bubinga5 Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 Had my first rehearsal for 5 months last night... was with a keys playing friend of mine.. was a little apprehensive.. Starting jamming on the SR5 and it was like coming home... plugged it into the Aggy and the flat tone was great.. then switch in bridge position, rolled on the bass a little, mid highs.. roll on the Aggy mids a tad... what a jazz funk tone it was ... the other guys commented on the punch and growl, and the look of it... ive said it so many times but this bass is certainly the most all round instrument ive ever played... you cant get away from an MM tone but what it does it does sooo well.. its so easy to play aswell.. i am really a jazz bass man tone wise and looks, but the SR5 is so close to what i think a 5 string bass should really be.. and what i mean by all round is.... easy to play, not overly expensive, slim neck, good looking, very well made.. its easily as well made as any Sadowsky, Sei, STR, and other boutique basses that i have tried over the years... i would love to try the HS or HH model.. but im very happy with the H tone... sits very nicely within a funk soul outfit.. im pretty sure this bass will stay with me for a long time... i just need a Fender Jazz 4 now.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grand Wazoo Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 My advice to you is that you stick with the single H there is more tone to find in having just the one pickup than the confusion created by the 2 pickups giving you 4 different sounds which will only distract you. Your right hand position it's all you really need to obtain different nuances by moving it closer to the bridge or neck or anywhere in between. Less is actually more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 I have just done my first gig in ages using only 4's now your making me miss my 5 I have a 2 hour wait now until the disco finishes at 2 (wedding gig disco in our PA , one hour drive home too) Normal SR5 service will resume for reading practice tomorrow though. SR5's FTW B5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 [quote name='Grand Wazoo' post='1151034' date='Mar 5 2011, 11:10 PM']My advice to you is that you stick with the single H there is more tone to find in having just the one pickup than the confusion created by the 2 pickups giving you 4 different sounds which will only distract you. Your right hand position it's all you really need to obtain different nuances by moving it closer to the bridge or neck or anywhere in between. Less is actually more.[/quote] +1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluRay Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 [quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1151037' date='Mar 5 2011, 11:12 PM']+1 [/quote] -1 I get that less can be more - but it is also really good to have some other options. It doesnt take long to figure out which one is the favourite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 [quote name='BluRay' post='1151147' date='Mar 6 2011, 08:57 AM']-1 I get that less can be more - but it is also really good to have some other options. It doesnt take long to figure out which one is the favourite.[/quote] That's basically what a Ray is though with it fixed in the right place, Leo knew where was best after that you just use the preamp to go from dubby jazz neck sound but more or trebly bridge sound. This relates to the many tales of what bass is used on what record debate where the right hand technique is more prominent than the core tone of the bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 I've just bought the Twp Against Nature DVD and depite Tom Barney having his custom ESP J5 which is super pretty and made for him, etc, it's only when he plays his SR5 that I really looked up and went "Ooh that sounds nice". If I was still playing a 5 it would be an SR5, my old one was lovely, sat in the mix just so. It's been said by many reviewers that it is the ultimate 5 for playing in an ensemble. For your pleasure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 Ive said it before I will say it again Teal FTW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicman20 Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 Which year/magnets is your Ray? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grand Wazoo Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 [quote name='Musicman20' post='1151293' date='Mar 6 2011, 11:17 AM']Which year/magnets is your Ray? [/quote] That would be pre 2002 and have alnico. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicman20 Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 Ive heard nice versions of both. My current Ray 5 HS is an alnico, but ive heard a few Sterling 4s/5s and I actually quite like the bite of ceramic. Ill do a video A/B when my Sterling 5 arrives, which is apparently very soon! Re: Multi-pups...I definitely think the HS is the best of both worlds. Enough room to play, nice big fat single coil for more traditional tones, and with the latest 2008- Ray 5s, you cannot get a single coil at the bridge position anymore, but you can with the HS, plus keep the main tone and have more to play with. I was all about single Hs til I tried a few multi-pup ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 [quote name='Grand Wazoo' post='1151327' date='Mar 6 2011, 11:46 AM']That would be pre 2002 and have alnico.[/quote] Do you mean pre 1992 or have you swapped the pup? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grand Wazoo Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 [quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1151409' date='Mar 6 2011, 01:03 PM']Do you mean pre 1992 or have you swapped the pup?[/quote] That bass is not mine but as far as I recall EBMM went throuh a period I am not accurately sure, but somewhere between 2001 to 2009 when they issued all SR5's with toilet rim pickups until they finally decided to go back to AlNiCo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grand Wazoo Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 And yes I did own one of them a 2003 model with ceramic pickup which I replaced with a Seymour Duncan AlNiCo because I didn't like the way it sounded with the SR5, I remember mentioning in the EBMM forum and everyone's got their knickers in a twist because of it. Did my face looked bothered? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 [quote name='Grand Wazoo' post='1151422' date='Mar 6 2011, 01:12 PM']That bass is not mine but as far as I recall EBMM went throuh a period I am not accurately sure, but somewhere between 2001 to 2009 when they issued all SR5's with toilet rim pickups until they finally decided to go back to AlNiCo.[/quote] I think they are alnico 87-92 ,ceramic from 1992/3 then back to alnico 2008 although apparently there is some confusion with the 2006 on models as the pup cover changed but its still ceramic? I must admit to being put off the ceramic without trying one as I really just wanted my SR4 sound in an SR5 maybe one day a fretless ceramic 5 with a RW board would cover some more MM angles! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicman20 Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 [quote name='bubinga5' post='1150982' date='Mar 5 2011, 09:52 PM']Had my first rehearsal for 5 months last night... was with a keys playing friend of mine.. was a little apprehensive.. Starting jamming on the SR5 and it was like coming home... plugged it into the Aggy and the flat tone was great.. then switch in bridge position, rolled on the bass a little, mid highs.. roll on the Aggy mids a tad... what a jazz funk tone it was ... the other guys commented on the punch and growl, and the look of it... ive said it so many times but this bass is certainly the most all round instrument ive ever played... you cant get away from an MM tone but what it does it does sooo well.. its so easy to play aswell.. i am really a jazz bass man tone wise and looks, but the SR5 is so close to what i think a 5 string bass should really be.. and what i mean by all round is.... easy to play, not overly expensive, slim neck, good looking, very well made.. its easily as well made as any Sadowsky, Sei, STR, and other boutique basses that i have tried over the years... i would love to try the HS or HH model.. but im very happy with the H tone... sits very nicely within a funk soul outfit.. im pretty sure this bass will stay with me for a long time... i just need a Fender Jazz 4 now..[/quote] This is why I ended up with a Ray 5 and not a Lakland JO/DJ5. Quality. I assume they are still one of the best selling 5 string basses around. Anyone worried about the Sterling / Ceramic tone who hasnt heard it should have a quick listen to this (although if ceramic isnt your thing, thats obviously totally fine!): [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akwJz_KRlW8"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akwJz_KRlW8[/url] Basically, the series wiring and ceramic pups are more 'middy' and aggressive. Great for cutting through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluRay Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 [quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1151170' date='Mar 6 2011, 09:36 AM']That's basically what a Ray is though with it fixed in the right place, Leo knew where was best after that you just use the preamp to go from dubby jazz neck sound but more or trebly bridge sound. This relates to the many tales of what bass is used on what record debate where the right hand technique is more prominent than the core tone of the bass.[/quote] yep I'm sure ole Leo knew best - but I still really like some of the sounds I can get with the extra H (some, not all). Its a variation on a theme, and thats ok by me. Nowt wrong with that eh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 [quote name='BluRay' post='1151461' date='Mar 6 2011, 01:57 PM']yep I'm sure ole Leo knew best - but I still really like some of the sounds I can get with the extra H (some, not all). Its a variation on a theme, and thats ok by me. Nowt wrong with that eh? [/quote] No nothing at all Leo may of even added the extra pup himself if he had kept MM longer? ie G&L. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matski Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 [quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1151475' date='Mar 6 2011, 03:20 PM']Leo may have even added the extra pup himself if he had kept MM longer?[/quote] *AHEM* aren't you forgetting the MusicMan Sabre...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr_russ Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 I didn't really get on with the SR5 HH I had in the long term and much preferred the older (early 90's?) single H model I had a couple of years earlier - really miss that bass. Am I right in saying the SR5HH with the bridge pickup soloed is wired in series, I remember really enjoying the single H SR5 with the pickup set to parallel - having this tone missing from the double pickup model was probably all that made the difference for me, possibly over the magnet material. The DJ5 I've had for the last 3 years or so has been fantastic but I certainly would like an SR5 again someday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr_russ Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 [quote name='Musicman20' post='1151445' date='Mar 6 2011, 01:42 PM']This is why I ended up with a Ray 5 and not a Lakland JO/DJ5. Quality.[/quote] Build quality of my DJ5 is just as good as either of the SR5's I've had - plus it's a hell of a lot lighter. Imo, Lakland stuff is extremely well built, although I've not tried any of the newer Indonesian built instruments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicman20 Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 I totally understand why people like Lakland 5ers, but I've sent 3-4 back with really poor budget bass type flaws. Bad neck pockets, poor pickup routing, very very heavy weight combined with bad paintwork etc. £1000-£1200 for a bass like that was just plain odd. My Ray is really well made, and the paint is very very clean. I still like Laklands but I don't like their prices for what they are. I think it's their factories latest QC though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicman20 Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 [quote name='mr_russ' post='1152514' date='Mar 7 2011, 02:17 PM']I didn't really get on with the SR5 HH I had in the long term and much preferred the older (early 90's?) single H model I had a couple of years earlier - really miss that bass. Am I right in saying the SR5HH with the bridge pickup soloed is wired in series, I remember really enjoying the single H SR5 with the pickup set to parallel - having this tone missing from the double pickup model was probably all that made the difference for me, possibly over the magnet material. The DJ5 I've had for the last 3 years or so has been fantastic but I certainly would like an SR5 again someday.[/quote] 2008- Ray 5s are all wired in parallel. Sterling 5s are all in series apart from the single H model which is exactly the same as the old Ray 5 eg series/parallel/single coil and ceramic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 [quote name='matski' post='1152507' date='Mar 7 2011, 02:15 PM']*AHEM* aren't you forgetting the MusicMan Sabre...? [/quote] I meant into a regular Ray but you can claim your £5 for making a good point Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grand Wazoo Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 (edited) [size=3][center][b]*CRAFTY TIP*[/b][/center][/size] If you have a Stingray 5 from 2002 to 2009 the one with the ceramic pickup, you can find a series setting if you fiddle with the blade switch in between the middle and top position, i.e. like on the old 3 ways strats if you manage to stop it halfway you will get that fatter series setting. But its a bit of a pain cause it wont stay there if you move your bass about or knock it with your hand, I used to stick a matchstick in there to block it into place. Edited March 7, 2011 by Grand Wazoo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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