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EBMM StingRay Special Club

I just stopped by GC and they had a used HH Stingray Special.
My choice of amps that were hooked up were a used and not so great Ampeg 2x10 combo (has a slightly distorted signal no matter how the gain was set) and a Subway D800 into some oddball 2x10 cabinet.
Probably the amps as the bass felt too tame.
Anybody coming from a 2-band SR feel the Special was too tame?
What is the meaning of "tame?" It's a very subjective term. Are we talking about the highs? The lows? The mids?
 
I'm coming from a 2-band so that's all I know.
SRS has very smooth EQ and not particularly bright; hard to get the "gank" a SR is known for.
The bottom seemed good although I was surprised how much was available past flat; more so than I'm used to and the center freq. feels higher.
I mostly kept the mids flat but did roll it up and down and it also seemed more warm than the 3-band I had many years ago.
I should bring mine and try them side by side but curious if others felt the same way.
 
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I just stopped by GC and they had a used HH Stingray Special.
My choice of amps that were hooked up were a used and not so great Ampeg 2x10 combo (has a slightly distorted signal no matter how the gain was set) and a Subway D800 into some oddball 2x10 cabinet.
Probably the amps as the bass felt too tame.
Anybody coming from a 2-band SR feel the Special was too tame?
Nope!! But if you think it might be an issue , try one with Ash body/maple fretboard, and fresh rounds. set the mids flat or dial them back to to taste and boost the bass and trebles . It can do mild and aggressive. But it won't be as bold as the old 3 bands or ceramic pickup models.
 
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I'm coming from a 2-band so that's all I know.
SRS has very smooth EQ and not particularly bright; hard to get the "gank" a SR is known for.
The bottom seemed good although I was surprised how much was available past flat; more so than I'm used to and the center freq. feels higher.
I mostly kept the mids flat but did roll it up and down and it also seemed more warm than the 3-band I had many years ago.
I should bring mine and try them side by side but curious if others felt the same way.
The Specials are voiced a lot warmer to my ears. But to me they can sound closer to the old 2band than the 3 band/ceramic models. But that's exactly why I like them.
 
I'm thinking about buying a 4H in Speed Blue--the problem is I've never seen that color in person. Pictures make it look like Fender's Lake Placid Blue or Gibson's Pelham Blue.

For those that have seen the speed blue specials in person, what do you think? Here's the pic from the Music Man site:
107-DS-20-05.png
That blue has some small metal flakes and looks great imho. It is more bold than lake placid fenders.
 
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The one I tried was an HH in Smoked Chrome with an ebony fingerboard.
I've asked here before and the consensus was that a 4-string HH could sound exactly like an H with just the rear pup being used.
 
The one I tried was an HH in Smoked Chrome with an ebony fingerboard.
I've asked here before and the consensus was that a 4-string HH could sound exactly like an H with just the rear pup being used.
I found the ebony to sound more subdued compared to maple. The notes blood differently. More snap and punch on the maple. Ebony is between maple and rosewood for snap and punch imho. Ebony feels great under the fingers and has a piano like quality to the notes. Richer notes than maple.
 
Maybe so, but I've not been much of a tone wood guy.
I've got two early 70's J basses, one maple, one RW and they sound pretty similar.
Same with 3 early 70's P bass, I ash and the other two painted.
I've bought and sold probably 25 to get to these 5 and don't recall any of the Fenders being all that different.
Perhaps it's a bigger difference on an active bass.
 
Unrelated question, but does anyone know where to find a good selection of pick guards for the EBMM Stingray Special? Everything I'm finding either says "short scale" or is for the EBMM Stingray Classic. I don't know if those pick guards will fit the Special.

SR Classic is 21-fret, SR Special pickguard accommodates the 22nd fret.

Home - Pickguard Planet
These guys are the OEM for EBMM pickguards. Find the style (PG 35032: Music Man USA 2018 Stingray Special 22 Fret, based on your avatar pic) and then select the material/color of the pickguard.
 
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The one I tried was an HH in Smoked Chrome with an ebony fingerboard.
I've asked here before and the consensus was that a 4-string HH could sound exactly like an H with just the rear pup being used.
I think this is true to a large extent. I think that the pull from the neck pickup magnets may influence the sustain a bit. But with even that caveat, It's an HH special that can sound like a H special, not a classic H.
 
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I’ve got a 2007 ceramic Stingray 5HH and just got a 2019 Stingray Special 5HH a few weeks ago. So far, I used the Special at a basement jam, a band rehearsal, and a gig. At the gig, I also played the first and third sets with the Special and the 2007 in the middle set so I got a good comparison of the two of them.

So far, I’ve definitely gotten the impression that the Special isn’t as nasty as my 2007 (I guess that means it's tamer?), but that’s one of the reasons I was interested in a Special. They do overlap quite a bit, but they both have their own character. I like that about them.

I currently have Chromes on the 2007 and the 2019 has the Elixir Nanowebs that the previous owner just put on it. Both sound great, but I suspect the strings help them overlap even more. The more I play the Special, the more I think I’m going to change strings and put Chromes on the Special and nickel Lo Riders on the 2007. Maybe that would help accentuate what I perceive are their strengths and make them an even more formidable twosome.
 
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I think this is true to a large extent. I think that the pull from the neck pickup magnets may influence the sustain a bit. But with even that caveat, It's an HH special that can sound like a H special, not a classic H.

I guess I am alone on this one but my 4H Special has a nastyness my 4HH Special can't match. Like them both but If I had to sell one the 4H would still have a home.