EBMM StingRay Special Club

[scottm]

I mentioned this on another post before finding this thread and thought this would be a good place to ask.
I just got my Stingray Special 5 HH, ebony board, in Charcoal Sparkle today. I love the improvements on these new Stingrays but the fret work is disappointing. Especially for a bass in this price range and for what I've come to expect from Ernie Ball. You can feel the fret edges on the side of the neck, Both sides, every fret all the way up and down the neck. It's actually pretty bad. I've experienced this before on cheap basses but not a $2300 bass and certainly not a Stingray. I've been told that this happens after the wood shrinks. This is a brand new Special.
Like I said, I love the bass otherwise and Ill take it to Mike Lull and have him fix it. I'm just wondering if this is common. Has anyone else had this problem?

Does anyone know if the environment/warehouse where they were stored could cause this to happen faster?
Both of mine came with some of the most perfect fret work I have ever seen/felt. They rival my custom basses.

.... oh, and very sorry to hear this!
Fixing it will be well worth it though!

-ScottM

 

[Stranger Danger]

I mentioned this on another post before finding this thread and thought this would be a good place to ask.
I just got my Stingray Special 5 HH, ebony board, in Charcoal Sparkle today. I love the improvements on these new Stingrays but the fret work is disappointing. Especially for a bass in this price range and for what I've come to expect from Ernie Ball. You can feel the fret edges on the side of the neck, Both sides, every fret all the way up and down the neck. It's actually pretty bad. I've experienced this before on cheap basses but not a $2300 bass and certainly not a Stingray. I've been told that this happens after the wood shrinks. This is a brand new Special.
Like I said, I love the bass otherwise and Ill take it to Mike Lull and have him fix it. I'm just wondering if this is common. Has anyone else had this problem?

I think you were just unlucky with the climate. It’s certainly not what I experienced on my bass. Mike Lull will surely get it sorted out for you but it sucks that you have to do that. It’s not a quality issue however

 

[tminus10]

I think you were just unlucky with the climate. It’s certainly not what I experienced on my bass. Mike Lull will surely get it sorted out for you but it sucks that you have to do that. It’s not a quality issue however

I’m sure you’re right. Glad people are loving their new Stingrays. I’m definitely having a lot of fun with mine. I’ll get Mike to fix her up. Maybe throw it on the Plek machine.

 

[tminus10]

I'll have to try this pic again when I have better light, a lot of shadow and glare but you get the idea.
I've been playing my Fender Roscoe Beck and as much as I like that bass I am WAY more comfortable on this neck. I definitely prefer a more narrow spacing. Looks like the Fender will be going up for sale.

 

[maplenecked]

View attachment 3383760
I'll have to try this pic again when I have better light, a lot of shadow but you get the idea.
I've been playing my Fender Roscoe Beck and as much as I like that bass I am WAY more comfortable on this neck. I definitely prefer a more narrow spacing. Looks like the Fender will be going up for sale.

Gorgeous.

 

[WesC]

I alllllllmost bought that bass.... but I thought the sparkle was just too flashy for me and ended up with jet black. But that does look super cool.

 

[tminus10]

I alllllllmost bought that bass.... but I thought the sparkle was just too flashy for me and ended up with jet black. But that does look super cool.

The sparkle is definitely new for me. It's growing on me though. I would have got the jet black but didn't want to wait. I wonder how a tort guard will look on the charcoal? It'll look awesome on the jet black.

 

[HD007]

The sparkle is definitely new for me. It's growing on me though. I would have got the jet black but didn't want to wait. I wonder how a tort guard will look on the charcoal? It'll look awesome on the jet black.

Is that charcoal or aqua blue? Looks blue to me but might just be the pic.

It’s beautiful either way!

 

[tminus10]

Is that charcoal or aqua blue? Looks blue to me but might just be the pic.

It’s beautiful either way!

Its the charcoal. just the lighting that's making it seem lighter. I guess one of the cool things about the sparkle is that it can look different as the lighting changes. I'll try and get better pics up.

 

[WesC]

I kinda liked how in certain light the charcoal looks purple.

 

[basschips]

View attachment 3383760
I'll have to try this pic again when I have better light, a lot of shadow but you get the idea.
I've been playing my Fender Roscoe Beck and as much as I like that bass I am WAY more comfortable on this neck. I definitely prefer a more narrow spacing. Looks like the Fender will be going up for sale.

Yikes! That's super nice!

 

[tminus10]

What pickup height are others running? My bass needed a serious set up. I'm having a bit of trouble getting the B string as low as I like. I like to get the strings as low as I possibly can and I can't seem to get these stings low without creating buzz. I've done quite a few setups in my time. I had to adjust the truss rod quite a bit and just need to let the neck settle. But my pickups were all the way down and just wondering what the recommended height was.

 

[scottm]

What pickup height are others running? My bass needed a serious set up. I'm having a bit of trouble getting the B string as low as I like. I like to get the strings as low as I possibly can and I can't seem to get these stings low without creating buzz. I've done quite a few setups in my time. I had to adjust the truss rod quite a bit and just need to let the neck settle. But my pickups were all the way down and just wondering what the recommended height was.

I ran into the same questions when I got both of mine. My strings are now pretty low, not as low as normal, and I only slightly raised my pickups because of how crazy strong the magnets are on these suckers!!! Which is not the norm on my other basses.
I did take a few days though to get my neck perfect though with trust rod adjustments.

I tried to take a pic... not sure if it came out well enough to help you any.


-ScottM

 

[tminus10]

I ran into the same questions when I got both of mine. My strings are now pretty low, not as low as normal, and I only slightly raised my pickups because of how crazy strong the magnets are on these suckers!!! Which is not the norm on my other basses.
I did take a few days though to get my neck perfect though with trust rod adjustments.

I tried to take a pic... not sure if it came out well enough to help you any.
View attachment 3384012

-ScottM

How many mm above the 17th fret are you? If you don't have a way of measuring that's cool.
I like to get it down to at least 2mm and I've been able to do it on nearly every bass I've ever had except this one so far.

 

[Stranger Danger]

I ran into the same questions when I got both of mine. My strings are now pretty low, not as low as normal, and I only slightly raised my pickups because of how crazy strong the magnets are on these suckers!!! Which is not the norm on my other basses.
I did take a few days though to get my neck perfect though with trust rod adjustments.

I tried to take a pic... not sure if it came out well enough to help you any.
View attachment 3384012

-ScottM

That's about how I have mine. I have my treble side a little higher.

 

[tminus10]

That's about how I have mine. I have my treble side a little higher.

Cool, probably just need to let the neck settle to my adjustments. What's the distance from your pickups to strings?

 

[scottm]

How many mm above the 17th fret are you? If you don't have a way of measuring that's cool.
I like to get it down to at least 2mm and I've been able to do it on nearly every bass I've ever had except this one so far.

I couldn’t find anything to measure with because I broke my darn yard stick last week.... I’ll look for my tape measure tomorrow though.

I will say that these necks were a little slower to adjust and settle compared to my more expensive basses.

-ScottM

 

[HD007]

Cool, probably just need to let the neck settle to my adjustments. What's the distance from your pickups to strings?

I recall recently reading someone quoting an email from EBMM about pickup height adjustment with the neodynium magnet pickups. Now I can't find the thread, of course. The magnets are much more powerful than alnico, as noted above, so you won't want to use your typical adjustment heights.

Do you have a return window with this bass? Maybe you could get one that is more to your liking out of the box? I would hate for you to not love your Special!

 

[maplenecked]

The Dargie is here. It’s the lightest one I could find at 8lbs 7 oz. 20 of 98. I got a good deal using the make offer option on Reverb. What can I say, this is the nicest instrument I’ve played. Arrived setup better than the other two SRS’s I’ve owned, with the neck pickup already lowered. Fretwork is perfect. One thing that shocked me was how much I like the matte finish on the body, that feels real nice to have your arm on, and I even like the way it rubs against my clothes better. I didn’t really anticipate that. The neck, being painted, def is different than the SRS necks. I’d say it feels the same as the finish on the Cutlasses/Caprices. When my 5HH gets here on saturday I can comment on that more. K I’m done talkin and wanna get back to playing!

 

[Groovegestapo]

Do to the fact that there was a large percentage off, there was no return. The sharp fret edge I didn't notice at first, then I thought I could deal/fix it. It wasn't until I got it home that I found that I couldn't get it set up like I normally do. So yeah, as much as I love this bass, there are definitely problems that a bass of this caliber shouldn't have and I'm getting a little annoyed.
With that said, I love Stingrays past and present. So please don't message me about how much you have never had a problem with ernie ball or what ever. I don't care. I love Stingrays too! just Having a rough go at this one.

EB has had fret sprouting issues with the specials, mine was one of them and I just got it back, feels great. It seems the ebony boards are most frequent with this issue.