Musicman Stingray HH or H

[micguy]

And Leo got it right the first time.

Which first time? 1951? 1954? 1957? Maybe 1974 when they finally realized the thumb rest was on the wrong place?

 

[jmattbassplaya]

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I agree with Marcelo’s reviews. It actually helped me to decide on the 4H.

I recently got the 4H special and loving it

The 12v pre-amp gives a lot of tones and I don’t feel anything lacking.

I like things simple and no neck pick up gets in a way slapping. Can’t go wrong with the classic 4 H design.

Same.

I hear a significant difference between the H and HH models when only the bridge pup is being utilized. I find the HH to have a more muted tone when all possible factors are made equal. H for me every time.

 

[Jefenator]

Every time I have a neck pickup and a bridge pickup, I always wind up soloing the neck pickup about 90% of the time.
That's all fine and well, except that really isn't the classic "Music Man" sound and if that's not what I'm going to wind up with, why not just go with some other design built from the ground up around a strong neck pickup?
With that in mind, I would probably go for the single H in a Stingray. I've been lured to then disappointed by other HHs once too often. (Sabre, L-2000, EB-5.)

 

[moley6knipe]

@Graham Lindsley - I guess you’re after a four string right? Just noting that on the current 5 string H the switch gets you series, series with filter and parallel with the latter being the “classic” Ray sound.

On the 5HH the first two settings don’t exist FWIW. To be honest, the diff between the 3 is negligible to my ears... I’ve got a 2011 5H and I *slightly* prefer series but the audience don’t care

Next year, though, for sure I’m getting me a Special 5HH because of the weight saving over my current Ray. My slapping is terrible on any bass so a dirty great humbucker near the neck won’t be an issue - I have a Fender Dimension HH and I LOVE the dual bucker thing.

 

[brushfirewolf]

I was checking out the Fender Original 60’s Jazz Bass in GC few months back since it was on clearance sale.

But the stingray caught my eyes (also Had $600+ off MRSP) and decided to get the 4H special after I did some research and slept in it for a few nights.

Great choice! I loved my 4HH special. Still kicking myself a year later for selling it.

Every time I have a neck pickup and a bridge pickup, I always wind up soloing the neck pickup about 90% of the time.
That's all fine and well, except that really isn't the classic "Music Man" sound and if that's not what I'm going to wind up with, why not just go with some other design built from the ground up around a strong neck pickup?
With that in mind, I would probably go for the single H in a Stingray. I've been lured to then disappointed by other HHs once too often. (Sabre, L-2000, EB-5.)

The neck solo doesn't cut it on the HH for me. Does not even come close to that P bass sound. I really only prefer the HH over the H for the middle position. That and the look of the 2 humbuckers on a ray has really grown on me over the years. I used to find it ugly.

Same.

I hear a significant difference between the H and HH models when only the bridge pup is being utilized. I find the HH to have a more muted tone when all possible factors are made equal. H for me every time.

I see people saying that and I think it's nonsense. Any difference you're hearing has to be the wood or the strings but that said I'd be interested to see a comparison of 2 identical rays with the same strings, one HH and one H.

 

[dkelley]

It's funny - for very heavy music I found nothing better as a hired session guy than a double buck ray.

But, as a bassist who does plenty of other styles of music, I actually always wanted to add a bridge HB J style pickup to mine. THAT is actually one of the main reasons why I no longer own a stingray. I could never get the sort of bridge tone I wanted.

I know, it's pretty specific.

Anyhow, for me the ideal one would have the following features:

HH in stingray positions plus a noise cancelling jazz bridge pickup neck to the bridge H pickup, nearer the bridge... and because yes the dang neck pickup does get in the way of slapping and some other picking techniques, I honestly think the best design would allow the neck pickup to physically collapse into the body of the bass or pop back out to the correctly setup playing position based on the use of a metal lever.

Why does nobody do this?

Of course, this is coming from me, the guy who pretty much always thought my ideal bass would be a triple neck fretted fretless and piccolo bass... until I owned a couple double necks and said, um, no thanks, more than one neck is just not a good playing experience.

 

[BurtMacklinFBI]

For me personally, a single pickup in the bridge is a non-starter every time. The HH rays, though, do look pretty gorgeous. Obviously different players feel differently about this, but I just can’t do without a pickup in either the neck or middle.

 

[hereandgone18]

I've got a 4H Special coming in the mail tomorrow. I debated between H and HH for a long time, and wound up choosing H because:

• I only slap now and then, but it's easier on an H. I also like having that pickup out of the way when using a pick.
• I like a cleaner, simpler look. H only has one pickup, and no pickup selector switch. All the basics, and nothing else.
• Bridge pickup is the Stingray sound, which is what I'm looking for.
• That 18V preamp, with the new pickup, is pretty versatile already.
• One pickup is lighter and cheaper than two.

We'll see how I feel about all of that when it actually arrives...

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I agree with Marcelo’s reviews. It actually helped me to decide on the 4H.

I recently got the 4H special and loving it

The 12v pre-amp gives a lot of tones and I don’t feel anything lacking.

I like things simple and no neck pick up gets in a way slapping. Can’t go wrong with the classic 4 H design.

Wow, that pickguard! Where did it come from?

 

[Daniel Piper]

I am an H guy. I find the second pickup redundant tonally and physically. But I am understandably in the minority there.

They are all superb basses.

 

[Stevorebob]

If you’re unsure, an HH is the safer bet. I’d go there.

But here are some things to consider:

• An HH will cost a little more
• An HH will weigh a little more (very little, but this matters to some)
  
• The H has more room for slappin’ da bass (I find the HH has plenty of room)
• The H has a series and series-with-filter pickup selections (I’d be happy without this feature)
  
• Some say the additional magnetic pull of the extra pickup in the HH affects tone and sustain (not my experience)
  
• The H is simpler, as is any single pickup bass

 

[Admiral Thrawn]

I started on a 4H, then went to a 5H, and now I'm playing a 5HH.

I LOVE the StingRay sound.

That said, I can get many more tones and blend into the mix better with my HH than I could with my H. That gives me more options in types of music I can play--I can almost get a P sound through clever bass EQ, amp EQ, and position on the selector switch.

As many have said, the HH offers more tonal possibilities, and that's not a bad thing.

If you can, test drive as many as you can and have fun!

 

[Joe Nerve]

Something I don't think anyone has mentioned (not sure how many are even aware of it)...

A Stingray HS actually has a 3rd pickup underneath the PG. For hum canceling purposes. I feel like a fool for never having taken a picture (and I can't find on online). I feel like an even bigger fool for not remembering whether it was a humbucker or single coil . I'm pretty sure it was a HB, but I'm thinking a SC would make more sense.

First time I took the pickguard off, it freaked me out.

I never heard of anyone wiring that 3rd pickup into the electronics, but I'm not seeing why one couldn't do that if they wanted to.

Das all.

 

[Wolfhound32]

I would (and did) go with the 4HH Special, then later down the road find a used “Classic Series” with your choice of figured necks

You want to take it up a notch, add an “Old Smoothie” to the two above, and you’ve got Stingray Nirvana

 

[birminghambass]

Something I don't think anyone has mentioned (not sure how many are even aware of it)...

A Stingray HS actually has a 3rd pickup underneath the PG. For hum canceling purposes. I feel like a fool for never having taken a picture (and I can't find on online). I feel like an even bigger fool for not remembering whether it was a humbucker or single coil . I'm pretty sure it was a HB, but I'm thinking a SC would make more sense.

First time I took the pickguard off, it freaked me out.

I never heard of anyone wiring that 3rd pickup into the electronics, but I'm not seeing why one couldn't do that if they wanted to.

Das all.

Check my post earlier in the thread for pics. It works great and looks super cool. No mod except the new hole in the pickguard.

 

[Joe Nerve]

Check my post earlier in the thread for pics. It works great and looks super cool. No mod except the new hole in the pickguard.

... Awesome and congrats! Seeing that picture is what actually reminded me, but I didn't read the post .

And I guess I was wrong on the humbucker... it was a while ago for me though.

Looks awesome.

 

[shrigg]

I've owned about a dozen Pre-EB and post-EB Sting Rays, Sabres and USA SUBS over the years including a really nice lightweight HH SR5 with alnico pickups. It sounded good but for me the HH wasn't that big of a deal and my overall preference is for a regular H Sting Ray with 2 band pre.

 

[Adhesive_X]

I have 3 HH and 1 H basses......I think I would go H on the next one.
Even on my HH's I only use the bridge pickup anyways. I Sometimes use
25% neck pick up on my bongo but prefer just the bridge

 

[JohnnyChatter]

It’s really a preference thing. I had an HH. Now I have a few juSt H and a few sabre’s. I only use that one pickup and all my basses and the preamp is super versatile enough already. Plus all the other stuff others have said like the look and the other pickup being in my way.

 

[mouthmw]

I am an H guy. I find the second pickup redundant tonally and physically. But I am understandably in the minority there.

I'm pretty sure single H rays are more popular out there in the real world, so you're in the majority. TalkBass has always had its share of "flavor of the week/month/year" aficionados

 

[Daniel Piper]

I'm pretty sure single H rays are more popular out there in the real world, so you're in the majority. TalkBass has always had its share of "flavor of the week/month/year" aficionados

For sure. I think the bridge H is one of the most recognisable and iconic bass tones out there. The neck H...

But hey - versatility is not to be sneezed at!