If you want a shinier look I suggest to sand and brush in to one direction only. Avoid circular brushing and sanding.
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SBMM Stingray Short scale
- Thread starter dralionux
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- short scale bass
I think the pickguard and control plate together look great!
How did you hope it would be different?
I think the pickguard and control plate together look great!
How did you hope it would be different?
I should have expanded. I like the look of it or appearance. What I was referring to was more of the overall fit. I’m a fairly experienced wood worker and leather smith, but I guess all my tools aren’t ideal for any type of metal work. My main beef is the pickup cut out. If you look closely, you can see the ‘less-than-precision’ fitting. But…it’s good enough that I don’t think I’m going to redo it.
Played it in church yesterday and when I listened to the live feed playback, it really sounds good to my ears. Bass is only ever faintly mixed in (heaven forbid you should FEEL music in church), but I like what I could hear.
Really enjoying this bass. Haven’t even sniffed around my others since I bought this one.
I am considering a blasphemy mod to it though. Probably going to get blasted for this but here goes…I’m a really simple dude. That’s why I love precision basses - one volume, one tone. I’ve already discovered two settings that I don’t really change on this bass. The volume is always in the non-boosted (or whatever it’s called) mode, and the pickups are always set to series.
So I’m thinking of wiring it just like a P bass, in series. And ultimately end up with a simple volume, and tone knob. I’ll have to make a different control plate cover, but that one was incredibly simple compared to the pick guard.
What I don’t know yet is what type of pots I need, to do this.
Ah, so it was not the aesthetics of the plates but rather just your own high bar that bothered you? Sounds pretty much par for the course. I think it's pretty cool, but if you decide to make an "even better" plate, then I'll want to see pics of that too!
I normally play with the volume boost full on, and dial back on the input level on my amp to compensate. I get the love of simple controls, and it will give you a chance to remake the control plate and make it even better!
Anyone replace the stock Sterling tuners with EBMM light weight tuners as are on the American made Stingrays. I was just wondering if they would be any easy swapout for the Sterling shortscale or if there would be lots of extra work involved and exactly what that would be? Any other suggestions on tuner replacement.
Where did you get that ( what looks-to-me like ) "Extra Padding" for the sides of the Lower-bout? I may purchase this exact case? Appreciate any input.
Their customer service indeed does leave a lot to be desired. I emailed them 3 times before getting a response regarding 3 bad tuners on my shortscale, then when they finally responded saying they would send some replacements I never received a confirmation email from them saying they had been shipped. Weeks later they just showed up in my mail box. Didn't do much good though, they sent me 3 more bad tuners. Thus my question above, if I could replace them with the EBMM light tuners or something similar? I was going to leave it be but the bass won't stay in tune so I've got to do something soon it's driving me nuts. I like the bass too much to leave as it is. Any suggestions?
Agree 100% (not to be a snob) I'm a guitarist, with a Suhr Strat and a Taylor 414ce-R and this $549 Sterling Stingray SS-4 is comparable . . . in terms of fit, finish, sound & playability. I'm an OCD Fanatic and I'd consider it: a well-made instrument.
We are all Dying to know? I have done Tons-of-Research, and come across 2 (that I know Fit) =
Road Runner RRMEG ABS Molded Electric Guitar Case – this one fits 100% @ $149.00
Douglas BGC-200 3/4 BK Short Scale Bass Case – this one fits 100% @ $95.00. I could Not get a straight-Answer from the people @ Sterling = (they are not the brightest bulbs in the box - over there).
I have a Gator (GC-ELEC-XL) on order (and will report back) and Boss just made a nice one: CB-EG10 (but I don't know the inner dimensions)
Me too. No issues with the tuners. mine are rock-solid.
Almost bought the Ibanez Mezzo. 32" Med-scale seems to be Perfect. How do you like it?maybe it was there because you were meant to have it
i'm always searching for comfortable basses due to damaged shoulders. most of my other basses are short scale, too, including a 28.6" scale mikro and a 24.75" scale smallguitars.com MB2. also a medium scale ibanez mezzo.
but none of them sound like a stingray!
As far as the tuners go, it’s all about what you’re willing to put up with.
Yes, they work fine, and they hold tuning fine… but they are sloppy and have too much play in the action for my taste.
I’ve seen too many of them fail to give them a complete pass. Not saying that they “will fail”, but they will wear out faster than a high quality tuner.
Everything else on the bass is good quality and IMO they should have used the tuning machines from the Ray34
Series rather than the SUB.
After all it is an over $500 instrument.
I added schallers to mine and it was worth it.
Yes, they work fine, and they hold tuning fine… but they are sloppy and have too much play in the action for my taste.
I’ve seen too many of them fail to give them a complete pass. Not saying that they “will fail”, but they will wear out faster than a high quality tuner.
Everything else on the bass is good quality and IMO they should have used the tuning machines from the Ray34
Series rather than the SUB.
After all it is an over $500 instrument.
I added schallers to mine and it was worth it.
The tuners have a lose connection, that is when you turn them the key end has a lot of play and wiggle. I tried tightening them up with a pair of plyers to no avail, they're just junk as far as I'm concerned. Which Schallers model will be a nice fit may I ask? I love the light weight tuners on my EBMM Special but don't know if they will fit on the Sterling, thus my inquiry to that possibility.
I like the Ernie Ball round-wounds on my Short Scale Bass. I like the "Zing" for slapping. Makes it sound closer to a 34".
I'm doing my neck with Tru-Oil. I want it to me more smooth Satin finish: (similar to a Suhr)
Decided it was time to change the strings today. While I was at it I decided to check underneath the pickup. I haven't been able to get any kind of volume out of my shortscale from when I first got it, even with the pickup out max and the push pull boost in its natural state, OUT. Don't know why I waited so long to check this. With my other passive basses I get a nice listening volume level with my amps volume knob in the 10 o'clock position, but with the Sterling shortscale I have to crank it to 6 o'clock to get comparable volume. I removed the pickup and suprise, someone at Sterling decided it was was too much trouble to put any kind of padding under the pickup, if for no other reason just for isolation.The pickup couldn't come up high enough to get proper distance from the strings before maxing out the height of the adjustment screws. I cut a properly sized piece of styrofoam and slide it underneath the pickup and then screwed it back down. Huge difference, I now have much better control of pickup height without maxing out the adjustment screws and with the pickup raised up to proper height volume is ample. I suggest you guys check and see if your pickup has any isolation foam under it or if it was reglected as on mine. Unforgivable on a bass costing nearly $600.
I'm guessing some Res-o-lite tuners from Gotoh or Ultralight Hipshots would do you well.
I leave it down 95% of the time = No Boost. I'm a lower output, lower-the-pickup guy. More about Tone vs. Volume for me? Love the Bass though.
