I bought my first Musicman Stingray in around 1985 - it was a fretless bass and I got it so that I could play like Pino Palladino. Needless I failed to come close, but have owned Stingrays - both fretted and fretless - ever since, and used them at countless gigs. I thought I'd give this Bongo a try, I've never really been a fan of the name and some people call it the 'toilet seat' bass, so I've avoided in the past. This thing is incredible though, weight is just over 9lbs so I think I'm lucky there, the quality is ... well it's a Musicman so need I say more, and the sounds this can produce are immense. It's not a Stingray, doesn't sound like a Stingray, however in my view it's a lot more punchy and MUCH more versatile. Love it!