Sorry, I can't help as I only have had a Special era 4HH but I do love that bass so much. I use all of the pick up configurations on it.
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EBMM StingRay Special Club
- Thread starter MultiScaleMale
- Start date
Sorry, I can't help as I only have had a Special era 4HH but I do love that bass so much. I use all of the pick up configurations on it.
Try sending a message to @Todd Hamby . I’m 99.9% sure that he has both. In fact , he might have one or 2 of every StingRay ever produced ( excluding the Leo Fender prototypes ).
I have 5-string HH pre-Specials and Specials. So, maybe this applies to the 4s. They are different ends of the StingRay tonal spectrum. Everything about the pre-Specials is brash and exaggerated when compared to the Specials’ politeness and finesse. They get into each other’s territory, but there’s not abundant overlap. Depends on how you work your pre-Special, but I need more exaggerated EQ on my Specials to get close to my Pre-Specials. YMMV.
Someone made a comment in another thread that Specials sound like Bongos rather than Stingrays. Thoughts?
Having both, I disagree. I really don't know what I'm doing though, so...
Another question what does the two inner coils [switch option 4] sound like to you? I like it a lot but I can't quite put my finger on what it reminds me of.
It doesn't remind me of a particular bass, but it does make me think of the way the bass sounds without being amplified. And if I put my jaw on the upper horn while I play (to get the acoustic transfer to my ear), that's also very close to the sound of Pos 4 (plus a little from the bass knob).
Maybe? I'm just happy it doesn't look like one.
strong disagree on that one
Hey!!! Lol. Play nice!Maybe? I'm just happy it doesn't look like one.
Not at all. Neither Specials nor pre-Specials sound anything like Bongos.
Edit: And they’re not as pretty either.
I visited the fine folks over at Hipshot today. I did not leave empty handed
One way I could answer is that it sounds like the sound of a bass guitar that I have in my head. It’s just …. right? … to me. But that probably better answers the “Why do you like Position 4 that much.”.
The description I’ve used is that it’s Jazz-like, but fuller, with a little more definition (than both pickups on a passive Jazz on full), and less scooped than a typical Jazz (again, with both pickups full on). To me Position 2 is closer to a typical Jazz sound than Position 4, probably because of the wider spacing between the coils that get used. But Position 4 is ultimately its own unique tone to me. Given the basses I’ve owned, I’m not sure I’ve had another bass that had a pair of coils in the positions they’re in on an HH Stingray.
I’m also a Jazz fan and have two that I like a lot, so that's probably a factor in why I used Jazz basses in my description. Others would likely describe the sound differently.
Maybe? I'm just happy it doesn't look like one.
I really hated the looks of the Bongo when it first came out, but a few years later I played one (a 5HH) in the local Guitar Center and that changed my opinion quite a bit. I thought their looks were certainly “different” but their feel and especially their sound were outstanding. Over time, the shape/looks became much less problematic to me and recently I’ve even started to GAS over them - enough to actually want one!
Apparently they had trouble getting the tuning machines from Ernie Ball for a while, but they finally got stock and have been working on doing the conversions. They had a few available but I think they’re waiting until they have more stocked up before they list them.Oh, come on!...
Is that the unobtanium BT13?? Been waiting for those!
I really hated the looks of the Bongo when it first came out, but a few years later I played one (a 5HH) in the local Guitar Center and that changed my opinion quite a bit. I thought their looks were certainly “different” but their feel and especially their sound were outstanding. Over time, the shape/looks became much less problematic to me and recently I’ve even started to GAS over them - enough to actually want one!
Same here. When they first came out, I had the same toilet seat associations as many other people. But they play and sounds really good, and the design has grown on me. Not enough to actually want one though...yet!
Now I’ll have to bug Oscar again! Last time, I told him Hipshot was running out of swag to keep my Hipshot fix in check…..
