I have the 4H and a 4HH and in parallel the 4HH sounds very similar with same strings but not exactly like the 4H. However they have two different fret board woods. The 4H is rosewood and the 4HH is ebony which does change the sound characteristics. The pickup modes in the 4HH other than mode 1 parallel are fun to play around with, but mode 1 (parallel) is really where the balls of this instrument lie. If you want a Stingray get the 4H and never look back. If you're curious like I was get both.
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EBMM StingRay Special Club
- Thread starter MultiScaleMale
- Start date
I have the 4H and a 4HH and in parallel the 4HH sounds very similar with same strings but not exactly like the 4H. However they have two different fret board woods. The 4H is rosewood and the 4HH is ebony which does change the sound characteristics. The pickup modes in the 4HH other than mode 1 parallel are fun to play around with, but mode 1 (parallel) is really where the balls of this instrument lie. If you want a Stingray get the 4H and never look back. If you're curious like I was get both.
I do have a SR Special H and a SR Special HH and they both sound very similar in the H position. The pick up position and electronics are identical so I think any difference would be attributed to other factors like body mass/material, fretboard type, etc. I have 4 SR Specials but they all have something different about them that it makes it impossible to compare with 100% validity.
I'll agree with this, if you love how Stingrays sound, just go with the H model. You can get a ton of tones and versatility with just that single pickup using the preamp.
I had the same experience when i first got my SR Special and adjusted to the factory specs, the E was noticeably louder. Lowered the pickup on that side and use some light compression and the issue was gone.
Thanks for this! Super helpful
The H models are getting harder to justify on the used market. Seems like $200 - 400 less than new (on a $2,400 bass) and with no warranty. I was considering HH's due to used pricing and availability.
With a rock / R&B project, would you grab the H first all things being equal, or does the HH also rule?
Not sure if I just got lucky but the 5H special I got a month ago I paid 1600 for. And it was essentially brand new.
Makes wonder if asking prices and selling prices are very different.
Always worth making an offer
I was just checking that on Reverb.
It seems like the light ones or rare / glitter colors actually sell for close to new pricing and sometimes over
i snagged my HH for cheap. I am most likely going to add a 3 way switch for single/parallel/ series like I have on my MTD. I have two extra switches already I just need someone who can do the work (I'll solder basic stuff but I don't trust myself with super tight spaces).
I have always like SR's with the only complaint being weight as I've gotten older (my 83' is 10.5 lbs).
I am amazed that a US, bolt-on neck, production base is now $2,400 which I thought was insane until I looked at what a new US active J bass goes for (2,100 - $2,200).
When did all this stuff get so expensive? Us geezers remember $1,200 being the cost of a decent bass....
I am amazed that a US, bolt-on neck, production base is now $2,400 which I thought was insane until I looked at what a new US active J bass goes for (2,100 - $2,200).
When did all this stuff get so expensive? Us geezers remember $1,200 being the cost of a decent bass....
Reverb doesn't show selling price even when looking at sold listings. But maybe I'm just being an optimist about the pricing/selling relation.
Supply chain issues will resolve eventually, so if you're patient, I'm sure used listings will drop
I haven’t owned an HH, but the H Special is certainly flexible enough to cover grindy and snarling rock tones, and rounder R&B….with preamp adjustment and/or string change
They show sold prices from items on my watch list. They disappear when sold on the normal watch list but can be found with the sold tab.
To your initial question: I notice a difference between my 5H and 5HH in the bridge pickup mode. The H has slightly more bite. That’s with headphones; in a band mix, any difference is lost.
In my rock and pop bands, I’m almost exclusively on the bridge pickup with my HH and occasionally in position 2 or 4. EQ is your friend. Just like a P-Bass can deliver highs and clarity, a single H StingRay can provide low end without the characteristic snap. That StingRay EQ, some powerful stuff.
..Same, I had been looking and waiting for a Special to come up used. Late last year I snagged a 2018 blackout H, that was in great shape, here on the TB classifieds for a good price. Wasn’t necessarily the color, etc I would have gotten new…but I saved a grand
I'm glad I snatched up my Tectonic Blue Sparkle 4HH when did. I think it was the last or very close to the last ones available anywhere here in the states. Prices are getting crazy. I just picked up a new Aguilar Tone Hammer 350. It's suppose to arrive next week. Not sure if I'll like it or not with my Stingrays or any of my basses for that matter since I never heard one in person, but it seems to get a lot of love here on TB. I thought I'd grab it while the price was still sane, and I like the fact it's made in the USA.
Hmm it doesn't for me. Even the bass I bought shows the asking price and not selling price on sold items
I've got this message a few times today when using the tab button with the search being Stingray bass
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The difference you may be hearing is the 5H with the switch up will be the Bucker in series. The 5H is the only Ray that has that option.All the other 4H\HH, and 5HH Rays can only be parallel operated. And as you stated it is very subtle and not very noticeable thru an amp. As far as used prices go, IMHO weight has a lot to do with prices and how fast they sell. Us old farts are getting sensitive to weight and if a lighter Ray becomes available, it’s snatched up rather quickly.
Yes, good point. Thanks. I was comparing my experience the 5HH bridge only with the 5H in parallel, since parallel is the only option for the 4H. The 5H in series is lovely, but not helpful to a 4H/4HH prospect.
Now, I did not mention other differences between my two Specials. The HH is rosewood, the H maple. It could be that, but I’m not up for such a discussion. The pickup height is not exactly the same, for sure. Maybe I don’t change the strings often enough on the HH. Their respective ash bodies may be of different densities — or maybe one is an early unannounced switch to alder or poplar. For sure one is blue with parchment and the other white with tort (sorry, no sparklie basses here). That’s it, of course, that blue is mellower than white!
Sorry, I got carried away there.
