Please Help Me Decide! EBMM Stingray 5 Upgrades & Maintenance

[TheAndinator]

Happy Monday (or whatever day you may be reading this)!

In the past year, I purchased a 1994 Ernie Ball Musicman Stingray 5 from the widow of a well-known musician around my city. She was very emotional about this as it was his favorite instrument and a big reminder to her of who he was. I was honored that after conversating pre-purchase, she told me that many people were turned down but I was chosen due to my kindness and understanding of the sentiment versus the need for a quick resale on her part.

I really want to keep this bass for as long as I am able to play music and continue to use it! It is by far the nicest instrument I have ever owned, but it definitely has been loved from almost 30 years of consistent use!

I have a few questions on what maintenance and upgrades can be deemed necessary after getting a incredible setup/fret level/polishing on the bass by a luthier.

1) The bass has a rosewood fretboard, but still seems to have a much darker tone than another friend's 2019 maple fretboard stingray. I feel like I may be missing some of the signature Stingray sound due to older electronics. Is is possible that I should replace the stock pickup with either a Nordstrand MM 5.2 or a Seymour Duncan SMB5A for an upgraded sound?

2) The action is nice but seems like it needs to be a bit lower than I can comfortably adjust it to. Is the Ernie Ball neck shim kit on their site (the thin plastic strips) a legitimate solution or more of a quick fix? I would very much like to avoid warping the neck joint pocket over time similar to home-made playing card shims.

3) Is it worth changing pots due to looseness? I am not necessarily bothered that the older pots have a bit less resistance when adjusting them, but does it mean that they are going bad and could potentially be altering the output? I have cleaned them with deoxit and have no crackling sound issues otherwise.


Any input is appreciated! I will post a poll as well for the sake of having an empirical answer!

 

[rizzo9247]

Get a professional setup to your liking (string height, etc)

Don’t change a thing.

 

[eastcoasteddie]

Get a professional setup to your liking (string height, etc)

Don’t change a thing.

^^^this^^^
Especially the last sentence.

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

Don’t mess with it.

 

[murphy]

New strings and a careful setup and you should be golden.
I have had a few SR5vers that had the little plastic shim in the neck pocket..
It seems that is pretty standard...so yes, a good fix if needed.

 

[Dave W]

I wouldn't change the electronics. I don't think the older electronics are what you are hearing, I'm not sure that's a thing.
My SR5 has the plastic shim in it. It plays fantastic with action as low as I want it. I can't say I've ever heard of warping a neck pocket though.

 

[Chickenwheels]

Get a professional setup to your liking (string height, etc)

Don’t change a thing.

It’s a beautiful day. Here is the answer right off the bat.

 

[J Wilson]

If you're asking me:

I'd put it in the hands of an experienced, qualified guitar repair tech. I'd have your concerns evaluated and seen to, put right as necessary, and then play it for some time and see if for you it really needs any so-called upgrades

The morphing into a five from the four-string Sting Ray is the benchmark by the genius work the EB crew did to arrive at this landmark axe, the first five most people could just pick up and play.

I'd call on the SR5 experts here, but OG SR5's ran a phantom coil in the cavity to 86 any noise in single coil operation, but don't know if yours has one or not, I forget when EB made the running change to eliminate it.

So I'd have it run through a thorough fix up and clean up and play it stock for a while, then see if it needs any 'upgrades'.

 

[InhumanResource]

Happy Monday (or whatever day you may be reading this)!

In the past year, I purchased a 1994 Ernie Ball Musicman Stingray 5 from the widow of a well-known musician around my city. She was very emotional about this as it was his favorite instrument and a big reminder to her of who he was. I was honored that after conversating pre-purchase, she told me that many people were turned down but I was chosen due to my kindness and understanding of the sentiment versus the need for a quick resale on her part.

I really want to keep this bass for as long as I am able to play music and continue to use it! It is by far the nicest instrument I have ever owned, but it definitely has been loved from almost 30 years of consistent use!

I have a few questions on what maintenance and upgrades can be deemed necessary after getting a incredible setup/fret level/polishing on the bass by a luthier.

1) The bass has a rosewood fretboard, but still seems to have a much darker tone than another friend's 2019 maple fretboard stingray. I feel like I may be missing some of the signature Stingray sound due to older electronics. Is is possible that I should replace the stock pickup with either a Nordstrand MM 5.2 or a Seymour Duncan SMB5A for an upgraded sound?

2) The action is nice but seems like it needs to be a bit lower than I can comfortably adjust it to. Is the Ernie Ball neck shim kit on their site (the thin plastic strips) a legitimate solution or more of a quick fix? I would very much like to avoid warping the neck joint pocket over time similar to home-made playing card shims.

3) Is it worth changing pots due to looseness? I am not necessarily bothered that the older pots have a bit less resistance when adjusting them, but does it mean that they are going bad and could potentially be altering the output? I have cleaned them with deoxit and have no crackling sound issues otherwise.


Any input is appreciated! I will post a poll as well for the sake of having an empirical answer!

I wouldn’t change anything unless it breaks, and definitely wouldn’t consider any of those an options “upgrades” over the original. If it were me, I would leave her alone.

 

[KaseOfBass]

Mirroring what others have said - don’t change anything. If it needs some actual work, by all means take it to someone qualified to check it out. But if the tone is not to your liking, move on to another instrument. I wouldn’t mod an all original ‘94 SR5.

 

[chris_b]

I'd suggest a professional set up including fret levelling, if required, then put a good set of flats on.

 

[Smooth_bass88]

New strings and a pro setup first, then assess the tone. If it's still not to your liking, then then proceed with pickup swap

 

[Spectre Gunner]

Changing strings have already been mentioned but I’ll add this point.

Start with new strings and then spend some time playing it to get familiar with its sonic character. You may find you like it as is. If not then you’ll at least have a good baseline to start with before making other changes.

Strings can have the most impact on the overall sound.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

A couple points, it wasn't all that sentimental to her if she sold his prized bass. I wouldn't let anything like "her sentiment" factor into any decisions. It's your bass, you can paint it pink if you so wish. If you're asking if you should add a shim to the neck, then you probably shouldn't. A shim is to correct a specific issue, that is a neck that doesn't align with the bridge properly. Take it to a good tech, not the local hack that everyone knows and is cheap. Have them go over the bass and see what they think should be done about the setup. Get some new strings, a good setup and then evaluate how it sounds. It's a '94 not an '87. (1987 was the first year for the SR5) If it were an '87, I'd tell you not to change a thing, but with a '94, go ahead and try a different pickup if it doesn't sound like you would like. But keep the original pickup / electronics in case you want to sell sometime later.

 

[cxcxcx]

I prefer SR5 models from the 90s. I’d get the basic upkeep done, and a shim is OK if you want a very low action, but I’d leave the electronics and everything else alone after a good cleaning.

There’s no need to do major mods or big changes - you have an iconic instrument on your hands.

 

[bassdude51]

1. There's literally hardly any difference sound between rosewood or maple fret boards. STRINGS!......are you #1 source for sound and tone.

2. If your action is on the low side, raise the saddles and/or adjust the truss rod. A neck shim will make your action even lower.

3. Pots. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" Leave 'em alone!

Advice, you have an excellent and wonderful bass guitar! LEAVE IT STOCK! DON'T MESS WITH IT!

 

[Bob Coldwell]

2. If your action is on the low side, raise the saddles and/or adjust the truss rod. A neck shim will make your action even lower.

He wants the action higher.

 

[Warpeg]

Those first generation SR5 pickups are in a league of their own; DO NOT replace it unless it breaks!

 

[Stevorebob]

I don’t know if this has been said yet, but don’t change a thing.

Any tonal difference between rosewood and maple fretboards will not be made up for with a pickup swap.

Neither the Nordstrand nor the Duncan pickups will sound “more StingRay.” Rather, the opposite will be true. (Plus, the non-original pickup will be detrimental in the resale market.)

I don’t know what “comfortably adjust to” means regarding your action and shimming. Shimming is needed when the bridge saddles bottom out on the bridge plate and can go no lower to set action where it’s needed. Shim if necessary, but not to “comfortably adjust to.”

Also, shims do not warp the neck at the pocket. A ski jump happens at the point where the neck meets the body, not in the pocket. (There’s a great thread in the Luthiers Corner about causes and fixes of ski jumps.)

Replace the pots if they are faulty. Deoxit it may have been a mistake (it can remove the lubricant that adds resistance), and they may now need lube (or replacing). If they need replacing, have an experienced tech do it if you don’t have the requisite skills.

My advice: Take this bass to an authorized Ernie Ball Music Man tech to get it set up and checked out.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

Get a professional setup to your liking (string height, etc)

Don’t change a thing.

This^^^^^