Music Man Stingray Fretless help

[Matt R.]

I think it's the pre, the 3 Band in particular. It might be something else, but I've found every 2 band and every HH or HS I've handled didn't exhibit the missing G string problem. My Old Smoothie doesn't have the problem. The Classics don't have the problem. The problem is, however, real.

I had a fretless Ray and I sold it because it had a dead spot in the usual place, C on the G string. It drove me nuts. I can usually deal with a dead spot but on a fretless it's so noticeable as the mwah just dies. I recorded a track for a producer, and the C major sections of the track required playing on the C dead spot. I didn't want to play the C on the A or D. I ended up playing while pressing the headstock against the amp. It sounded glorious. I traded it in at Sam Ash the next week.

Yep, I can't believe I forgot to mention, I did install a Seymour Duncan 3 band in one of them and it sounded so much better.

 

[TMARK]

Yep, I can't believe I forgot to mention, I did install a Seymour Duncan 3 band in one of them and it sounded so much better.

I've heard good things about swapping in Nordstrand electronics as well.

 

[NeverDropTheBass]

T

Stingrays in general have a G string that's a lot quieter than the D, A, and E. There's a lot of debate on this, but after owning a bunch of them over the years and hearing them played by others, I can't be convinced that this isn't an inherent quirk in these basses.

This

 

[73jbass]

You can take the pickup out,and push the G string magnet up a bit.

 

[nofretz]

Wow. I wish I'd seen this video before I sold mine. Would definitely have tried it. It was the most beautiful bass I've ever seen. Honeyburst with black Pickguard, and beautiful grain on unlined fretless fingerbaord.

 

[Slade N]

I havent noticed it on mine

 

[Slade N]

I was very disappointed because virtually the ENTIRE G string was a dead spot. I tried clamps, Fat fingers (2!), and even really heavy strings. Nothing helped. I ended up selling it

have you tried a lighter gauge? I think the heavier string on my other fretless, while I like the tone, seems more dead, deader, less alive, insert your choice here. It just doesn't sing and sustain like the SR does. Could be the base could be the string, could be carrots.

 

[nofretz]

I did not try a lighter gauge, as that wouldn't have been an option for my personal feel/sound goal.

 

[JLW]

I just lowered the pickup on the E string and that helped. I use Ernie Ball super slinkies and that helped too. I also tend to boost mids on the onboard EQ for stingrays, and that also helps. There is still a modest volume difference between the E and G strings, but not enough for me to care. I guess if it really bothered me I'd do what was mentioned in the youtube video above and raise the pickup poles for the G string.

 

[nofretz]

Hopefully, my next one will be a "try before you buy" opportunity, or at least a returns accepted situation. Still, if I came across a deal I couldn't pass up price wise, I would certainly exhaust every suggestion in this thread, if necessary.

 

[lpbfender]

I have the Sterling by MM CA 4 string fretless and I love it. Nothing dead here. I have GHS precision fiats on it. I was skeptical of its quality since my main basses are a US Lakland 4464. - early Year, Ric 4003, and Fender AVRI '62 Jazz And P. Bought on liquidation from Sweetwater.

I gig with it playing fretless Pink Floyd, Peter Gabriel tunes. I never played a MM fretless but I'd go with the experience displayed here.

 

[nofretz]

Yeah that sounds convincing! Thanks!

 

[JKoehler]

Reviving an old thread. I`ve read a story about Leo Fender giving bass players 1/8" tall steel slugs to place over the G an E magnets
of first generation Stingrays. I have a 1977 all original Inca Silver Stingray with a weak E and G string. After using the slugs on the E and G magnets , all strings were even in volume. I put a small drop of Super Glue on the slug, which keeps it from being knocked off. The slug can be popped off with a little effort if it needs to be returned to original, even though I don`t why when it helps so much in how the bass sounds.

 

[amper]

I've owned 3 fretless StingRays, all Ernie Ball 3-band EQ models: a 1995 Sunburst with the mute bridge but no mutes, a 2002 Transparent Gold with matching headstock, and a 2000 Transparent Gold with matching headstock and piezo, my current Number One.



I use flatwound strings exclusively, and have used TI Jazz Flats, D'Addario Chromes, and Rotosound 77 Jazz Flats.

At no time have I ever noticed any dead spots anywhere on these three, nor have I ever noticed a dead spot on any other fretless EBMM 3-band StingRay I've played in shops.

 

[nofretz]

At no time have I ever noticed any dead spots anywhere on these three, nor have I ever noticed a dead spot on any other fretless EBMM 3-band StingRay I've played in shops.

Thanks for the testimony. Jealous!

To be sure, this thread was started about a dead string. Mine had no dead spots either, unless you consider an entire string a “spot”.

I will get another one someday. I definitely think the odds are in favor of me having one with no such issues.

 

[Kaarenonstad]

Old tread, but here is my experience: stingrays are different from each other. Some have weak spots, others do not. Must try before bying. When the whole string is weak (dead), that is not a resonance problem, It is the pickup. Some Stingrays have stacked poles (lower on the G and E): bad idea. Get a pickup with even poles, and set the pu at an angle. My pickups have flat poles, and are set at 6mm from body at the E and 8-9mm at G. The pickup is from Haussel in Germany, as the original in my MM Stealth was useless. That one is my main bass. I also put the same pu in my Ray34 because I liked it so much. The Ray34 now has a Status Graphite lined fretless neck, which is fantastic (satin back). If You want a good Stingray fretless, that would be my recommendation; buy a used Ray34, then get a graphite fretless neck: Fast and easy, resonant, stable, no dead spots. They even do a MM replacement thats slimmer (Jazz/Slo special).

 

[nofretz]

Old tread, but here is my experience: stingrays are different from each other. Some have weak spots, others do not. Must try before bying. When the whole string is weak (dead), that is not a resonance problem, It is the pickup. Some Stingrays have stacked poles (lower on the G and E): bad idea. Get a pickup with even poles, and set the pu at an angle. My pickups have flat poles, and are set at 6mm from body at the E and 8-9mm at G. The pickup is from Haussel in Germany, as the original in my MM Stealth was useless. That one is my main bass. I also put the same pu in my Ray34 because I liked it so much. The Ray34 now has a Status Graphite lined fretless neck, which is fantastic (satin back). If You want a good Stingray fretless, that would be my recommendation; buy a used Ray34, then get a graphite fretless neck: Fast and easy, resonant, stable, no dead spots. They even do a MM replacement thats slimmer (Jazz/Slo special).

I’ve long since sold this bass, but I will certainly keep this in mind when I replace it. Thanks.

 

[Kaarenonstad]

Never to late to get a Stingray