EBMM StingRay Special Club

[Tony G]

I want to follow up and say that I’m bonding more and more with my new-to-me Stingray Special 4HH. I’ve made some tweaks to the playability, changed the strings to Dunlop Super Bright 40-100, played them until they’ve mellowed a bit, and lowered the neck pickup a bit more than the bridge pickup. I’m finding great tones as I’m becoming more comfortable with the preamp and pickup selector. Really finding I’m enjoying the middle selection (position #3?) more and more with my tweaks. Crank the treble up to 75%, mids at center detent, add some bass to taste, and I get a punchy, almost super P/J like tone with it. The light weight and balance on this bass is among the best I’ve ever played. So comfortable. Love the subtle flame in the maple neck too. It is quickly becoming my number one after playing my Nordy vJ5 almost exclusively for the last 16 years. Feels good coming back to only four strings too.

Posting another pic because “why not?”

 

[N4860]

I want to follow up and say that I’m bonding more and more with my new-to-me Stingray Special 4HH. I’ve made some tweaks to the playability, changed the strings to Dunlop Super Bright 40-100, played them until they’ve mellowed a bit, and lowered the neck pickup a bit more than the bridge pickup. I’m finding great tones as I’m becoming more comfortable with the preamp and pickup selector. Really finding I’m enjoying the middle selection (position #3?) more and more with my tweaks. Crank the treble up to 75%, mids at center detent, add some bass to taste, and I get a punchy, almost super P/J like tone with it. The light weight and balance on this bass is among the best I’ve ever played. So comfortable. Love the subtle flame in the maple neck too. It is quickly becoming my number one after playing my Nordy vJ5 almost exclusively for the last 16 years. Feels good coming back to only four strings too.

Posting another pic because “why not?”

View attachment 5243726

Nice, I love my SR Special HH so much that I'm considering another one. That one looks great and seems to be a rare colour as I don't see that very often on Stingrays.

 

[poppunk]

How do you go about getting a Build To Order Stingray?

AJ (Ernie Ball) says to contact him in this EBMM forum:

How to Purchase a New StingRay Special with a SLO Special Neck

I did and they created an order form for me and I ordered.

Other posters here contacted them. IIRC they said they would do all current finish colors, you can get an SLO neck, and you can choose maple/rosewood fretboards.

 

[dave64o]

I want to follow up and say that I’m bonding more and more with my new-to-me Stingray Special 4HH. I’ve made some tweaks to the playability, changed the strings to Dunlop Super Bright 40-100, played them until they’ve mellowed a bit, and lowered the neck pickup a bit more than the bridge pickup. I’m finding great tones as I’m becoming more comfortable with the preamp and pickup selector. Really finding I’m enjoying the middle selection (position #3?) more and more with my tweaks. Crank the treble up to 75%, mids at center detent, add some bass to taste, and I get a punchy, almost super P/J like tone with it. The light weight and balance on this bass is among the best I’ve ever played. So comfortable. Love the subtle flame in the maple neck too. It is quickly becoming my number one after playing my Nordy vJ5 almost exclusively for the last 16 years. Feels good coming back to only four strings too.

Posting another pic because “why not?”

View attachment 5243726

Gorgeous bass! I have the five string version.

Congrats!

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

My custom direct EBMM StingRay Special SLO Special (sounds weird) is here:
View attachment 5243574
View attachment 5243575
I played it a little bit yesterday and the neck profile is so much better for me with the narrower nut. I won't have a lot of time this weke to play it since I have to focus on a show that I'm playing guitar for Saturday, but after that I'll be learning new material and practicing for upcoming shows where I play bass.

One thing I didn't realize would happen is that EBMM would stamp this with the "SLO Special" on the headstock. They told me they were basically just making a SR Special with a thinner nut. It's now an uncommon, identifiable SR.

Getting it from UPS was a PITA. I saw that it shipped, but it was while I was gone from home. Nobody was going to be here the day it was coming, so I paid UPS to reschedule from last Tuesday to Thursday. It didn't make it on the truck either day (reschedule was confirmed but date was never updated). I got home Friday night and had to wait unitl Monday to go to our regional hub to have them get it. The UPS employees were super cool about it.

That is beautiful !!!

 

[Moonskunk]

Nice, I love my SR Special HH so much that I'm considering another one. That one looks great and seems to be a rare colour as I don't see that very often on Stingrays.

Looks like Vintage Tobacco. Came out in 2018 along with Dropped Copper, Burnt Apple, ChargIng Green and several others. I think it looks better than Burnt Ends which is very similar but they are both cool.

 

[Tony G]

My custom direct EBMM StingRay Special SLO Special (sounds weird) is here:
View attachment 5243574
View attachment 5243575
I played it a little bit yesterday and the neck profile is so much better for me with the narrower nut. I won't have a lot of time this weke to play it since I have to focus on a show that I'm playing guitar for Saturday, but after that I'll be learning new material and practicing for upcoming shows where I play bass.

One thing I didn't realize would happen is that EBMM would stamp this with the "SLO Special" on the headstock. They told me they were basically just making a SR Special with a thinner nut. It's now an uncommon, identifiable SR.

Getting it from UPS was a PITA. I saw that it shipped, but it was while I was gone from home. Nobody was going to be here the day it was coming, so I paid UPS to reschedule from last Tuesday to Thursday. It didn't make it on the truck either day (reschedule was confirmed but date was never updated). I got home Friday night and had to wait unitl Monday to go to our regional hub to have them get it. The UPS employees were super cool about it.

That looks killer! I bet that SLO neck is a dream to play. I'm curious about the case. Is that a special one for custom orders?

 

[Tony G]

Looks like Vintage Tobacco. Came out in 2018 along with Dropped Copper, Burnt Apple, ChargIng Green and several others. I think it looks better than Burnt Ends which is very similar but they are both cool.

Correct on the vintage tobacco. Serial number look up says my bass was manufactured Jan 2020, so I’m guessing it was the made on the tail end of that color availability. Maybe it was not a very popular color? The dropped copper and charging green from that generation were definitely more eye catching. Also my bass came stock with a white pickguard which doesn’t have the sleek look that the black one gives it, which may have further hurt its appeal as a color choice.

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

That looks killer! I bet that SLO neck is a dream to play. I'm curious about the case. Is that a special one for custom orders?

Certain models come stock with these cases . The latest collection of Specials in these pastels with matching headstock come with this case.
So do the new Retro 70’s in the Heritage Natural Ash . This finish can only be order direct from EBMM.

The other Specials come with the new Mono Case.

 

[walking_line]

Okay, for anyone interested in that oh so elusive BT13 Xtender/Detuner from Hipshot....

They still ain't available from Hipshot! What the hell??

What's even more weird is that I've gotten both style of Xtenders (Honeydrop and Cloverleaf) from a seller in Spain! Decent enough pricing, but super-fast shipping! And a great seller, too. He helped me with the translation from Spanish (I guess) to English and gave me the USA price (dollars) plus really decent shipping price as well.

So the BT13s are getting out. Somehow, but who knows?

And I'm finally happy. I'm gonna list the cloverleaf BT13 later in the Parts section of the Classifieds.

Yeah, I noticed that too. So weird. Glad I was able to get mine a couple of months ago.

 

[poppunk]

Certain models come stock with these cases . The latest collection of Specials in these pastels with matching headstock come with this case.
So do the new Retro 70’s in the Heritage Natural Ash . This finish can only be order direct from EBMM.

The other Specials come with the new Mono Case.

Confirmed that this is correct.

To add: they contacted me about a month ago and let me know it would come with a G&G case. If the new Mono cases had backpack straps I would have preferred them. This G&G case looks good and high quality but it's like 25 lbs total with the instrument in it and I don't find this old case style to be very functional at protecting the instrument.

I'll haul this bass in my Mono M80 Dual (shows) or my surprisingly good Road Runner Highway series (rehearsals).

 

[Nebadon2000]

Certain models come stock with these cases . The latest collection of Specials in these pastels with matching headstock come with this case.
So do the new Retro 70’s in the Heritage Natural Ash . This finish can only be order direct from EBMM.

The other Specials come with the new Mono Case.

My 2023 GC exclusive Burnt Apple came with same G&G case

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

My 2023 GC exclusive Burnt Apple came with same G&G case

That is good to know with the GC Exclusives.

 

[Nebadon2000]

That is good to know with the GC Exclusives.

Sweetwater exclusives may also use G&G
I was unaware of Store Exclusives not sure if there are others but when I was ready most stores were out of stock on many of current finishes still are l(was before pastels) then I saw New Burnt Apple at GC that was my preferred finish in 2019 but with matching headstock was meant to be

 

[Geri O]

we If the new Mono cases had backpack straps I would have preferred them.

The Mono case came with my Stingray Special and i would liked it just fine, but the lack of back straps was a no-win for me as well. I sold mine (you still got it?….) and bought a Pro Tec Contega case like my Lulls come with, but without the Lull stencil.

And my Stingray and a Lull will spend a lot of time in a Mono dual bass case as well.

 

[walking_line]

The Mono case came with my Stingray Special and i would liked it just fine, but the lack of back straps was a no-win for me as well. I sold mine (you still got it?….) and bought a Pro Tec Contega case like my Lulls come with, but without the Lull stencil.

And my Stingray and a Lull will spend a lot of time in a Mono dual bass case as well.

That Pro Tec looks really sweet. Been looking for something with a bit more protection than my old Levy's bag that's also reasonably priced. Pro Tec is less than half the cost of a Mono, and looks the business.

Oh great. Here we go again. This thread is giving me more GAS than a freezer burrito.

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

The Mono case came with my Stingray Special and i would liked it just fine, but the lack of back straps was a no-win for me as well. I sold mine (you still got it?….) and bought a Pro Tec Contega case like my Lulls come with, but without the Lull stencil.

And my Stingray and a Lull will spend a lot of time in a Mono dual bass case as well.

I sure do!!! Still got it!!!

I considered getting one of the old school G&G cases for my Old Smoothie to be more period correct. But sometimes being period correct and is like being politically correct..... . Those cases weigh a ton and take up so much space.
To me it almost counter intuitive to pair the light weight Specials with such heavy weight case.

I know people are excited to see the Retro 70's models but for me personally, it would not be wise to go and purchase such a heavy bass and then possibly get the heavy case on top of that.

My Sandberg is the only bass that I have that is over 9 lbs ( Barely). Even my Old Smoothie is 8.5 lbs. That heavy case and a heavy slab body bass is a no go for me.

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

BTW, anyone know anyone that works for EBMM?

 

[Geri O]

That Pro Tec looks really sweet. Been looking for something with a bit more protection than my old Levy's bag that's also reasonably priced. Pro Tec is less than half the cost of a Mono, and looks the business.

Oh great. Here we go again. This thread is giving me more GAS than a freezer burrito.

The internet quote winner of the day right there!…

 

[Nebadon2000]

I sure do!!! Still got it!!!

I considered getting one of the old school G&G cases for my Old Smoothie to be more period correct. But sometimes being period correct and is like being politically correct..... . Those cases weigh a ton and take up so much space.
To me it almost counter intuitive to pair the light weight Specials with such heavy weight case.

I know people are excited to see the Retro 70's models but for me personally, it would not be wise to go and purchase such a heavy bass and then possibly get the heavy case on top of that.

My Sandberg is the only bass that I have that is over 9 lbs ( Barely). Even my Old Smoothie is 8.5 lbs. That heavy case and a heavy slab body bass is a no go for me.

The G&G case I got is very slim[thin] and light[from what I have gotten before] much less bulky than Hard Plastic that came with 25th Anniversary[aka Reflex] and was standard for EBMM until recently.

Well then again to be 'Politically Correct' I am not sure what is 'Heavy' for you and respect your definition but this case is 11lbs and not bulky. Mono bags are what about 6 lbs?

So for me my Special is Ash 8lbs 2oz with case less than 20lb but yes I use Gig bag for any Bass I have owned recently but it gets a little heavy because of all the stuff I cram into compartments