Music Man sound and pickups

[Hawk600]

I have the SD 3
Band system and pup in a Warmoth gecko 5 and it is OUTRAGEOUS. all settings are functional and I was also surprised by the slap switch

I do have the same preamp out of a bass now and it was installed first on a Sterling SUB4 and than on a Sterling Ray34, both sounded amazing with this preamp, did not even need change the original pickups!

The thing is since I seeking the 2 band Stingray tone and I am not sure how close it sounds to a 2 band SR stock neither have a way to compare both.
If was close, I would install the SD on my Stingray 3 band instead buying a John East pre.

 

[mcnach]

I do have the same preamp out of a bass now and it was installed first on a Sterling SUB4 and than on a Sterling Ray34, both sounded amazing with this preamp, did not even need change the original pickups!

The thing is since I seeking the 2 band Stingray tone and I am not sure how close it sounds to a 2 band SR stock neither have a way to compare both.
If was close, I would install the SD on my Stingray 3 band instead buying a John East pre.

I used both. Go for the John East.

 

[mouthmw]

Yes I am seeking the 2 band tone, I was thinking in getting a Ray34CA as alternative since the 2 band Stingrays are too expensive for me right now and I already have a Stingray 4 HH and a Music Man Sterling HS that sounds amazing even having a 3 band eq but I am not kim of the SRHH 3 band tone.
Tried different Strings but the bas is not thunderous and thigh like the Sterling, is more like a distorted bass, not so smooth.

In that case, if you wanna save money, I'd highly recommend getting an old used USA made Music Man SUB. I have one, and it has the same original 2 band preamp/pickup combo as the Classic Stingray. I've changed the pickup now for AG 4M like I mentioned, to get a little extra fatness/balance/vintage character closer to pre eb rays, but the stock pup is no slouch for sure. No need to compromise, you save money and get ALL the tone with it. Same USA build quality, exactly the same original preamp and pup. Different finish. No brainer IMO.

 

[cm3ohana]

Just installed the 2-band Mojotone that I got from a fellow TB'r and, although it doesn't get discussed much here, it is a nice preamp to consider. I installed it in a gutted Sterling Ray5 and it's dead quiet and sounds great. I don't have a basis of comparison to the John East or Nordstrand preamps....nor an actual '70's Stingray but it sounds great no matter the price I paid.

 

[basslifter]

I recently came across a good deal on an MTD Kingston Artist 4; the one with the single MM style humbucker. The bass is very light and balances well, so it has potential, but I'm not crazy about the tone. I want to tame the metallic sound and the clanky highs with a more pronounced low-mid range.
I'm not sure this is the way to go about it, but this is the tone I'm going for:
<a href="Music Man sound and pickups">Music Man sound and pickups</a>
This guy kept the original pickup, but installed a high-end pre-amp. Will I get the same result in a completely different bass?
This is the best collection of sounds I have come across thus far:
BassGyver
I'm thinking Bartolini or Nordstrand as of now. A friend recommended the Nordstand Big Man as a possibility also.
Thoughts?
Thanks

 

[lukiluk]

have You tried the stingray 5 with alnico pickup? i don't like At all...in parallel mode miss the treble and bass...too much high mid...I really prefer the ceramic version by far...what do You Think ?

 

[thebassbuilder]

have You tried the stingray 5 with alnico pickup? i don't like At all...in parallel mode miss the treble and bass...too much high mid...I really prefer the ceramic version by far...what do You Think ?

It sounds like to me you have it wired in series and not in parallel. Parallel normally has more bass and treble but not as loud. Series has more mids and is louder than parallel.

 

[lukiluk]

mmm...I talking about the parallel mode in the newer stingray 5...
look At this video

 

[thebassbuilder]

I may be with you on this video as I like the black and maple bass the best and the classic 2nd then the blue one 3rd. In my post I was referring to the general rule for dual coil pickups and the way they will sound in different modes.

 

[thebassbuilder]

I take that back. The tone of the blue bass with white pickguard had the best pick tone.

 

[lukiluk]

The alnico is the worst . ..

 

[thebassbuilder]

The alnico is the worst . ..

From the video, I am with you but this goes against what I would have thought as Alnico typically have the sweetest tone with more smooth low end and a sparkle to the top. In this case it is not working. I also heard another TBer post a clip of his 4 string Sub and he put the bassline Ceramic in with some kind of pre or maybe stock and it sounded killer. Just nailed the tone of the track he was playing. So maybe we all need to start swapping out for ceramic pups.

 

[lukiluk]

or maybe is the 3 band preamp that don't match At all with alnico pickup

 

[thebassbuilder]

or maybe is the 3 band preamp that don't match At all with alnico pickup

Could be. The bass in my avatar as you can see has an MM in it and it is an Alnico model pup. It does have a very sweat warm low end with that sparkling top end these pups can be known for. This is when playing finger or slap style. I love this pickup/bass a lot because of the pup combo. Crazy, I only like one pup or the other but not both. Sounds too much like a hi-fi jazz bass. You still have me thinking of trying the ceramic model. I just know ceramic can some times be too muddy but maybe worth trying.

 

[ericmknight1906]

I don't know if this question has already been answered but, is there a way to install an aftermarket preamp into the MM and still keep the selector switch?? I Like the sound of my stingray bass but I would like the sound to be a tad bit warmer and crunchier (if you can imagine how that would sound). I would love to install a Bartolini Preamp and keep everything else stock including the selector switch. Is this possible??

 

[Britbonic]

I don't know if this question has already been answered but, is there a way to install an aftermarket preamp into the MM and still keep the selector switch?? I Like the sound of my stingray bass but I would like the sound to be a tad bit warmer and crunchier (if you can imagine how that would sound). I would love to install a Bartolini Preamp and keep everything else stock including the selector switch. Is this possible??

I suppose it could be done but a bit a of challenge (or costly if you're paying someone else).You didn't mention which Stingray you have but in general the way they're put together makes if tough to do a lot of mods. A pickup switch would be much easier and might get you closer to what you're looking for.

 

[Stevorebob]

I don't know if this question has already been answered but, is there a way to install an aftermarket preamp into the MM and still keep the selector switch?? I Like the sound of my stingray bass but I would like the sound to be a tad bit warmer and crunchier (if you can imagine how that would sound). I would love to install a Bartolini Preamp and keep everything else stock including the selector switch. Is this possible??

"Warmer and crunchier" isn't how I'd describe a Bart pre. Maybe an Aguilar. Or perhaps a Music Man.

 

[ex-tension]

I don't know if this question has already been answered but, is there a way to install an aftermarket preamp into the MM and still keep the selector switch??

See the post #388 under this thread.
Also: Should I make a classic MMSR HH?

 

[ericmknight1906]

See the post #388 under this thread.
Also: Should I make a classic MMSR HH?

thank you!

 

[DangaDanga]

I have basscultre neodymium mms in my bass with a darkglass pre. It's a nasty combo that sounds very similar to a bongo. Each pickup was around a 100 and totally worth it.