EBMM StingRay Special Club

[Eneade]

I am back in da club !
Here is my 2019 SR4 Special with its Stingray friends. It still has the film on the pickguard, the bass is basically like new. I think it still have the factory strings, the wrapping around the posts looks too perfect.

 

[Brandon Shea]

Nice collection!

 

[dave64o]

Standard option of SLO neck on the 4 .

Option of 19mm sting spacing and a wider neck on the 5 string.

Option of no pickguard or clear pickguards and rear routing on all models.

Option of mutes on all models.

Move the pickup placement on the HH models where the neck pickup is closer towards the bridge. Add the ability to select each coil individually or in any combination desired.

Some of our desires would probably mean the bass will weigh more.

I definitely agree with you about having no pickguard! The big SR5 pickguard is one of my few gripes with that model.

I also agree with @Pet Sounds about a passive/active option. I always have spare batteries in my gear bag and I always bring a spare bass, plus I always unplug my Stingrays when I'm not playing them (including between sets at gigs), so I'm not concerned about batteries dying. But I'd just like the additional tonal options. Having that capability on my Big Al adds a huge range of great sounding tonal options and I'd love it on my Stingrays, too.

I love the HH and own two, but I'd also love to see the HS come back. That could entice me to buy a third!

 

[aarono2690]

Sorry for clogging ya’lls thread with my questions. Last couple questions before I make the Ray34 to Stingray Special 5H exchange early this week.

1) I like my Ray34 and its tone. If I go with the 5H, which switch position most closely mirrors the Ray34? Is it essentially the same tone or are their subtle difference?

2) Those who like the 5HH over the 5H which of additional tones do you use most and in what settings? I truly struggled to hear the subtleties at Guitar Center.

3) I have not been able to find a 5H locally to test. Only 5HH. Youtube is surprisingly weak on good reviews of this bass. Does anyone have any good, objective review videos of the 5H they could share with me? Most review videos seem to be of the 5HH

 

[_Obra_]

Sorry for clogging ya’lls thread with my questions. Last couple questions before I make the Ray34 to Stingray Special 5H exchange early this week.

1) I like my Ray34 and its tone. If I go with the 5H, which switch position most closely mirrors the Ray34? Is it essentially the same tone or are their subtle difference?

2) Those who like the 5HH over the 5H which of additional tones do you use most and in what settings? I truly struggled to hear the subtleties at Guitar Center.

3) I have not been able to find a 5H locally to test. Only 5HH. Youtube is surprisingly weak on good reviews of this bass. Does anyone have any good, objective review videos of the 5H they could share with me? Most review videos seem to be of the 5HH

1)The tone is not the same. Ray34 has AlNiCo pickup while Special has Neodymium, as they have a different preamps (in addition to other differences). However, they both has a humbucking pickup at the same position. Will You be able to hear the difference, it's up to You.

2)I played both H and HH, and while the HH has more tonal variations, some people (including me) prefer only H. I personally because of its simplicity and the look. Others mostly because the neck pickup gets in the way for slap. On 5HH, i mostly used bridge humbucker solo, like the 5H, and sometimes two outside coils.

3)Here is my video of 5H, both maple and ebony

 

[ics1974]

Sorry for clogging ya’lls thread with my questions. Last couple questions before I make the Ray34 to Stingray Special 5H exchange early this week.

1) I like my Ray34 and its tone. If I go with the 5H, which switch position most closely mirrors the Ray34? Is it essentially the same tone or are their subtle difference?

2) Those who like the 5HH over the 5H which of additional tones do you use most and in what settings? I truly struggled to hear the subtleties at Guitar Center.

3) I have not been able to find a 5H locally to test. Only 5HH. Youtube is surprisingly weak on good reviews of this bass. Does anyone have any good, objective review videos of the 5H they could share with me? Most review videos seem to be of the 5HH

The Ray 34 is wired in series. Traditional Stingrays are wired in parallel. So the series setting on the 5H would be closest to the sound of your Ray 34. Series setting is the switch closest to the neck

 

[Pet Sounds]

I definitely agree with you about having no pickguard! The big SR5 pickguard is one of my few gripes with that model.

I also agree with @Pet Sounds about a passive/active option. I always have spare batteries in my gear bag and I always bring a spare bass, plus I always unplug my Stingrays when I'm not playing them (including between sets at gigs), so I'm not concerned about batteries dying. But I'd just like the additional tonal options. Having that capability on my Big Al adds a huge range of great sounding tonal options and I'd love it on my Stingrays, too.

I love the HH and own two, but I'd also love to see the HS come back. That could entice me to buy a third!

I do all of those things, too, but I still would like an active/passive switch as a failsafe feature. Yeah, I'm a battery wussy.

 

[PrimitiveMan]

The Ray 34 is wired in series. Traditional Stingrays are wired in parallel. So the series setting on the 5H would be closest to the sound of your Ray 34. Series setting is the switch closest to the neck

Is that true the Ray34 is series? I thought that was only on the Ray4 (lowest model)?

I only have experience for the Ray35 which has the three way switch so has all the options. Comparing the parallel settings, both the special 5H and the Ray 35 sound like stingrays.

If the Ray34 is wired in series, I'm sure it would be similar to the series setting on the special

 

[ics1974]

Is that true the Ray34 is series? I thought that was only on the Ray4 (lowest model)?

I only have experience for the Ray35 which has the three way switch so has all the options. Comparing the parallel settings, both the special 5H and the Ray 35 sound like stingrays.

If the Ray34 is wired in series, I'm sure it would be similar to the series setting on the special

Yeah I emailed them and confirmed. I had a post about this.

Thread 'SBMM Ray 34 series or parallel wiring'

Jan 12, 2023

Does anyone know for sure if the new Ray 34's are wired in series or parallel?

• ics1974
• Replies: 24
• Forum: Basses [BG]

 

[dave64o]

Sorry for clogging ya’lls thread with my questions. Last couple questions before I make the Ray34 to Stingray Special 5H exchange early this week.

1) I like my Ray34 and its tone. If I go with the 5H, which switch position most closely mirrors the Ray34? Is it essentially the same tone or are their subtle difference

2) Those who like the 5HH over the 5H which of additional tones do you use most and in what settings? I truly struggled to hear the subtleties at Guitar Center.

3) I have not been able to find a 5H locally to test. Only 5HH. Youtube is surprisingly weak on good reviews of this bass. Does anyone have any good, objective review videos of the 5H they could share with me? Most review videos seem to be of the 5HH

2) On a typical four hour gig, I’ll use all five HH pickup switch positions. However, my favorite is Position #4, inner coils. I could use that tone alone and still be overjoyed to play HH’s.

Since getting my first Stingray, I’ve used it ("it" meaning Position #4) in bands that played primarily southern rock, acoustic rock, British Invasion, classic rock, and in my current cover band that plays a wide mix of blues, classic rock, ballads, jazz flavored rock, and probably more. I don’t do it because I enjoy using all the options, but I’ve been perfectly happy with Position #4 in all of those situations.

YMMV, of course.

 

[PrimitiveMan]

Yeah I emailed them and confirmed. I had a post about this.

Thread 'SBMM Ray 34 series or parallel wiring'

Jan 12, 2023

Does anyone know for sure if the new Ray 34's are wired in series or parallel?

• ics1974
• Replies: 24
• Forum: Basses [BG]

Thanks for clarifying

 

[humbuckaroo]

Random realization: I went through the color options on the EB site last night and realized that they've gotten rid of some of the colors from last year and the year before. Fallout green (mine), Butane blue, Oxblood are all gone. Others maybe as well, but those are the ones I noticed.

 

[aarono2690]

Random realization: I went through the color options on the EB site last night and realized that they've gotten rid of some of the colors from last year and the year before. Fallout green (mine), Butane blue, Oxblood are all gone. Others maybe as well, but those are the ones I noticed.

May I see a pic of yours? Fallout Green strikes me as a cool color, but vendor sites don’t do a great job of showing its potential.

 

[humbuckaroo]

Honestly, the color doesn't look good indoors. The best I can get it to look is when I'm outside or when there's direct lighting above, like in the guitar store or on stage. I don't gig so it's basically a near-black bass 99% of the time.

I picked it because it's not a showy color like most StingRays. If I was to go back and buy again I'd probably just hold out for a natural with a rosewood neck. I'm actually not at all surprised these colors ended up discontinued.

 

[Brandon Shea]

Honestly, the color doesn't look good indoors. The best I can get it to look is when I'm outside or when there's direct lighting above, like in the guitar store or on stage. I don't gig so it's basically a near-black bass 99% of the time.

I picked it because it's not a showy color like most StingRays. If I was to go back and buy again I'd probably just hold out for a natural with a rosewood neck. I'm actually not at all surprised these colors ended up discontinued.

View attachment 7453886

Oxblood had the same issue when I saw it in person. Both amazing finishes, very subtle, very classy, but unfortunately just “off-black” in most light.

 

[Eneade]

I took my new Special 4HH to rehearsal tonight.

The bridge pickup sounds like a Stingray. The neck pickup does not bother imo.

The neck pickup was a very good surprise. Fat and snappy.

Position 3 was great for slap.

Position 2 is mid scooped and I boosted the mids quite a lot. Gave me a Rickenbacker vibe with the mid boost (I have never had a Rick though).

I was about to test position 4 but we ran out of time. But I now pos. 4 is a good one.

 

[tremor100]

Random realization: I went through the color options on the EB site last night and realized that they've gotten rid of some of the colors from last year and the year before. Fallout green (mine), Butane blue, Oxblood are all gone. Others maybe as well, but those are the ones I noticed.

So when i actually asked Long and McQuade to put an order in for me for an SLO neck on a grape crush a few months ago before they announced the new colors and they told me it was discontinued. A bit wierd they only removed some of them. Maybe they have some premixed paint still available for the colors they kept from last year? I feel like typically within the first few months of the new colors shipping they get rid of all the previous years model from the site.

 

[Kubicki Fan]

A local GC has a 5HH in stock. I'll run over and try it tomorrow to see how the body feels.

I know you are all going to say, "yes", but I imagine the step up in quality is worth the price differential? I understand the Special Ray 5H is different than the Sterling Ray34, but talking just general quality.

I'd say, even if it is set up like crap - likely to be the case for a GC offering these basses can be made to play very nicely.

If the bass is 9lbs or less, you like the feel (some people a have problem with the g-string being close to the edge of the fretboard) the new Stingray special 5 is a very good deal currently, at the price you've quoted.

 

[Kubicki Fan]

I'm thinking of ordering a fretless 5H in the not too distant future. Have any of you done so? How did that go?

I bought used, here on TB and I have no regrets. I'm no Pino impersonator when it comes to skills/talent but this thing helps when I get the impulse to pretend.
It came with flats and I even like the strings since the instrument was hardly played, or so it seems.

 

[Kubicki Fan]

Honestly, the color doesn't look good indoors. The best I can get it to look is when I'm outside or when there's direct lighting above, like in the guitar store or on stage. I don't gig so it's basically a near-black bass 99% of the time.

I picked it because it's not a showy color like most StingRays. If I was to go back and buy again I'd probably just hold out for a natural with a rosewood neck. I'm actually not at all surprised these colors ended up discontinued.

View attachment 7453886

Poor you. Your bass looks great.