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EBMM StingRay Special Club

#2,481
My SR5 Special is growing on me more and more. Like people have said, it really is as good as a custom shop bass. I’m also learning that I have to set the pickup lower than I’ve set other bass pickups. I’m assuming the magnetic pull is very strong. Lots of clarity opened up as soon as I sat the pickup lower.
 
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#2,482
Killens84 said:
My SR5 Special is growing on me more and more. Like people have said, it really is as good as a custom shop bass. I’m also learning that I have to set the pickup lower than I’ve set other bass pickups. I’m assuming the magnetic pull is very strong. Lots of clarity opened up as soon as I sat the pickup lower.
Click to expand...
I agree. I give more space from the pickups to the strings than with my passive Fenders.
 
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#2,483
drumandstage said:
The word "Special" almost put me on the trail of a Fender. My mind was reading "Special" as a bad thing. Like they were less than full quality basses. It took some digging around in reviews and videos to realize that this was a GOOD thing, not a watering down of the tried and true design.
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You're right. "Special" almost has a negative connotation in the stringed-instrument world. This may be the first time ever a "Special" truly was special.
 
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#2,484
Killens84 said:
My SR5 Special is growing on me more and more. Like people have said, it really is as good as a custom shop bass. I’m also learning that I have to set the pickup lower than I’ve set other bass pickups. I’m assuming the magnetic pull is very strong. Lots of clarity opened up as soon as I sat the pickup lower.
Click to expand...
If by saying growing on you, you mean that you like it more everytime you play it, then I’m in complete agreement.
I was instantly smitten and is not like some other basses where the thrill died down after a few months of owning it.
Mine still amazes me with its versatility and excellent build quality . It just feels so right in the hand , looks so good, and sounds so sweet.
I’ve never enjoyed an instrument so much .
I feel the same way about my Caprice . Must be something about these recent Ernie Ball MusicMan offerings .:smug:
 
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#2,487
tonymcbony said:
Anyone done something outrageous and swapped the preamp out on these for a John East MMSR?

Thinking of selling my Reflex HH5 and my Stingray 4H to get a Stingray Special HH5 but I wouldn’t mind keeping the East Preamp around.
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I don't have a Stingray Special, but I've had a John East preamp, Nordstrand preamp, Nordstrand pickup, original Stingray 2 band and 3 band preamps and pickups. I ended up selling them all and keeping my 2 bander stock.

I find I get the best synergy when having both preamp and pickup stock throughout the preamp settings, so I wouldn't do it. John East did work great with a Nordstrand MM4.2 though. Stock 2 band preamp worked a lot better with the stock pickup to me. Is there something you don't like about the stock 3 band preamp?
 
#2,488
mouthmw said:
I don't have a Stingray Special, but I've had a John East preamp, Nordstrand preamp, Nordstrand pickup, original Stingray 2 band and 3 band preamps and pickups. I ended up selling them all and keeping my 2 bander stock.

I find I get the best synergy when having both preamp and pickup stock throughout the preamp settings, so I wouldn't do it. John East did work great with a Nordstrand MM4.2 though. Stock 2 band preamp worked a lot better with the stock pickup to me. Is there something you don't like about the stock 3 band preamp?
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Can’t speak to the Special yet as there aren’t any to try in my neck of the woods but I have read their new preamps are a lot closer to that wide clarity the 2 bands have. Normal 3 band is ok too, I just quite like knocking a bit of 200hz out with the variable mid control on the east preamp.
 
#2,489
tonymcbony said:
Can’t speak to the Special yet as there aren’t any to try in my neck of the woods but I have read their new preamps are a lot closer to that wide clarity the 2 bands have. Normal 3 band is ok too, I just quite like knocking a bit of 200hz out with the variable mid control on the east preamp.
Click to expand...

I liked that variable mid control too. I guess you could keep the John East and experiment, end up keeping whatever you prefer.
 
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#2,490
tonymcbony said:
Anyone done something outrageous and swapped the preamp out on these for a John East MMSR?

Thinking of selling my Reflex HH5 and my Stingray 4H to get a Stingray Special HH5 but I wouldn’t mind keeping the East Preamp around.
Click to expand...
Trust me, these basses are perfect as is. Stock is the way to go.
If it ain’t broke , don’t fix it.;)
 
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#2,492
tonymcbony said:
Anyone done something outrageous and swapped the preamp out on these for a John East MMSR?
Click to expand...

The Stingray Special has had the pickup redesigned, and the pre-amp re-voiced accordingly.

I think you would get unpredictable results, swapping out the pre-amp like that (and end up with a redundant battery box), but it might be worth contacting John East.


tonymcbony said:
I have read their new preamps are a lot closer to that wide clarity the 2 bands have.
Click to expand...

I haven't had the opportunity to do a direct comparison, but judging by all the demos I've seen / heard (and going by EBMM's design intent), the Special has a more "vintage" (which is marketing speak for retro / passive) tone - ie less ultrasonic clarity, and less sub bass, than the 2 Band's "modern" (by 1976's standards) tone.

The old 1987-2017 3 Band EQ could sound a lot more aggressive, which was due to the tendency to run the mid control hotter, relative to the bass & treble.
 
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#2,493
LadyLoveStingRay5 said:
Trust me, these basses are perfect as is. Stock is the way to go.
If it ain’t broke , don’t fix it.;)
Click to expand...

Wood and Wire said:
The Stingray Special has had the pickup redesigned, and the pre-amp re-voiced accordingly.

I think you would get unpredictable results, swapping out the pre-amp like that (and end up with a redundant battery box), but it might be worth contacting John East.




I haven't had the opportunity to do a direct comparison, but judging by all the demos I've seen / heard (and going by EBMM's design intent), the Special has a more "vintage" (which is marketing speak for retro / passive) tone - ie less ultrasonic clarity, and less sub bass, than the 2 Band's "modern" (by 1976's standards) tone.

The old 1987-2017 3 Band EQ could sound a lot more aggressive, which was due to the tendency to run the mid control hotter, relative to the bass & treble.
Click to expand...

I’m hearing you, folks - don’t mind moving the East on if the stock setup does the business.
 
#2,497

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