Stingray Long Scale Passive and SR5 Special no scratch plate limited runs

[drTStingray 665]

https://www.music-man.com/bfr/december-2020

Interesting natural Stingray normal scale with the short scale passive electronics - looks very like the early 1976 pre production prototypes. 

Also an SR5H Special with no scratch plate and rear mounted electronics. Nice flip colour finish also. No doubt these will be too expensive for my pocket but these basses do look great. 

I noticed they only have 2 of the Cliff William's signature Stingray left on the Musicman US website. 

Edited December 1, 2020 by drTStingray

[BreadBin 2,766]

7 hours ago, drTStingray said:

Also an SR5H Special with no scratch plate and rear mounted electronics. Nice flip colour finish also. No doubt these will be too expensive for my pocket but these basses do look great. 

Good that they got rid of the worst looking part of an SR5

[FDC484950 511]

Yes, having a Sterling V HH I do much prefer the clean lines of the traditional Stingray pickguard. The current Stingray V pickguard is enormous and for me unbalances the bass visually, especially if it is a two humbucker model. The BFR model in the link does look much cleaner.

[Jus Lukin 2,642]

Given how easy it would be to pull the preamp on a Stringray Special, I can't quite see the point in paying over the odds for a passive one.

Not that I dislike the SR5 scratchplate, but the 5er does look really nice. Gives the same shape a notably different vibe.

[Eldon Tyrell 337]

9 hours ago, drTStingray said:

https://www.music-man.com/bfr/december-2020

Interesting natural Stingray normal scale with the short scale passive electronics - looks very like the early 1976 pre production prototypes. 

Also an SR5H Special with no scratch plate and rear mounted electronics. Nice flip colour finish also. No doubt these will be too expensive for my pocket but these basses do look great. 

I noticed they only have 2 of the Cliff William's signature Stingray left on the Musicman US website. 

Wow, the neck on the natural Stingray looks killer. Unfortunately, BFR means that it will be out of my price range.

Great to see that most of the Cliff Williams signature Stingray have sold! Over at TB, there has been a heated debate (19 pages and counting!) including several haters. I don't get it. Yes, $7k is a lot of money but is it a limited edition (26 in total), a lot of hard work and effort went into producing it, it clearly is not targeting the mass market and, most importantly, "All proceeds from the sale of this Cliff Williams Icon series bass will be donated to The American Alzheimer’s Association Gulf Coast Chapter who provides support and resources for those living with or caring for someone with Alzheimer's or other dementias."

I think it's great and I hope EBMM will release some more models in their icon series! 

 

[bloke_zero 155]

14 minutes ago, Jus Lukin said:

Gives the same shape a notably different vibe.

Gives it a bit of a G&L L1000 vibe.

[acidbass 222]

Is there an unnecessary knob on the SR4?  Volume, Tone, and what else?  Personally I think the Joe Dart is the perfect MM Bass.

[Jus Lukin 2,642]

39 minutes ago, acidbass said:

Is there an unnecessary knob on the SR4?  Volume, Tone, and what else?  Personally I think the Joe Dart is the perfect MM Bass.

Passive Stingrays often have a volume control for both coils of the humbucker- or one could be a rotary switch doing a similar thing!

Edited December 2, 2020 by Jus Lukin

[drTStingray 665]

11 hours ago, Jus Lukin said:

Given how easy it would be to pull the preamp on a Stringray Special, I can't quite see the point in paying over the odds for a passive one.

Not that I dislike the SR5 scratchplate, but the 5er does look really nice. Gives the same shape a notably different vibe.

The passive Stingray is a bit more than a simple 70 yr old tone on it off and volume on or off design 😂

But seriously, I can't remember what the controls do but IIRC one of the knobs is for series/parallel/ single coil instead of humbucker, one is volume with a push/pull boost (in reality it is normally in cut mode and you can select for a boost, say in a solo (which some of us seem to be asked to do even if it is only for a few bars - even useful for those short breaks like in Zeppelin's Good Times, Bad Times). 

I think the other is a tone - but anyway it's a lot more than simply lifting the pre amp from a Special - I believe the whole electronics package was developed for the short scale but worked so well they've done this limited run at standard scale - I think that bass looks killer - as I said like a 76 pre production bass. 

I too like the SR5 without the pickguard but am more than happy with mine with them as well - PS I don't know what the flip on that blue is but it normally is only on one of the guitar models - the blue is nice enough - cue totally gratuitous SR5 photos.....

SR5HHs - Changed pg to black (notice it still has the white selector switch - looks cool!!)

i didn't care much for the SR5 pg back about 20 yrs ago but now really like it - my US Sub 5 has the standard Ray shaped pg, which suits it - sounds great btw - has a poplar body like Cliff Williams' original pre EB Ray 👍

 

 

 

Edited December 2, 2020 by drTStingray
Photo uploads failed first few times

[Jus Lukin 2,642]

15 minutes ago, drTStingray said:

IIRC one of the knobs is for series/parallel/ single coil instead of humbucker, one is volume with a push/pull boost

Ah yes, I remember reading about that now! It was my OLP which had the two coil volumes.

It's still a very straightforward bit of electronics, probably cheaper to implement than a pre and more within the abilities of the average solderer. Nevertheless, it does look great, and probably sounds it, too!

[drTStingray 665]

Well I think they've engineered the process so that it works impeccably (see the rave reviews especially on Talkbass) - it's obviously possible to do DIY surgery and some people like doing that - no problem with that but modded would do well to remember some brands (including Musicman) can have their resale value if not also outright saleability on the used market severely compromised if but returned to factory spec ie keep the bits you take off - I see it on a par with tuning cars - there are firms that develop tuning packages for cars that take years to perfect and work extremely well - there's a massive market- there are DIY ers who bolt bits and parts on but haven't a clue what the combined effect is - in fact some combinations actually reduce performance - others find weaknesses and blow otherwise bullet proof engines and gearboxes. As I said many of us have moved on from the embryonic designs of the 50s!!! But even so with a bass guitar,  modders will no doubt hear the nuances and improvements of their work - but that is personal to them and bass guitar sound is a notoriously fickle thing when it comes to comparative opinion and what people hear. Some will even tell you body wood and neck construction/ fingerboard wood type make no difference - I'm definitely not one of them - my rosewood board Stingrays sound quite different from the maple board ones!!! 

No doubt people can replicate the circuits Musicman has developed but that is basically copying someone's hard funded R and D to bring something to market - two totally different things - I don't have any strong views on people modifying things, just the cost and ease comparison with people who bring a package to market - it's not really a valid comparison in my view. Musicman have always had excellent passive circuits (eg Reflex and Big Al basses). 

Edited December 3, 2020 by drTStingray

[Jus Lukin 2,642]

With respect, I think you may be giving that little cluster of pots and wires greater reverence that it deserves. I don't doubt that it works well, but it is still a remarkably simple circuit of a few quid's-worth of parts, probably pennies at bulk. Fender's electronics were simplistic and well known of in the 50's- even their amp designs came from plans freely available to use from RCA by that point, and the term 'rheostat' (basically a potentiometer) dates from about 100 years prior to the first Fender lap steels.

It's a great looking instrument and will likely be beautifully built and sound lovely. I can't quite see the logic in charging some £400 above a standard SR Special- but then I'm no businessman.

If I was after something similar I'd buy a SR Special, have our own KiOgon knock up a fine quality loom from a push/pull and rotary, and sell the EBMM pre, to boot.

I'm not out to knock the bass or EBMM- in fact I have missed having a Stingray since mine went years ago, but the passive circuit is nothing which hasn't been around from well before any of us were born, and far more complex thngs have been in bass guitars since at least the 60's.

As I said though, looks great- I'd certainly be happy to have one!

[drTStingray 665]

On 2 December 2020 at 09:42, Eldon Tyrell said:

Wow, the neck on the natural Stingray looks killer. Unfortunately, BFR means that it will be out of my price range.

Great to see that most of the Cliff Williams signature Stingray have sold! Over at TB, there has been a heated debate (19 pages and counting!) including several haters. I don't get it. Yes, $7k is a lot of money but is it a limited edition (26 in total), a lot of hard work and effort went into producing it, it clearly is not targeting the mass market and, most importantly, "All proceeds from the sale of this Cliff Williams Icon series bass will be donated to The American Alzheimer’s Association Gulf Coast Chapter who provides support and resources for those living with or caring for someone with Alzheimer's or other dementias."

I think it's great and I hope EBMM will release some more models in their icon series! 

 

+1 on the icon series - it will be very interesting to see what else appears in this - I can forsee myself being tempted at least once, if any of these appear - some examples:-

Pino - 79 sunburst fretless

Bernard Edwards - 77 natural 

Tim Commerford - 201* natural/ maple SR4HH

Tony Levin - 89 SR5 alnico in peach 

Louis Johnson - pick from various including overwound pick up Stingrays; Sabres

I also find it extraordinary that occassional people moan about this on the Internet, particularly with profits going to charity - but stranger things happen - I've heard it said that one world leader has been known to spread baseless rumour and fake news regularly via social media. Imagine if the Internet had been around in the days of some of the more flamboyant and appalling dictators (eg Messrs I Amen; A Hilter) 😧

 

 

Edited December 3, 2020 by drTStingray

[Eldon Tyrell 337]

38 minutes ago, drTStingray said:

+1 on the icon series - it will be very interesting to see what else appears in this - I can forsee myself being tempted at least once, if any of these appear - some examples:-

Pino - 79 sunburst fretless

Bernard Edwards - 77 natural 

Tim Commerford - 201* natural/ maple SR4HH

Tony Levin - 89 SR5 alnico in peach 

Louis Johnson - pick from various including overwound pick up Stingrays; Sabres

I also find it extraordinary that occassional people moan about this on the Internet, particularly with profits going to charity - but stranger things happen - I've heard it said that one world leader has been known to spread baseless rumour and fake news regularly via social media. Imagine if the Internet had been around in the days of some of the more flamboyant and appalling dictators (eg Messrs I Amen; A Hilter) 😧

 

 

From your list, a Bernard Edwards, Louis Johnson and Timmy C sig bass would be very, very tempting. I've just lost out on a great looking Stingray Special in natural here on BC, so I am definitely interested in getting a natural one. What I have seen so far, EBMM's sig basses are all for living artists. Therefore, out of the three, for obvious reasons, only a Timmy C icon series sig bass may happen. Would love to get a natural Stingray Special HH with black hardware. I think that's a great combination. It has been on my wishlist since I first saw it being featured in this PG rig rundown (from 06:55):