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EBMM StingRay Special Club

#6,525
PhinDog said:
Got it. Do you miss the other H settings much?
There’s a black 5h close bybthat plays well and is super light. It’s $300 more. Not sure the weight bothers me yet. Lol.
Click to expand...
To be honest ….. not at all. I prefer the StingRay5 Special. No desire personally for the HH.
I have other basses to cover other sounds if needed or so desired.
But that’s just me. Everyone’s needs and desires are different .
 
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#6,527
PhinDog said:
Got it. Do you miss the other H settings much?
There’s a black 5h close by that plays well and is super light. It’s $300 more. Not sure the weight bothers me yet. Lol.
Click to expand...

Yep so that's exactly my point, my HH is 9.5lbs, by any mean it's not heavy and a completly manageable weight if you want the HH possibility, for me I don't care about the other H and therefore I'm not going to put up with that weight. Also right next to it there is its sibling in chopper blue that is 8.5...I look at the Amethyst and grab the blue....I'll move the 2 to just get one : the beautiful workhorse
 
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#6,528
Stevorebob said:
I don’t understand the physics of how higher action or neck shims increases string tension.
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It seems that on this bass if I raise the saddle it keeps the tension tighter because the break point being higher tighten it up. I’m not explaining this right. Lol.
Same for the shim. The shim gives a lower action with the ability of having the saddle higher.
 
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#6,529
Benko said:
Yep so that's exactly my point, my HH is 9.5lbs, by any mean it's not heavy and a completly manageable weight if you want the HH possibility, for me I don't care about the other H and therefore I'm not going to put up with that weight. Also right next to it there is its sibling in chopper blue that is 8.5...I look at the Amethyst and grab the blue....I'll move the 2 to just get one : the beautiful workhorse
Click to expand...
I could probably go with the single H. As it is every position in the switch sounds good. So much so I play it for a while and am perfectly happy? Then switch the position and the same thing. But it is nice to have the choices. We’ll see, I haven’t played it with the band yet. May be a bit too. We’re spiking here in Utah.
 
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#6,530
PhinDog said:
My B string I need to keep a lot higher to keep the tension good. Anyone else find this as well?
Click to expand...

Yea. I've owned some pretty nice 5 strings and on most of them the B string bridge saddle has needed to be about the same height as the E string. This puts the B string further from the fretboard than the E due to the radius of the board sloping away from the string. It's bugs me because it's not technically correct, but for me the B needs disproportionately more room for excursion than the others in order to sound and respond the same.
 
#6,532
PhinDog said:
Hey guys,
I just jumped in on a beautiful, Tectonic Blue Stingray Special 5. I will upload a pic after work tonight. I haven't yet because of my unimpressed initial impressions.

I bought this online with out playing it. I know, I know! I did buy it form GC so I have 45 days to figure it out. I had played a few in the store but went for the better used deal online. The ones I had demo'd were so sweet. Even tone and the ability to shape the tone from dark and smooth to aggressive and bright. I usually play 4s but the 5s were so nice sounding that I went for the extended range. But so far that's not what I received.

Here's the thing, the sound is terrible. It may be the strings which I'll change tonight or tomorrow. There was rubbing compound caked in the nut and on the body, so the strings maybe coated with them as well. Even acoustically it sounds bad. I have just started a set up last night with a slight truss rod adjustment. The last owner set a decent back bow in the neck and also adjusted the pickups with the bass side lower than the treb side, which is pretty frustrating in the sound department. I loved the even sounding tones on the ones I test drove. A lot might be the strings, they sound pretty solid/dead, like a solid thud and the darkest tone I have ever heard through my amp. I play a Mesa d800+ with a Mesa sub 15 and 12 stack. Last night set all flat (usually a brighter neutral sound) sounded dark dark dark, except for the G string that rang out in a harsh way. Could some gunked up strings cause the dead sound whether acoustic or amplified?

My luthier of choice is about 4 weeks out for a set up. So I'll try some new strings and my own set up, but thought I'd ask if anyone had a similar experience. I found some factory specs on the EBMM website but they are a little vague, with respect to neck relief. Anyone have a favorite relief measurement, done with feeler gauges? I'd like a starting point that I kind of like to have a measurement that works that I can go back to if the neck moves. I'm hoping this works cuz I'd hate to return this beauty!

Thanks!

Sorry for the long post, thanks in advance with any advice.
Click to expand...

I've recently changed the Slinkies that came with the bass because they were already dead and tried the setup from Roger Sadowsky and it worked great (at least as a start and then doing minor adjustments). I also went with the Sadowsky's Blue Label Stainless Steels. I'm liking them, but still would go to DRs or Elixirs (or give one more with the Cobalts).

Here's the setup video:



I had to go with the higher setting (3/32nd to 4/32nd) because the G strings saddle would be completely bottomed out and it wouldn't give the 2/32nd. Either way I play with a strong attack and 3/32nd is more comfortable for me and gives less fret noise.

I still have to get the intonation perfect but with a clip-on tuner it's almost impossible to get correctly in the E and B strings.

As per pickup height, I still have to adjust and thanks for whoever shared the setting for the Specials. I guess the EBMM FAQ still had the setting for the previous pickup that had a different housing.
 
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#6,533
Pet Sounds said:
As several of us have said, the Special can weigh far less than the the old StingRays. You may want to play a couple and see what you think.
Click to expand...
Yes sir; I've been paying attention!
But I can't try one locally and it doesn't sound like the ceramic pup or 18 Volt pre will sound like my old fashioned 2-band SR.

Am I wrong about these sounding different?
Lot of cash for a new bass that might need a few hundred in mods.
 
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#6,535
LadyLoveStingRay5 said:
They are really special. I feel the same way about mine. I call her my Special Jewel!!:smug:
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That's a perfect name!

PhinDog said:
I agree!
I am a 4 string player and played a special 5 and bought one. Its so fun to have the extended range and the closer spacing makes it very J bass like. I love it. And the sound is the most usable versatile bass I have yet. I may sell all my pedals it sounds that good. Well maybe not the envelopes, lol.
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Whoa, getting rid of your pedals?! That's as ringing an endorsement for a Special I've ever heard, lol. I'm currently searching for my first fuzz pedal. Got my eyes on the Catalinbread GIYGAS.
 
#6,537
Jim C said:
Yes sir; I've been paying attention!
But I can't try one locally and it doesn't sound like the ceramic pup or 18 Volt pre will sound like my old fashioned 2-band SR.

Am I wrong about these sounding different?
Lot of cash for a new bass that might need a few hundred in mods.
Click to expand...
The Rockville Guitar Center has a Snowy Night 4H according to the GC site. That info is as trustworthy as the source.

No, the StingRay Special is not a 2-band ceramic StingRay. You can coax a reasonable 2-band ceramic imitation out of the Special, closer than many other basses, but it’s just not the same animal. You’re right, it will sound different. But worth a try, no?
 
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#6,538
Jim C said:
Yes sir; I've been paying attention!
But I can't try one locally and it doesn't sound like the ceramic pup or 18 Volt pre will sound like my old fashioned 2-band SR.

Am I wrong about these sounding different?
Lot of cash for a new bass that might need a few hundred in mods.
Click to expand...

Well, I tried out both versions and I finally went with the special, for 2 main reasons:

- considerably lighter (important when playing for 2+ hours several times per week, for example)
- more versatile, while still mantaining the Stingray distinctive sound (one can sound like the other, while the other can't)

They sound a little different, but I think that they need to be appreciated for what they offer - not for what they could become. As usual, the best adv. is to buy both :D

It's up to your needs.
 
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#6,539
Cesar Vortmann said:
I've recently changed the Slinkies that came with the bass because they were already dead and tried the setup from Roger Sadowsky and it worked great (at least as a start and then doing minor adjustments). I also went with the Sadowsky's Blue Label Stainless Steels. I'm liking them, but still would go to DRs or Elixirs (or give one more with the Cobalts).

Here's the setup video:



I had to go with the higher setting (3/32nd to 4/32nd) because the G strings saddle would be completely bottomed out and it wouldn't give the 2/32nd. Either way I play with a strong attack and 3/32nd is more comfortable for me and gives less fret noise.

I still have to get the intonation perfect but with a clip-on tuner it's almost impossible to get correctly in the E and B strings.

As per pickup height, I still have to adjust and thanks for whoever shared the setting for the Specials. I guess the EBMM FAQ still had the setting for the previous pickup that had a different housing.
Click to expand...

After a recent trip to my Luthier, I can get 3/32nd at the 12th fret with almost no fret noise or rattle. Interestingly enough, my Old 96 can go down to 2/32nds with only a little rattle here and there. I've always done my own basic set ups and this was one of the better Video's I've seen. With level frets and good overall neck geometry, i agree with an almost straight neck as well, maybe an ever so slight amount of relief.
 
#6,540
Jim C said:
Yes sir; I've been paying attention!
But I can't try one locally and it doesn't sound like the ceramic pup or 18 Volt pre will sound like my old fashioned 2-band SR.

Am I wrong about these sounding different?
Lot of cash for a new bass that might need a few hundred in mods.
Click to expand...
You can try one locally... ;)
 
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