EBMM StingRay Special Club

[Mike Vee]

Anyone have the product code for the chromes? I feel like I know which pack it is but I want to be sure. 4 strings.

I use ECB80 chromes and then I order a .55 D string separately.

Cobalt flats are definitely great once they break-in, I just find them to be a little stiffer and harder feeling than the light Chromes, and the lightest Cobalts are too light in the D&G for me. Once broken-in both have a great and somewhat similar tone.

 

[fishdude101101]

@fishdude101101 You nailed it. We all do have variations of what we hear.
Hopefully you can find somewhere to listen to a special. I’m super biased to a SR in general but the HH special (which is my wife’s bass but she lets me play it sometimes ) is so veeerry nice.

It might come to that. Preamp specs are of coure, unpublished. Or just find a video of someone boosting the treble and playing normally lol. Most demos are not helpful, they focus on pickup selector. Mine will stay on parallel, forever.

 

[PrimitiveMan]

I recently picked up a used Stingray 5H (pre special) at my local music store. Love this bass. Like it so much that I'm thinking of adding a new Stingray special 5h or 5hh to my collection. My concern though the revoiced preamp on the specials. I've heard it described as more "polite." What does this mean? I love on on my 5h the treble control is voiced at a really high frequency. From what I hear on youtube demos, it seems EB has moved the frequency center lower to match industry trends. I absolutely hate the way most modern treble controls are voice at 3-5 k. Very harsh for boosting. Are my concerns valid?

The Special can get very bright if you boost the treble all the way, has a lot of headroom. It is a smoother high than the pre special though. Try and find one to try yourself!

 

[fishdude101101]

The Special can get very bright if you boost the treble all the way, has a lot of headroom. It is a smoother high than the pre special though. Try and find one to try yourself!

I'm going to, but here is the key for me....where is the treble control now centered vs the older basses. if it's the modern aguilar/sadowsky 2-4k range its a deal breaker and not even worth trying out. I know I won't like it as I cut that frequency out of ever eq I ever use. It's not about how bright it can get vs how it gets bright.

 

[Brandon Shea]

This old post might be the most specific thing you'll find: https://www.talkbass.com/threads/ebmm-stingray-special-club.1354719/page-431#post-26990176

 

[ics1974]

Can you still get that high end sizzle? Or have they voiced that a lower frequency now? I think there is a trend away from the 7.5-10k voicing that I like. to me a treble control voice at 4k is only good for cutting.

I would say no. I can get my Special to sound very close to my Retro 70’s 2 band but I find it hard to get the same voicing as the pre Special 3 band.

 

[fishdude101101]

This old post might be the most specific thing you'll find: EBMM StingRay Special Club

Thank you. Pretty much what my ears are telling me. Doubtful I'll be buying a special then. They ruined it for me. boosting to much of the ugly stuff. I'll look for an older used model.

 

[fishdude101101]

Found this about the old 3 band. Don't understand the industry obession with this new style voicing.


"Our 3 band basses use a standard baxandall circuit centered appx. 500hz. Frequency slope is 6 db per octave. With bass control in max position, max output will occur at 40hz and drop at 6db per octave above 40hz. Maximum treble response drops at 6 db per octave at frequencies below appx.12 khz. Mid range is centered appx.500 hz. Control settings are interactive, therefore 6 db per octave slope only occurs when one control is in maximum position and the two remaining controls are set to minimum."

 

[Geri O]

This old post might be the most specific thing you'll find: EBMM StingRay Special Club

Okay, so regarding the high frequency tone control of the Special, we see a corner frequency of 5K on a high shelf filter. Does that tell anyone what they want to know?

I’m not crazy about high-shelf filters for reasons I don’t really feel like getting to (don’t like beating my head on a brick wall).

But that didn’t stop me from buying my Special 5H. I have way more versatile EQ control on my bass amp and the mixing console’s input channel. The tone controls on my Special as well as the tone controls on all of my basses stay in the center or flat position.

 

[Spacecoastbass]

Amen Geri O!
There's more than one way to shape tone.

 

[Mike Vee]

Okay, so regarding the high frequency tone control of the Special, we see a corner frequency of 5K on a high shelf filter. Does that tell anyone what they want to know?

I’m not crazy about high-shelf filters for reasons I don’t really feel like getting to (don’t like beating my head on a brick wall).

But that didn’t stop me from buying my Special 5H. I have way more versatile EQ control on my bass amp and the mixing console’s input channel. The tone controls on my Special as well as the tone controls on all of my basses stay in the center or flat position.

I don't have a special anymore, but I like to boost the treble and bass on my 3 band just a TAD, like literally as soon as you feel it leave the center marker, lay off, maybe a 2-3% boost. I like to get the tone of the preamp in the mix. It makes a big difference,

 

[fishdude101101]

Okay, so regarding the high frequency tone control of the Special, we see a corner frequency of 5K on a high shelf filter. Does that tell anyone what they want to know?

I’m not crazy about high-shelf filters for reasons I don’t really feel like getting to (don’t like beating my head on a brick wall).

But that didn’t stop me from buying my Special 5H. I have way more versatile EQ control on my bass amp and the mixing console’s input channel. The tone controls on my Special as well as the tone controls on all of my basses stay in the center or flat position.

I dont interpret that as 5k, but something above it. But yeah. Not what I want.

I dont leave anything flat....bass or amp. I'm buying stingrays for the electronics not in spite of them.

Sucks because otherwise I like everything about the bass. In my opinion they ruined such a good thing.

Going for a more fenderish tone which sucks. Wanted something that sizzle rather than gank and clank.

Not sure why everyone loved these harsh frequencies these days.

I would say no. I can get my Special to sound very close to my Retro 70’s 2 band but I find it hard to get the same voicing as the pre Special 3 band.

Well that stinks.

I don't have a special anymore, but I like to boost the treble and bass on my 3 band just a TAD, like literally as soon as you feel it leave the center marker, lay off, maybe a 2-3% boost. I like to get the tone of the preamp in the mix. It makes a big difference,

Same. I boost treble a little basa bout 60-70%

 

[Mike Vee]

I dont leave anything flat....bass or amp. I'm buying stingrays for the electronics not in spite of them.

this!!!

Sucks because otherwise I like everything about the bass. In my opinion they ruined such a good thing.

Going for a more fenderish tone which sucks. Wanted something that sizzle rather than gank and clank.

Not sure why everyone loved these harsh frequencies these days.

Well, it's a good thing if you don't like it, there's MANY 3 bands and Classics for sale at less than the price of a Special.

 

[Geri O]

I dont interpret that as 5k, but something above it. But yeah. Not what I want.

I dont leave anything flat....bass or amp. I'm buying stingrays for the electronics not in spite of them.

Sucks because otherwise I like everything about the bass. In my opinion they ruined such a good thing.

Going for a more fenderish tone which sucks. Wanted something that sizzle rather than gank and clank.

Not sure why everyone loved these harsh frequencies these days.



Well that stinks.


Same. I boost treble a little basa bout 60-70%

So 5K is what you don’t like. Not 3-4K. Got it.

Some peoples’ harsh is other peoples’ aggressive and forward.

I’ll not be admonished for stating my preferences.

Figure it out already.

 

[humbuckaroo]

I can get my Special to sound very close to my Retro 70’s 2 band but I find it hard to get the same voicing as the pre Special 3 band.

This. When seeking out a Stingray, I tried a Retro and a few pre-Specials from the 90s-10s. The Special 4H that I ended up with sounds a lot closer to the Retro than the pre-Specials did. Calling the Specials "ruined" is a very odd take to me.

 

[Stevorebob]

I can’t remember the source of this — probably a YouTube vid. This shows the 2- and 3-band StingRay EQ curves, non-Special. Noteworthy is the persistent spike at 5k in the 3-band EQ been with the high-frequency at minimum. So if one is not enamored with 5k, the pre-Special StingRay may not be a good choice. Or if one likes the pre-Special 3-band, maybe 5k is not so awful. Or maybe this graph is BS.

Back to StingRay Specials: I don’t hear a frequency difference between the Specials’ and pre-Specials’ EQ points. Maybe that’s me. I just hear less harshness with the Specials — maybe a wider Q at the high EQ frequency, and maybe less baked-in boost there, with the Specials. YMMV.

I gig them both… and a Classic, and a Bongo, and a T-bird Lull, and a P, and a Jazz or two, and a… Horses for courses.

 

[IronLung1986]

I just want to know where the center/knee frequency of the new pre amps treble control is voiced. If they've moved it lower....its a no go for me. 2.5-5k sucks......that's the current trend in voicing. It's harsh to my ears and only good for cutting.

I'm not sure there's been any frequency curve posted on the Specials yet, but there have been a few about previous Stingrays, such as this post here:

Thread 'EQ curves of common bass preamps (Music Man, Seymour Duncan, Warwick) [56K warning]'

Thread 'EQ curves of common bass preamps (Music Man, Seymour Duncan, Warwick) [56K warning]'

Jul 29, 2014

[crossposted from seymourduncanforums]


Since I went through the trouble of measuring I can as well post it here.

This is all done with pink noise. I had separate runs with sweeping sine and sweeping square but as expected, these linear distortion units (aka equalizers) don't behave differently for that than for pink noise.

Note that the red line is always the reference pink noise, the original signal.

Preamps in use:

• Seymour Duncan's 3-band bass preamp
• Music Man's bongo 4-band
• Music Man's 3-band as found in a 2000 non-classic stingray
• Music Man's 2-band as found in...

• uOpt
• Replies: 6
• Forum: Pickups & Electronics [BG]

• 

Interestingly, if I'm reading it right, it seems to show the old 3 band Stingray, which is the one you like, having the treble covering a pretty wide range with a very slight peak between 4k and 5k. I would tend to suspect that the Special is maybe focused a little higher than that, but that there's something else causing it to present as more subdued unless really boosted. Maybe more mids or lows inherent in the preamp or coming from the neodymium pickups.

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

I'm not sure there's been any frequency curve posted on the Specials yet, but there have been a few about previous Stingrays, such as this post here:

Thread 'EQ curves of common bass preamps (Music Man, Seymour Duncan, Warwick) [56K warning]'

Thread 'EQ curves of common bass preamps (Music Man, Seymour Duncan, Warwick) [56K warning]'

Jul 29, 2014

[crossposted from seymourduncanforums]


Since I went through the trouble of measuring I can as well post it here.

This is all done with pink noise. I had separate runs with sweeping sine and sweeping square but as expected, these linear distortion units (aka equalizers) don't behave differently for that than for pink noise.

Note that the red line is always the reference pink noise, the original signal.

Preamps in use:

• Seymour Duncan's 3-band bass preamp
• Music Man's bongo 4-band
• Music Man's 3-band as found in a 2000 non-classic stingray
• Music Man's 2-band as found in...

• uOpt
• Replies: 6
• Forum: Pickups & Electronics [BG]

• 

Interestingly, if I'm reading it right, it seems to show the old 3 band Stingray, which is the one you like, having the treble covering a pretty wide range with a very slight peak between 4k and 5k. I would tend to suspect that the Special is maybe focused a little higher than that, but that there's something else causing it to present as more subdued unless really boosted. Maybe more mids or lows inherent in the preamp or coming from the neodymium pickups.

Bingo!!!

 

[CElton]

Back to StingRay Specials: I don’t hear a frequency difference between the Specials’ and pre-Specials’ EQ points. Maybe that’s me. I just hear less harshness with the Specials — maybe a wider Q at the high EQ frequency, and maybe less baked-in boost there, with the Specials. YMMV.

I gig them both… and a Classic, and a Bongo, and a T-bird Lull, and a P, and a Jazz or two, and a… Horses for courses.

+1 to this. I have a Pre Special 5H and a Special 5H. Love and gig both. I would describe the Special’s EQ as more musical if that makes sense. To be honest, both sound like me when I play them.

 

[Mike Vee]

The strings you use will have a far greater impact on your tone than the eq frequency, and different strings will sound quite different boosted at the same frequency so there’s a lot of variables here. Also, different pre-special stingrays sound very different. I thought I hated the three bands until I got my current stingray, which sounds absolutely amazing and better than any two band I’ve ever heard.