Well technically the 3 band preamp was an Ernie Ball Era addition. So there was that change but I was offered as an option. I believe it was only when the classic series was introduced that 3 band preamp became standard on the SR.
Come to think of it the following other slight changes were made to the bass over the years:
-reduced bridge size sans mutes
-staggered bridge for straight string lines
-Introduction of the wheel for truss rod adjustment at the heel (prior to that it was the standard bullet adjustmen begins the nut)
And of course there were some slight modifications to the construction of the pick up and the preamp. I may be missing a few others but these are the big items.
Oh no argument - there have been modifications for sure, throughout the Stingray's history (almost as many during the Pre-Ernie Ball period, as have happened since EB took over).
In the last few weeks, we've thrashed out the 3 band vs 2 band topic (worth a search if you missed it).
I don't think any of the changes to the bridge (up to this 2018 model) have had any bearing on the tone of the instrument.
Offsetting it by a couple of millimetres wouldn't change anything.
Initially the mutes were removed, and sold separately as a kit (4 thin blade springs, and 4 grub screws - that added nothing to the mass of the bridge).
Then the bridge was recast, negating the possibility of retrofitting mutes, but that shaved about 10 grams of steel off the two front most corners - not going to make any difference to the tone.
The 2018 bridge
could be a significant change - not just in terms of the difference in mass between steel, and aluminium, but because up until now there have been two huge brass threads, bored deep in to the body, and then two large bolts marrying the bridge to those brass threads.
As for the truss rod wheel - that's an interesting one.
There are plenty of people that swear the tone of an instrument belongs to the neck.
The way the neck is constructed is completely different, truss rod wheel era vs skunk stripe era.
Some folk may argue that skunk stripe Stingrays sound different to truss rod wheel Stingrays - I'm not opening that can of worms.
The pickup had the length of the magnets reduced, very early in the Pre-Ernie Ball period - other than that, it hasn't changed at all... Until the 2018 model.
The new 2018 pickup has Neodymium magnets, rather than the traditional Alnico - but EBMM have been quick to point out that the pickup is wound to "Stingray" specifications, which may negate any pronounced difference...
The pre-amp hasn't changed electronically, since it's final revision during the Pre-EB period - although it has had some physical format changes, to accommodate pots with different length stalks, and 3 EQ pots etc.
The new 2018 pre-amp had been revoiced, presumably to further negate the difference between the Neodymium, and Alnico magnets...???
From the EBMM video I saw / heard, the new 2018 Stingray sounds a lot more refined, and polite (though no way of knowing if they were set the same way, in the comparison with the 2017 model).
It remains to be seen if those sonic refinements really have a positive impact in a final mix - or if people want the Stingray to be tamed.
I can't wait to try one out, but my next EBMM's will be the Cutlass, and Caprice - so we'll see if these 2018's are the de facto Stingray for the next 5 years.
