EBMM StingRay Special Club

[Wicked G]

So I had to make a run to the local GC to buy a couple of mics for a last-minute gig where we are doing our own production.

While there, I saw a Sterling HH 5-string model and asked to play it.

First, it was of course, not set up well at all, so I had to wade through that as I played. Decent strings at least (round wound flavor of some kind. Best thing about the bass, sadly).

Still, I was pretty disappointed. I didn't find a single usable tone on this bass that I'd care to use. I've heard MM HH models where I liked the both-pickup position. That didn't happen on this bass. And I didn't find anything resembling the classic Stingray H tone, which I thought was possible on the HHs.

Perhaps I'd be better trying an MM Stingray HH over this Sterling. It wasn't happening. At all. and probably for a few reasons.

I mention this here because of the many HH players here to run my xperience by. I can't imagine you guys suffering through what I heard today.,

I just remembered, I wish I had asked about the condition of the battery. Oh, well.

Wow, that sucks. Sorry to hear about your experience. I have 2 SBMM Ray34 HH's and 3 EBMM Stingray Special HH's and while they do not sound exactly the same, they are also not all that far apart IME. As you mentioned it could have been a weak battery or maybe some corrosion on the selector switch which just needs a few passes up and down to clear it on the switch, that has happened to me. Or maybe it's just not to your liking? It wouldn't hurt though to try another battery and/or run the switch up and down a few times to see if that changes anything if you are still interested in that bass.

 

[PrimitiveMan]

So I had to make a run to the local GC to buy a couple of mics for a last-minute gig where we are doing our own production.

While there, I saw a Sterling HH 5-string model and asked to play it.

First, it was of course, not set up well at all, so I had to wade through that as I played. Decent strings at least (round wound flavor of some kind. Best thing about the bass, sadly).

Still, I was pretty disappointed. I didn't find a single usable tone on this bass that I'd care to use. I've heard MM HH models where I liked the both-pickup position. That didn't happen on this bass. And I didn't find anything resembling the classic Stingray H tone, which I thought was possible on the HHs.

Perhaps I'd be better trying an MM Stingray HH over this Sterling. It wasn't happening. At all. and probably for a few reasons.

I mention this here because of the many HH players here to run my xperience by. I can't imagine you guys suffering through what I heard today.,

I just remembered, I wish I had asked about the condition of the battery. Oh, well.

I've really tried to like the HS and HH Stingrays, but after owning a couple I realized it's just not for me. 5H is the king of Stingrays in my opinion. For HS or HH the Bongos are much better sounding IMO

 

[Geri O]

I've really tried to like the HS and HH Stingrays, but after owning a couple I realized it's just not for me. 5H is the king of Stingrays in my opinion. For HS or HH the Bongos are much better sounding IMO

I'm sitting there with the 5Hs, no doubt. And now, my #1 player is a Special 5H.

But my curiosity for the HH is there.

And I seriously believe that this Sterling HH thing I played today wasn't an accurate representation of the HH some of us know and love....

 

[Tony G]

I really like my stingray special 4HH, but it does not sound like a single pickup stingray to me. I can get it close when I solo the bridge pickup and tweak the preamp a bunch, but it always just sounds a little more tame and lacks punch. However, I really like the dual pickup tones I get from the bass. They don’t sound amazing playing by myself but they sound great in a band mix. I’ve always been a fan of the PJ tone and the 4HH gets me into that territory and more. Plus my 4HH weighs like exactly 8lbs and is perfectly balanced. I actually just got back from playing it with my band, and with the recent string change to labella low tension flats, it’s an absolute Motown machine, and sounds great in many of the other tunes we play where my 5H just sounds much too aggressive and growly no matter how I try to eq it.

 

[humbuckaroo]

I tried a Ray24 locally and it was great. Not EBMM, but solid for the money. Much better than many other more popular offerings.

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

This is what I always suggest to people. I f you want a StingRay.....get the H.
If you love the H and the EBMM feel and desire more sounds.....add the HH.

If you know that you can only buy 1 more bass, try them both and get the one you like the best.

 

[Geri O]

I continue to emphasize, this comment is more about the inability to get a good sense of the HH because of the poor example I played in GC. I won’t beat that dead GC horse any further.

I will mention, I played this Sterling through a small Dark Glass combo amp. I was thinking, dang, this amp has some possibilities. I picked up a Squier P bass hanging on the wall just above this amp. It wasn’t set up much better, but the amp sounded really good! My first Dark Glass experience. Very nice.

 

[Barticus]

This is what I always suggest to people. I f you want a StingRay.....get the H.
If you love the H and the EBMM feel and desire more sounds.....add the HH.

If you know that you can only buy 1 more bass, try them both and get the one you like the best.

I’m liking the sounds that I’m getting out of the HH, it definitely has more of a super jazz kind of tone variation and somewhat different than my H.

I’m planning to gig the HH tonight for the first time so I’ll see what it’s like live… which is always a better way to test out the capabilities… so I can hear it in a live mix and make pickup/EQ changes on the fly for the songs as I play through (40 to 50 tunes).

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

I continue to emphasize, this comment is more about the inability to get a good sense of the HH because of the poor example I played in GC. I won’t beat that dead GC horse any further.

I will mention, I played this Sterling through a small Dark Glass combo amp. I was thinking, dang, this amp has some possibilities. I picked up a Squier P bass hanging on the wall just above this amp. It wasn’t set up much better, but the amp sounded really good! My first Dark Glass experience. Very nice.

Im not in any way guaranteeing that you will like it better than your H, but I think the mistake was to try the import Sterling version at GC first.

First impressions can turn people off.
I hope you get to encounter an EBMM HH . Specifically a BFR. It’s on a whole other level.

If fancy woods and bindings aren’t your thing , a standard EBMM HH is more than enough.

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

I’m liking the sounds that I’m getting out of the HH, it definitely has more of a super jazz kind of tone variation and somewhat different than my H.

I’m planning to gig the HH tonight for the first time so I’ll see what it’s like live… which is always a better way to test out the capabilities… so I can hear it in a live mix and make pickup/EQ changes on the fly for the songs as I play through (40 to 50 tunes).

I’m waiting for the first field report with great anticipation.

 

[aero58]

I tried a Ray24 locally and it was great. Not EBMM, but solid for the money. Much better than many other more popular offerings.

I recently bought a Sterling Stingray 24ca and love it! Bought it unintentionally. I had gone to a local "mom&pop" guitar store to check out a used EBMM Stingray 4H (to accompany by EBMM Stingray 4HH), but it was a bit too beat up. Next to it, however, was a new 24ca, and I decided to check it out just for giggles. Love the jazz spec'd neck (my Stingray 4HH has the SLO special neck) and the bass was set up with nice low action. Sounded great! The store gave me a "Black Friday" discount, and I walked out with it. You want to talk about "bang for the buck"! And I'm not changing a thing on this bass - keeping the Slinky's and not messing with the pup - keeping it all stock. My only quibble with the bass is that it weighs right at 10 lbs - it's solid. But great craftmanship - I find no cosmetic or neck/fret flaws.

 

[cholyoke]

So I had to make a run to the local GC to buy a couple of mics for a last-minute gig where we are doing our own production.

While there, I saw a Sterling HH 5-string model and asked to play it.

First, it was of course, not set up well at all, so I had to wade through that as I played. Decent strings at least (round wound flavor of some kind. Best thing about the bass, sadly).

Still, I was pretty disappointed. I didn't find a single usable tone on this bass that I'd care to use. I've heard MM HH models where I liked the both-pickup position. That didn't happen on this bass. And I didn't find anything resembling the classic Stingray H tone, which I thought was possible on the HHs.

Perhaps I'd be better trying an MM Stingray HH over this Sterling. It wasn't happening. At all. and probably for a few reasons.

I mention this here because of the many HH players here to run my xperience by. I can't imagine you guys suffering through what I heard today.,

I just remembered, I wish I had asked about the condition of the battery. Oh, well.

Shame the sterling was a letdown. The Ray25 was my gateway to EBMM. I have played some Ray35s that were decent, but I have not played a SUB or Ray5 series I liked. I hope you can find a Stingray Special 5HH in the wild. They don't end up at my local GC or other dealers very often. I am a big fan of the HH for the setting with the outer coils (Jazz on steroids).

I don't think the soloed bridge pickup sounds any different between the H and HH Stingray Specials in this video, but it is all fingerstyle playing. Maybe slapping or picking changes something.

 

[Barticus]

I don't think the soloed bridge pickup sounds any different between the H and HH Stingray Specials in this video, but it is all fingerstyle playing. Maybe slapping or picking changes something.

They do.
And there’s no Series mode for the bridge pickup, only Parallel.

I’m new to the Stingray Special, I’ve never owned them before and my 5H Grape Crush was my entry into this world. I picked up the BFR 5HH it’s quite a bit different, the bodies are different, the neck is different and the pickup/electronic config is certainly different… and the sounds therefore are very different… at least from what I’ve experienced playing at home and testing out the different settings.

But for me, there’s absolutely no reason to have two of the exact same bass so this gives a really nice variety between the two with look, feel, play, the sounds, the whole deal.

I’m enjoying my Ernie Ball Stingray, Special journey for sure, Great instruments overall.

 

[humbuckaroo]

I recently bought a Sterling Stingray 24ca and love it! Bought it unintentionally. I had gone to a local "mom&pop" guitar store to check out a used EBMM Stingray 4H (to accompany by EBMM Stingray 4HH), but it was a bit too beat up. Next to it, however, was a new 24ca, and I decided to check it out just for giggles. Love the jazz spec'd neck (my Stingray 4HH has the SLO special neck) and the bass was set up with nice low action. Sounded great! The store gave me a "Black Friday" discount, and I walked out with it. You want to talk about "bang for the buck"! And I'm not changing a thing on this bass - keeping the Slinky's and not messing with the pup - keeping it all stock. My only quibble with the bass is that it weighs right at 10 lbs - it's solid. But great craftmanship - I find no cosmetic or neck/fret flaws.

Yeah I noticed the weight too.

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

They do.
And there’s no Series mode for the bridge pickup, only Parallel.

I’m new to the Stingray Special, I’ve never owned them before and my 5H Grape Crush was my entry into this world. I picked up the BFR 5HH it’s quite a bit different, the bodies are different, the neck is different and the pickup/electronic config is certainly different… and the sounds therefore are very different… at least from what I’ve experienced playing at home and testing out the different settings.

But to me, there’s absolutely no reason to have two of the exact same bass so this gives a really nice variety between the two with look, feel, play, the sounds, the whole deal.

I’m enjoying my Ernie Ball Stingray, Special journey for sure, Great instruments overall.

If you like the feel and build qualities, ect…. owning both is definitely warranted. Now I do happen to own both . I also happen to own 2 HH models and 2 H models .
One H is rosewood fretboard with frets and flats. The other H is maple Fretless with flats . Different yet both needed.

As for my HH models ….. both are maple fretboards with frets . One has a flames maple top. I keep rounds on both HH models . The just sing like a choir of angels. But I keep my Crescendo HH strung E-C.

As you can see , it might not be beneficial for everyone’s style of play , but my owning them is warranted.
I didn’t want to buy a 6 string. 5 string just feels right I my mind and my hands.

Having the Fretless be the same as my other models makes playing in tune more easy due to muscle memory. I have no lines on that Fretless , just side dots. It works for me.

 

[Barticus]

Having the Fretless be the same as my other models makes playing in tune more easy due to muscle memory. I have no lines on that Fretless , just side dots. It works for me.

This makes total sense, I have 2 Spector NS5-XLs but different preamps and different body/neck woods. I was loosely referencing the “I own 12 P basses crowd”… just not my thing

 

[cholyoke]

They do.
And there’s no Series mode for the bridge pickup, only Parallel.

My ears don't hear a significant/fundamental/repeatable difference in that video I linked or any of the other comparisons of stingray special 5H/HH models I've heard, but good on you if you do. I don't find the parallel (or the single coil) setting useful on my Big Al 5H, but if you like those settings, good on you. Enjoy your 5H!

 

[Barticus]

My ears don't hear a significant/fundamental/repeatable difference in that video I linked or any of the other comparisons of stingray special 5H/HH models I've heard, but good on you if you do. I don't find the parallel (or the single coil) setting useful on my Big Al 5H, but if you like those settings, good on you. Enjoy your 5H!

Just spent 2hrs running through songs/settings for tonight, and there’s a definite difference. But hey I’m playing basses side-by-side not listening to someone else’s video.

On my 5H I use all 3 positions as needed on different songs, I find it very versatile.

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

Just spent 2hrs running through songs/settings for tonight, and there’s a definite difference. But hey I’m playing basses side-by-side not listening to someone else’s video.

On my 5H I use all 3 positions as needed on different songs, I find it very versatile.

Does it sound like a StingRay 5H in that single H position ? Thats the question .

 

[Geri O]

Does it sound like a StingRay 5H in that single H position ? Thats the question .

Ahh, the next time I get to play an HH, if ever, I’ll have a copy of the switch position diagram with me.

I may not have been sure what I was hearing on the Sterling.