For everyone here with more than one Bass. Do you find that you play one of them better than the others? I have three Basses now: a Dean edge that I’ve had for a little over two years, a SBMM sub series Stingray that I got for Christmas 2019 , so I’ve had it a little over 8 months, and a Squire precision Bass that I’ve had since the beginning of June this year so just over 3 months. The Dean has a 24 fret neck, the SBMM has a 21 fret neck, and the Squire has a 19 fret neck. Even though I played the Dean for a year and a half before I got the Sterling, I play the Sterling better it seems. Fewer mistakes, more comfortable. Don’t think I’ve had the Squire long enough to compare it. Anyone else notice this or have I just discovered that the SBMM is better suited to my arm length, hand size, and “style”?
Strangely I have days when I play one bass better than the other.
My go to is usually my Ibanez SR but recently I have tended to pick up the Fender first .
I absolutely play my Yamaha way better than I do my Warwick. I haven’t been using my second bass all that much and am probably going to sell it, actually. It’s a great bass but I am just not using it as much as I thought.
I think I play all of mine the same… mediocre.
Lately I’ve been playing my Yamaha BB235 a lot more than my Ibanez fretless. They are both great instruments, but I have been studying some complex techniques that I’ve been practicing, and don’t want the added challenge of correct intonation that a fretless brings to the game.
I also practice with my electric upright bass fairly regularly, but that’s a completely different animal.
After a 45 year break, I returned to playing bass with a Squier PJ bass. Struggling a bit, I thought I might do better with a short scale bass so I added a Gretsch Junior Jet II.
I was right, the Gretsch is definitely easier to play and I find myself reaching for it more often that the PJ. The fact that it weighs several pounds less than the PJ may also be a factor.
Oddly enough, practicing on the Gretsch seems to help with the PJ, and I’m playing it better than before.
I’ll first agree with @JerryP that I play them all mediocre for sure!
I alternate between a Fender 4-string and an Ibanez fanned fret 5-string. The one I play better is the one I learned that particular song on first. I guess that means I depend a lot on muscle memory for the song to play itself rather than reading and playing.
i have been playing my new Fender P/J bass alot more than my ibanez, but i still play my ibanez for certain things, finding that sound i need for punk metal is hard with the P/J bass, maybe i will start adding pedals
I actually have my Basses doing different things - but I totally have a ‘go-to’ Bass that is where I feel the most comfortable. That’s the first ‘real’ Bass I bought (Fender Tobacco Burst Quilt Top 24 J-Bass) - I ‘know’ that Bass when I play it and, even though it may not sound like the others, it’s still my fave.
I have another J-Bass that has flats on it, for particular songs.
I have a 5-string Bass for the lower-register stuff (and to make some stuff easier to play).
I have a PJ-Bass that is tuned down 1/2 step.
And an ESP LTD Bass that is in Drop-D tuning. Much metal to be had with this Bass (and much picking).
They all serve a purpose and are setup specifically for each. My go-to Bass gets most of the work, but the others get worked depending on the music.
I’m trying to achieve comfort across all of them, although that’s not an easy task. They’re all basically the same scale length, but the differences are in the neck profiles (the PJ is thicker than the J-Basses – and the 5-String neck is obviously larger and slightly more unwieldy) and the frets on the ESP are HUGE. So I need to have a short warm-up for each Bass, just to make sure I don’t mess up too much. I’m trying to get to the point where I don’t have to do that anymore, but that may be a little in the future.
I totally agree with you. I have had many basses, and I started on an Ibanez GSR200, and then I upgraded to SR300, and SR400. I got a ESP LTD B-4E, and a Sterling SUB Stingray (I mean from the years where the Sterling Sub Stingrays were HORRIBLE quality, nothing like the Sub Ray4’s of today).
I loved my SR’s and B-4E, and liked the Sub Stingray.
Then GC opened to the public and I went in and played a Sterling Stingray Ray 4, just like yours (same color I think), and I just had to have it.
I went home and sold 2 basses in 12 hours, got the $300 I needed, and went back the very next day and go that Stingray Ray 4.
I kept playing my other basses
Ibanez and Ltd were 24 frets
Stingray 21 frets.
I started loving my stingray, it played amazing and I was constantly drawn to it.
I returned my SR300, I am selling my SR400, I just sold another bass, and I am pretty much selling everything BUT my Stingray’s and LTD B-4E.
I am either going to get the upgraded Stingray Ray34, the black ash one with black hardware and clear pick guard, showing the wood grain.
OR
I may go all out and get an EBMM Stingray, current line, or this one at GC
I don’t know what it is, but I know exactly what you mean and how you feel when playing the stingray. There is something magical about them to me.
Really like that color, wonder how it would look with a black pick guard.
what is the big hype about music man basses honestly? i’ve played a few, and i just don’t get the hype? i mean i like their style, and they do have their own distinct sound, but like why so much? you could get an amazing fender for less money, or a schecter that would produce a similar sound for less, i get the sterling ones are cheap and really good, i can get behind those, but their high end, 2700 dollar ones, like…why?
You hit the nail on the head, they have their own distinct sound…
i guess that makes sense, its def not a starter bass, so when you get to that level of playing, it would make sense to have a bunch of different basses with different sounds
I actually would LOVE it with black pick guard, I am about 99% sure I would change it right away. But I would really love it with BLACK hardware.
MM will not sell black hardware. You can get Black Hipshot, or knock off brand, but MM will not sell it.
You can only get it on the bass colors that come with it, like these
This one was for sale on REVERB at one time. IDK if it is a total custom, or if it was an option at one time. I actually like it better then the one I showed up above. It has the same Neck, Fretboard and headstock pattern, but the Orange Wash and black hardware are to die for.
Difference is, IDK where I would get this one, and I know I could go online to GC or Musicians Friend and order that other one I posted above.
Isn’t this dreamy?
This is actually kind of where I’m at too. I like Stingrays just fine, and if that was the sound I was looking for they would be a good choice, but usually it’s not what I am looking for.
They look great though 
I do not have one, probably cuz they are $2700, but my dream is to have one.
I am a Stingray player 95%.
I have bought many basses in a short time. Started on an Ibanez GSR200, did the B2B with it.
I upgraded to SR300, and got an ESP LTD B-4E (my back up bass).
I got a super cheap Sterling SUBray, I mean the ones made in the period when Sterling was like cheaper then Fender Squire back in the 90’s when they still put Fender on it, with Squire in small print.
I really liked it, but I played it AFTER my SR’s and LTD.
But, I sold a couple amps that I got with bass purchases, and made a bunch of money back from some of the basses I got, making some of the basses free (I actually made $300 on one of the packages I bought selling off pieces I didn’t want).
Back when GC opened back up to the public, in limited fashion, I went with my buddy, he was looking at electric drum kits. While in there, since I waited my time in the line outside, I played a few basses off the wall. I was there to try the Jacksons and one of the Ibanez SR models.
After trying both of them, and not feeling that impressed with them, I asked for a Sterling Stingray Ray4 off the wall and played it til we left.
It SPOKE to me. They didn’t have the right color, but another store in the area did.
I was there first thing the next day, and I sold the super cheapo Stingray overnight to have the rest of the cash for the Ray 4. I sold it for $35 more then I paid for it, so I have done well with flipping basses.
I got it home, and I played it in my rotation with the two SR’s, and the LTD, so I played it about 25% of the time each day, for about a week, then I was playing it 35% of the time, and dropped playing the SR300.
Then by the 3rd week, I pretty much dropped the SR400, and was playing 50/50 with the LTD. Within a month, it went to about 80/20.
I love my LTD, for reasons the Stingray could never fill. It is a neck thru design, beautiful bass, 24 frets, and had a great feel and sound.
But
The Stingray Calls to me, it is a perfect match for me. I can’t explain it, and really never expected it, but it is what it is. I find them magical.
I did get a Ray4HH, which I am not in love with. I want to be, but I don’t like any of the pick up selections except the standard humbuck bridge. And the neck pickup does sort of get in the way now that I am used to that open area. I love teh look, I love the color, I love the maple fretboard, but I can’t fully commit to it yet. I have had it a short time, and I am giving it time, hoping I will become one with it as well.
I scored a great deal on a Sterling Stingray Ray34, their top line, if you swap out the pickups, pre amp, you almost have a real EBMM stingray, the Ray34 are truly awesome basses.
So, I will probably own many Sterling Ball Music Man basses in my life,
but my bucket list is to have an Ernie Ball Music Man bass, that orange one to be exact.
IDK, its like Fender lovers that want to have at least one MIA Fender.
There are plenty of players that are happy with squires and don’t really care.
There are probably plenty of Sterling players that are happy with Sterling and don’t really care about getting the MIA MM Stingray.
On the other hand
there are those that want one, and I am one of those people.
Yes, they have a sound, I love the sound
But for me, it is much more than sound, it is sight and feel, equally.
I love the look. I love the sound, but truly, I love the feel.
I feel 100% connected with my Stingrays
When choosing a bass you want to like three things. The look, the sound, and the feel.
When you find all three, that’s the bass for you. But, these three things are different for everybody.
Manufacturers work to find things that appeal to as broad a group as possible and you end up with instruments that become iconic.
The Fender Precision Bass
The Fender Jazz Bass
The Rickenbacker
The Gibson Thunderbird
And…
The Music Man Sting Ray
The list is so much longer. These are just some examples.
For any of those examples you can find people that love them, people that hate them, and anywhere in between.
What’s most important is that you find the one that answers all three for you.
Yeah, can’t fight personal preference. I’m the same way about Yamaha and (to a lesser extent) Ibanez. I’m basically a Yamaha fanboy, and love several of their lines.
I’d probably go in deep, very deep, for ESP. And I like my Warwick a lot but it’s not the same cult status for me as Yamahas.
I appreciate Fender and EBMM basses, but not really my thing. Except I have been seriously tempted by a couple P-basses of late.