EBMM StingRay Special Club

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

Would line to try one. I love MMJ basses in general. How is it going from Stingray neck to the Sandberg. It's quite a bit wider isn't it?

It is a different bass all together. The MM pickup isn’t in the sweet spot . It’s closer to the bridge. The pole pieces aren’t the same size. It’s passive and active .
I have no problem going between any of my basses.

The Sandberg compliments my StingRay Special quite nicely.

 

[FLStudiobassist]

Beauty!
What color is that and how much was it 6 months ago?
Seems like prices bump about $100 every 6 weeks on these basses.

Burnt Apple Red, I got mine in mint condition after talking the guy down to $1750 after a lengthy little hunt, saw this one on reverb with the hardshell case and all the case candy and didn't even think twice.

It's definitely a great idea to buy one sooner rather than later, but it really depends on what finish you're after and how much that really matters to you. I'm dead set on making my next Ray a transparent natural finish and I know I'm gonna end up paying for it big time unless I find the right one. So I'm always on the hunt.

 

[Pet Sounds]

Burnt Apple Red, I got mine in mint condition after talking the guy down to $1750 after a lengthy little hunt, saw this one on reverb with the hardshell case and all the case candy and didn't even think twice.

It's definitely a great idea to buy one sooner rather than later, but it really depends on what finish you're after and how much that really matters to you. I'm dead set on making my next Ray a transparent natural finish and I know I'm gonna end up paying for it big time unless I find the right one. So I'm always on the hunt.

I also have a Burnt Apple Special and I agree they are great basses. Mine wears Cobalt flats.

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

 

[Nobis17]

I also have a Burnt Apple Special and I agree they are great basses. Mine wears Cobalt flats.

I have a set of TI flats that I have yet to install on my SRS. I'm on the fence about doing it, because I already have flats on my nash. But I do really love the way flats perform on the stingray. I shoild probably just do it. Who needs rounds anyway?

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

I have a set of TI flats that I have yet to install on my SRS. I'm on the fence about doing it, because I already have flats on my nash. But I do really love the way flats perform on the stingray. I shoild probably just do it. Who needs rounds anyway?

I like both. So I have flats on my Special 5 and rounds on my Short Scale Ray.

 

[dave64o]

It is a different bass all together. The MM pickup isn’t in the sweet spot . It’s closer to the bridge. The pole pieces aren’t the same size. It’s passive and active .
I have no problem going between any of my basses.

The Sandberg compliments my StingRay Special quite nicely.

I’m not likely to buy just yet, but I’ve been watching YouTube videos of different Sandberg models recently. Have been enjoying comparing the different pickup configurations.

But that purchase is probably farther out. Nearer term, I’ve been seriously considering selling my L-2500 and replacing it with a Stingray Special 5HH. The electronics in the Specials are different enough from what’s in my current Stingray (a 2007, so it has the in-your-face preamp and pickups from a Sterling 5) that I think the two different Stingrays would complement very well. And, as much as I like my L, there’s no denying that I much prefer my Stingray. Having a pair of them would probably entice me to play something other than my current Stingray *all the time*.

 

[dave64o]

I have a set of TI flats that I have yet to install on my SRS. I'm on the fence about doing it, because I already have flats on my nash. But I do really love the way flats perform on the stingray. I shoild probably just do it. Who needs rounds anyway?

DR nickel Lo Riders are my favorite strings, but I’ve been experimenting with flats for couple of years. Chromes sound GREAT on my SR5HH. Was tempted to try Labella Deep Talkin’ Flats on it, but the Chromes work so well on my band’s song list that I haven’t bothered to make the switch yet. I think the Chromes tame the aggressive character of my Stingray just a little, enough to make it even more versatile. Plus I already have the DTFs on my Precision V and, for my needs, they work quite well on that bass.

So, yeah, flats on a Stingray for the win!

 

[PhinDog]

I'm finding that my SRS5 HH with the ebony fretboard is pretty bright. I like the tone definition but am struggling to tame the beast a bit. Any amp setting suggestions? I would like to keep the clarity but mellow the high end a bit to even out the sound and maybe thicken it up just a bit. I'm playing a mesa d-800+/subway 1x15-1x12.

Thanks!

Quick update. After a week of studying Hz charts and twisting knobs in my quest for finding the low end on my SRS5 HH I found that my HPF on my amp was turned up to high. It was the only knob I didn’t turn. USER ERROR! Grrr.
Good news is the beef is back!

 

[dave64o]

Well, you’re happy again and your faith in Stingrays has been restored. Gotta love a happy ending!

 

[dave64o]

I've appreciated you all tolerating me hanging out in here even though I'm not REALLY a member. I do own a Stingray, but I don't own a Special. Yet.


But, as of this coming Sunday, ...

It goes without saying that NBD pics will be posted.

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

I've appreciated you all tolerating me hanging out in here even though I'm not REALLY a member. I do own a Stingray, but I don't own a Special. Yet.


But, as of this coming Sunday, ...

It goes without saying that NBD pics will be posted.

Yay!!!

Now give us a hint….4,5,H, HH?

 

[dave64o]

Sad to say it's not a sparkle, though. I honestly love how they look, but they're not right for me. But, different strokes, right?

 

[dave64o]

Yay!!!

Now give us a hint….4,5,H, HH?

I can do that… a 5HH. Wish they made an HS, but it’s been a while since they offered that configuration. But, I know how versatile my current 5HH is, so there’s no doubt in mind I’ll love this one.

Can’t wait to play it and see how the tone compares to my ceramic-pickup ‘Ray. Based on what I’ve read in this thread and what I heard in demo videos, I suspect the pair will complement each other quite nicely.

 

[dave64o]

So I purposely took my L-2500 to my weekly Tuesday night basement jam last night. The idea was to see if that bass would satisfy my desire to have a Precision-like tone, but with more options, or if I simply had to have a real Precision. That test was supposed to help me decide which bass to sell after I take possession of the new-to-me Stingray Special.

I really thought I was going to keep the Precision, but an L-xxxx bass in a band mix is an amazing thing. Not Stingray amazing, but still amazing.

It hurts to make the decision, but the L-2500 wins based on that plus a few other reasons. So, while my heart made its case, my brain won in the end (I'm an engineer, I should have been able to predict that...). At least I can be satisfied knowing that my small collection just got a little better overall, from my perspective anyway.

Looking forward to picking it up!

 

[dave64o]

I've appreciated you all tolerating me hanging out in here even though I'm not REALLY a member. I do own a Stingray, but I don't own a Special. Yet.


But, as of this coming Sunday, ...

It goes without saying that NBD pics will be posted.

Well, Sunday came and it's finally here! I played it for about two hours so far and WOW. My current Stingray (old Stingray? long time Stingray?) has very impressive output, rivaling, if not surpassing, the output of my L-2500. It's a beast. But this is the first time I've gotten to hear a Special in person and I was quite surprised at the amount of beef in its output. Not that it was overly growly and aggressive, just ... beefy. And, despite having such impressive output, the weight is quite nice, about 8.5 pounds, or about a pound lighter than my 2007.

I'd say the overall character of it is noticeably more subdued than my 2007. That doesn't mean that either bass is better or worse. It means that I suspect this Special is going to zig where my 2007 zags and they'll complement each other nicely. I'll take it to my weekly Tuesday night basement jam and to rehearsal on Thursday. It has a pretty fresh set of Elixirs on it now and I think I'm going to keep them on for a bit. Assuming I do, then I expect to play it at our next gig on Saturday night, giving it two sets and my 2007 two sets. I'm excited to hear it in a live setting!

And I would be doing him a disservice if I didn't give @laneline a shout out. He gave me a great deal, gave me a bass that's in wonderful condition, and I had a great chat with him after we closed the deal. Plus, he included the original white pickguard that it came with, the tort pickguard that's on it now, and even a brand new parchment pickguard that he never even got to install. I've done about a half dozen in-person deals so far and all have been with good people. Gotta love TB!

I took the obligatory NBD pics just to post them here. But I'm planning to do some "glamour shots" with my good camera gear when I have some time, hopefully next weekend and hopefully in some good natural light. Until then, here are the first cell phone pics!

One more thing ... the strap is a Revo Solano strap in Rosewood. It's all polished rosewood pieces with leather end pieces. I bought it hoping it would match my Precision V - and it did. However, that's the bass that I will unfortunately be selling (one in, one out) to bring this one into the rotation. However, I think this strap matches this bass quite well, also. I also have another nice strap that's on my sunburst parts Jazz. I'll try both straps on both basses to see if I can figure out if one strap fits one bass better. But, for now, I'll use this one. Looks pretty on the bass!

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

Well, Sunday came and it's finally here! I played it for about two hours so far and WOW. My current Stingray (old Stingray? long time Stingray?) has very impressive output, rivaling, if not surpassing, the output of my L-2500. It's a beast. But this is the first time I've gotten to hear a Special in person and I was quite surprised at the amount of beef in its output. Not that it was overly growly and aggressive, just ... beefy. And, despite having such impressive output, the weight is quite nice, about 8.5 pounds, or about a pound lighter than my 2007.

I'd say the overall character of it is noticeably more subdued than my 2007. That doesn't mean that either bass is better or worse. It means that I suspect this Special is going to zig where my 2007 zags and they'll complement each other nicely. I'll take it to my weekly Tuesday night basement jam and to rehearsal on Thursday. It has a pretty fresh set of Elixirs on it now and I think I'm going to keep them on for a bit. Assuming I do, then I expect to play it at our next gig on Saturday night, giving it two sets and my 2007 two sets. I'm excited to hear it in a live setting!

And I would be doing him a disservice if I didn't give @laneline a shout out. He gave me a great deal, gave me a bass that's in wonderful condition, and I had a great chat with him after we closed the deal. Plus, he included the original white pickguard that it came with, the tort pickguard that's on it now, and even a brand new parchment pickguard that he never even got to install. I've done about a half dozen in-person deals so far and all have been with good people. Gotta love TB!

I took the obligatory NBD pics just to post them here. But I'm planning to do some "glamour" shots" with my good camera gear when I have some time, hopefully next weekend and hopefully in some good natural light. Until then, here are the first cell phone pics!

View attachment 4698287



View attachment 4698288


One more thing ... the strap is a Revo Solano strap in Rosewood. It's all polished rosewood pieces with leather end pieces. I bought it hoping it would match my Precision V - and it did. However, that's the bass that I will unfortunately be selling (one in, one out) to bring this one into the rotation. However, I think this strap matches this bass quite well, also. I also have another nice strap that's on my sunburst parts Jazz. I'll try both straps on both basses to see if I can figure out if one strap fits one bass better. But, for now, I'll use this one. Looks pretty on the bass!

Wow!! Sweet looking bass and strap. Yes, the Specials have their own special thing going on.

 

[willsellout]

That neck and fretboard......congratulations!

 

[dave64o]

Wow!! Sweet looking bass and strap. Yes, the Specials have their own special thing going on.

It is pretty sweet looking isn’t it? Tort is definitely my thing, but I’m kind of curious to see it with the parchment pickguard. I’ll also have to check to see if the pickguards will fit my 2007. That would give me some interesting options.

I just couldn’t put it down today, so tomorrow I’ll A/B it with my other Stingray.

That neck and fretboard......congratulations!

Agreed! I’ve never had a roasted neck before. The darker coloring of this one matches the finish nicely.

 

[willsellout]

It is pretty sweet looking isn’t it? Tort is definitely my thing, but I’m kind of curious to see it with the parchment pickguard. I’ll also have to check to see if the pickguards will fit my 2007. That would give me some interesting options.

I just couldn’t put it down today, so tomorrow I’ll A/B it with my other Stingray.

Agreed! I’ve never had a roasted neck before. The darker coloring of this one matches the finish nicely.

I'm a tort fan for sure on this one. What I've noticed with the Specials is that they are significantly lighter but have this responsiveness and resonance that I've never found in a regular Ray. EB is doing something incredibly right with these basses. They are worth every penny, IMO. I've played a few very high-end basses that didn't match the quality or musicality of these Specials. They are indeed special.