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Stingray Special 5 HH and my batty modifications

T. Brookins

T. Brookins

Supporting Member
Oct 21, 2003
827
501
Saint Louis MO. USA, Earth.
#1
I’m a habitual modder I guess. I couldn’t help but make a great bass even greater… for me!

what I’ve done so far to this already awesome bass in my two-year old permanent adoption:

In order of ridiculousness:

Relocated the neck pickup 7/16 closer to the bridge to ease slapping and crafted a pickguard with a moderately expanded scratch area to prevent my particular fingers/ technique from catching the edge.

Rounded and sealed the fretboard end and milled down the truss rod wheel edge to help ease slapping with the original pickup location, which was just a little cramped.

Installed a 2-band preamp and wired up a parallel front jack for greater flexibility while seated.

Went 9v with two batteries in parallel for long service life.

Polished the ebony fretboard.

Next I’ll likely craft a flush magnetic battery door, not that the plastic one was ever a problem.


These basses are so comfortable. This might be my new “baby” all over again.

The neck pickup relocation didn’t uproot the overall character of the bass, but made it more useful for my personal tastes. I made sure to keep at least 4” between the outer coils.

Anyone else batty enough to mod an SS5HH? Whatcha think?

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#3
jonartimus said:
Interesting! How does moving the pickup change the tone? I've always wondered what it would sound like if that neck pickup was back a little bit.
Click to expand...
It’s awesome! Position 5 is subtle tilt sounding a bit more tight and percussive like a deepish P-Bass, but with the dual coil signature… position 4 has a tighter, more gurgly skitter of a Thumb bass or tight P-J modern “Prince” tone. Position 3 is slightly tighter, like a darker, wide tilt on a Ken Smith- meets- G&L tone, position 2 is more Jazz Bass-meets-Rickenbacker sounding, but slightly darker and wider because of the forward placement, but still familiar sounding because of the coil spacing, and position 1 remains that same good ol’ Stingray snarl. It has made the bass more addictive. I just can’t put it down.

The preamp change, even when set flat, makes the bass tone generally more transparent, zingy, and very wide sounding, which can be a whole lot of information coming out of a speaker, depending on the genre. The tone is almost Piezo-like in its brilliant treble response.

It’s evident that the 3eq was purpose built to narrow the frequency response of the extremely high bandwidth neodymium pickups, possibly making it easier to mix and punch through with headroom in a rock or pop setting. The bandwidth of this bass with a more typical neutral preamp is startling (!) especially with the ebony fretboard. I never turn the treble past center, so I might disconnect the treble pot and wire in a passive tone instead.

When I mention “darker” in a description, I don’t mean “dim” or muffled at all, but rather the overtone spectrum’s tilt.

The bass sounds a bit like an MTD or Lakland in its full bandwidth. The notes are still very big and full. I’ve never played a bass with this new amount of sheer thickness AND bandwidth. It’s a lot!

Hoping this helps.


P.S.
I’ve saved the pickguard template that took a long time to make correctly and may make more pickguards in different configurations, and also in the original shape. The added lower horn can be removed to yield the original shape, hence the subtle deviation in its lower contour.
 
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#6
I think you’re insane :) That’s ok though, I’m insane too, but about different things. Do what you do.

I would never notice an objective difference of moving a PU 7/16”. I would think changes in playing technique and EQ would cancel out any audible difference. Like the difference between 60’s and 70’s J basses which to my (probably shot) ears is irrelevant. But of course, I’m insane.
 
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#9
I wouldn't dare such important mods. But I've modded both my (ceramic H) Stingray5s. I've added a switch to select which coil to use in single coil mode (and invert phantom coil to keep canceling noise). That really broke a barrier as those are my 2 most expensive bass guitars. I've done all sorts of things to cheaper exemplars, including 4 to 5 string or fretless conversions, added pickups, electronics.

Does your HH sound more Jazz Bass'ish now on the outer coils switch position? That is the thing that really turns me off about EBMM/SBMM HH models (and keeps me from getting a SUB Ray5 HH). It sounds too nasal on inner coils and nothing like a Jazz on outer coils (and a combination of those 2 feelings when on the H+H position).

Totally OT, but relevant to the 2 pickup Musicman cause (also I don't run into Musicman "power users' meeting points" every day). I'm a big fan of both all open Jazz tone and neckside coil Musicman tone (discovered this tone with a Harley Benton MM style bass that came wirh the switch wired wrong). Only basses that come stock with such combos are 2 pickup (H+J) Ibanez ATKs. I own a 405 model (MIK, cheapest 2 pickup ATK ever produced) and it's really decent at both. I've owned an EBMM Sterling5 HS and also thought the neck pickup needed to go back a little too. It lacks the neck J or P kinda' "honk", IDK, also there's not enough articulation for me to like it solo. As much as I love Musicman (SR5 has been my main tool by FAR in every context since 2001), I haven't developed a taste for their 2 pickup Stingray/Sterling options... yet?
 
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#12
andruca said:
I wouldn't dare such important mods. But I've modded both my (ceramic H) Stingray5s. I've added a switch to select which coil to use in single coil mode (and invert phantom coil to keep canceling noise). That really broke a barrier as those are my 2 most expensive bass guitars. I've done all sorts of things to cheaper exemplars, including 4 to 5 string or fretless conversions, added pickups, electronics.

Does your HH sound more Jazz Bass'ish now on the outer coils switch position? That is the thing that really turns me off about EBMM/SBMM HH models (and keeps me from getting a SUB Ray5 HH). It sounds too nasal on inner coils and nothing like a Jazz on outer coils (and a combination of those 2 feelings when on the H+H position).

Totally OT, but relevant to the 2 pickup Musicman cause (also I don't run into Musicman "power users' meeting points" every day). I'm a big fan of both all open Jazz tone and neckside coil Musicman tone (discovered this tone with a Harley Benton MM style bass that came wirh the switch wired wrong). Only basses that come stock with such combos are 2 pickup (H+J) Ibanez ATKs. I own a 405 model (MIK, cheapest 2 pickup ATK ever produced) and it's really decent at both. I've owned an EBMM Sterling5 HS and also thought the neck pickup needed to go back a little too. It lacks the neck J or P kinda' "honk", IDK, also there's not enough articulation for me to like it solo. As much as I love Musicman (SR5 has been my main tool by FAR in every context since 2001), I haven't developed a taste for their 2 pickup Stingray/Sterling options... yet?
Click to expand...
Interesting observations.

Like yourself, I love the MM tone. I got the HH to get a little more versatility, but 90% of the time I’m on the bridge humbucker. I can’t get a fender sound out of it, but with both humbuckers I can get a cool modern slap tone. I think they all have utility, but the original pickup just can’t be improved by adding a second.
 
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