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MM Stingray weak G

#41
I FIXED THE WEAK G STRING OUTPUT ON MY RAY BY DOING THIS:

1) Remove the pickup-unit from the body

2) Carefully remove the pickup-unit cover

3) On each pickup, gently tap the pole piece for the G string so that the top of it is raised to a position which is level with the top of the D string pole piece

4) Re Install pickups and adjust height of unit to suit

Problem solved.

PS sorry for shouting...but I wanted to get your attention
 
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#42
PJ Muzikmansky said:
I FIXED THE WEAK G STRING OUTPUT ON MY RAY BY DOING THIS:

1) Remove the pickup-unit from the body

2) Carefully remove the pickup-unit cover

3) On each pickup, gently tap the pole piece for the G string so that the top of it is raised to a position which is level with the top of the D string pole piece

4) Re Install pickups and adjust height of unit to suit

Problem solved.

PS sorry for shouting...but I wanted to get your attention
Click to expand...

...or you could just adjust the screw that raises the pickup height on the treble side. :rolleyes:
 
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#47
This is interesting. I bought a '99 SR 5 in April and gigged it once (so far) at a three-hour gig in May with a five-piece band (bass, leas and rhythm guitars, drums and keyboards) that morphed into a seven-piece (another guitarist and a saxophone player) and I found no problems with the G string. Mine had the nut recut to move the G string away from the edge of the fingerboard, but no other modifications, and I installed a set of Thomastik-Infeld Jazz Flats on it.

I don't have a problem, but I'm following this thread to learn a little more about the bass.
P1010005_zps9996d553.jpg
 
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#49
zortation said:
...or you could just adjust the screw that raises the pickup height on the treble side. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Which doesn't work, because it also makes the D string louder relative to the G string and the e string lower relative to the A. Why do you suppose EBMM made the pickups on the newer (2 pickup) Stingrays flush instead of staggered -- also all of the other new EBMM models?

The fix the TB'er suggested, to which you rolled your eyes, is the only real fix for the issue. Btw, don't try this on preEBMM models because the pole pieces are glued. On the EBMM models, the pole pieces are just pressed into plastic bobbins and the bobbins do not touch the pickup wire, so if you are careful there is no chance of destroying the pickup.


btw, I would suggest pressing the pole pieces for the D and A strings down rather than moving the E and G up because it solves another problem by making the pole pieces flush with the pickup cover.
 
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#52
I didnt read this whole thread to see if anyone else commented on this but this might sound ridiculous but check to make sure the G string is not muting out on the mute pad. I could not get my action low enough without the G string muting out on the pad. It could just barely be touching it and it would kill the sound. Sounds crazy but worth checking. Let me know.

Dave
 
#54
dkelley said:
Or agree that it exists. Other people aren't unable to hear.... We simply don't have the issue.
Click to expand...

Sterling Ball discussed this on the EB forum years ago as a design issue. I'm sure some people have enough processing or EQing that they don't notice it, but plugged into a flat amp side by side with a passive Fender, it is quite noticeable on every Stingray I've owned and played. It's something you simply adjust to.
 
#55
king_biscuit said:
Sterling Ball discussed this on the EB forum years ago as a design issue. I'm sure some people have enough processing or EQing that they don't notice it, but plugged into a flat amp side by side with a passive Fender, it is quite noticeable on every Stingray I've owned and played. It's something you simply adjust to.
Click to expand...

I've been involved with that forum on this topic and recall when he posted that... To be clear, he was careful to make it clear that it's not a flaw.

I believe that imho it's the eq settings some people choose on their stingrays, although there may be some stingrays with a real problem as well that I've never encountered. I have never experienced any quiet G string issues but have heard the expected effects of creating a smiley face eq by boosting the tone controls and using ss strings instead of nickel wound.

Compared to a fender p or j a stingray pickup has less mids, but the eq isn't smiley faced but is actually flat with bass at zero and treble around 30%. It won't boost mids like that but will not hide the fundamental of the G string at least.

Scoop a fender bass and you'll get the same magically quieter G string...
 
#56
dkelley said:
I've been involved with that forum on this topic and recall when he posted that... To be clear, he was careful to make it clear that it's not a flaw.

I believe that imho it's the eq settings some people choose on their stingrays, although there may be some stingrays with a real problem as well that I've never encountered. I have never experienced any quiet G string issues but have heard the expected effects of creating a smiley face eq by boosting the tone controls and using ss strings instead of nickel wound.

Compared to a fender p or j a stingray pickup has less mids, but the eq isn't smiley faced but is actually flat with bass at zero and treble around 30%. It won't boost mids like that but will not hide the fundamental of the G string at least.

Scoop a fender bass and you'll get the same magically quieter G string...
Click to expand...


I have never used a smiley faced EQ in my life :) I also didn't call it a flaw, and I clearly like Stingrays -- check out my profile, or this photo:

IMG_3133.jpg
 
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#57
lpdeluxe said:
This is interesting. I bought a '99 SR 5 in April
Click to expand...

Nice one! One of my favorite colors.

And, in case you don't know, being a '99, it has the ceramic magnet pickup. They changed to alnico in 2008, when they introduced the Sterling 5, which has the same ceramic pickup and preamp as your pre-2008 SR5.

Personally, I think the ceramic pickup sounds way better than the alnico, so, to my ears, you've got one that sounds significantly better than the current SR5s.

Woohoo!! Congrats!
 
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#58
The weak G is indeed a real problem, not a phantom one.

However, many posts here discuss how this problem doesn't exist with the HH 'Rays, even when only the bridge pup is selected. And that has been my experience as well.

So the HH setup solves the 'one trick pony' problem and the weak G problem.
 
#59
king_biscuit said:
I have never used a smiley faced EQ in my life :) I also didn't call it a flaw, and I clearly like Stingrays -- check out my profile, or this photo:

IMG_3133.jpg
Click to expand...

Cool... I was trying to make sure others understood what sterling meant by the way... Your note about what he said left room for interpretation when iirc the ball family claim to have never experienced this phenomenon personally when testing even reportedly symptomatic basses.

And if you own stingrays then yes you have had a smiley face eq on your bass any time your bass control was anything but off all the way and treble was more than vaguely a third of the way up. Assuming 2 bands here...

Just like if you own several fender or classic Ampeg bass amps set flat then it was in fact a smiley face eq due to the design choices they made.... Smiley face means mid scoop and it's all over the place even when we think we're setting things flat.

Not trying to be contrary LoL.... Just sharing a little known factoid. :-)
 
#60
Here is what Sterling said:

"This trait has been around since the first day of the stingray. Its is NOT a byproduct of wood. It is due to the active preamp used on the bass. The output isnt actually lower the response is thinner sounding or not as fat. IT is one of the things you get used to with a Sting Ray or not. Believe it or not it was a complaint of mine in the beginning when I worked with Leo. The emerging slap and the old school country click players loved it. That thin snappin G sound helped the Sr taked off. You can try flats and it will help, but chances are that you will bet used to it by playing ... "

Available at: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

As you can most of my Stingrays are 3 band not two.

Btw, I called EBMM tech support back in the early 90s to inquire about a weak G string on a four string Stingray. I got passed to someone in the shop who told me guys had complaied about that for years, and he suggested finding steel washers to place on the G string magnets -- I never did try that :)
 

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