EBMM StingRay Special Club

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

I don't have one but just curious which of your basses you use the colbalts on?

I use them on the Amethyst Sparkle .
But I’m taking the rounds off of my Crescendo HH. It’s just too bright for what I want to hear. I favor those smooth Bernard Edwards / Paul Denman tones. I also don’t care for the feel under my finger tips.
The only rounds that work for me are
TI Jazz rounds. My Sandberg wears those . TI Flats on my BFR Fretless.

 

[Jeff K]

Would love SLO Special neck on my Stingray Special 4H. I would buy just roasted SLO Mapale the neck if possible

Definitely a sweet neck! This is the 4th StingRay I've had over the past 30 years, and this is my favorite neck. Great bass all around.

I'm incorrigible about buying and selling basses. But one of my friends has already told me that if I ever decide to sell this one, he wants first dibs...

 

[walking_line]

As a new SRS owner coming from mostly playing a 62 RI J, the neck did feel quite a bit different. That stuff doesn't bug me too much, I'm lucky that way. The wider neck and flatter radius and actually makes it feel a little more like one of my uprights, so I'm happy. The slightly wider string spacing close to the bridge takes a little getting used to with my right hand, but overall, I love the way it plays.

 

[walking_line]

All that being said, I'd love to try a SLO special one of these days. Those are probably a unicorn up here.

 

[N4860]

All that being said, I'd love to try a SLO special one of these days. Those are probably a unicorn up here.

Ya, your best bet for finding one up here would be either used on Reverb or new from L&M. The SLO Specials seem to be only available in the vault or as BFR's (the last one was the passive SLO Special stingray from I think December 2021) and those were sold through L&M.

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

BFR Fretless sounding good!!

 

[ics1974]

Hey everyone What strings are you using on your stingray special? I currently have EB slinky’s.

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

Hey everyone What strings are you using on your stingray special? I currently have EB slinky’s.

Those strings sounds great. Only problem is they die too quickly for a lot of people, including me, I have switched to Ernie Ball Slinky Cobalt Flats on my fretted and I like TI Flats on my Fretless.

 

[dave64o]

Mine has the Elixir Nanowebs that the previous owner put on it before I bought the bass last spring. This was the first time I've ever used them but I've liked them. I also recently just put a fresh set of them on my ceramic Stingray and the older ones on my Special don't sound all that different, and some of the difference could probably be attributed to the differences in the basses. They're still pretty bright sounding especially for their age (no surprise, they're coated) and they have a relatively stiff feel that I like, though I'd prefer a little more stiffness.

Though I like the strings quite a bit, the next time I need to do any adjustments on this bass I think I'm going to also put on a set of DR nickel Lo Riders, which are my favorite string overall. I'd like to see how they compare to the Nanowebs on that bass and, once the Lo Riders wear out I'll try a set of Chromes, which are my favorite flatwounds.

 

[CElton]

Hey everyone What strings are you using on your stingray special? I currently have EB slinky’s.

Daddario NYXL on my EB basses.

 

[PrimitiveMan]

Hey everyone What strings are you using on your stingray special? I currently have EB slinky’s.

DR Pure Blues! Hi Beams are great too

 

[IronLung1986]

Hey everyone What strings are you using on your stingray special? I currently have EB slinky’s.

I honestly recommend sticking with the stock EB Super Slinkies, which are gauges 45-100. In my experience EBMM really do know what they're doing. When I got my Stingray I immediately put my favorite Fender NPS 45-105 strings on it, thinking there was really no problem in doing so. That led to nearly a decade of fighting string warble above the 12th fret, the "solution" to which is lowering the pickup. With my bass I had to lower it so much that it lost a good deal of the punch and sizzle that Stingrays are known for. I also felt that it was a very stiff feeling bass. Just not real easy to play due to high string tension. Well a couple weeks ago I got fed up and thought I'd just return the bass to 100% stock and see what happened. Put Super Slinkies on, returned the pickup to its stock height spec, and what do you know - every problem solved. No more warbling on the high notes. All the punch and sizzle is back. I was shocked because I was so accustomed to the dull, thuddy tone that I'd had with this bass for years. And it no longer feels stiff. Since you tend to play a Stingray back toward the bridge it helps to have the lighter 80-100 strings to make it feel more playable. And I suppose the lighter strings are less susceptible to warbling too, which allows you to have the pickup at the proper height. It even sounds more like a Stingray in terms of its precise EQ and tone. I could never get the G string pops to sound quite right with the Fender strings. Too much midrange I think. Now it sounds just like Paul Denman on Sweetest Taboo. I've always loved this bass, even when it was suboptimal for so many years, but now it's back to its full glory all thanks to a $20 set of strings that you can buy anywhere.

 

[Pet Sounds]

Hey everyone What strings are you using on your stingray special? I currently have EB slinky’s.

Another vote for Cobalt flats and Super Slinkies here.

 

[N4860]

Hey everyone What strings are you using on your stingray special? I currently have EB slinky’s.

I like EB slinkys on my specials as well. I have a few though so 2 have slinkys (a 4H and 5H), my 4HH has TI flats, and my 4H fretless currently has tapewounds (not exactly sure which brand though).

 

[cholyoke]

EB Regular Slinkys or D'Addario EXL170-5 on my 5HH (both 45-130). Depends on what I have on hand. Mostly Slinkys, though.

 

[dave64o]

I like EB slinkys on my specials as well. I have a few though so 2 have slinkys (a 4H and 5H), my 4HH has TI flats, and my 4H fretless currently has tapewounds (not exactly sure which brand though).

I love how "I have a few, so..." just flowed out in your reply.

Can't say I blame you, though. We all know that they're great basses.

 

[N4860]

I love how "I have a few, so..." just flowed out in your reply.

Can't say I blame you, though. We all know that they're great basses.

They're my favourite basses so I figured why not have some in different finishes to use as an excuse to use different strings on them.

 

[walking_line]

I honestly recommend sticking with the stock EB Super Slinkies, which are gauges 45-100. In my experience EBMM really do know what they're doing. When I got my Stingray I immediately put my favorite Fender NPS 45-105 strings on it, thinking there was really no problem in doing so. That led to nearly a decade of fighting string warble above the 12th fret, the "solution" to which is lowering the pickup. With my bass I had to lower it so much that it lost a good deal of the punch and sizzle that Stingrays are known for. I also felt that it was a very stiff feeling bass. Just not real easy to play due to high string tension. Well a couple weeks ago I got fed up and thought I'd just return the bass to 100% stock and see what happened. Put Super Slinkies on, returned the pickup to its stock height spec, and what do you know - every problem solved. No more warbling on the high notes. All the punch and sizzle is back. I was shocked because I was so accustomed to the dull, thuddy tone that I'd had with this bass for years. And it no longer feels stiff. Since you tend to play a Stingray back toward the bridge it helps to have the lighter 80-100 strings to make it feel more playable. And I suppose the lighter strings are less susceptible to warbling too, which allows you to have the pickup at the proper height. It even sounds more like a Stingray in terms of its precise EQ and tone. I could never get the G string pops to sound quite right with the Fender strings. Too much midrange I think. Now it sounds just like Paul Denman on Sweetest Taboo. I've always loved this bass, even when it was suboptimal for so many years, but now it's back to its full glory all thanks to a $20 set of strings that you can buy anywhere.

Interesting. I’m not sure what strings are on mine (seller didn’t know, he didn’t change the strings when he bought it from someone else). I know I don’t love the strings that are currently on it (maybe Slinkys?). They are about a 40 - 100 set and sound kind of glassy. I usually like 45-105s (EXLs or NYXLs). I will likely try some 45-105 nyxls on it next as I’ve got a set kicking around.

Hopefully don’t experience any weird pickup anomalies like you did.

 

[Bill Murray]

Interesting. I’m not sure what strings are on mine (seller didn’t know, he didn’t change the strings when he bought it from someone else). I know I don’t love the strings that are currently on it (maybe Slinkys?). They are about a 40 - 100 set and sound kind of glassy. I usually like 45-105s (EXLs or NYXLs). I will likely try some 45-105 nyxls on it next as I’ve got a set kicking around.

Hopefully don’t experience any weird pickup anomalies like you did.

I’ve had Slinky’s, DR, D’Adarios, GHS, and EBMM custom gauge flats on mine, all different gauges and string types with no issues of any kind.

 

[Mike Vee]

TI Flats on my BFR Fretless.

I tried just about every flat/half round on my Stingray, and TIs are the only way to go for me. My Stingray Special came with TIs, and that's how I discovered how amazing they are on a Stingray.