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Stingray players, how do you EQ?
- Thread starter Vanheusen77
- Start date
On my classic 2 band with pro steels, I turn the bass up until I feel it's fat enough, then I rock it back and forth until I like what I hear. Treble is off or just slightly on.
On my 3 band special with Pure Blues, it's mostly flat but I move the mid according to the pickup used and boost the bass when it's on the bridge pickup.
All this varies according to the gig location etc.
On my 3 band special with Pure Blues, it's mostly flat but I move the mid according to the pickup used and boost the bass when it's on the bridge pickup.
All this varies according to the gig location etc.
3 band SR5 here, strings are old La Bella flats. I start at center and usually stay there but might boost the bass ever so slightly.
SR4 3EQ: Bass all the way up, middle in the middle and then adjust the treble as necessary per song. 
Two band Stingray Classic with Dunlop Super Bright Nickels (old and never changed). Start with bass at 75% and treble at 25% for a Paul Denman type sound and micro adjust to taste is where i'm usually at. I find this gives me the smoothest sound and tames most of the natural growl of the Stingray although it's always a bit there.
100%-80% bass 0%-20% treble for dub or vintage type sounds. 70% bass and 75% treble for first album Rage Against the Machine sounds. All mids adjustments are handled on the amp if needed.
100%-80% bass 0%-20% treble for dub or vintage type sounds. 70% bass and 75% treble for first album Rage Against the Machine sounds. All mids adjustments are handled on the amp if needed.
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On a StingRay or any other active EQ bass, I prefer to let the amp do the most of it, and fine tune a little as needed on the bass out at the end of the cable, as invariably as I walk away from the face of the amp, things can change just a little.
In my experience running a Whole Lotta Boost on the axe, then cranking the head is just asking for some distortion, some bass/amp combos worse than others. I like big, loud, and clean. Guitar players can have all the distortion, don't want it. No fuzz pedals for JW.
In my experience running a Whole Lotta Boost on the axe, then cranking the head is just asking for some distortion, some bass/amp combos worse than others. I like big, loud, and clean. Guitar players can have all the distortion, don't want it. No fuzz pedals for JW.
Special circumstances, but here goes.
I had an old pre-EB two band, run thru a Markbass head.
I would crank the treble all the way up, then use the VLE ( a low pass filter ) to tame it down to where it would give me the brightest tone I needed for the gig, that way I wouldn't have to search for the sweet spot on the fly.
Then I'd turn up the bass knob for the room, usually at midway or a touch higher.
I had an old pre-EB two band, run thru a Markbass head.
I would crank the treble all the way up, then use the VLE ( a low pass filter ) to tame it down to where it would give me the brightest tone I needed for the gig, that way I wouldn't have to search for the sweet spot on the fly.
Then I'd turn up the bass knob for the room, usually at midway or a touch higher.
Here we are. The oft forgotten secret to a good StingRay tone is never maxing out the volume knob.
Got me: Vol 75%, Bass 75%, Treble between 30-55% depending on music.
Where you play matters, too. Plucking up closer to the neck gives a much rounder, more P bass tonality.
(1978 2 band)
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Well... it depends. Since I have a 4HH Stingray Special, there are considerably more options than a 4H Stingray has. So, I'm really still trying a lot of stuff out; active basses are still pretty new to this old passive bass player. But, I find that I keep coming back to a couple of... default settings, I guess you'd call them. Both are influenced by the fact that, like almost all my basses, this bass wears flats - Galli JF4505 Jazz Flats. Which I'd class as sounding somewhere between GHS Precision Flats, and Fender 9050Ls. So... assuming that the detent is Zero; full boost is +100%; and full cut is -100%?
When I run the bridge pickup, ala the single pickup 'Ray? For what I like to play;
- Bass; about +25-30%
- Midrange; +15-20%
- Treble; 0 to +10-15%.
When I run both pickups, most of the time the selector switch is in the 4th position; inside coils of both pickups. Kind of a Jazz Bass tone, IMO - mainly because, while I like their tone, I don't care for the bass itself (they just feel... weird... to me). Again, for what I mostly like to play;
- Bass; +40-50%
- Midrange; +50%
- Treble; 0- +15%.
But, like I said; this bass - and active basses in general - are pretty much unexplored territory to me. So, I'm still exploring what it has to offer - a lot...
When I run the bridge pickup, ala the single pickup 'Ray? For what I like to play;
- Bass; about +25-30%
- Midrange; +15-20%
- Treble; 0 to +10-15%.
When I run both pickups, most of the time the selector switch is in the 4th position; inside coils of both pickups. Kind of a Jazz Bass tone, IMO - mainly because, while I like their tone, I don't care for the bass itself (they just feel... weird... to me). Again, for what I mostly like to play;
- Bass; +40-50%
- Midrange; +50%
- Treble; 0- +15%.
But, like I said; this bass - and active basses in general - are pretty much unexplored territory to me. So, I'm still exploring what it has to offer - a lot...
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On my 2003 3-band 5-string H with ash body and rosewood fretboard (Ceramic pickup), I go for
Bass, slighly up from center detent
Middle, all the way down/off
Treble slightly down from center detent
Position switch in Series
EQ on the amp: Tiny boost in the low mids and a cut in the high mids.
With the switch in parallell (classic stingray position) I am not hearing myself so well in the in-ear monitors. So series it is
Bass, slighly up from center detent
Middle, all the way down/off
Treble slightly down from center detent
Position switch in Series
EQ on the amp: Tiny boost in the low mids and a cut in the high mids.
With the switch in parallell (classic stingray position) I am not hearing myself so well in the in-ear monitors. So series it is
Is it true that there is more boost available on the new specials? I thought the extra 9 volts was just there for headroom?
I've done hundreds of gigs with a variety of Stingrays. A lot of what you do with the onboard preamp will be informed by your rig, and the circumstances of your band. Are you in a dense acoustic environment and need to cut? Are you in a three piece and need to fill and cover? That kind of thing. Most of my gigs have been through a Markbass LM III through a variety of cab setups. I play finger style and mostly pluck near or just in front of the pickup. Most of my gigs are bass-guitar-drums.
On with the show:
Pre EBMM 2-band, downtuned to Eb, three-piece band:
Bass: around 75% or more if the room will bear it. Full if outdoors.
Treble: around 20% - adjust (usually upward) as necessary, it's a subtle adjustment that is needed to bring the preamp "to life"
Volume: backed off just a hair from full to tame it and also because there is a little hum on full. Some of these preamps have ferocious gain and desk operators will often ask you to haul it in, which needs to be done with care since, of all the Stingrays I've tried, these preamps are the ones where the tone thickens as you back off the volume.
EBMM 3-band, downtuned to Eb, three-piece band:
Bass: Start a hair above the notch, ride it to control thump/boom
Mid: In the notch
Treble: In the notch
Volume: Full
EBMM 3-band, standard tuning, three-piece
Bass: Full
Mid: Notch
Treble: Minimum
Volume: Anywhere near max, doesn't matter too much
EBMM 2-band, any tuning
Bass: Full
Treble: Start near minimum and bring it up until it "comes to life" (the whole preamp lives and dies with the treble control on these basses, it's an interesting interaction). This can be a subtle adjustment
Volume: Full
Hope this helps.
On with the show:
Pre EBMM 2-band, downtuned to Eb, three-piece band:
Bass: around 75% or more if the room will bear it. Full if outdoors.
Treble: around 20% - adjust (usually upward) as necessary, it's a subtle adjustment that is needed to bring the preamp "to life"
Volume: backed off just a hair from full to tame it and also because there is a little hum on full. Some of these preamps have ferocious gain and desk operators will often ask you to haul it in, which needs to be done with care since, of all the Stingrays I've tried, these preamps are the ones where the tone thickens as you back off the volume.
EBMM 3-band, downtuned to Eb, three-piece band:
Bass: Start a hair above the notch, ride it to control thump/boom
Mid: In the notch
Treble: In the notch
Volume: Full
EBMM 3-band, standard tuning, three-piece
Bass: Full
Mid: Notch
Treble: Minimum
Volume: Anywhere near max, doesn't matter too much
EBMM 2-band, any tuning
Bass: Full
Treble: Start near minimum and bring it up until it "comes to life" (the whole preamp lives and dies with the treble control on these basses, it's an interesting interaction). This can be a subtle adjustment
Volume: Full
Hope this helps.
Wow, this is really news to me. 1986 2 band.
Seems similar to the L-1000 I have. Just lower the volume knob a little or it’s just too powerful for most preamps.
Must be a later Leo feature.
On mine (3 band eq) this is what I do: Treble 0, Mid slight bump, Bass almost all the way up. I find the treble to be way too harsh. When I first bought the Stingray I set it up with flats and that tamed it a bit.
SBMM Ray4 (two-band preamp): Bass at center detent or slightly above, treble slightly below center detent or further down. When I had that bass, I hadn't fully grokked that volume controls are useful at settings other than 0 and 10 (although after installing a series/parallel switch, I did use it to match the output levels). 
When I arrive to the gig, my SR5 Special H starts flat (switch in parallel), and tonal adjustments are done at the amp. Once set, and the gig is underway, I'll make adjustments on the bass as needed for particular songs (which is usually just switching it to series and rolling-off highs for a sort-of old-school tone for stuff like Motown or similar).
