• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

EBMM StingRay Special Club

#13,541
aguacateojos said:
Spending some Sunday afternoon time tweaking the purple sparkler - noticed that the G saddle was essentially dropped all the way down when I received it and I'm trying to lower the strings a tad more. Is this something to worry about, or am I just in shim territory and it's no big deal?
Click to expand...
You might need a shim if the neck is not in too much of a bow. Make sure the neck relief is correct first. A large amount of relief can cause high action.
 
#13,547
I know it's only black and maple but dang, it's black sparkle!.....and maple! 🤪

mm24_stingrayss_web-ecom-200-24-12-01-cs-cr-04.jpg

mm24_stingrayss_web-ecom-200-24-12-01-cs-cr-07.jpg
 
  • Like
  • Love
Reactions: Interspace Station, Nekomata, dave64o and 9 others
#13,549
arepa_funk said:
Here is 2019 5HH!!

View attachment 7052882

Initial thoughts:

It's the lightest five string I've ever played, 8.3lbs.

Best neck I've ever played, even moreso than the G&L Kiloton roasted maple. The contouring around the heel is brilliant, very comfortable to play.

Rad electronics, even tho it's active I feel responds like a passive bass. It's more about headroom than how much juice the pickups can push.

And talking about pickups! Position 4 sounds like a Jazz bass, and bringing the treble down is somewhat like adjusting the bridge pickup volume. Position 2 gets pretty close to a Precision sound. Especially with treble backed off a hair, mids down, bass up. The neck only position is already scooped so it needs mids pushed and flat B and T to sound good imo. I've only used the bridge position soloing so far.

Next steps: Slapping some GHS Precision Flats and getting a setup. Woo hooo! I'll playing this bass at my gig in December for sure.

The Special is taking the place of at least two basses. An exceptional instrument!
Click to expand...
Beautiful! :woot:


Just wondering, when you say Position 2 and 4, are you starting from the bridge or the neck? Musicman starts counting at the bridge (i.e. Position 1 is bridge, Position 2 is the outer coils, Position 3 is both pickups, etc.). Starting at the bridge and to my ears, I find Position 2 kind of Jazz-like (with both pickups on full) and Position 2 kind of Precision-like. I wouldn’t say either comparison is exact, but it’s close enough to give a sense of how they sound.

FWIW, Position 4 (inner coils) has been my favorite since getting my first HH Stingray. I use all five positions on a typical four set gig, but I just love the inner coils. I’d be perfectly happy if that were my only choice. :bassist:

Congrats on the bass!

EDIT: I'm curious to hear how the GHS Precision Flats work out for you. I had flats on my 2007 cermaic SR5HH multiple times and really like how they sounded and felt, but I always used Chromes. I never tried Precision Flats, on that bass or any other bass.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Todd Hamby and Maxi Funkl
#13,550
aguacateojos said:
Spending some Sunday afternoon time tweaking the purple sparkler - noticed that the G saddle was essentially dropped all the way down when I received it and I'm trying to lower the strings a tad more. Is this something to worry about, or am I just in shim territory and it's no big deal?
Click to expand...
Shim territory.

No big deal.
 
  • Like
Reactions: aguacateojos and LadyLoveStingRay5
#13,552
@dave64o , I had GHS Precision Flats on a pre-Special 4H I owned, and I liked them, but ultimately still found the bass too zingy and sold it. I blame the bass, not the strings. I should try them on a Special. I think GHS Precision Flats are great on Fender basses.
 
  • Like
Reactions: dave64o
#13,553
LadyLoveStingRay5 said:
There are 2 left handed StingRay5 Specials in the VAULT. I also spotted a Galactic Polar Burst 4 String available.

The new short scale finishes in Gold Bar and Black Sparkle are down to only 8 basses being available in these 2 finishes.
Click to expand...
I'm not that conservative about bass finish colors, but that Galactic Polar Burst is pretty "out there!" I'm sure it would work for some people in some bands, though.
 
  • Like
Reactions: LadyLoveStingRay5 and Todd Hamby
#13,554
Pet Sounds said:
@dave64o , I had GHS Precision Flats on a pre-Special 4H I owned, and I liked them, but ultimately still found the bass too zingy and sold it. I blame the bass, not the strings. I should try them on a Special. I think GHS Precision Flats are great on Fender basses.
Click to expand...
Wow, my impression, based solely on what I’ve read here, is that they’d be anything but zingy on any bass. But, that's why I asked the question, so I’m glad I did. Makes me curious what year your 4H was, and therefore which pickups were in it.

I’ll still look forward to hearing your impression if you do put them on. :bassist:
 
#13,555
dave64o said:
Wow, my impression, based solely on what I’ve read here, is that they’d be anything but zingy on any bass. But, that's why I asked the question, so I’m glad I did. Makes me curious what year your 4H was, and therefore which pickups were in it.

I’ll still look forward to hearing your impression if you do put them on. :bassist:
Click to expand...
I think it boils down to the fact that I just don't like pre-Special StingRays. This particular one also had a weak G. Not sure of the year, but probably sometime in the mid to late '90s.
 
  • Like
Reactions: dave64o
#13,556
To the EB Cobalt flat devotees: I purchased a set of the cobalt flats for my new-to-me fretless Bongo 5HH. How do you get these strings to not feel sticky? I read earlier in this thread to clean them with the EB String Wipes before installation, which removed some of the gunk that I associate with cobalt strings. It still feels like my fingers stick to the strings before sliding to the next position. Does this condition decrease with time?

Aside: the low B on the Bongo sounds amazing. Thick and Zesty. Great preamp.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Schpeaker
#13,557
cholyoke said:
To the EB Cobalt flat devotees: I purchased a set of the cobalt flats for my new-to-me fretless Bongo 5HH. How do you get these strings to not feel sticky? I read earlier in this thread to clean them with the EB String Wipes before installation, which removed some of the gunk that I associate with cobalt strings. It still feels like my fingers stick to the strings before sliding to the next position. Does this condition decrease with time?

Aside: the low B on the Bongo sounds amazing. Thick and Zesty. Great preamp.
Click to expand...
I recently bought Slinky Flats [Cobalt] did use string wipe but their was no residue on wipe after use and strings are smooth with zero stickiness; would say even if I didn't use wipe they would have been sticky free; they almost feel slippery:)

Did have sticky and black residue on fingers problem with set I bought in 2019

Most recently new users report no problem with sticky or residue even without string wipe or Isopropyl

I have read some reports of 'Sticky' with other manufacture flats also while other users claim no such problem; It is quite perplexing

Most report Stickiness eventually goes away; 'Eventually' was to long with first set of EBMM for me:)
 
  • Like
Reactions: jam.majors
#13,558
aguacateojos said:
Spending some Sunday afternoon time tweaking the purple sparkler - noticed that the G saddle was essentially dropped all the way down when I received it and I'm trying to lower the strings a tad more. Is this something to worry about, or am I just in shim territory and it's no big deal?
Click to expand...
Grab the Ernie Ball shim pack from their online store. Put a little piece of scotch tape to hold it in place and reinstall the neck. Start with the brown one. Did you already adjust the truss rod properly?
 
#13,559
cholyoke said:
To the EB Cobalt flat devotees: I purchased a set of the cobalt flats for my new-to-me fretless Bongo 5HH. How do you get these strings to not feel sticky? I read earlier in this thread to clean them with the EB String Wipes before installation, which removed some of the gunk that I associate with cobalt strings. It still feels like my fingers stick to the strings before sliding to the next position. Does this condition decrease with time?

Aside: the low B on the Bongo sounds amazing. Thick and Zesty. Great preamp.
Click to expand...
What I do is first wipe them with alcohol, then after installation, use about half a pea of Eucerin cream, rub it into your palms, then rub it alllllll into the strings for several minutes, up and down the neck and get the bottom of the string a little too. Next, wipe it off the best you can. You will have super slippery strings and they will sound a little less harsh, too. Repeat if you want a more dead sound (although these flats aren't too good for "dead" anyway.)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Todd Hamby

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back