How the StingRay HH should have been

[anonymouse69]

Anyone agree that the HH version of the StingRay would have been better if the neck pickup was moved closer towards the bridge?

This would instantly solve two of the main issues people have with the HH:
- pickup getting in the way of slapping/popping (especially now with the special having 22 frets)
- neck pickup sounding muddy

Get on it Sterling Ball

 

[Joe Nerve]

Would make it very tough to play if you're used to using the pickup as a thumbrest. It would also make it less versatile.

 

[mdogs]

1. Don’t care about slapping
2. Neck pickup is not muddy
3. If I wanted a bass with a pickup in the P position, I would get a P. If I wanted a bass with pickups in the J position, I would get a J.

Soulution looking for a problem…too much time on your hands.

 

[Joe Nerve]

An HS is also the answer to all the perceived problems in the OP. That's what my Stingray was. That's what my Bongo and Sterling both are.

 

[Tubehed]

Neck pickup muddy? Not in my experience. Plus, you have a powerful 3 band eq literally at your fingertips if need to tighten things up.

 

[GIBrat51]

1. Don’t care about slapping
2. Neck pickup is not muddy
3. If I wanted a bass with a pickup in the P position, I would get a P. If I wanted a bass with pickups in the J position, I would get a J.

Soulution looking for a problem…too much time on your hands.

^^THIS^^ Couple of caveats, though...
3a. I do have a very nice P-Bass - and a very nice Warmoth Mini-Precision, too. So the split-coil humbucker in the correct position thing is very well covered, thank you. And I also have a couple of basses with single coils in (pretty much) the JB position, too. I'm good...
4. AFAIC, "how the Stingray HH should have been" would be; available as a lefty a LONG time ago. I had to wait until 2020 for mine...

 

[Flaked Beans]

1. Don’t care about slapping
2. Neck pickup is not muddy
3. If I wanted a bass with a pickup in the P position, I would get a P. If I wanted a bass with pickups in the J position, I would get a J.

Soulution looking for a problem…too much time on your hands.

This. I paid a lot of money for the real one! Happy 4th of July! here's mine:

 

[tubatodd]

Anyone agree that the HH version of the StingRay would have been better if the neck pickup was moved closer towards the bridge?

This would instantly solve two of the main issues people have with the HH:
- pickup getting in the way of slapping/popping (especially now with the special having 22 frets)
- neck pickup sounding muddy

Get on it Sterling Ball

View attachment 4323764

Johny Long did a stingray with pickups in that layout and it sounded fantastic. I too would be curious to try one.

 

[Yahboy]

How about mod it to SH configuration ?

 

[Dr. Cheese]

The issue with an HH Stingray is that the “bridge” pickup is not really at the bridge, it is in the Stingray sweet spot. That means a neck pickup cannot really be in the Precision position.

 

[Dave TB Killer]

I'm holding out for the 4H! Would be totally Spinal Tap. 4 MM pickups and a single volume knob for each pickup!

 

[Hounddog409]

1. Don’t care about slapping
2. Neck pickup is not muddy
3. If I wanted a bass with a pickup in the P position, I would get a P. If I wanted a bass with pickups in the J position, I would get a J.

Soulution looking for a problem…too much time on your hands.

This.

End of thread

 

[MattZilla]

I’m half in the HS camp, half in the H camp.

 

[Chickenwheels]

I dig the SR, especially pre-EB and SR5. But the HH looks daft to me.
Why not stick with the Sabre recipe? So much more refined in appearance.

 

[SirMjac28]

I think you forgot me?

 

[fauxtoe]

1. Don’t care about slapping
2. Neck pickup is not muddy
3. If I wanted a bass with a pickup in the P position, I would get a P. If I wanted a bass with pickups in the J position, I would get a J.

Soulution looking for a problem…too much time on your hands.

Spot on. I don’t have an HH (I have an H), but any time I’ve played one mud was not in my description of tone. Other than the tighter slapping area, which is still manageable, this is all very apples to oranges. A Stingray doesn’t sound like a P or J, and that’s the way it should be. I’ve owned and played basses with humbuckers that close together and I didn’t care for them much.

 

[mmbongo]

Or just get an MTD Super 4.

 

[Captain Chaos]

I have a Warwick $$ and it sounds nothing like a stingray and somewhat sounds like a souped up jazz bass.

 

[SJan3]

Anyone agree that the HH version of the StingRay would have been better if the neck pickup was moved closer towards the bridge?

This would instantly solve two of the main issues people have with the HH:
- pickup getting in the way of slapping/popping (especially now with the special having 22 frets)
- neck pickup sounding muddy

Get on it Sterling Ball

View attachment 4323764

IMHO, THE STINGRAY should have remained a 1 pickup bass. They had the 2 pup SABRE too but I guess that didn't sell as well. I owned both Sabre and many Stingrays. The Ray is all about the sweet spot pup. Never meant to be a 2 pup instrument. The G&L L-2000 is the ticket if you want 2 pups but you won't get the Ray sound.

 

[EMoneySC2]

Roughly quoting TalkBass member @MDBass in how he described a Dingwall bass:

If the Music Man Stingray worshipped a god, it would be this bass
​

Dingwall with 3X pickup configuration

Video with the referenced quote, about an NG-2 that was modded to the 3X configuration with some extra bells and whistles:

Having the two pickups right next to each other close to the bridge is awesome. Run them in series and you’ve got a great beefed up Music Man tone.

They’re not for everybody, but they’re hands down my favorite basses.