EBMM StingRay Special Club

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

Thank you for the suggestions Rich.

I didn't check the truss rod out but I did palm mute over the bridge and the sound remained. It is so slight but I can hear it and have become fixated on it.

I made a simple recording of the sound...to my ear it becomes noticeable around 5 seconds in and then becomes more and more audible as I move my plucking hand to the bridge but as soon as I get just in front of the bridge at about 10 seconds the sound stops. As I move away from the bridge it becomes audible again but gets progressively less noticeable as I pluck closer and closer the the neck.

I'm thinking it's just the sound of new strings and this will die down...I do have a set of half rounds that I plan on trying out as I head deeper into this tone journey with my new bass.

I should mention this is my first new bass with new round wound strings on it so I'm pretty ignorant to what new strings sound like too.

Don’t think the link works .

 

[HD007]

Don’t think the link works .

Happy to have found this thread. I searched Stingray Special Fan Club and ended up here. If I didn't find this page, I was going to start one just to express how much I love this new bass! I'm going to put it like this- I'm 49 years old, started playing when I was 16. Not once in all those years nor all the basses I have owned have I felt the need to publicly proclaim my love for a particular instrument. I love her+she sparkles. Thank you Ernie Ball.

You are not alone in the urge to gush. For quite a few of us the Special hits a bullseye, pure and simple, with or without sparkles. So glad one found its way to you!

 

[HD007]

Thank you for the suggestions Rich.

I didn't check the truss rod out but I did palm mute over the bridge and the sound remained. It is so slight but I can hear it and have become fixated on it.

I made a simple recording of the sound...to my ear it becomes noticeable around 5 seconds in and then becomes more and more audible as I move my plucking hand to the bridge but as soon as I get just in front of the bridge at about 10 seconds the sound stops. As I move away from the bridge it becomes audible again but gets progressively less noticeable as I pluck closer and closer the the neck.

I'm thinking it's just the sound of new strings and this will die down...I do have a set of half rounds that I plan on trying out as I head deeper into this tone journey with my new bass.

I should mention this is my first new bass with new round wound strings on it so I'm pretty ignorant to what new strings sound like too.

I can't get the link to work either.

Do you have a good tech you can bring it to? Could it be strings lightly buzzing on fret wire, or is it not that sound?

 

[mikeswals]

The noise could just be my setup, I didn't really notice it until I dropped the tuning to D standard and then the low string to C - sorta expected some, but got more than I bargained for before raising it. There's still a little something something not 100% right, but it's very close and I can work with it as is without having to take it back.

Unless you did a new setup on your bass you cant do a full 1 step drop and not expect it to buzz, and then further drop C on the E string I would expect it to buzz even worse of you left the same strings on it. Minimum would be adding relief to the neck with that tuning.

 

[nonohmic]

Is there going to be a Sterling Special?

 

[bumble yeti]

Is there going to be a Sterling Special?

Wish! Love my Sterling 5.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

Is there going to be a Sterling Special?

I would bet a few bucks on that being at NAMM and not sweat losing the bet. No inside info.

 

[BigDrew]

Thank you for the suggestions Rich.

I didn't check the truss rod out but I did palm mute over the bridge and the sound remained. It is so slight but I can hear it and have become fixated on it.

I made a simple recording of the sound...to my ear it becomes noticeable around 5 seconds in and then becomes more and more audible as I move my plucking hand to the bridge but as soon as I get just in front of the bridge at about 10 seconds the sound stops. As I move away from the bridge it becomes audible again but gets progressively less noticeable as I pluck closer and closer the the neck.

I'm thinking it's just the sound of new strings and this will die down...I do have a set of half rounds that I plan on trying out as I head deeper into this tone journey with my new bass.

I should mention this is my first new bass with new round wound strings on it so I'm pretty ignorant to what new strings sound like too.

I have had the same problem on a few basses. It’s sometimes not enough break angle over the nut. Sometimes I just change the strings. Mine almost sounds like a brooiinnnng. Like a spring. Really bad through headphones. Try the break angle.

 

[nonohmic]

Wish! Love my Sterling 5.

I would bet a few bucks on that being at NAMM and not sweat losing the bet. No inside info.

Word. Love the look of the specials, the necks in particular, but still cant get over the big ol' butt of the Stingray. No offence intended.

 

[Stranger Danger]

Word. Love the look of the specials, the necks in particular, but still cant get over the big ol' butt of the Stingray. No offence intended.

Two points:

Helps balance the instrument.

I love big butts and I cannot lie.

 

[bumble yeti]

Two points:

Helps balance the instrument.

I love big butts and I cannot lie.

Because we're all about that bass! 'bout that bass! No treble.

 

[JaseOfBase]

Hmmmm! I'm not sure why the link won't work...I uploaded directly here...that could be the issue.

Here is a direct link to the file in my Dropbox.

Dropbox - StingRay Classic - 1:11:19, 8.42 PM.mp3

 

[JaseOfBase]

I can't get the link to work either.

Do you have a good tech you can bring it to? Could it be strings lightly buzzing on fret wire, or is it not that sound?

It really doesn't sound like a fret buzz...I posted the link above though...maybe it is?!

I have had the same problem on a few basses. It’s sometimes not enough break angle over the nut. Sometimes I just change the strings. Mine almost sounds like a brooiinnnng. Like a spring. Really bad through headphones. Try the break angle.

So when I press down on the string right above the nut to create a steeper angle to the tuning peg the sound becomes pretty much non-existent! I can still hear it very vaguely but hardly at all through my headphones.

Now here is the issue, I have my strings pretty much as low as they can go. Any advice?! I am going to dig deeper into an article now as well. Thank you so much man! Brilliant advice!

 

[Briton]

It really doesn't sound like a fret buzz...I posted the link above though...maybe it is?!



So when I press down on the string right above the nut to create a steeper angle to the tuning peg the sound becomes pretty much non-existent! I can still hear it very vaguely but hardly at all through my headphones.

Now here is the issue, I have my strings pretty much as low as they can go. Any advice?! I am going to dig deeper into an article now as well. Thank you so much man! Brilliant advice!

I would just send it back! EB are chucking these out so fast at the moment, so there are bound to be QC issues with them.

 

[Daniel Piper]

Are there going to be new colors for 2019?

I know they are still new, and the current color range is about as good as it gets - but - I like colors.

 

[Stefan Cartmale]

Are there going to be new colors for 2019?

I know they are still new, and the current color range is about as good as it gets - but - I like colors.

I like the colour range but man it would've been cool to have a matching headstock- aqua sparkle headstock woulda blown my mind

 

[ChrisHooker]

...to my ear it becomes noticeable around 5 seconds in and then becomes more and more audible as I move my plucking hand to the bridge but as soon as I get just in front of the bridge at about 10 seconds the sound stops. As I move away from the bridge it becomes audible again but gets progressively less noticeable as I pluck closer and closer the the neck.

...Now here is the issue, I have my strings pretty much as low as they can go.

I would NOT be so fast to send it back.

Is this on your new Special 4H, or (as your clip name suggests) a Classic?
The Neodymium pickups on the Specials have a stronger magnetic pull than Alnico or Ceramic pups, and therefor may need to have a bit more distance from the strings to prevent them from pulling the strings out of their natural mechanical path of oscillation. The magnetic pull of the pups can change the way the string vibrates, causing overtones, chorusing, pitch warbles, etc. Since you say the sound is occuring when you are plucking in the pup's general area, perhaps you are causing the strings to swing closer to the pup by plucking there (does sound louder in your clip during those sections). Since you also mentioned that you have lowered your strings, this seems likely that you may just need to lower the pickup, and get to rockin'.

 

[BigDrew]

It really doesn't sound like a fret buzz...I posted the link above though...maybe it is?!



So when I press down on the string right above the nut to create a steeper angle to the tuning peg the sound becomes pretty much non-existent! I can still hear it very vaguely but hardly at all through my headphones.

Now here is the issue, I have my strings pretty much as low as they can go. Any advice?! I am going to dig deeper into an article now as well. Thank you so much man! Brilliant advice!

So, on a Fender you can get a Stealth A String Retainer...basically a string tree. Unwind your string, restring it but make sure that you are as low as possible on the peg. The other thing (another Fender trick) don't cut the string. Make sure that you have a lot of string wrapped around the peg. However, again, make sure that you wrap as low as possible so that you can have a steep break angle over the nut.

 

[JaseOfBase]

I would NOT be so fast to send it back.

Is this on your new Special 4H, or (as your clip name suggests) a Classic?
The Neodymium pickups on the Specials have a stronger magnetic pull than Alnico or Ceramic pups, and therefor may need to have a bit more distance from the strings to prevent them from pulling the strings out of their natural mechanical path of oscillation. The magnetic pull of the pups can change the way the string vibrates, causing overtones, chorusing, pitch warbles, etc. Since you say the sound is occuring when you are plucking in the pup's general area, perhaps you are causing the strings to swing closer to the pup by plucking there (does sound louder in your clip during those sections). Since you also mentioned that you have lowered your strings, this seems likely that you may just need to lower the pickup, and get to rockin'.

This is my new SR Special...pay no attention to the name...I was trying out all kinds of basses at a shop and recording the samples myself. I used the same track when creating that example.

Do you have a measurement that I should lower the pup too from the E and G string on a SR? Thanks in advance and for the help!

 

[Stranger Danger]

I would NOT be so fast to send it back.

Is this on your new Special 4H, or (as your clip name suggests) a Classic?
The Neodymium pickups on the Specials have a stronger magnetic pull than Alnico or Ceramic pups, and therefor may need to have a bit more distance from the strings to prevent them from pulling the strings out of their natural mechanical path of oscillation. The magnetic pull of the pups can change the way the string vibrates, causing overtones, chorusing, pitch warbles, etc. Since you say the sound is occuring when you are plucking in the pup's general area, perhaps you are causing the strings to swing closer to the pup by plucking there (does sound louder in your clip during those sections). Since you also mentioned that you have lowered your strings, this seems likely that you may just need to lower the pickup, and get to rockin'.

Yes. Gotta lower those pickups.