EBMM StingRay Special Club

[PhinDog]

Only the 1 SR5 Special for me, but I do have multiple SR4 Specials so I would say go for it. I went for different finishes as well as different fretboards for some variation (1 fretless H maple fb, 1 fretted HH maple fb, 1 fretted H rosewood fb). Also used to have a fretted HH with ebony fb but sold it.

Whoa great collection!
Does the neck/fb feel the same on the ebony and maple fretboard? The only SR5 Specials I’ve been able to play have had the maple fb. The strings felt so nice to fret, real easy to fret and soft (if that makes sense). Does the ebony feel the same? I have my eye on a few used online but I have to hope they play the same. Thanks

 

[Pet Sounds]

Anyone here own more than one Stingray5 Special?

I like mine so much I want another one. Maybe I should go different woods & finish & get the HH .Same finish and woods and just get the HH is always an option too.

I now have three 4H Specials: a Burnt Apple with a maple board and Cobalt flats, a Cruz Teal with ebony board and my new and much loved Amethyst Sparkle with rosewood. I've noticed the teal one is considerably louder than the amethyst for some reason, and is also much heavier. I like them all and each is a little different, but the Burnt Apple and the Amethyst Sparkle are especially sweet because of their lighter weight. I may eventually sell the Cruz Teal; we'll see. The only real downside to it is the weight. I would say the fretboard material makes some difference in the tone, though it is probably more of a tactile difference. I will tell you that I've never been that wowed by the 4HH StingRays I've owned/played. I've just never found the extra tones to be that useable, though ymmv.

 

[N4860]

Whoa great collection!
Does the neck/fb feel the same on the ebony and maple fretboard? The only SR5 Specials I’ve been able to play have had the maple fb. The strings felt so nice to fret, real easy to fret and soft (if that makes sense). Does the ebony feel the same? I have my eye on a few used online but I have to hope they play the same. Thanks

To be honest, it's been a while since I had the ebony fb bass so I can't recall if it felt any different. I don't really know that I actually feel any difference in fretboard of any of my basses (besides my fretless) since I really only make contact with the frets.

 

[Pet Sounds]

@lowdownthump didn't you have an HH that you didn't like, or am I hallucinating?

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

@lowdownthump didn't you have an HH that you didn't like, or am I hallucinating?

You are correct. I’m leaning towards another 5H , but with a maple .

 

[Benko]

I now have three 4H Specials: a Burnt Apple with a maple board and Cobalt flats, a Cruz Teal with ebony board and my new and much loved Amethyst Sparkle with rosewood. I've noticed the teal one is considerably louder than the amethyst for some reason, and is also much heavier. I like them all and each is a little different, but the Burnt Apple and the Amethyst Sparkle are especially sweet because of their lighter weight. I may eventually sell the Cruz Teal; we'll see. The only real downside to it is the weight. I would say the fretboard material makes some difference in the tone, though it is probably more of a tactile difference. I will tell you that I've never been that wowed by the 4HH StingRays I've owned/played. I've just never found the extra tones to be that useable, though ymmv.

I had a 4HH in Cruz Teal for a very short time (it was a flip) and i really really really like that ebony board, and I'm a non-believer in tone wood! but I'll always go for something lighter

 

[Surely_Bassy]

I now have three 4H Specials: a Burnt Apple with a maple board and Cobalt flats, a Cruz Teal with ebony board and my new and much loved Amethyst Sparkle with rosewood. I've noticed the teal one is considerably louder than the amethyst for some reason, and is also much heavier. I like them all and each is a little different, but the Burnt Apple and the Amethyst Sparkle are especially sweet because of their lighter weight. I may eventually sell the Cruz Teal; we'll see. The only real downside to it is the weight. I would say the fretboard material makes some difference in the tone, though it is probably more of a tactile difference. I will tell you that I've never been that wowed by the 4HH StingRays I've owned/played. I've just never found the extra tones to be that useable, though ymmv.

I’m about 48 hours out from getting an Amethyst Sparkle 4 H, and I can’t wait. Just have to sell my other Special for funds. Yes, that’s the Special I got only two weeks ago. Don’t judge me!

 

[Pet Sounds]

I’m about 48 hours out from getting an Amethyst Sparkle 4 H, and I can’t wait. Just have to sell my other Special for funds. Yes, that’s the Special I got only two weeks ago. Don’t judge me!

The Amethyst Sparkle is even more fabulous in person than it is in photos. I can't blame you!

 

[Stevorebob]

Anyone here own more than one Stingray5 Special?

I like mine so much I want another one. Maybe I should go different woods & finish & get the HH .Same finish and woods and just get the HH is always an option too.

I have two: a 5H in white and maple and a 5HH in chopper blue and rosewood. Love them both.

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

I have two: a 5H in white and maple and a 5HH in chopper blue and rosewood. Love them both.

If you ever want to pass along that white and maple let me know. I’m looking for that color combo.

 

[Richard I]

Whoa great collection!
Does the neck/fb feel the same on the ebony and maple fretboard? The only SR5 Specials I’ve been able to play have had the maple fb. The strings felt so nice to fret, real easy to fret and soft (if that makes sense). Does the ebony feel the same? I have my eye on a few used online but I have to hope they play the same. Thanks

I like my ebony fb, it isn’t the specie of ebony that feels like being lacquered, it has a bit of “open pore” feel; but it surely feels smooth. No issues in playing it.
Bear in mind that I come from, and prefer rosewood boards. I’m actually disliking lacquered maple boards - but they’re very different from oil/wax finish, which I like, too.

Answering to the “or or more SR5s”, I like mine but I doubt I’ll buy another one. That may happen only if I’ll ever decide to use different strings (=flats), but one 5 strings bass is just enough for me (being myself a 4 strings player).
I don’t care about multiple pickups, imho H only Stingrays are “The” Stingray sound, and they allow me to play more stuff than I have to.

 

[Jim C]

I've searched and found some conflicting advice.
Four basic SR questions based on my 83'. End goal here is to someday find a SR that sounds and plays like this one but is more like 8.5 lbs. (or less) instead of 10.5 lbs. A 1 5/8" nut is reasonably important too.
* Can a 3 band sound exactly like a 2-band. I had both at once many years ago and remember them sounding different
* Will a new 2-band Special sound like my 83'?
* Assuming yes to either of the above, will a 2 pup SR sound like a single pup SR
* Are the new Specials lighter than the older ones?
TIA

 

[LetItGrowTone]

* Can a 3 band sound exactly like a 2-band

The 3-band (at least, the one in the 4H that I'm familiar with) includes a HPF. Love my 3-band for the mid knob, but to me this HPF is quite restrictive and I'm considering adjusting it (schematics and info are available in other threads here).

 

[Wood and Wire]

* Can a 3 band sound exactly like a 2-band.

A 1987 - 2018 3 band EQ StingRay is designed to sound exactly like a 2 band EQ StingRay in one specific setting :

2 Band
Bass = 100%
Treble = 100%


3 Band
Bass = 100%
Mid = centre detent
Treble = 100%

* Will a new 2-band Special sound like my 83'?

No.

Different pickup, different preamp, different voicing.

* Are the new Specials lighter than the older ones?

Considerably lighter (by about 2.5 - 3lbs).

 

[Pet Sounds]

Is there such a thing as a new 2-band Special?

 

[Bill Murray]

Anyone here own more than one Stingray5 Special?

I like mine so much I want another one. Maybe I should go different woods & finish & get the HH .Same finish and woods and just get the HH is always an option too.

Agreed! I debated getting a single H but I LOVE the HH. Ended up adding a Bongo 5HH instead to add keep some variety. Very easy to switch between the two and tonally they are reasonably interchangeable but each brings it own flavor to the table and has its own strengths.

 

[Jim C]

A 1987 - 2018 3 band EQ StingRay is designed to sound exactly like a 2 band EQ StingRay in one specific setting :

2 Band
Bass = 100%
Treble = 100%
3 Band
Bass = 100%
Mid = centre detent
Treble = 100%
No.
Different pickup, different preamp, different voicing.
Considerably lighter (by about 2.5 - 3lbs).

Thank you! Super helpful.
I never have the bass and treble up full. Maybe treble 70% and bass 40%.
So how do I get to a lightweight, 83' SR bass? Everything about it is just right except the weight.
Sounds like either I try to find something used and a little lighter like I have, buy a Stingray Special and swap out the pup and pre-amp, buy a Ray34 and swap out the preamp, build something from parts, other???
TIA

 

[Treeman]

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Agreed! I debated getting a single H but I LOVE the HH. Ended up adding a Bongo 5HH instead to add keep some variety. Very easy to switch between the two and tonally they are reasonably interchangeable but each brings it own flavor to the table and has its own strengths.

Wow. I am GASing hard for a Bongo right now and this is (not?) helping !! Beautiful.

 

[N4860]

Is there such a thing as a new 2-band Special?

No, they only currently do 3-band in the Specials.

 

[Surely_Bassy]

The Amethyst Sparkle is even more fabulous in person than it is in photos. I can't blame you!

I knew I found my people when I joined talkbass. Most people are like, Didn’t you just get a StingRay?

But I’m selling it to fund the other one! It makes total sense!

Update: Made the sale of the Ghostwood Ray last night—clicked Submit Order on the Amethyst Sparkle about three seconds later.