Stingray Pickup in a Sterling?

Omnomburger · #1 01-02-2011, 01:12 AM

So yesterday I tried out a Sterling by Music Man SB14 in a shop and, wow, the neck felt amazing. Nicest neck I've ever felt

I've always loved Jazz Bass necks, but the glossy finish perfected it

The only problem is... well I don't really like how it sounds compared to a Stingray. I know the biggest tonal difference is the pickups (ceramic magnets on the Sterling, alnico on the Ray), and I'm thinking of buying an SB14 and putting a Stingray pup in it. I'm just not sure if it would work well considering that the preamps are different and the SB14 has a 3-way switch. I'm no electronics wiz so anybody know if this will work?

Marton · #2 01-02-2011, 01:21 AM

You could check into replacement pickups, too. I know that Nordstrand and Seymour Duncan make some. Maybe Delano too ?

**jmattbassplaya** · #3 01-02-2011, 01:24 AM

Why not pick up a Ray34 instead? I owned one for awhile and it was a fantastic instrument. I only sold it because it was redundant to keep considering how much it sounded and played like my US Ray

Omnomburger · #4 01-02-2011, 01:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmattbassplaya

Why not pick up a Ray34 instead?

Well, Stingray necks are a tad too wide for me. I've been playing a MIM Jazz Bass my whole bass playing career (3 and a half years or so) and whenever I try to play anything else it just feels so wierd to me. I even borrowed my buddy's Ric for a few weeks and the neck felt so... alien.

BoomingBass · #5 01-02-2011, 06:42 AM

Is the Ray34's neck uncomfortable? Or are you just used to the thin neck and need some time to adjust?

depalm · #6 01-02-2011, 10:23 AM

When I first play with my 93 Sterling I just loved the neck but didn't like ceramic pickup. Later I replaced it for a MM4.3 Nordstrand. Huuuuge upgrade.
Bass sounds much more like a MM bass, warm and powerful.
You can't go wrong with it. Best upgrade I've ever made.

parsons · #7 01-02-2011, 11:05 AM

why not just get an SLO Stingray? Sterling neck, Stingray everything else...

Miskatonic · #8 01-02-2011, 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by parsons

why not just get an SLO Stingray? Sterling neck, Stingray everything else...

+1

depalm · #9 01-02-2011, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by parsons

why not just get an SLO Stingray? Sterling neck, Stingray everything else...

That's good suggestion however keep in mind that the body dimension on SLO is the same as a regular SR. Sterling bodies are slimmer and more comfortable IMO.

Darkstrike · #10 01-02-2011, 11:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by parsons

why not just get an SLO Stingray? Sterling neck, Stingray everything else...

A SLO Stingray would cost a whole lot more than the SBMM SB14 he's talking about.

basswave · #11 01-02-2011, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by depalm

When I first play with my 93 Sterling I just loved the neck but didn't like ceramic pickup. Later I replaced it for a MM4.3 Nordstrand. Huuuuge upgrade.
Bass sounds much more like a MM bass, warm and powerful.
You can't go wrong with it. Best upgrade I've ever made.

Just a heads up.

The Nordstrand 4.3 and 5.3 (which the 4.3 is what you would need to have all the options available on a SB14) are no longer being produced by Nordstrand.

However I think Bestbassgear.com still have some in stock.

So for those who want all the tonal options of Sterling with that pickups better get on it.

tastybasslines · #12 01-03-2011, 11:50 AM

Also keep in mind that the pickup shape is different, I assume to help prevent SBMM pickups being put into and sold on the SLO basses. There is scoop between the 2 protruding screw holes, while the SBMM is a straight rectangle shape with a "scooped" ledge. You may have to rout into the body to make that change if you wanted to.

topcat2069 · #13 01-03-2011, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Omnomburger

I even borrowed my buddy's Ric for a few weeks and the neck felt so... alien.

an Alien made you say that....

MikeyB · #14 01-11-2011, 09:43 AM

I own a Sterling-4 single H, and a Stingray-4 SLO single H.

I scrounged the 'Bay until I found a Sterling pickup to put in my Stingray. Had to route the body a little to accept the dummy coil. I kept the Stingray preamp, which means that I couldn't use all the switching options possible with the Sterling pickup. I chose to run it hardwired in Series because I play my Sterling in Series 95% of the time.

Bottom line: they're still fairly different. The Ray has a bigger bottom end, and clearer high end. Makes the Sterling sound just a bit congested, but at the same time the Sterling has a certain low-mid growl that the Ray does not have at all.

-M

chuck3 · #15 01-11-2011, 09:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by depalm

When I first play with my 93 Sterling I just loved the neck but didn't like ceramic pickup. Later I replaced it for a MM4.3 Nordstrand. Huuuuge upgrade.
Bass sounds much more like a MM bass, warm and powerful.
You can't go wrong with it. Best upgrade I've ever made.

I did the same. Got a Sterling fretless 4, LOVE the neck but hated the pickup; replaced it with a Nordstrand 4.3 and put on black nylon tapewounds ===> killer tone. Understand that I don't use this bass for straight rock n roll but for jazz and jazz fusion. It's perfect.

basswave · #16 01-11-2011, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeyB

I own a Sterling-4 single H, and a Stingray-4 SLO single H.

I scrounged the 'Bay until I found a Sterling pickup to put in my Stingray. Had to route the body a little to accept the dummy coil. I kept the Stingray preamp, which means that I couldn't use all the switching options possible with the Sterling pickup. I chose to run it hardwired in Series because I play my Sterling in Series 95% of the time.

Bottom line: they're still fairly different. The Ray has a bigger bottom end, and clearer high end. Makes the Sterling sound just a bit congested, but at the same time the Sterling has a certain low-mid growl that the Ray does not have at all.

-M

Interesting...(I mean that in a good way)

Curious...Did you notice a tonal difference between the 2 basses after the mod because the preamps are designed differently for each?

So you have a sterling ceramic pickup wired in series using the Stingray preamp and have a straight up Sterling with the preamp that was designed for it...

Looking forward towards your results.

I know the 5 string Stingrays single H have the option to switch to series and you do get that slightly louder lower mid push with less of that bigger top end, but it still using an Alinco pickup.

Thanks in advance

Rano Bass · #17 01-11-2011, 09:09 PM

Or just wait and buy this new model from SBMM http://www.ernieball.com/forums/musi...ic-active.html

Its bassicaly a cheaper SLO Ray (1.5 nut) with a 2 band preamp.