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EBMM StingRay Special Club

Question for those with sparkle finishes - is it normal for there to be some light texture to the finish? Mine isn’t perfectly smooth. I guess I expected it to be. Ive seen some other brands with heavy flake finishes and orange peel looking texture, just not sure if it’s normal for EBMM.
Mine have always been nice and smooth.
 
It’s tough to capture due to the sparkles but you can see it on the front of the bass where the light reflects off it. Front moreso than the back but it’s all over. Like mild orange peel. Or maybe the clear has sunk in a little?
 

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It’s tough to capture due to the sparkles but you can see it on the front of the bass where the light reflects off it. Front moreso than the back but it’s all over. Like mild orange peel. Or maybe the clear has sunk in a little?
As long as the finish isn't showing sings of coming off, I wouldn't worry about it. Those sparkle finishes are a bit tricky to apply... as long as it's minor and not jagged I would chalk it up to the topcoat sinking in and just play the heck out of that beauty!

However, if it's something that will always be nagging at you, that's when I'd send it back and look for another. Though frustrating for the buyer, it's understandable the shop being a bit dismissive, as so many people these days expect absolute perfection... it can numb the staff to legitimate concerns.

While my sparkle Stingray is smooth all over, I did for a short time have a sparkle G&L with the same type of issue. You can tell if its something that would lead the finish to peeling off, and what I experienced was clearly not that; a little bumpy, but still solid as could be.

Best of luck!
 
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It’s tough to capture due to the sparkles but you can see it on the front of the bass where the light reflects off it. Front moreso than the back but it’s all over. Like mild orange peel. Or maybe the clear has sunk in a little?

Hmm, I can't tell from those pictures, unfortunately. Hopefully it's something you can live with—I know I drive myself up a wall with all sorts of obsessive thinking, and I usually give myself at least a 48-hour waiting period before making any decision one way or the other. But if it still bothers you after a bit, you should be able to return/exchange with Eddie's, right?

I've also heard that EBMM is really good about stuff like this too. Maybe reach out to them?
 
It’s tough to capture due to the sparkles but you can see it on the front of the bass where the light reflects off it. Front moreso than the back but it’s all over. Like mild orange peel. Or maybe the clear has sunk in a little?

I have 3 EBMM sparkle finishes. 2 of them are very smooth and 1 of them does have a bit of a texture but it still looks great and it's not something I'm at all worried about. I'm guessing it's just the finish that has settled in around the metalflake. I don't think it's anything to worry about unless you've noticed any sort of chipping It's just that the metalflake is a lot more textured than a typical finish so it probably requires a lot more finish to get a smooth finish.
 
Thanks for the comments gang. Time will tell if it nags at me I guess. No signs of the finishing coming off or anything like that.

All that said, the sparkle and color are really great. Probably the nicest looking bass I've ever had out of dozens. The playability of this bass of absolutely top notch and most importantly the sound is awesome. I've had a few of the pre special Stingrays over the years and they were nice but I never fell in love with their tone. I decided to gamble on the specials being a remedy for what I didn't love about the old ones and so far so good.
 
Thanks for the comments gang. Time will tell if it nags at me I guess. No signs of the finishing coming off or anything like that.

All that said, the sparkle and color are really great. Probably the nicest looking bass I've ever had out of dozens. The playability of this bass of absolutely top notch and most importantly the sound is awesome. I've had a few of the pre special Stingrays over the years and they were nice but I never fell in love with their tone. I decided to gamble on the specials being a remedy for what I didn't love about the old ones and so far so good.
I'd reach out to EBMM before your warranty's up. They'll know. :bookworm:
All of my complaining about my 2018 SRSH aside, I still have it. Still don't like the bridge. But! I still play it about everyday. And I keep following this thread! (Yinz are awesome!) :bassist:
My other main player is a 2010 Sterling 5 with a 2016 neck. (There's a story. :rollno:)
So, IMHO, run it by EBMM and, given their blessing, if you bond with it, keep it and make it yours. But if you don't, nip it in the bud now… no regrets.
Good luck man! :cool:
 
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2B767B76-508B-495B-A44A-051C2EE9A76B.jpeg Up late working on my SRS5, after taking the strings off I noticed that the original compensating nut is wearing grooves and chipped in spots.

Any recommendations for a nut to upgrade the instrument? I've never changed a nut myself before, so something on the standard side of specs is probably best. I'm not picky either way, so if you feel strongly about a specific nut, I would appreciate if you include why/how it impacts the tone/feel/etc.

Thanks in advance!
- Shane
 
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Thanks for the comments gang. Time will tell if it nags at me I guess. No signs of the finishing coming off or anything like that.

All that said, the sparkle and color are really great. Probably the nicest looking bass I've ever had out of dozens. The playability of this bass of absolutely top notch and most importantly the sound is awesome. I've had a few of the pre special Stingrays over the years and they were nice but I never fell in love with their tone. I decided to gamble on the specials being a remedy for what I didn't love about the old ones and so far so good.

Another thing to consider is your resale value when it's time to switch it out. Even if the finish doesn't bother YOU, it will certainly be a haggling point for whoever buys it from you. That would be enough for me to swap it out now or contact EB.
 
Thanks for the comments gang. Time will tell if it nags at me I guess. No signs of the finishing coming off or anything like that.

All that said, the sparkle and color are really great. Probably the nicest looking bass I've ever had out of dozens. The playability of this bass of absolutely top notch and most importantly the sound is awesome. I've had a few of the pre special Stingrays over the years and they were nice but I never fell in love with their tone. I decided to gamble on the specials being a remedy for what I didn't love about the old ones and so far so good.

I also have the Tectonic Blue Sparkle in a 4HH. In addition I also have a Maroon Mist Sparkle in a 4H. After reading your post I just had to look at both and check for myself. The Maroon Mist is perfectly smooth but the Tectonic Blue shows minor dimpling similar to what is shown in your photos but it still looks great! However, after careful scrutiny it appears to me and I may be wrong that the dimpling effect is not the top layer but is underneath a clear top coat, so basically it's perfectly smooth. It may have something to do with the size of the sparkles and the way they dried before a top clear coat was applied. the Maroon Mist sparkles are finer and much more subdued whereas the Tectonic Blue sparkles are larger and more in your face saying "hey look at me". The Tectonic Blue Sparkle is just awesome! I suppose if it really bothered you that you could take some 7000 grit wet sandpaper and go over it to try to smooth it out. I had to do that with a Squire bass of mine because the paint in spots was really wavy. My Tectonic Blue Sparkle as is to me looks perfectly fine and I'm very picky. I'm patiently waiting for the new paint colors to be announced. I was very disappointed in last years paint schemes but for one or two.
 
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  • Like
Reactions: metron
View attachment 4521848 Up late working on my SRS5, after taking the strings off I noticed that the original compensating nut is wearing grooves and chipped in spots.

Any recommendations for a nut to upgrade the instrument? I've never changed a nut myself before, so something on the standard side of specs is probably best. I'm not picky either way, so if you feel strongly about a specific nut, I would appreciate if you include why/how it impacts the tone/feel/etc.

Thanks in advance!
- Shane
Shane, I’m no expert, but I would think a simple old high quality Bone nut that’s shaped, installed and cut properly is as good as you can get. Have a professional do it, I would
 
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View attachment 4521848 Up late working on my SRS5, after taking the strings off I noticed that the original compensating nut is wearing grooves and chipped in spots.

Any recommendations for a nut to upgrade the instrument? I've never changed a nut myself before, so something on the standard side of specs is probably best. I'm not picky either way, so if you feel strongly about a specific nut, I would appreciate if you include why/how it impacts the tone/feel/etc.

Thanks in advance!
- Shane
EBMM Customer service sells the compensated replacement nut for pretty cheap, like $9 or something. I’d order one and have a luthier install it.
 

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