Musicman Stingray 5 : H, HS or HH?

[Justice4trance]

5h....rosewood fretboard though(imo)

can anyone elaborate alnico and ceramic...heard ceramic is hotter. pros of alnico anyone ? s

 

[Justice4trance]

5h....rosewood fretboard though(imo)

can anyone elaborate alnico and ceramic...heard ceramic is hotter. pros of alnico anyone ? s

haha...so i checked on other discussions.
got one explanation -
'The way I see it, for the good aspects, Alnico magnets, in a well-designed pickup, tends to produce a warm, deep, well-defined tone. Ceramic magnets, also in a well-designed pickup, will make a very clean, articulate tone. Of course, there are pickups that cover a huge range of tones. There's more to a pickup than the magnet.

In the bad aspects, Anlicos can be muddy and dull, and Ceramics can be harsh and lifeless. But not in well-designed pickups.'

 

[redwookie]

Stingray HH has been my main player for a few years. I'm using the bridge pickup about 95%. I love switching stuff around and twiddling with knobs and flipping the selector switch back and forth. But when it comes to sitting with a sound I like, I seem to be happy with a single H. YMMV.

 

[Danm900]

I'm lusting after the new Tobacco burst HS, please talk me out of it. I would like that versatility for more melodic solo-type parts, to cut through the mix. For now I switch to that old orange Godin for that brighter tone, but can't do that mid-song. I love my '01 H, but did not love the '08 fretless, 1) major neck dive 2) I need lines, even if they're subtle (like on my crappy converted-to-fretless tobias)

 

[Double Agent]

On the SR5, having a neck pickup doesn't really hurt anything as opposed to the Bongo where the single H model has the pickup in the sweet spot, Stingray location but the multi-pickup models have the bridge pickup closer to the bridge. You lose the ability to do parallel-series-single coil via the three-way switch, but you don't lose the default Stingray bridge pickup tone when soloing that pickup. You gain many other settings with the 5-way pickup selector switch that I find more useful than the 3-way switch on the single H. However, most of the time I do just solo the bridge pickup and can adjust the preamp or change hand positions to vary my tone. If I found a single H that I loved and could afford, I wouldn't avoid it. But, I definitely like the having the extra tones that the neck pickup (either S or H) offers.

 

[nocluejimbo]

SR5 Classic!

The gloss-finished, figured maple necks are to die for, and the two-band EQ keeps things simple and sweet.

Here's a super deal (not affiliated):

 

[73jbass]

The bridge pickup on the Stingray and Sterling HH and HS are in the same location. It's only on the Bongo HS and HH that its mover further back. The HS Sterling is still my personal fav.

 

[rodl2005]

I find PLENTY of tone options from my 3 pos switch SR5 H. I had a HH SR4 but didn't really dig a few things about it. I found the bridge pup -honky sounding and rhe neck Pup a lil too dark. Strange as ppl say the bridge pup is the same as the single H version.

I've a 94 SR5 with the single H pup & as I said- find heaps of tonal variation with just the 3 way switch. fwd-(parallel ??) is BIG and solid, middle(single coil) is bright & snappy & the rear pos(series??? - or do I have those the wrong way around??) is solid but a bit clunky - almost Ric sounding - to me at least.

Mine's a '94 SR5 H with a metal batery cover. Is it ceramic or Alnico pup???

 

[Guinness20]

Firstly, I'd like to congratulate you on making such a wise choice and deciding on a stingray I have a stingray 4hh, which is a keeper for life, and I think if I got another or got a five string I'd go HS or HH again. Either way, there's much more versatility available than just the single h basses.

 

[drTSTingray]

I find PLENTY of tone options from my 3 pos switch SR5 H. I had a HH SR4 but didn't really dig a few things about it. I found the bridge pup -honky sounding and rhe neck Pup a lil too dark. Strange as ppl say the bridge pup is the same as the single H version.

I've a 94 SR5 with the single H pup & as I said- find heaps of tonal variation with just the 3 way switch. fwd-(parallel ??) is BIG and solid, middle(single coil) is bright & snappy & the rear pos(series??? - or do I have those the wrong way around??) is solid but a bit clunky - almost Ric sounding - to me at least.

Mine's a '94 SR5 H with a metal batery cover. Is it ceramic or Alnico pup???

Nice blueburst. I'd say it will likely be ceramic - and blueburst is usually on a poplar or alder body. You can check by emailing EBMM customer services your serial number or posting in the serial number thread on the EBMM bass forum.

The 3 way switch setting closest to the neck is series, centre setting single coil and closest to the bridge is parallel (parallel is closest to an SR4 sound).

 

[rodl2005]

Thankyou muchly

 

[Danm900]

Now that I have the H and HS, I would have to say the HS is the best option of those two. Haven't really played the HH. I've been running the HS in all-pickups mode, and that's just not an option on the H. Plus I have that phantom pickup under the pickguard, what a beast, all rosewood neck. Still love my H, which is 0.8lbs heavier and slightly better balanced. Every instrument has its own unique thing going on, so suffice to say that this particular HS is better than my very awesome black '01 H (the pearl pickguard one). Sold the '08 fretelss, too much neck dive on that particular one, and couldn't handle no-lines.

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[Up the dose]

I have a Sterling 5H and A SR5 HH. They are both great basses. The H5 is very aggressive sounding and can really cut through when I need it to. The HH was a little tricky in the beginning to get a sound I liked. It was frustrating in the beginning to learn which settings worked best for certain songs. Now I love it. I guess if you're a set it and forget it guy then just do the single H configuration. If you need versatility, the HH gives you a lot of it.

 

[radioface]

I have a Stingray 5H fretted (not the classic) and if I had a chance to make the purchase over again, it would be the HS (which I voted for) or the HH. I have heard both a SR 4 and 5 in the HH configuration and liked what I heard. I also heard a Bongo 5HS and liked that sound also. I have a Bongo 4HH fretted and like the versatility I get from having two pickups. Single SR H5, where's the bottom? I had an H4 SR back in the late 70s early 80s and it was the same thing, where was the bottom? When comparing my SRH5 with my American Standard P5, I found where the bottom went, the P had it. A SR with two pickups is the way to go.

 

[Danm900]

I want to get a new Stingray 5. All else being equal, What do you guys think is the best option, Humbucker, Humbucker + Single or Humbucker + Humbucker?

Why?

Thanks!

I finally have an educated opinion about this. I started with a 2001 5 string H, in 2014-ish got one of the HS with all-rosewood neck (omg), and now also have a 2015 neck-thru HH. Ready? If I had to run up on stage right now out of the three? It's the 2001 H. In close second, and in constant use in practice is the Neck-thru HH. Huge sustain, great tone, but really don't use the other pickup. I sold the incredibly beautiful all rosewood neck HS and bought a professional series P-bass which is awesome for stage use if you use the whole fretboard. Sorry, wrong post on that last comment.

 

[Bassist Jay]

I want to get a new Stingray 5. All else being equal, What do you guys think is the best option, Humbucker, Humbucker + Single or Humbucker + Humbucker?

Why?

Thanks!

I have owned and play Stingrays in with a single H pickup and the HH pickups. In my preference, I prefer the single H. The HH is slightly more versatile but for my taste, I really dig the single Hbset up. Same goes for the Bongo's too. I only have one of them in a HH configuration and the only reason why that is, is because it is a Guitar Center exclusive with a roasted neck but only had the HH as the pickup option.

But on the SR5's, I think the single H does everything I want it to and then some. Plus the pickup is in the sweet spot. If you can afford it, I would also highly recommend the 30th Anniversary SR5. As soon as it was announced at Winter NAMM 2017, I ordered mine and within minutes of playing it, that bass became my favorite one that I own.

 

[5stringfunk123]

I agree I have a 5hh, people amaze me about the single, the bridge pickup is in the exact spot as the single the neck pickup does add versatility, I slap in between the space of the pickups no problem, I have them both and the 5hh is a step more tonally, the 5hh is an excellent step up it can produce that same Stingray sound, I wish people would stop belittling this instrument

 

[5stringfunk123]

I understand preferences but the 5hh offers more in tone than my single don't get me wrong I was one of the skeptics until I got the 5hh

 

[ndukane65]

I owned a teal 4-string Stingray H and I really tried to love it but I just never bonded with it so I sold it. About 10 years later I bought a brand new Stingray 5 HH in trans orange and I absolutely love it! So much more versatile! I am looking to get another Stingray with one pickup but this time I'm trying Old Smoothie.

 

[GreyBeard]

I have a 95 single H with the ceramic pup. I had a HH model for a while right after they 1st came out. I ended up selling it and keeping the single H.