EBMM Stingray Special Ghost Pepper G.A.S.

First thing to remember is every time a Ray is sold an angel gets its wings. It gets better from there. Plus the angel doesn't have a hidden agenda so they pretty much spend eternity trying to make your life better.
That life-long fringe benefit resting on top of the fact that it plays and sounds better than anything in class is as good as any reason to pull the trigger.

 

I'm and endorser, yes...but I play Sadowsky and Fender as much as MM when I tour..so on with it

Completely NEW thing...really..I have the new one...have the old version too.

#1. It's light.
#2. The curves are amazing and comfy
#3. The Neck...great if you dig the SR chunk

The Stainless steel frets. Hmmmm not sure I dig them. I have them on a BONGO and a Carvin...there is a 'ping' with the
frets, i don't hear with the old kind...but hey it's not a knock, just different.

The Pickup and Preamp are completely different in my opinion. Physically they are different. Neo Pickups, new preamp - The RAY sound IS THERE...however, there is a low mid presence I hear that is in all of the characteristics of the new sound. No bad. GOOD..but different.

Like all EBMM RAYS I have..this thing is plug and play. You can't get a bad sound out if it...and all the sounds are usable. The 'one trick pony' was always BS...they rock.

 

I just picked up a 5 string stingray special. I say go for it. These basses really are something special. One suggestion though, make sure you check out the ones with the roasted maple fingerboards before pulling the trigger. Those things are beautiful.

Go here for tons more info: https://www.talkbass.com/threads/ebmm-stingray-special-club.1354719/

 

I've owned a 2018 Stingray Special 4H for about two weeks now. I also own a mid 2000's EB Sterling, so I can compare to that:

The Stingray Special is lighter than the Sterling. It's also lighter than my 2012 MIA Fender Precision. The roasted maple neck on the Stingray is honestly beautiful and striking, but it doesn't strike me as too much better than my Sterling's neck. Which I think speaks more to the overall quality of the Ernie Ball necks. The Sterling was the nicest production bass neck I'd ever played until I picked this one up. I'd put the Stingray on the same level, with a slight edge over the Sterling.

From a sound standpoint, the Sterling and the Stingray Special are pretty similar. Unfortunately I can't really compare it to a pre-Special Stingray, but I've used the Sterling a lot in gigs and I never found myself lacking for the overall Stingray sound. Sure, if I was really analyzing I could probably find the difference, but when the band is playing it's not really anything I notice.

If you've already got a Stingray or Sterling, I think the upgrades are a nice touch and worth consideration. The weight is a huge plus. The necks, though. Those are such a massive selling point, and with good reason.

 

I dont know, I was checking out a dropped copper colored 4H stingray special that weighed in at almost 10lbs. , they claim they are suppose to be around 8lbs. so I dont know what happened with this one.

The Limited edition Ginger burst 5 string is quite fetching and is gnawing at me, I really dont need another 5 but there is something about ginger burst ya know.

 

Ghost peppers usually give me a different kind of gas...

 

I’ve had a 4H jet black Special for a couple weeks now, and it’s easily the nicest instrument I’ve ever owned. It sounds great, plays smoothly, has an amazing preamp, is well-balanced and light, and looks amazing. I’m in love with mine, and strongly encourage the spending of your money.

Also, that ghost pepper color is hot.

 

I'm pushing 63. I love my 5-string EBMM StingRay "boat anchor". It's in my will that my granddaughter gets it and my Alvarez Yairi acoustic guitar. She is five, has autism, loves music, and is tough as nails, just like the Ray! She will make great music on the Ray and the Yairi. I've been told that you can tell when a Ray is dialed in because it sounds "pissed off". My granddaughter can get pissed off at the drop of a hat, but she is also the sweetest child in the world when you give her love.......again, just like a Ray!!!!
Her melody will come through the mellow tones of the Yairi!
Oh, well. Just another grandpa braggin' about his granddaughter!!!!

 

That really is a great color combo. Just go for it.

 

To me, they play like a Sterling with a Stingray neck (I'm a Sterling man, personally, but they do play pretty well). The 18V preamp and redesigned pickup make them considerably more versatile than the 'normal' ones, and each new year of Music Man instruments are to my hands just a tiny bit better than each year before them, and 2020 proves to be no exception.