who had demonstrated that long before Flea, but for whatever reason, that's how it lined up for me. My ear was open to it at that time, and he was within the "realm" I was focused on then, musically.

 

[MK Bass Weed]

You can't forget Charles Meeks with Chuck Mangione! I think the "Feels So Good" title track is one of the most recognizable pop jazz hits that is still played on all the lite jazz stations today. Pick up that record if you don't have it - Meeks is playing his natural MM Stingray 4. I think that record came out in 1976 and I was playing drums and piano at the time. It was right around this time that I got my first bass, a F#### copy that cost me maybe $100 in 1978! Anyway, the first bass line I learned was "Feels So Good" and then I saw Chuck in concert at the Hollywood Bowl in 1977 and my attention was on Meeks and his Stingray playing through a nice Acoustic rig - the good old days. I finally got a Stingray in 1980 - a sunburst with rosewood board - and it was stolen within a year or so! Yeah, I still want to catch that bum, but it's a little late now. My next Stingray was a 1984 natural with maple board. I still have my eye on a sunburst SR4 like the one that was stolen, even though I've become a Sterling nut. When I find the right SR, I'll have to go ahead and get it. I would have to agree with others listed in this thread - Johnson, Denman, Edwards - and what about Pino - all that cool stuff with Paul Young!

OMG...

We must be related...I was a CM fan (and still), and went to EVERY concert when he came to Buffalo..I even saw him in Rochester when Tony Levin was in the band.

The Xll commandment bass solo LIVE was great..but that Natural Sting Ray tone was KILLER...


That tone is all over LIVE AT THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL and CHILDREN OF SANCHEZ too..

 

[thunder]

my fender sucked!!!!!!!!!

 

[Franky]

i saw the dvd of flea with river and went out and bought a sub a week later before i could play bass. in retrospect i probably should have learned on a POS because i mistreated my poor sub and it got drawn on by all of my mates....

...the dvd with flea is what got me hooked.

 

[shamus63]

Tom Hamilton of Aerosmith was sportin' the first Ray I had ever seen back in '77 on the "Live Bootleg" album.

It was nearly two years before I even picked up the bass, but I thought it was the coolest looking bass I had ever seen!

 

[maaaaaaaaaaat]

mxpx

+1

:d

 

[Jim_F]

The late great Bernard Edwards was the inspiration for me to try out a Stingray.

 

[fidooda]

wow tough one to figure out. Can i reply from seeing them for so long and finally deciding to try one?

I saw a Louis Johnson video once on VHS.... what a tone with his stingray.
Ernie Ball strings, always liked them
Lurking on this forum kinda tempted me to buy one too. Reading BP chatting with his clients, i tought it was so cool, still do.
I flipped out the first time i tried a sterling, i wasn't ready then for any bigger necks (former J bass player) the sterling felt right at home.

 

[CElton]

The tone that Paul Denman has with Sade.

YouTube - Sade - Is it a Crime?

Smooth and fat

+1...I actually got into them when I heard a local player with one in 1982. Two years later, I picked one up and have been in love ever since. When I think of Paul Denman tone, I like to refer to this: [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StP0_zbDIMo"]YouTube - Sade - Paradise[/ame]