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Modding my Stingray5

alfredpunkjazz

alfredpunkjazz

Feb 27, 2007
1,648
13
México City
#1
Hi guys, I'm after some of your knowledge...

The thing is this, I have a Stingray5, I love it, I really love it, but I'm terribly curious to know if there is somewhere an aftermarket pickup and preamp to make it sound as the classic Stingray(4), because I know they sound different, I want more of the agressive tone of the classic Stingray... A big extra would be, also something to avoid that strange thing that happens between the higher strings and the rest, some of you may have noticed that the G and D strings seem to be weak sounding when compared to the rest... I want an even string to string sound, a Stingray(4) classic sound, all in a Stingray5 format... What do you guys say, is it possible????
 
#5
Ok, here's my 2 cents, but I've only owned a stingray 5 for a few days now (but I used to have a SUB 4), so take this for what it's worth.

I've also noticed somewhat low volumes from the D and G strings, but before making any drastic conclusions about the pickup/preamp, I'm gonna try and play more toward the neck. Resting one's thumb on the bridge pickup, and therefore plucking quite close to the bridge, will make the D and G sound weak on any bass.

If you find that you can't get the tone and/or volume you want by changing your plucking position, I think Nordstrand makes a MM pickup that is supposed to pay homage to the original stingray pickup. Don't know if there's a fiver, but he does do custom pickups (as does Delano).

You could try running the bass passive. I think some of the SUBs were passive and still sounded like a musicman.

That's it off the top of my head, good luck.
 
#8
I heard from a well known luthier/ repairman that Nordstrands will get you much closer to the classic SR4 sound. At least that was his experience with his SR5. I think someone (East perhaps) makes a pre modeled after the early pre-EB 2 band EQ's, so that may be another route as well...
 
#9
If you have one of the SR5's with ceramic magnets,replacing it with an alnico will actually tame it down a bit. I did that with a Sterling several years ago,and although it sounded closer to the original Music Man Stingray tone,it wasn't as aggressive as the original. I'd try some different strings before swapping pickups,or changing the preamp. They work fine like they are.
 
#11
alfredpunkjazz said:
Hi guys, I'm after some of your knowledge...

The thing is this, I have a Stingray5, I love it, I really love it, but I'm terribly curious to know if there is somewhere an aftermarket pickup and preamp to make it sound as the classic Stingray(4), because I know they sound different, I want more of the agressive tone of the classic Stingray... A big extra would be, also something to avoid that strange thing that happens between the higher strings and the rest, some of you may have noticed that the G and D strings seem to be weak sounding when compared to the rest... I want an even string to string sound, a Stingray(4) classic sound, all in a Stingray5 format... What do you guys say, is it possible????
Click to expand...

FWIW, I love Musicman basses... and over the years I've come to the conclusion that my ears far prefer alnico magnet pickups to ceramic. To my ears, ceramic pickups just don't have that same angry growling tone that you find in the alnico pickups. It's hard to put into words... but it's easy to hear.

Had two beautiful SR5s (prior to MM going back to alnico)... but they just didn't have the punch/tone I was looking for.
Wound up selling both...
A couple of months later, I was at GC looking at a P bass... and picked up a SR4 on a lark while waiting for the sales guy.
Instantly fell in love with the tone.
Warm, punchy, angry...
The exact sound I was hoping to get with my SR5s.

I'm not big into modding MM basses...
But in hind-sight, I wish I had kept my SR5 HS Pacific Blue Burst... and installed a Nordstrand MM 5.3 alnico pickup.
I Installed a Nordstrand MM 4.3 into an ATK (stock pickup is ceramic) and it sounds far superior to the stock pickup. Very close to a SR...
 
#12
Sterling Ball comment about uneven weak sound: Invalid Link Removed

To achieve Stingray4 sound you have to:
1) Change the preamp (5string version have had different one AFAIK)
2) Change a pickup to alnico one
 
#13
Ach said:
Sterling Ball comment about uneven weak sound: Invalid Link Removed

To achieve Stingray4 sound you have to:
1) Change the preamp (5string version have had different one AFAIK)
2) Change a pickup to alnico one
Click to expand...

+1 to the preamp. the preamps in the different basses really color them more than i think most people give them credit for. i put a duncan alnico stingray pickup in my sterling and it got more ray sounding by far, but it still had that super hi tech sound because the pre is voiced with the highs super high and high mids sucked out when set flat. the eq voicing works really well with the bass in series but the parallel sound is a bit thin on top compared to a ray because of it.

fwiw, i thought the clips of the nord ray pickup on basstasters didnt sound anything like an old ray.
 
#15
Oh dear... so it should be the whole thing... I think I will give a try to that Nordstrand pickup, I'll give them a call. I really like what I have, but I think the Stingray5 sits right in the middle of much other sounds that are closer in specific instruments... I want the classic stuff.
 
#17
I forgot to add in my original post that I had a few Sterlings and SR5's in the past with the weak G and D string issue. Swapping the pickup with a Basslines alnico did fix the issue.But I personally prefered the tone of the original ceramic. My current stable of Music Man basses don't have that problem,and are therefore stock.
 
#19
East made a Stingray preamp for the "Sterling 5" series of SR5s (because, let's face it, before they wised up, when you bought a Stingray 5, you were buying a Sterling 5). But they ARE expensive.
http://www.bestbassgear.com/john-east-preamp.htm

I had a MM5.3 in my SR5 and it helped the tone out a lot for getting more to that classic Stingray tone. Getting the right strings helped. But, honestly, it's more in the preamp than anywhere else. The mid setting and the lessened low-end are give aways.
 

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