EBMM StingRay Special Club

[MeLikeBass]

Got an email back from the fine folks at Ernie Ball and they sent me info to a store in Canada that can get BFR guitars and basses.
I hope to snag a BFR (waiting for one that speaks to me), but I bought this bass to keep me company in the meantime...so I won't be lonely.

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Thats a sweet looking bass! The kind of company I wouldn't mind keeping...

 

[Bassic Needs]

Thats a sweet looking bass! The kind of company I wouldn't mind keeping...

I found it by poking around the Ernie Ball site. Under Basses there is a Sterling collection but only a red or blue bass there.
Basses | Ernie Ball Music Man

Up in the top right-hand corner however is a link to Sterling by Music Man which brought me to a bunch more.

Sterling by Music Man International
Have to say it's a little confusing for those who don't know all of the different lines.

It's definitely pretty sharp and I should have a lot of fun with it while I save my pennies for a Special or BFR.

 

[MeLikeBass]

I found it by poking around the Ernie Ball site. Under Basses there is a Sterling collection but only a red or blue bass there.
Basses | Ernie Ball Music Man

Up in the top right-hand corner however is a link to Sterling by Music Man which brought me to a bunch more.

Sterling by Music Man International
Have to say it's a little confusing for those who don't know all of the different lines.

It's definitely pretty sharp and I should have a lot of fun with it while I save my pennies for a Special or BFR.

that thing is giving me GAS as well as the other website offerings. I’ve got a sterling ray34 in white as well as the stingray special 4HH and still want the Ray35pb lol. Not sure if I would play it or just stare at it, it’s that nice looking. Guess I could play it in front of a mirror so I could stare at it as I play.

 

[drTSTingray]

Yeah, I don’t recall when that was changed, but it’s been awhile back.

To me, it gives it a slightly scooped sound. The top end is definitely different.

I think it changed in 2008 when they went over to Alnico on the SR5. All of the ceramic SR5s (1992-2008) have the single coil centre setting, using the dummy coil under the pick up to cancel noise/hum.

 

[drTSTingray]

I liked position 1 the best, followed by 2, 4, 5, and 3.

For me, I want to love position 3 so much, it sounds so good alone - deep, rich, thick - but without EQ (or with EQ the same as other positions), it can disappear. Live, I normally add quite a bit of mids to position 3 to pull it back out of super scooped land. I think the video demonstrated that and what I've ran into playing the 5HH (I only listened on iPhone ear buds).

For the other positions, I think the 5HH does a great job of getting close to other types of bass tones like P and J. I've always thought that position 5 got close to a P tone (others seem to like position 4 for that) and thought your video demonstrated how well that tone can fit.

For position 2, I think you're in jazz territory, but I like what an actual J bass does so much better than position 2. I've been playing my Lakland DJ5 jazz a lot more while demoing the 5HH and it got me to remember how much I really like a good jazz bass tone (so much so that I think the DJ5 is getting thrown back into the gig rotation rather than taking two SR5s like I normally do).

Your bass sounds and looks great though and ultimately, it comes down to whatever you like and gets the job done for you. Great vid, thanks for sharing!

Conversely, I use position 3 a lot on my specials (this is nothing new to me as I always have with my earlier SR4HH). My Classic Sabre has what I call the Lakland setting (single coil neck with humbucker at the bridge) and I tend to use that on that bass. I guess they require at least a centre setting if not a touch of boost on mids (the Sabre is 2 band so doesn't apply), and definitely centre on the bass control owing to the sound of the neck pick up mixed in. I find that sound gives a nice supportive bass sound in a mix, but with definition - and also a wonderful slap sound (like Louis Johnson's on Stomp). Sounds great in a mix - and just flicking the switch to bridge only can tighten things up if needed.

I find myself flicking from bridge H to the outer single coils mid song sometimes also - particularly if I want a sound in the Marcus Miller area, say during a sax solo where everything else except drums drop out.

Definitely awesome basses, these Specials - however last week I took my natural 2003 SR4 to a jam session where I provide Bass equipment - I fancied a change - changed the battery before I went as I haven't had it out of the case for an inappropriately long time.....(we're talking years rather than months) - it actually sounded great - I just dialled back the mids on the bass to about -3 out of 5. It also has an incredibly quick neck and action. Quite a few very positive comments about it - just shows you that good as the Specials are, the old version remains a great bass

 

[Chiliwailer]

Yeah, I don’t recall when that was changed, but it’s been awhile back.

To me, it gives it a slightly scooped sound. The top end is definitely different.

Cool, I got to try that!

 

[GRoberts]

Just got a nice pic capturing my Cruz Teal 5H SS in action.

 

[libanass]

I personally don't like that color, yet, I find it really killing on that StringRay Special with the black hardware and ebony FB Would get..

 

[libanass]

Do you guys use a compressor with your StingRay Specials? And which?

I use an EBS Multicomp, which sounds really good on most my basses, even the Modulus Flea, but the StingRay doesn't sound quite right with it. It actually sounds killer raw, without any compressor. Is it wrong to play it without any compressor if it sounds good enough? Or any other suggestions?
I mean, the E string is quite loud, but cutting down the bass a bit makes it sound ok, and actually pretty well compressed..

 

[Stranger Danger]

Do you guys use a compressor with your StingRay Specials? And which?

I use an EBS Multicomp, which sounds really good on most my basses, even the Modulus Flea, but the StingRay doesn't sound quite right with it. It actually sounds killer raw, without any compressor. Is it wrong to play it without any compressor if it sounds good enough? Or any other suggestions?
I mean, the E string is quite loud, but cutting down the bass a bit makes it sound ok, and actually pretty well compressed..

I haven’t found a compressor that sounds good with this bass. I have had mine for a year now. So I just gave up on it. If I’m recording there is going to be a compressor in the DAW and that seems to work better. Saved me room on my pedalboard for something more fun anyway.

 

[Stevorebob]

Do you guys use a compressor with your StingRay Specials? And which?

I use an EBS Multicomp, which sounds really good on most my basses, even the Modulus Flea, but the StingRay doesn't sound quite right with it. It actually sounds killer raw, without any compressor. Is it wrong to play it without any compressor if it sounds good enough? Or any other suggestions?
I mean, the E string is quite loud, but cutting down the bass a bit makes it sound ok, and actually pretty well compressed..

I use an Empress Compressor with all my basses. Works as well with the Special 5H as it does with my other basses.

I generally have the bass flat or just slightly boosted. I sculpt my tone by boosting or cutting the mids and treble.

 

[libanass]

I haven’t found a compressor that sounds good with this bass. I have had mine for a year now. So I just gave up on it. If I’m recording there is going to be a compressor in the DAW and that seems to work better. Saved me room on my pedalboard for something more fun anyway.

Thanks for your input, glad to hear I'm not the only one who found this bass to sound much better and much more "StingRay" without a usual compressor..

I use an Empress Compressor with all my basses. Works as well with the Special 5H as it does with my other basses.

I generally have the bass flat or just slightly boosted. I sculpt my tone by boosting or cutting the mids and treble.

Mmmh, I will have to look into that compressor, see if it does justice more than the EBS Multicomp, thanks!

 

[KaseOfBass]

Do you guys use a compressor with your StingRay Specials? And which?

I use an EBS Multicomp, which sounds really good on most my basses, even the Modulus Flea, but the StingRay doesn't sound quite right with it. It actually sounds killer raw, without any compressor. Is it wrong to play it without any compressor if it sounds good enough? Or any other suggestions?
I mean, the E string is quite loud, but cutting down the bass a bit makes it sound ok, and actually pretty well compressed..

I just use the compressor in my SVT 7 Pro; sounds great to me. Been planning on picking up the Ampeg Opto Comp, too. I’d like to have it on my PT Nano with the SCR-DI and Turbo Tuner.

 

[bdplaid]

Diamond. Always works great.

 

[MeLikeBass]

Do you guys use a compressor with your StingRay Specials? And which?

I use an EBS Multicomp, which sounds really good on most my basses, even the Modulus Flea, but the StingRay doesn't sound quite right with it. It actually sounds killer raw, without any compressor. Is it wrong to play it without any compressor if it sounds good enough? Or any other suggestions?
I mean, the E string is quite loud, but cutting down the bass a bit makes it sound ok, and actually pretty well compressed..

Using a Keeley Bassist Comp and it does what it should according to my ears. I have used it with several basses, Sterling Ray34, EBMM Stingray special 4HH, fender MIJ LE midnight pbass, a fender Am original 60’s pbass with the ‘63 pup, a mustang and a SS Squier Jag, both PJ’s, couple diff Ibanez’s, SR400 and a TMB300 which has a really hot pup. Have played them all at either practice or at gigs and all seem to play well with the Keeley. That’s my experience so of course YMMV

 

[Groovegestapo]

I use the ONVI LABS “smooth and Suave” compressor with my 5 HH special,
Love it.

 

[Chiliwailer]

+1 for Empress Comp

 

[bumble yeti]

I use the Ashly CLX-52. It's a rackmount.
Ashly DPX 200 (CLX 52)
To quote Cyrus, "…this won't add any "magic" to the sound, no sparkle or fatness or character. Just solid, transparent, effective management of levels, and some clean sustain if desired."

 

[pertyman]

Do you guys use a compressor with your StingRay Specials? And which?..

I use the MXR bass compressor with all my basses. It’s great.

 

[NicJimBass]

Markbass Compressore here. I've tried others, sold a couple Compressores in the past, but always come back to it. If only it were smaller and 9v, but regardless, sounds amazing.