Im pretty sure that is Chopper Blue from the first year run of the Specials.
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EBMM StingRay Special Club
- Thread starter MultiScaleMale
- Start date
We're going to have some fun
. Darkray (courtesy of @Nuage420 ), SR Special (my new toy), and SR classic (one of my most favorite treasured basses of all time). I just noticed the descending number of knobs haha
Lemme grab some popcorn, this should be good ….
We're going to have some fun
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EPIC!!!
We're going to have some fun
We're going to have some fun
Poor Pinkie in the back ground looking jealous lol
We're going to have some fun
We're going to have some fun
Amazing trio, look forward to the vid
I really need MM to come out with an HH with a total Stormtrooper aesthetic.
Sparkle White, White PG, Black Pickups, black HW, ebony fingerboard, matching headstock.
Who’s with me?
Also, a DarkRay in HH.
Sparkle White, White PG, Black Pickups, black HW, ebony fingerboard, matching headstock.
Who’s with me?
Also, a DarkRay in HH.
So, I bought a ray special HH in purple sparkle after lusting for one for ages! It’s an absolute great bass to play, almost too easy? Which could be why I feel a little uninspired or even bored when I play it. I love the ray tone also but p bass tone is the one that makes the hair stand up on my neck and I’m hoping to find a tone in there somewhere that stirs the same kind of emotion. Looking forward to this new journey.
I’m sure you should be able to find P-like tones with your HH. I have only single-H Stingray Specials and I can get close enough (for me at least) by turning up the bass knob a bit and plucking near the neck. This is actually one of the reasons I prefer the Specials to the older models.
The worst mistake to make that sucks the joy out of a new (different) bass into compare it to another bass designed to get a different type of sound. I have fallen victim to this many times myself before I learned to appreciate a bass that is different.
StingRays are unique. Nothing else sounds like them. Same goes for the Pbass. Now you have a HH and if you use the 2 inner coils of each pickup and eq just right, you can get what sounds like to my ears a Super P or expanded Pbass sound. Think G&L L1000. The bass will be more present and so will the treble. It will be fuller anymore present through the entire range, again depending on how you eq it and where you place your hand to plush, pick, mute ect. Technique is important.
You have wonderful bass. Appreciate it for everything it is, not what it isn't. Almost too easy, uninspired, bored? Try some different strings. All 4 of my basses have different strings . Ive never heard anyone call a StingRay born. Too aggressive, too modern, hard to tame, yes. Boring uninspiring, nope!!
That bass is a sparkling beauty!!
A lot of excellent points in this post. But I highlighted that one sentence because I agree 100% with regards to getting P-like sounds out of a Stingray HH, with the advantage of having an effective onboard EQ to further tweak your tone. It's not exact, but I find it works quite well for that tone, especially in a band mix. I also agree that it's best to let any bass be its own thing and not try to force it to be something it's not (that applies to just about anything, especially people!). The beauty of the Stingray is that it has its own iconic character and also a range of variations of that chraracter, just like a P-bass does.The worst mistake to make that sucks the joy out of a new (different) bass into compare it to another bass designed to get a different type of sound. I have fallen victim to this many times myself before I learned to appreciate a bass that is different.
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StingRays are unique. Nothing else sounds like them. Same goes for the Pbass. Now you have a HH and if you use the 2 inner coils of each pickup and eq just right, you can get what sounds like to my ears a Super P or expanded Pbass sound. Think G&L L1000. The bass will be more present and so will the treble. It will be fuller anymore present through the entire range, again depending on how you eq it and where you place your hand to plush, pick, mute ect. Technique is important.
You have wonderful bass. Appreciate it for everything it is, not what it isn't. Almost too easy, uninspired, bored? Try some different strings. All 4 of my basses have different strings . Ive never heard anyone call a StingRay born. Too aggressive, too modern, hard to tame, yes. Boring uninspiring, nope!!
That bass is a sparkling beauty!!
FWIW, I've said before in this and the other Stingray threads that I'm kind of an outlier because Position #4 (inner coils) happens to be my favorite by far on my HH's. Even though I use all five pickup positions, I'd still be very happy with my HH's if the only option were the inner coils. I know that sounds odd because the "Stingray sound" is the bridge humbucker in that specific spot but, hey, I like what I like.
But, if you ultimately find the Stingray isn't the bass for you, there's no shame in that. I've had a couple of really nice basses that I wish I could have liked but they didn't work out for me. Thankfully, I did find what DOES work for me - Stingrays (especially the HHs)!
Best of luck with the new bass!
So I’m in trouble. Was able to try out a Special 5HH and liked it so much more than the usual 5H. Way more tones on tap, and does a good enough J and P tone to make me happy. After being disappointed with my 5H, I’m excited to say I’m going to start browsing for an HH option
Stubarura might have one for sale soon- hopefully not though, it is a beauty.
I spent the last couple years falling in love with my 5HH but I went through a period of doubt about it and even started looking for a 4H. Am I ever glad I stuck with the 5HH! I would have stupid mad regret if I'd ditched it. Same thing happened with my M2k. Once I finally found the amp I liked, I started really exploring the onboard tone options and found out I hadn't even begun to tap into the versatility of either those 2 basses. I don't know if the 5HH ever hits the p-bass sound exactly but it is close enough for me to appreciate. I get the point though, it isn't a p-bass, it isn't t a ray classic and it isn't a jazz but it does have elements of those and it's own thing too. I'm happy to have the versatility but if you love a p-bass then you have to get a p-bass. Not being a session player, there isn't anyone telling me I have to lay down tracks with a p-bass. Hopefully everyone who has invested in a Special finds the love for it that I have. Don't give up on it though until you've really spent time with it. I finally found the tone I've been wanting for years but it doesn't come close to the tone of the p-bass say from Elvis's Suspicious Minds track or any of the old Motown hits, however I haven't strapped on flat wounds or recorded with foam at the bridge or even used a pick so I might still find a surprise once I do those things too.
I spent the last couple years falling in love with my 5HH but I went through a period of doubt about it and even started looking for a 4H. Am I ever glad I stuck with the 5HH! I would have stupid mad regret if I'd ditched it. Same thing happened with my M2k. Once I finally found the amp I liked, I started really exploring the onboard tone options and found out I hadn't even begun to tap into the versatility of either those 2 basses. I don't know if the 5HH ever hits the p-bass sound exactly but it is close enough for me to appreciate. I get the point though, it isn't a p-bass, it isn't t a ray classic and it isn't a jazz but it does have elements of those and it's own thing too. I'm happy to have the versatility but if you love a p-bass then you have to get a p-bass. Not being a session player, there isn't anyone telling me I have to lay down tracks with a p-bass. Hopefully everyone who has invested in a Special finds the love for it that I have. Don't give up on it though until you've really spent time with it. I finally found the tone I've been wanting for years but it doesn't come close to the tone of the p-bass say from Elvis's Suspicious Minds track or any of the old Motown hits, however I haven't strapped on flat wounds or recorded with foam at the bridge or even used a pick so I might still find a surprise once I do those things too.
I get people's reasons for preferring the H and I'd never tell anyone that their personal preference is wrong. I still might even want to try an H myself someday (I've been intrigued by Stingray Classics recently).
But I have never disappointed by my HH's. I've owned three so far and the two that are remaining are not going ANYWHERE! I realize there are tones and H can do that my HH's can't, but that goes both ways and it's the flexibility of the HH to get such a wide variety of great sounding tones that does it for me.
Sure, there are tradeoffs with the HH, just as there are with the H. Just about everything in life is about tradeoffs. But, once you find the tradeoffs that are worth your while, then you can really have some fun!
But I have never disappointed by my HH's. I've owned three so far and the two that are remaining are not going ANYWHERE! I realize there are tones and H can do that my HH's can't, but that goes both ways and it's the flexibility of the HH to get such a wide variety of great sounding tones that does it for me.
Sure, there are tradeoffs with the HH, just as there are with the H. Just about everything in life is about tradeoffs. But, once you find the tradeoffs that are worth your while, then you can really have some fun!
Congratulations on a beautiful bass! I have the 4H version and love everything about it -- including the ease of use and light weight.
I too am a huge Precision Bass fan, and over the years I've had kind of a love-hate relationship with StingRays, especially the old three-band models. I found they lacked low mids and were too zingy. To my ear, the Specials are much better on this score.
To @LadyLoveStingRay5's point, I'd urge you to appreciate the uniqueness of your StingRay. Take the time to experiment with the settings and your (right hand) technique, and you may well find some wonderful and hair-raising tones!
I have both a 5HH and a 5H Special… What I like about the 5H is that it makes me work the EQ to get my preferred tone. And when I’m there, it has a nice pop — not quite a Jazz Bass burp, but a StingRay pop. With the 5HH, I’ll select pickups then adjust the EQ. I most often end up at positions 2 or 4, and with a neck coil at my preferred tone, I just don’t get the pop. Sure, I could use the bridge pickup only and work the EQ, but I just don’t — the HH and H, they work me differently.
