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EBMM StingRay Special Club

#3,661
Speaking of lovely… and, not so lovely. Remember mine? :)
Well… It's had a few issues:
  • I knew this when I bought it. The G string D was pretty dead. Hey, it's usually around C but this one is D. I attributed it to being light. I have another lightweight that has the same issue. So I fixed it with a Fatfinger. Used my setup capo to find the spot and added the FF. When I initially added the FF, I stuck the capo at the end of the headstock and then whole neck rang true. So… Another Fatfinger! My natural wonder now wears earrings. :bag: Wonder what EBMM would say if they saw 2 Fender logos on their product? :cautious:
  • The other issue occurred when I changed the strings. The neck creaked!!! The screws were tight but it was definitely moving! Took it back to my LMS, they got a hold of EBMM, added gunstock oil to the neck pocket and put it back together. No issues so far but so much for "5 bolts - perfect alignment with no shifting." :blackeye:
  • The last one was pretty minor. I don't like the black dots on roasted maple. It's hard to see on a dark stage. I tried those rub on dots for classical guitar but they came off when I cleaned the neck. So… I gotta 1/8" punch and made some white dot markers with an address label. The only one who sees them is me. :cool:
Keeper? I may be rethinking this one. :cautious:
Scott Ball, I'd appreciate if you would comment on the neck issue. This makes me really nervous about it's longevity.
 

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#3,662
bumble yeti said:
Speaking of lovely… and, not so lovely. Remember mine? :)
Well… It's had a few issues:
  • I knew this when I bought it. The G string D was pretty dead. Hey, it's usually around C but this one is D. I attributed it to being light. I have another lightweight that has the same issue. So I fixed it with a Fatfinger. Used my setup capo to find the spot and added the FF. When I initially added the FF, I stuck the capo at the end of the headstock and then whole neck rang true. So… Another Fatfinger! My natural wonder now wears earrings. :bag: Wonder what EBMM would say if they saw 2 Fender logos on their product? :cautious:
  • The other issue occurred when I changed the strings. The neck creaked!!! The screws were tight but it was definitely moving! Took it back to my LMS, they got a hold of EBMM, added gunstock oil to the neck pocket and put it back together. No issues so far but so much for "5 bolts - perfect alignment with no shifting." :blackeye:
  • The last one was pretty minor. I don't like the black dots on roasted maple. It's hard to see on a dark stage. I tried those rub on dots for classical guitar but they came off when I cleaned the neck. So… I gotta 1/8" punch and made some white dot markers with an address label. The only one who sees them is me. :cool:
Keeper? I may be rethinking this one. :cautious:
Scott Ball, I'd appreciate if you would comment on the neck issue. This makes me really nervous about it's longevity.
Click to expand...
Rethinking my Charcoal sparkle 5 HH as well.
My deadspot is in the exact position that yours is. These are not "boutique" sonic level builds. I'm stuck with mine after sending it back twice.
 
#3,664
Groovegestapo said:
Rethinking my Charcoal sparkle 5 HH as well.
My deadspot is in the exact position that yours is. These are not "boutique" sonic level builds. I'm stuck with mine after sending it back twice.
Click to expand...
KaseOfBass said:
Same here on my aqua sparkle 5H - D on the G string fades pretty quick. Mine's been flawless otherwise, but the dead spot is annoying.
Click to expand...
Like I said, in my limited experience, 34" scale light basses are more likely to have dead D's because of the resonant frequency moves up. Try adding a small padded C-clamp or capo under the G string's post like in the photo see if that helps. (That's where mine was.) You may have to move around to find it. I've played other light 4 & 5 Specials at my LMS and they had the same issue.
Perhaps we would like if Scott would chime in on this one as well.
 
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#3,666
Raslee said:
I think i'm in...i love it! I'm thinking a tort guard perhaps? Anyone know where to get pickguards from that fit the Specials? Wouldn't mind a white pick up cover too perhaps,but then again. View attachment 3414873
Click to expand...

Chandler/ Pickguard Planet does pickguards for these. I got one last week, and it fits perfectly.
 
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#3,667
bumble yeti said:
Speaking of lovely… and, not so lovely. Remember mine? :)
Well… It's had a few issues:
  • I knew this when I bought it. The G string D was pretty dead. Hey, it's usually around C but this one is D. I attributed it to being light. I have another lightweight that has the same issue. So I fixed it with a Fatfinger. Used my setup capo to find the spot and added the FF. When I initially added the FF, I stuck the capo at the end of the headstock and then whole neck rang true. So… Another Fatfinger! My natural wonder now wears earrings. :bag: Wonder what EBMM would say if they saw 2 Fender logos on their product? :cautious:
  • The other issue occurred when I changed the strings. The neck creaked!!! The screws were tight but it was definitely moving! Took it back to my LMS, they got a hold of EBMM, added gunstock oil to the neck pocket and put it back together. No issues so far but so much for "5 bolts - perfect alignment with no shifting." :blackeye:
  • The last one was pretty minor. I don't like the black dots on roasted maple. It's hard to see on a dark stage. I tried those rub on dots for classical guitar but they came off when I cleaned the neck. So… I gotta 1/8" punch and made some white dot markers with an address label. The only one who sees them is me. :cool:
Keeper? I may be rethinking this one. :cautious:
Scott Ball, I'd appreciate if you would comment on the neck issue. This makes me really nervous about it's longevity.
Click to expand...

Wow....sorry this has been your experience. Sounds like a widespread issue. For the money, buyers rightfully have a high expectation of better playability and tone. No doubt, very discouraging and loss of confidence in this product from EBMM. Mine has not suffered from this issue, maybe I should keep it...
 
#3,670
My 5H Special is a dream to play - several other bass players that have played it want me to sell it to them. Other than the dead D on the G string, I love the bass. It's built fantastically and weighs in at only 8.3 pounds. I had called EBMM customer service initially, but was told - as I expected and understand - that dead spots are not a defect. I could've returned it, but it felt and played so good that I wanted to keep it. I can live with it, but I hate that such a great playing bass has this issue. My other two StingRay 5 basses - a 30th Anniversary, and an '88 - do not suffer from any dead spots and are also fantastic basses. Even with the dead spot though, the 5H Special is my favorite. It is what it is.
 
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#3,671
KaseOfBass said:
My 5H Special is a dream to play - several other bass players that have played it want me to sell it to them. Other than the dead D on the G string, I love the bass. It's built fantastically and weighs in at only 8.3 pounds. I had called EBMM customer service initially, but was told - as I expected and understand - that dead spots are not a defect. I could've returned it, but it felt and played so good that I wanted to keep it. I can live with it, but I hate that such a great playing bass has this issue. My other two StingRay 5 basses - a 30th Anniversary, and an '88 - do not suffer from any dead spots and are also fantastic basses. Even with the dead spot though, the 5H Special is my favorite. It is what it is.
Click to expand...
They told me the same thing.
 
#3,678
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