Stingray stuff

[Speterc]

Hello nice people.

Contemplating a new build/project.

If I have an outboard two band eq that I like, could I use that with a bass with a single Music Man pick up, wired straight to the jack(using the outboard pre for volume, etc.)

As a side note, I have a couple of questions for ErnieBall folks...

Do Stingray fans covet vintage stingray pickups the way, say, fender jazz bass fans do early fender pickups?

I see used stingrays with piezo pickups, lined fretless necks, some odd finishes. But I see none of that at their website. Is there an Ernie Ball custom shop, or are these just older offerings?

Thanks in advance!

Shawn

 

[Geri O]

No such luck with an Ernie Ball Custom Shop. Don’t we wish...

 

[Warpeg]

...If I have an outboard two band eq that I like, could I use that with a bass with a single Music Man pick up, wired straight to the jack(using the outboard pre for volume, etc.)....

It depends on the pickup and the preamp in question. The most important factor, in my opinion, is making sure that the preamp's input impedance is well-matched to the output signal of the pickup. You'll want to do some research on the specs of your pickup and preamp to make sure they 'play well together'.

Something else to think about -- Having knobs on a bass is very convenient for most players. By removing the knobs, you're relying on having to get to your preamp whenever you need to make volume and EQ adjustments. Depending on your setup and your situation (eg. Gigging musician or just playing at home?), this could end up being a hassle.

 

[dab12ax7ef]

Do Stingray fans covet vintage stingray pickups the way, say, fender jazz bass fans do early fender pickups?

Shawn

Yeah, probably. Vintage being pre Ernie Ball.
However, most folks StingRay fans, like me, agree that the stock pickup and pre are so well matched there’s no use on trying to improve on them. I don’t think that EB offers their pickup or preamps for sale.
Others make their version of the pickup which would be great for a build. And the 2 band vintage StingRay pre amp copies from Nordstrand and John East are probably great. There’s might be other options I’m not mentioning.

Long and short, many EBMM fans leave their Stings stock cause they are just great. Tinkering with Fenders seems much more common.

 

[BassLife77]

I never understood the whole vintage voodoo smoodoo. Just build something that sounds good to your ears. There are pickups and preamps that sound a lot better

 

[bigtone23]

There is a camp of Stingray fans that love the original, 70s era 2 band pre, there is a camp that love the 3 band.
The oldest pickups were Alnico, the newest are neo and there are many ceramic favorites out there, too.
It's much like Fender lore with people liking the late 50s vs early 60s vs 70s winds of pickups when comparing 2 band vs 3 band and the various magnets.

In the end, the Stingray is all about that parallel wired humbucker in that specific spot perfectly matched to a preamp.