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StingRay 5 help

Which Pickup Configuration?

  • Single Humbucker

    Votes: 26 31.7%

  • Double Humbucker

    Votes: 43 52.4%

  • Humbucker SingleCoil

    Votes: 13 15.9%
  • Total voters
    82
saxnbass

saxnbass

Mar 9, 2006
5,633
17
Nashville, TN
ericnupp.com
#1
OK, I'm probably getting a StingRay 5 for my birthday/christmas, but I don't know what pickup configuration to get. I play a lot of slap, jazz and blues, and some rock. I have only played the single humbucker version and love the sound and tone and feel of it. I haven't been able to play a HS or an HH. I don't want to loose that single Humbucker sound though.
 
#5
I'm hopefully going to a big music store first friday in November and I hope they have an HH and an HS StingRay5 there so I can try them out. I might end up with a single Humbucker, but who knows. I do like the idea of the second pickup at the neck, but I don't want to sacrifice that single humbucker tone.
 
#6
Me? I'd get an HH SR5 and mod the electronics so both pickups have ser/par/sc switching.

You'd have the single humbucker with 3-way switch like the standard SR5 and the neck humbucker with 3-way switch. Make them both 4-way switches and you'll be able to get ser/par/bridgecoil/neckcoil on both, although I think that would be overkill.

Also, with any of those basses stock you'll be able to get the single bridge humbucker soloed, but only in parallel.
 
#10
I have had a SR5 HH since April 28, and I think it is a great bass. It doesn't hurt that mine is also the best looking SR5 HH I have yet to see.:) The fact that it sounds great and is great to look at has allowed me to overlook the fact that it is pretty heavy at 11.5 lbs. :(

As for the sound, the HH is very flexible and and can give a ton of bottom at plus the SR style high zing that the single H cannot deliver, however, the HH cannot give you the single coil and parallel settings that sound so good on the H model. I remember someone posting about modifying the SR5 HH so one could get those sounds, but that is way outside of my expertise, and I don't know how easily it could be done. On the plus side, you can still get the classic single humbucker tone with the HH, you just can't split that bridge pup or go parallel. Interestingly enough, the SH Sterling allows you to set the bridge pup in single coil mode. I would imagine that a SR5 SH has the same option also. As for the overall SH sound, from my experience on an SH Sterling, they sound great too. They definitely sound like Stingrays and not a 55-94/USA Millennium wanna be.
 
#12
ElBajista said:
Me? I'd get an HH SR5 and mod the electronics so both pickups have ser/par/sc switching.

You'd have the single humbucker with 3-way switch like the standard SR5 and the neck humbucker with 3-way switch. Make them both 4-way switches and you'll be able to get ser/par/bridgecoil/neckcoil on both, although I think that would be overkill.

Also, with any of those basses stock you'll be able to get the single bridge humbucker soloed, but only in parallel.
Click to expand...

ElBajista, do you have more info on that particular mod? Just curious, as I have a 5HH 'ray coming in February. I'm not particularly inclined to mod it, as it will be a Dargie limited edition bass, and I'm also of the school of thought that simpler is better, in that more wiring = more noise, however, I'm still quite curious. I want to be sure I can get all the classic single-H sound out of my new 'ray . . .
 
#16
saxnbass said:
I'm assuming you mean that due to the free space up at the neck. That's why I am leaning more toward the HS if I get a second pickup.
Click to expand...

The H/S doesn't give you any more room between the neck pup and the butt of the neck than the HH - the single coil is placed in the same position that the closest coil of the neck humbucker is in.

...however, I still voted H/S - I've played all three pickup (major - it's hard to come by peizo-built SRs in-store) options, and I like the combination of the bridge humbucker with the ability to blend in a bit more of the "delicacy" that I find the single-coil brings.
 
#17
I adore my single pickup SR5. I always favour the rear pickup on my other bases anyway so I have no burning need to have more pickups that I likely wont use anyway.

Plus it just has that look!!!!
 
#18
To me the H/H is so super versitle, I use the 5 way switch all the time. However, the single H has more balls to the sound if you ask me.

PS. I seem to be able to slap alright on my H/H, it all depends on your technique. I can double pop just fine, and I double thumb over the fingerboard anyway (more like a pick motion for me). Granted, I never do that at a show/gig so kind of moot for me anyway. I'm not consistent enough, no matter the bass :)
 

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