• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Music Man Stingray Special 4HH - So...close...

Swampish

Swampish

Dec 31, 2015
631
721
Quebec, Canada
#1
I'm seriously considering purchasing a Music Man Stingray Special 4HH. I held off for many years owing to the weight of standard 'rays, but the Special is so light and the HH offers a ton of tonal variety while still respecting the original 'ray tone (or extremely close to it). I currently have two P's (one of which is a PJ) and a Jazz. Originally, was going to go for another American Professional II Precision, but came across this 'ray and am really digging what it has to offer, plus it will give me something completely different in terms of tone. Any thoughts on this line of 'ray Specials (I believe this is the 2018 model). Also, any thoughts about H vs HH (there were no H's at the store, only HH)?
PXL_20240120_204855125.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: Smartsoul72, aus_bass, BEADG63 and 19 others
#2
you can't go wrong with a Stingray and the Specials are awesome! I have a Special 4H and love it.
As for H vs HH that would be up to you. Some people do find it hard to slap on a HH due to the second pickup placement. I did own a couple HH in the past and decided to sell them and stick to the single H. The other pickup configurations I felt like they sounded too generic, but I would love to try one out again someday to see if I still feel that way.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Dottore, Pet Sounds, jmattbassplaya and 1 other person
#4
ics1974 said:
you can't go wrong with a Stingray and the Specials are awesome! I have a Special 4H and love it.
As for H vs HH that would be up to you. Some people do find it hard to slap on a HH due to the second pickup placement. I did own a couple HH in the past and decided to sell them and stick to the single H. The other pickup configurations I felt like they sounded too generic, but I would love to try one out again someday to see if I still feel that way.
Click to expand...
I don't slap much, so that's not really a big deal and to my ears, the bridge position on the HH sounds pretty similar to the H, but I know that they're not identical. I do like the options provided by the 5-position selector. I guess since I haven't played rays in the past, I don't pick up on the differences as well, but I do like the tones that this one offers. However, part of me keeps saying 'go for the H and get the OG ray experience' and then the voice of my daughters saying, 'Dad, stop using terms like OG'.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DanTheMan2112, tepperware, jefkritz and 3 others
#6
It's all a matter of preference. I have about 5 Stingrays now and have owned others. Personally I prefer the single pickup. Why? I don't even really know. I just like how it sounds. I also strongly prefer the 2 band EQ on the classic to the current 3 band EQ. Having said that, I just bought a Stingray special fretless and I LOVE it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jim C, jmattbassplaya and Swampish
#7
newwavefrank said:
It's all a matter of preference. I have about 5 Stingrays now and have owned others. Personally I prefer the single pickup. Why? I don't even really know. I just like how it sounds. I also strongly prefer the 2 band EQ on the classic to the current 3 band EQ. Having said that, I just bought a Stingray special fretless and I LOVE it.
Click to expand...
Interesting. What do you think is the attraction of the 2-band vs the 3? I thought having that extra band (I'm assuming it's the mid) control would be a benefit. Maybe just easier to dial in your tone?
 
#9
Swampish said:
I don't slap much, so that's not really a big deal and to my ears, the bridge position on the HH sounds pretty similar to the H, but I know that they're not identical. I do like the options provided by the 5-position selector. I guess since I haven't played rays in the past, I don't pick up on the differences as well, but I do like the tones that this one offers. However, part of me keeps saying 'go for the H and get the OG ray experience' and then the voice of my daughters saying, 'Dad, stop using terms like OG'.
Click to expand...

My experience/opinion:
I got a Special 5 H after lots of reading and videos because I ended up deciding all I needed was the "OG Ray".

A year later I got a 2011 SLO 4 string with HH pickups and it's become my main bass.

Now I want to sell my Special 5 H and am on the lookout for a Special 5 HH.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Swampish
#10
Swampish said:
I don't slap much, so that's not really a big deal and to my ears, the bridge position on the HH sounds pretty similar to the H, but I know that they're not identical. I do like the options provided by the 5-position selector. I guess since I haven't played rays in the past, I don't pick up on the differences as well, but I do like the tones that this one offers. However, part of me keeps saying 'go for the H and get the OG ray experience' and then the voice of my daughters saying, 'Dad, stop using terms like OG'.
Click to expand...

The position of the bridge pickup is the same on both the H and HH. They sound identical.

For 5 strings I say go H for the 3 way switch, but for a 4 string I'd go with the HH 100%. As long as the neck pickup doesn't get in your way, then there is no reason not to go with the HH. You still get the H sound and then some.
 
  • Like
Reactions: LadyLoveStingRay5
#12
Swampish said:
Interesting. What do you think is the attraction of the 2-band vs the 3? I thought having that extra band (I'm assuming it's the mid) control would be a benefit. Maybe just easier to dial in your tone?
Click to expand...
The original two band preamp as used in the original stingrays is different in design to the 3 band preamps. They are 2 band boost and cut but there is no center detent and you don’t get equal levels of boost and cut.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Nomad5 and Swampish
#15
BigDrew said:
Full disclosure, MM just announced their new colors...and they are awesome! You should take a look at the new finishes before pulling the trigger on that one.
Click to expand...
I saw that on my FB feed and definitely some really sharp looking colours, but I like the look of Sea Breeze Blue a lot and there doesn't seem to be anything similar in the new line-up.
new-ebmm-stingray-special-finishes-for-2024-v0-o1o140rz1lec1.jpeg
 
  • Like
Reactions: DanTheMan2112, 73_Blazer, dabis and 2 others
#16
Swampish said:
Interesting. What do you think is the attraction of the 2-band vs the 3? I thought having that extra band (I'm assuming it's the mid) control would be a benefit. Maybe just easier to dial in your tone?
Click to expand...
Folks say the 2eq and 3eq sound different. I watched a great YouTube video that showed 2eq is a bit smoother sounding with no high pass filtering. The 3eq has some built-in HPF plus a resonant peak around 4 Khz that you apparently can't just dial out. So the 3eq sounds a bit thinner and has a high-end presence / bite / spike to it.

In both my fretted and fretless 'ray builds, I used East MMSR preamps which claim to be modeled after the 2eq for basic sound. Neither of my 'rays are overly bright or thin.
 
  • Like
Reactions: newwavefrank and Swampish
#17
darwin-bass said:
Folks say the 2eq and 3eq sound different. I watched a great YouTube video that showed 2eq is a bit smoother sounding with no high pass filtering. The 3eq has some built-in HPF plus a resonant peak around 4 Khz that you apparently can't just dial out. So the 3eq sounds a bit thinner and has a high-end presence / bite / spike to it.

In both my fretted and fretless 'ray builds, I used East MMSR preamps which claim to be modeled after the 2eq for basic sound. Neither of my 'rays are overly bright or thin.
Click to expand...
That is something that i noticed and thought it was just a "ray thing". Coming from the P-bass world, it's a big adjustment to suddenly have all this high end output, so that is definitely something to think about, though I don't know if I'd be up to modding it the way you did, though that sounds like a very cool and useful one!
 
#18
Swampish said:
That is something that i noticed and thought it was just a "ray thing". Coming from the P-bass world, it's a big adjustment to suddenly have all this high end output, so that is definitely something to think about, though I don't know if I'd be up to modding it the way you did, though that sounds like a very cool and useful one!
Click to expand...
Mine wasn't a mod, but a Warmoth build. Single MM pickup in the sweetspot with the East preamp.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Swampish
#19
Swampish said:
Interesting. What do you think is the attraction of the 2-band vs the 3? I thought having that extra band (I'm assuming it's the mid) control would be a benefit. Maybe just easier to dial in your tone?
Click to expand...
That's what I thought at first until I did some research. The preamps are totally different. They did not just add a mid to the 2 band. You can't get the same tone as the 2 band from the three and vice versa.
 
  • Like
Reactions: IronLung1986 and Swampish

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back