EBMM StingRay Special Club

[Jared Lash]

Are you sure that wasn't the Caprice?

I'm pretty sure it's both.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

I'm pretty sure it's both.

The Caprice is definitely gone, but the only thing I could find in searching @Scott Ball posts were that there will not be a SLO Special. Nothing about the Specials being discontinued.

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

I don’t hear P and J tones from 2 and 4. They’re more rick-ish to me. That’s the main reason I did those, so people considering an HH can listen and decide for themselves.

But then again we say “j tone” and the 66 vs the 62RI sound really different ftom each other.

Caprice and Cutlass get amazing tones. The cutlass really shines in the mix.

I can hear some Ric tones in your clips from the Special. And you make a very valid point about “J-tone “.
My target J-tone is either the 4 string 60’s stack knob , 70’s bridge placement bound and blocked tone, or that 5 string super jazz mids back highs and lows boosted tone.

On my Special 5HH I can go 2nd gear with mids flat or dialed back and boost those highs and lows and get that super jazz thing going on.

I haven’t spent much time with Rics.

 

[HD007]

The Caprice and Cutlass, both passive models, were discontinued.

Not the Specials!

 

[Jared Lash]

The Caprice is definitely gone, but the only thing I could find in searching @Scott Ball posts were that there will not be a SLO Special. Nothing about the Specials being discontinued.

The Caprice and Cutlass, both passive models, were discontinued.

Not the Specials!

Right. I thought that was what the original comment was referencing - the Cutlass and Caprice basses.

Here's the thread I read in that:

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[maplenecked]

@pickles ,
The Cutlass was no slouch either. Such as shame these basses are discontinued.

The quote in reference that seems to have people confused. No one here said the specials were discontinued

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

The Caprice and Cutlass, both passive models, were discontinued.

Not the Specials!

This is what I was referencing .

 

[Bass7755]

That last paragraph applies equally to the 30th I traded in. Loved that bass, it was a very chunky neck for me. It had lots more purr or growl depending how I was using it. Loved the neck finish and frets but not the size.

I love my 30th! It's heavy at 10lbs. But feels good on a strap. Don't plan on selling it. But I would like another Special!

 

[HD007]

This is what I was referencing .

Your reference was clear to me but somewhere along the line that detail got lost. Kinda like the old game of telephone!

 

[HD007]

I love my 30th! It's heavy at 10lbs. But feels good on a strap. Don't plan on selling it. But I would like another Special!
View attachment 3374159

I tried one of those at a GC not long ago and it was really nice (when I was first trying 5 strings). I ended up getting Special 5HH but the 30th was sweet!

 

[Kilgore777]

You scored! That color is to drool for!

Truss rod access is super easy- no Allen wrench required. As mentioned above just a screwdriver will do. Also as mentioned, don’t overdo it.

Enjoy that beauty and give us an update when you get her set up to your liking.

I wimped out and took it to a music store. They adjusted the truss rod, but there was still buzzing on the E and A strings (around the 17th fret). The guitar guy took a look and said that some of the the frets are a bit high and they are causing the buzz. They are going to call MM and see if they'll pay for the repair.

I asked if I should be pissed about MM's quality control and the guy said he sees that sort of thing all the time with new guitars and it was probably fine when it left the factory but something happened afterwards (weather, humidity, shipping). So.... hopefully I'll get the bass back before I go into withdrawal and I won't have to pay for the repair....

 

[HD007]

I wimped out and took it to a music store. They adjusted the truss rod, but there was still buzzing on the E and A strings (around the 17th fret). The guitar guy took a look and said that some of the the frets are a bit high and they are causing the buzz. They are going to call MM and see if they'll pay for the repair.

I asked if I should be pissed about MM's quality control and the guy said he sees that sort of thing all the time with new guitars and it was probably fine when it left the factory but something happened afterwards (weather, humidity, shipping). So.... hopefully I'll get the bass back before I go into withdrawal and I won't have to pay for the repair....

It will be worth it either way.

I routinely take a new (or used) instrument to my guy for setup. The retailers should do this before they ship them out but most don’t, I’ve found. Wooden instruments by nature change over time and in different environments and weather and during shipping.

Hopefully it will be back soon with a nice setup. That’s a really pretty bass!!

 

[eyeballkid]

Yeah. His comment about SLO specials was to me because I really wanted one, but I'd be damn surprised if they ended the specials. It was bass of the year for Pete's sake!

 

[keto]

I wimped out and took it to a music store. They adjusted the truss rod, but there was still buzzing on the E and A strings (around the 17th fret). The guitar guy took a look and said that some of the the frets are a bit high and they are causing the buzz. They are going to call MM and see if they'll pay for the repair.

I asked if I should be pissed about MM's quality control and the guy said he sees that sort of thing all the time with new guitars and it was probably fine when it left the factory but something happened afterwards (weather, humidity, shipping). So.... hopefully I'll get the bass back before I go into withdrawal and I won't have to pay for the repair....

Mine was better when done (same thing, tons of string noise up and down the E) but still unacceptably noisy when played medium hard picking, which is my style. My Yamaha, my Jaguar, my G&L, none of them have anywhere near the level of string noise this one does, I even changed it to Chromes as an experiment and, sure, it's quieter, but still wierdly noisy. Due to my style, I EXPECT string noise, zero is not my goal.

 

[mojomike001]

I wimped out and took it to a music store. They adjusted the truss rod, but there was still buzzing on the E and A strings (around the 17th fret). The guitar guy took a look and said that some of the the frets are a bit high and they are causing the buzz. They are going to call MM and see if they'll pay for the repair.

I asked if I should be pissed about MM's quality control and the guy said he sees that sort of thing all the time with new guitars and it was probably fine when it left the factory but something happened afterwards (weather, humidity, shipping). So.... hopefully I'll get the bass back before I go into withdrawal and I won't have to pay for the repair....

Do not underestimate the effect of the neo magnet pickups on the strings! They are very powerful and they definitely increase the fret buzz if they are too close. Make sure the pickups, especially the neck pickup, are far from the strings. For the neck pickup, we're talking about 1/4" from the strings when you depress the strings on the 22nd fret. A little less so with the bridge pickup. Basically, the strings should be about twice as far from the poles as it would be with a conventional magnet. Of course it will lower your output somewhat, but so what?

I even went and readjusted the pickup heights on my Big Al which also has neos.

 

[bdplaid]

Do not underestimate the effect of the neo magnet pickups on the strings! They are very powerful and they definitely increase the fret buzz if they are too close. Make sure the pickups, especially the neck pickup, are far from the strings. For the neck pickup, we're talking about 1/4" from the strings when you depress the strings on the 22nd fret. A little less so with the bridge pickup. Basically, the strings should be about twice as far from the poles as it would be with a conventional magnet. Of course it will lower your output somewhat, but so what?

I even went and readjusted the pickup heights on my Big Al which also has neos.

Made almost zero difference on mine. Still buzzes on the G string. A lot.

 

[maplenecked]

I’m finna get another soon I’m thinkin’. 4HH flavored

 

[mojomike001]

Made almost zero difference on mine. Still buzzes on the G string. A lot.

I think the effect is more on the E string. Much more metal mass to be attracted.

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

I’m finna get another soon I’m thinkin’. 4HH flavored

Glad to see you back .

 

[Stranger Danger]

Do not underestimate the effect of the neo magnet pickups on the strings! They are very powerful and they definitely increase the fret buzz if they are too close. Make sure the pickups, especially the neck pickup, are far from the strings. For the neck pickup, we're talking about 1/4" from the strings when you depress the strings on the 22nd fret. A little less so with the bridge pickup. Basically, the strings should be about twice as far from the poles as it would be with a conventional magnet. Of course it will lower your output somewhat, but so what?

I even went and readjusted the pickup heights on my Big Al which also has neos.

My experience as well. I’ve always liked to keep pickups pretty close to the strings as I play with a fairly light touch but the Special required changes in that regard for sure.