Stingray Preamp is ....... ?

[badboy1984]

Do anyone think the Stingray stock preamp is not too good at all?

I feel the preamp is lacking compare to John East pre i got on my other bass.

Anyone replace the stock preamp with the John East MM pre and happy with the result?

[Gasman]

I put an East pre in the Ray HH I used to have. I was very happy with it- the sweepable mid knob is too cool. I am actually kicking myself for selling it now.

However, the East pre is based on the original stingray pre. If you don't like the stingray sound, it will probably disappoint you. What is it exactly that you don't like?

[badboy1984]

i don't know maybe the bass wasn't setup and dead string which make it don't sound too good. being setup right now at the shop so it could sound good after.

But i feel the original preamp wasn't that good to shape tone compare to John East stuff.

[SpamBot]

The 2-band is great. The 3-band is not.


IMHO

[i_got_a_mohawk]

I've got the 3-bands in my 'rays.

They don't have an effect that is as "in your face" as other preamps I've used.

Doesn't really bother me, mine stay flat

[Bassmingo]

Originally Posted by SpamBot

The 2-band is great. The 3-band is not.


IMHO

while the 2 band is better, the 3 aint no slouch either.

[DTrocks]

sorry to hijack the thread, but lets say i want more tweakability on my stingray classic model, would it be wise to put in an east pre, the 3 knob 4 band one?

[BassLife77]

they all sound great! it's about preference. I prefer the vintage 2 band

[FromTheBassMent]

I quit using active basses because I found with every one I owned the "tonal flexibility" of the preamp resulted in a dozen crappy sounding settings for every one that sounded good. I don't need a bazillion knobs that make my bass sound like a muted trombone being played by a Canadian goose. I need it to sound like a bass, and I got sick of all the knobs and switches that, if bumped or engaged accidentally, would plunge you into the abyss of nasal gank.

Then I found EBMM basses, and now I am a total active convert. I love the subtle shaping provided by the 3-band eq. On my Stingray 5 Hp fretless I goose the mids to bring out the singing tone and the "mwah." On my Sterling 5 HH I bump the lows a bit (especially when soloing the bridge pup), keep the highs flat, and dial in different levels of aggression with the mids to suit the song.

The cool thing is, if I accidentally turn one of these knobs to the "wrong" (sub-optimal) position, it doesn't really matter. The basses still sound good. The only way to make them sound bad would be to zero out the lows and highs and dime the mids... and I ain't never been that drunk! For me, it's the subtlety and musicality of the controls that are the appeal.

I guess for someone who's looking for "extreme" eq options, the EBMM preamp would not be especially attractive.

[TheMutt]

I replaced the 3-band in my SR5 with a Glockenklang pre. Sounds awesome, very versatile, and it now makes my bass active/passive.

[Rick Auricchio]

Part of the Musicman sound comes from the preamp. I like my MM basses just the way the factory built them. I have other basses if I want a completely different tone.

[walterw]

Originally Posted by Rick Auricchio

Part of the Musicman sound comes from the preamp. I like my MM basses just the way the factory built them. I have other basses if I want a completely different tone.

+1

i'm not big on active basses, but the stingray stands out as a truly "integrated" design, where the preamp and the pickup and the pickup's placement are all essential (unlike other basses where the preamp EQ is just there for changing the bass's inherent passive tone if the player wants).

[FunkMetalBass]

The preamp is very transparent to my ears, probably because the frequency centers of each EQ knob. If I still had mine and had a 6-string version of it (daring to dream, I know), I'd have put an Aguilar OBP-3 in it ages ago.

[Petebass]

Originally Posted by Rick Auricchio

Part of the Musicman sound comes from the preamp. I like my MM basses just the way the factory built them. I have other basses if I want a completely different tone.

+1 Couldn't have put it better myself.... and I prefer the 3 band to the 2. Each to their own.

[badboy1984]

Actually i email John East awhile ago and ask about the stock MM preamp and the the East preamp.

He told me that the MM preamp EQ is all interact together, so if I boost or cut the Treble it will effect the bass and mid as well? and the East preamp is just sound like the original MM preamp but every single parameter is different so boosting/cut on 1 parameter it won't effect the others .....

Is this right?

[Rick Auricchio]

John East could be referring to EQ bands with some overlap; I don't recall if the MM preamp is built that way, but he's probably done some testing.

Nevertheless, the way the MM preamp works is how it gets its sound. Having a different EQ circuit would make the bass different. If you don't want the MM sound, it's far easier to switch to another bass. You aren't going to change the pickup's characteristic tone by changing the preamp.

Maybe you can compensate for it by having a preamp "fight" the pickup tone, but that's silly. It's like adding horsepower to your car because you've left the parking brake engaged.

[Craig_S]

badboy1984, Are you saying you cannot get a good sound from your Stingray, at all? I'd start looking at your amplifier EQ before I replaced the preamp. Start with everything flat. With my SR5, I cut a bit of highs and boost a bit of lows. The mids are flat.

[badboy1984]

i get a decent tone when playing live which cuts in nicely. i guess is something i have to get use to.

[SGD Lutherie]

Originally Posted by FromTheBassMent

I quit using active basses because I found with every one I owned the "tonal flexibility" of the preamp resulted in a dozen crappy sounding settings for every one that sounded good.

Do you have tone controls on the amp? Do they make the bass sound like a muted trombone being played by a Canadian goose?

Most people with active basses set the amp's tone controls to fit the room you are in, but mostly flat, and then adjust the bass.

You aren't supposed to turn the knobs all the way one way or another, unless you want a dub tone or something.

I find a little bass boost works wonders, and sometimes I crank the highs up a bit for songs that needs a brighter tone.

But if you set your bass to sound one way and leave it, then it would be overkill.

[Chasarms]

I would argue that the MM pre is the best "stock" mass-produced preamp available (Unless you want to consider the Sadowsky preamp a mass-produced stock preamp). Both the 3 and the 2 band.