EBMM StingRay Special Club

[metron]

Anyone hear rumors on new developments for 2022? Special stock seems really low right now and some ETAs Ive seen for new shipments seem really far out. I wonder if they are working on a new release or new colors ahead of an announcement?

Secretly I have gas for a 4 so I’m kinda interested even though I already have 2. Would love a ghost pepper 4H but it looks like that color is discontinued.

 

[Nobis17]

When I bought my last amp, I was on the fence between the aguilar TH and a Bergantino forte. Both sound incredible, but I ultimately went with the Berg. I haven't been disappointed in the least. I think the TH would have been a good choice as well, however.

 

[Taustin Powers]

I have a 4H Aqua Sparkle.

I am GAS‘ing for a 4HH BFR Kingpin, just because it looks so cool.

How big is additional variety of tones you can get with the extra pickup?

 

[jdaunt]

I have a 4H Aqua Sparkle.

I am GAS‘ing for a 4HH BFR Kingpin, just because it looks so cool.

How big is additional variety of tones you can get with the extra pickup?

Quite a variety! They’re all similarly related to the Stingray sound you know and love, but adding in the neck pup thickens it up a good bit. And the two middle options give some really unique flavors to it.

 

[metron]

I have a 4H Aqua Sparkle.

I am GAS‘ing for a 4HH BFR Kingpin, just because it looks so cool.

How big is additional variety of tones you can get with the extra pickup?

I think its pretty significant. You get the the outer/inner coils and both pickups for a variety of scooped sounds, and the neck solo for a big fat sound. They are all unique and useful in my opinion.

Also my opinion, but Im not in the camp that believes there is a noteworthy difference between an H and the bridge solo on an HH. Or that anything close to emulation of a P or J is possible from any of the settings

 

[Wicked G]

I have a 4H Aqua Sparkle.

I am GAS‘ing for a 4HH BFR Kingpin, just because it looks so cool.

How big is additional variety of tones you can get with the extra pickup?

As others have stated, there is a large variety of tones with an HH. It gives me everything I felt was missing from the H. I don't think I could ever go back to playing an H again.

I agree, Stingrays and Mesa fit well and balance each other. On my older Stingray, the aggressive nature is tamed by the slightly darker nature of the D800, the result is a full/thick tone that really punches.

Since we are talking agedhorse designs working well with Stingrays, a Streamliner also gives it a a full/thick tone.

 

[Pet Sounds]

I have a 4H Aqua Sparkle.

I am GAS‘ing for a 4HH BFR Kingpin, just because it looks so cool.

How big is additional variety of tones you can get with the extra pickup?

I'll be the contrarian here and say that while the HH offers more tones, I don't find them particularly usable or desirable. YMMV

 

[Hot Rats]

I got this 2018 Special Here a couple months ago and after doing some internet searches about my new bass, I found out that this particular bass moved around TB 2, maybe 3 times since being made. The E string would get a sitar type buzz if I tried to bring the action lower than 3 mm. Thats too high for me. So, I gave the frets a light level and did a fall off after the 12th fret, shimmed the front of the neck pocket and cut threads into the top of the saddles in order to get them to go lower. I've got the E string 2.25 mm and the G at 1.5 mm with no buzzing. I like to play cleanly, and this is turning into a favorite. I play it daily and love the versatility. Anyway, here are pictures with my 1981 MusicMan strap.

 

[Jim C]

I think its pretty significant. You get the the outer/inner coils and both pickups for a variety of scooped sounds, and the neck solo for a big fat sound. They are all unique and useful in my opinion.

Also my opinion, but Im not in the camp that believes there is a noteworthy difference between an H and the bridge solo on an HH. Or that anything close to emulation of a P or J is possible from any of the settings

But can you get the signature 4H sound with an HH?
Seems that I've read that for whatever reason, it's different

 

[PrimitiveMan]

I'll be the contrarian here and say that while the HH offers more tones, I don't find them particularly usable or desirable. YMMV

Yeah that's why I went with the single H, on the 5 I find the series/parallel switching really useful. The faux single coil is useful at times but I don't use as much.

On the HH I do like some of the settings, but not all. And I don't find any setting besides the bridge in parallel as useful as the series setting on the H.

The 4 doesn't have a switch on the single H though.

I'd recommend trying a HH first though

 

[PrimitiveMan]

I got this 2018 Special a couple months ago and after doing some internet searches about my new bass, I found out that this particular bass moved around TB 2, maybe 3 times since being made. The E string would get a sitar type buzz if I tried to bring the action lower than 3 mm. Thats too high for me. So, I gave the frets a light level and did a fall off after the 12th fret, shimmed the front of the neck pocket and cut threads into the top of the saddles in order to get them to go lower. I've got the E string 2.25 mm and the G at 1.5 mm with no buzzing. I like to play cleanly, and this is turning into a favorite. I play it daily and love the versatility. Anyway, here are pictures with my 1981 MM strap.
View attachment 4561584
View attachment 4561585

Surprised you couldn't get the E below 3mm before shimming.

On my 5 I got the action right where I like it. B is at 2mm, E is about 1.75.

Guess the fretwork on these can be spotty?

 

[metron]

But can you get the signature 4H sound with an HH?
Seems that I've read that for whatever reason, it's different

Hey Jim! To my ears, yes the HH bridge sounds like an H Ray. I have noticed that my HH with maple neck has a slightly brighter native sound than my H with ebony. That could be due to wood or string differences. Not entirely sure, but both absolutely sound like a Ray to me.

 

[2milehighspike]

I agree, Stingrays and Mesa fit well and balance each other. On my older Stingray, the aggressive nature is tamed by the slightly darker nature of the D800, the result is a full/thick tone that really punches.

+1 All of my Rays sound incredible with the WD800. Fat and full, incredible punch and fits very well in a band mix. Hard to believe but GAS is diminishing, very much to the delight of the missus! (In a whispered voice) i still want a TT800, and maybe a 4HH. Shhhhhh!

 

[N4860]

But can you get the signature 4H sound with an HH?
Seems that I've read that for whatever reason, it's different

I have both H and HH SR Specials and I can confirm that the bridge H on both sounds nearly identical. I think any difference one might hear could be attributed to any particular variable in the build such as fretboard, pickup height, etc. Even just the fact that 2 pieces of the same type of wood can have different characteristics such as their mass so that could also have a slight effect I imagine.

 

[PhinDog]

+1 All of my Rays sound incredible with the WD800. Fat and full, incredible punch and fits very well in a band mix. Hard to believe but GAS is diminishing, very much to the delight of the missus! (In a whispered voice) i still want a TT800, and maybe a 4HH. Shhhhhh!

Ooh. TT would be nice! I love my D800+ but the TT, mmm

 

[Wicked G]

+1 All of my Rays sound incredible with the WD800. Fat and full, incredible punch and fits very well in a band mix. Hard to believe but GAS is diminishing, very much to the delight of the missus! (In a whispered voice) i still want a TT800, and maybe a 4HH. Shhhhhh!

I have both and yes you do want them.

 

[Moonskunk]

Hey Jim! To my ears, yes the HH bridge sounds like an H Ray. I have noticed that my HH with maple neck has a slightly brighter native sound than my H with ebony. That could be due to wood or string differences. Not entirely sure, but both absolutely sound like a Ray to me.

There is a u-tube out there demonstrating the difference between the H and HH both in parallel mode but they weren't Ernie Ball Music Man they were both Sterling's and they did sound very different. I had an HH Sterling and sent it right back, yuck. I have the H and HH EB Specials and unlike the Sterlings they do sound nearly identical in parallel. The only difference I'm hearing (same strings) is coming from the fret board with the H being rosewood and the HH ebony. I don't find the different switch positions on the HH other than position 1 to be either appealing or useful, perhaps position 2 and 4 but the 5 and 3 are horrible and muddy. None can reproduce my P bass even remotely. I think they could have done a much better job experimentIng with spacing on the neck pickup. The only reason I'm keeping the HH is because I really like the sound of the ebony fretboard, has a grand piano like tone attack. It also weighs in at about 9.5 lbs compared to my H which weighs about 7.2 lb, the added weight may also have something to do with it. Lighter is not necessarily better.

 

[Jim C]

Thanks fellas.
SR at 7.2 lbs.? That's an easy 3 lbs lighter than the old ones!
I have been a little surprised that the Specials are not all consistently light. I've been watching them carefully when the weights are listed and have seen mid 7 lbs to high 9lbs.

Could it be the H / HH Specials sound more similar than the older style?

 

[Moonskunk]

Thanks fellas.
SR at 7.2 lbs.? That's an easy 3 lbs lighter than the old ones!
I have been a little surprised that the Specials are not all consistently light. I've been watching them carefully when the weights are listed and have seen mid 7 lbs to high 9lbs.Could it be the H / HH Specials sound more similar than the older style?

I think they are having problems getting the swamp ash wood so now don't really specify what woods they are using. The lighter Specials are nice but I wouldn't necessarily turn down a 9 pounder if you loved the way it looks and sounds unless you have back problems. I sit and play ☺. Like I said, I think weight is a factor in the sound.

 

[mirrorful]

I have both and yes you do want them.

As do I, and the 4HH on the outer single coils is glooorious.