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Upgrade stingray sub electronics

J

Jim Beaver

May 22, 2020
50
41
#1
Hello, I recently got back into playing with all the quarantining going on. I picked up a sterling stingray 4 and am pretty happy with it overall (always wanted a stingray but couldn’t afford one).

My question is since this is a 2 band eq, if I got an upgraded pickup with a 3 band eq, is that easily installed? I would assume that the existing input jack on the front cover plate could be moved and the extra eq knob could be put in its place? And the new input jack would just have to be drilled and installed on the bottom of the guitar?

I was looking at the Aguilar AG 4m pickup and one of the Aguilar obp preamps. Looks like there’s three models, does the obp3 model offer any significant positives over the obp2?

or does anyone have any other recommendations on an upgraded pickup/preamp combo?

Thanks!
 
#4
Yes I used the SD preamp and yes you put the output jack on a plate on the edge of the body . If you dont want to move the jack with all the preamps you can with SD get the 3 or 4 knob version & with the 3 knob just used a stack knob / pot that comes with the kit other preamps I dont know if you can buy the stacked knob / pot if not all you have to buy the correct knob / pot set.
1 thing good about the SD MM preamp it fits inside the cavity where the pots go
 
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#6
robert43 said:
Yes I used the SD preamp and yes you put the output jack on a plate on the edge of the body . If you dont want to move the jack with all the preamps you can with SD get the 3 or 4 knob version & with the 3 knob just used a stack knob / pot that comes with the kit other preamps I dont know if you can buy the stacked knob / pot if not all you have to buy the correct knob / pot set.
1 thing good about the SD MM preamp it fits inside the cavity where the pots go
Click to expand...

I think after doing some more research I would stick with a 3 knob setup, it appears it has a deeper bass than the 4 knob setup, and it would be less intrusive on the bass itself. Which version SD pickup did you go with? Are you happy with it? Thanks!
 
#8
John East makes really great drop-ins. I have never messed with the electronics in my Ray or Sabre but I have his drop-ins on a J and a P and they kick all manner of buttocks. He also sells wire kits and straight PCB preamps but the drop kit that ships fully assembled with the knobs and everything on the plate is almost impossible to mess up. Plus he uses WAGO style wire clamps so you don't even need to solder anything.
Do it now.
mmsr_4k_3b_top_lr.jpg
 
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#9
I've read that there are 2 companies making preamps that sound pretty much like the EBMM one, similar overall tone and high frequencies to the stingray tone: East (of course, since his is a direct recreation of the stingray 2 band with an optional varimid as well), and the SD preamp. The rest are not apparently true Stingray tone replicators....

So good call on the SD suggestions. I love SD stuff. I have not personally worked with the SD preamp to verify what I'm saying, but it has been said here on TB by several people that it nails the Stingray tone.
 
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#11
Killing Floor said:
John East makes really great drop-ins. I have never messed with the electronics in my Ray or Sabre but I have his drop-ins on a J and a P and they kick all manner of buttocks. He also sells wire kits and straight PCB preamps but the drop kit that ships fully assembled with the knobs and everything on the plate is almost impossible to mess up. Plus he uses WAGO style wire clamps so you don't even need to solder anything.
Do it now.
View attachment 3846817
Click to expand...

this sounds promising. Not having to solder anything is a plus. Definitely will check this out. Thanks!
 
#15
Jim Beaver said:
Hello, I recently got back into playing with all the quarantining going on. I picked up a sterling stingray 4 and am pretty happy with it overall (always wanted a stingray but couldn’t afford one).

My question is since this is a 2 band eq, if I got an upgraded pickup with a 3 band eq, is that easily installed? I would assume that the existing input jack on the front cover plate could be moved and the extra eq knob could be put in its place? And the new input jack would just have to be drilled and installed on the bottom of the guitar?

I was looking at the Aguilar AG 4m pickup and one of the Aguilar obp preamps. Looks like there’s three models, does the obp3 model offer any significant positives over the obp2?

or does anyone have any other recommendations on an upgraded pickup/preamp combo?

Thanks!
Click to expand...
2 band is better for a stingray. But pickup, gotta get a Nordy. I'd personally go for the BigMan, But the Big SplitMan looks nice too.
Screenshot_20200528-121938_Samsung Internet.jpg
 
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#16
JeezyMcNuggles said:
2 band is better for a stingray. But pickup, gotta get a Nordy. I'd personally go for the BigMan, But the Big SplitMan looks nice too.View attachment 3846960
Click to expand...

this is where I start to get confused on this stuff and get apprehensive. I need to sit down and write down the differences but I see there are differences in the type of pickups available (ceramic?). Does the pickup type matter with the preamp? So I guess my question would be if I get pickup x, does any preamp work with it or would only preamps that fall under category Y work with it?
 
#17
Jim Beaver said:
this is where I start to get confused on this stuff and get apprehensive. I need to sit down and write down the differences but I see there are differences in the type of pickups available (ceramic?). Does the pickup type matter with the preamp? So I guess my question would be if I get pickup x, does any preamp work with it or would only preamps that fall under category Y work with it?
Click to expand...
Yea... I would not say "gotta get" an of them. Seymour Duncan was the top custom wound pickup maker in the USA for years. Then it became a big business, but their pickups are still absolutely some of the best you can get. Nordstrand also... but I never put Nord as better than SD - just different. Both are excellent. Dimarzio was the first... and they too are absolutely excellent.

Then there are all the other makers out there.. and a ton of them have excellent MM pickup designs with great tone. How do you compare? I would like to know also :-)

Preamps - that one listed a few posts up is new to me - but again, the SD preamp and the East preamp are both Stingray designs with very similar components and response.

East preamps are the stringray 2 band design, but I sold my 2 band EBMM basses because they were great at what they did, but I needed mid control (mid boost) options as well, and 2 band can't do that. So the East 3 band is a brilliant improvement because it's a 2 band stingray preamp (literally the same sound and performance) plus a mid control that is semi parametric.... it's the best of all worlds, if you like the stingray tone. But it's VERY expensive, or so I've been told.
 
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#18
Jim Beaver said:
this is where I start to get confused on this stuff and get apprehensive. I need to sit down and write down the differences but I see there are differences in the type of pickups available (ceramic?). Does the pickup type matter with the preamp? So I guess my question would be if I get pickup x, does any preamp work with it or would only preamps that fall under category Y work with it?
Click to expand...
Any preamp should work with any pickups. Most pickups are passive. There are some pickups though that are active (they are actually powered), but few and far between. Most of the time, a passive signal is sent from the pickups to an active preamp in your bass, then out.
 
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#19
dkelley said:
Yea... I would not say "gotta get" an of them. Seymour Duncan was the top custom wound pickup maker in the USA for years. Then it became a big business, but their pickups are still absolutely some of the best you can get. Nordstrand also... but I never put Nord as better than SD - just different. Both are excellent. Dimarzio was the first... and they too are absolutely excellent.

Then there are all the other makers out there.. and a ton of them have excellent MM pickup designs with great tone. How do you compare? I would like to know also :)

Preamps - that one listed a few posts up is new to me - but again, the SD preamp and the East preamp are both Stingray designs with very similar components and response.

East preamps are the stringray 2 band design, but I sold my 2 band EBMM basses because they were great at what they did, but I needed mid control (mid boost) options as well, and 2 band can't do that. So the East 3 band is a brilliant improvement because it's a 2 band stingray preamp (literally the same sound and performance) plus a mid control that is semi parametric.... it's the best of all worlds, if you like the stingray tone. But it's VERY expensive, or so I've been told.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that response, offered solid insight. My problem is I’ve been out of the game for so long I’m not up to date on all this terminology and the modern tech. I’ll sit down and go through all these great responses and make a list of what everyone’s recommending and see the cost vs what I’m willing to spend.
 
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#20
From the thread I'm assuming you're talking about a Sterling By Music Man Ray4. If you really wanted a 3 band pre-amp I wouldn't go with upgrading yours, I'd say sell it and get a Ray34. That has a 3 band pre-amp, and a better pickup (Alnico in the Ray34, Ceramic in the Ray4) and is a better quality build and wood. Not much more than what you'd spend on the pre-amp and pickup along with the value of your bass, esp if you bought a used Ray34.

If you're set on keeping your Ray4, then I'd say drop in a Nordstrand 4.2 pickup and their 2 band pre-amp. That's a very popular setup and upgrade to the Ray4 and should give you a great old school Stingray tone.
 
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