EBMM StingRay Special Club

[Stranger Danger]

So where is the best place to buy new from? Best setup etc..? I’m def not buying from gc. I got an acoustic from Sweetwater that came through nice...

Sweetwater is great but they don’t do setups. I did GC because I got to handle the instrument and they offered a hefty sale price. At the cost of these I was scared to do online. You can always do online and return it and Sweetwater does post weights.

 

[Stranger Danger]

So where is the best place to buy new from? Best setup etc..? I’m def not buying from gc. I got an acoustic from Sweetwater that came through nice...

And I would never depend on anyone to set up my instrument but me at this point because I know what I like better than anyone else.

 

[Chiliwailer]

With the treble ( more so) and bass slightly boosted.
Gets me that Ready Freddy Washington Forget Me Nots slap tone.

Flat and palm muting gets me that Pino, Jamerson thump. Emulates flats.

If I want a great muted pick tone ala Carol Kaye I boost the trebles slightly.

Now that I think about it, I guess I can see where position 5 or (1st gear as I like to call it) could work for that wide open 70’s Pbass tone. I’d probably have to roll back the bass some and slightly boost mids and treble . Hmmm I’ll try it.

Haha, ‘first gear’, love it!

Yeah, I found that position 5 with the bass back does indeed help. It’s sounds great with bass up a touch, but more like P with it rolled back a touch. I sometimes push back the treble a bit and boost the mids a bit too.

Nice tone you quoted there

 

[Treeman]

View attachment 3233174 I'm in!!!
I got mine in the flesh… super blonde and super naked.

Yeah!! I have the exact same in 4-string. Gosh, that is pretty. I really beat myself up trying to decide between the 5H and the 4H, but wound up sticking to my 4-string instincts. Sometimes wonder if there's a natural 5H out there that was meant to be... yours is not helping my peace of mind... ENJOY!!!

 

[Treeman]

@Chiliwailer how are your Cobalt Flats treating you? I couldn't ever get there with mine, just never did break them in to feeling smooth, even after several months (they existed on a P and a fretless J before making their way onto the 'Ray). The more I read positive reviews the more I wonder if I'm just missing something...

 

[BassGuyFL]

I got mine from Sweetwater they have a 4 year financing special through December 31. I had to tweak the setup but I expected that I do all my own setups anyway. Just had to install straplocks and that was the only mod I'll be making.

 

[Stranger Danger]

I got mine from Sweetwater they have a 4 year financing special through December 31. I had to tweak the setup but I expected that I do all my own setups anyway. Just had to install straplocks and that was the only mod I'll be making.

All basses should come standard with Dunlop’s

 

[keto]

All basses should come standard with Dunlop’s

Have you tried the new Schallers? I put them on my Ray, that ring with the set screw is a massive improvement over the locking nut that always works its way loose.

 

[Stranger Danger]

Have you tried the new Schallers? I put them on my Ray, that ring with the set screw is a massive improvement over the locking nut that always works its way loose.

Nah the old Schallers were terrible. I switched to Dunlop’s ten years ago and never looked back.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

Nah the old Schallers were terrible. I switched to Dunlop’s ten years ago and never looked back.

I too prefer Dunlops. Just make sure you give it an extra tug when you lock them in. #lessonlearned

 

[Stranger Danger]

I too prefer Dunlops. Just make sure you give it an extra tug when you lock them in. #lessonlearned

Once they’re locked they stay that way. That’s why it’s a superior design.

 

[Chiliwailer]

@Chiliwailer how are your Cobalt Flats treating you? I couldn't ever get there with mine, just never did break them in to feeling smooth, even after several months (they existed on a P and a fretless J before making their way onto the 'Ray). The more I read positive reviews the more I wonder if I'm just missing something...

Too early to say right now buddy. They aren’t as sticky as they initially were, but there’s still something there. I had these on an old Lull of mine for some time and I remember them feeling good eventually, though it may be that I just got used to the different feel by then?

Tonally, I waiting for them to break in more before knowing for sure. In an ideal world I’d have one Special with flats and one with rounds. But in reality I’m using the Cobalts so I can play RHCP & STP one minute, then Creedence & Neil Young the next, followed by some Wailers and Stax later, they are versatile.

 

[HD007]

So where is the best place to buy new from? Best setup etc..? I’m def not buying from gc. I got an acoustic from Sweetwater that came through nice...

I got mine from Sweetwater (which as others have noted does not do setups). They have excellent return policy etc.

I’d just count on having someone (or yourself) set it up to your taste, as I would with any bass, once it arrives and acclimates.
Same if buying from GC.

Good luck and enjoy the hunt!

 

[BassGuyFL]

All basses should come standard with Dunlop’s

Oh I agree but it just came with their stock strap pins. I always use them plus I have different straps so it's easy to switch them or if for some reason I need to grab the backup bass.

 

[Mistahbenn]

Ya I know how to do a nice setup I just expect that when I get a brand new factory bass it should come to my arms in perfect playing condition...

 

[Stranger Danger]

Ya I know how to do a nice setup I just expect that when I get a brand new factory bass it should come to my arms in perfect playing condition...

The problem with that statement is that what you consider perfect might be crappy for me and vice versa.

 

[Chiliwailer]

Ya I know how to do a nice setup I just expect that when I get a brand new factory bass it should come to my arms in perfect playing condition...

I can handle the saddle height and intonation not being perfect. I expect the truss rod to need a tweak. But where I’m with you is that I find a super high nut just inexcusable, which is what my 2015 Ray had, and countless other new basses.

Luckily my Special didnt have that issue, and just needed the usual ‘tweak to taste’.

 

[Stranger Danger]

I can handle the saddle height and intonation not being perfect. I expect the truss rod to need a tweak. But where I’m with you is that I find a super high nut just inexcusable, which is what my 2015 Ray had, and countless other new basses.

Luckily my Special didnt have that issue, and just needed the usual ‘tweak to taste’.

Obviously the nut should be cut properly. I took him to mean bridge and truss adjustments and pickup height.

 

[Chiliwailer]

Obviously the nut should be cut properly. I took him to mean bridge and truss adjustments and pickup height.

I was just reading back and saw what you wrote about Streetwater not doing set ups. I find it so strange that lots of shops not just don’t do them, but don’t even know how to do them!

I’m like you, I prefer to do them myself, but as some people haven’t yet learnt to set up a bass I’d at least expect the staff in the shop to have learned how to tweak a rod, set the heights and intonation etc. - it’s not rocket science!

I worked in London guitar shops for 16 years (in what feels like a past life) and always made sure that customers had a guitar that played well when they took it off the wall to try, and again when they took it home. So when I’m trying a bass in a shop now and it needs a massive truss rod tweak I just want to break down and cry that they have to spend 15 minutes taking it to the tech or looking at me like they think I’m being difficult or showing off.

I’m not just saying this for the hell of it, it’s happened so much to me in the past few years. Times have changed.

Anyway, at least we can set them up how we want them!

 

[Stranger Danger]

I was just reading back and saw what you wrote about Streetwater not doing set ups. I find it so strange that lots of shops not just don’t do them, but don’t even know how to do them!

I’m like you, I prefer to do them myself, but as some people haven’t yet learnt to set up a bass I’d at least expect the staff in the shop to have learned how to tweak a rod, set the heights and intonation etc. - it’s not rocket science!

I worked in London guitar shops for 16 years (in what feels like a past life) and always made sure that customers had a guitar that played well when they took it off the wall to try, and again when they took it home. So when I’m trying a bass in a shop now and it needs a massive truss rod tweak I just want to break down and cry that they have to spend 15 minutes taking it to the tech or looking at me like they think I’m being difficult or showing off.

I’m not just saying this for the hell of it, it’s happened so much to me in the past few years. Times have changed.

Anyway, at least we can set them up how we want them!

They probably should do it to factory spec but that is still no guarantee that the end user would like it. The time and effort it would take to do it would be wasted if the end user hates it anyway.