Vintage tone

[IvanHardy]

hey guys i'm trying to get that 70's vintage stingray tone but i can't buy a stingray classic at the moment. would putting an older stingray pickup on my 2005 stingray give it that vintage tone or is it about changing the 3 band preamp to a 2 band?

 

[Duarte]

It's about the 2 band. The pickups in the classics and standard models are, I think, the same.

Get a 2 band, with a big old bridge (that may contribute to the tone)

 

[IvanHardy]

It's about the 2 band. The pickups in the classics and standard models are, I think, the same.

Get a 2 band, with a big old bridge (that may contribute to the tone)

I don't know where I would find an official old musicman bridge

 

[J Romano]

I don't know where I would find an official old musicman bridge

If you do, let me know. I've got an '88 SR4 that needs one too!

 

[Stephen]

I don't think you need to touch the pickup. Besides the usual suspects like fingers, strings, old worn out rubbish amps and the like, a major point is the different behavior of the 2 and 3 band EQ in boosting. Your best bet to emulate a maxed out 2 band is not to boost treble and bass on your 3 band but to center everything and then cut the mids all the way (or to your taste). Adjust volume if needed.

Do a search on this board for the sound examples by oli@bass - these explain it better than I can.

Besides, is this bass set up "normally", i.e. EADG tuning with typical string gauges? I seem to remember you tried some wild things wild drop tunings.

 

[2ndBassGuitar]

Make sure to get your dad's permission before you do any mods.

 

[RaginRog]

You'd have to drill holes through the body and get ferrules. Additionally, it is about the 2 band; however, John East makes a Stingray preamp that is somewhat modeled after an old 2 band...but has more features.

 

[IvanHardy]

I don't think you need to touch the pickup. Besides the usual suspects like fingers, strings, old worn out rubbish amps and the like, a major point is the different behavior of the 2 and 3 band EQ in boosting. Your best bet to emulate a maxed out 2 band is not to boost treble and bass on your 3 band but to center everything and then cut the mids all the way (or to your taste). Adjust volume if needed.

Do a search on this board for the sound examples by oli@bass - these explain it better than I can.

Besides, is this bass set up "normally", i.e. EADG tuning with typical string gauges? I seem to remember you tried some wild things wild drop tunings.

it wasn't that wild. i got the aple bass set up for DGCF with Power slinky gauges but i'm considering getting it set back up for standard since i left my band not too long ago. i might as well get my stealth set up with lighter gauges because power slinky's for standard tuning is a bit much now to me. maybe i'll go with hybrid slinky's.

You'd have to drill holes through the body and get ferrules. Additionally, it is about the 2 band; however, John East makes a Stingray preamp that is somewhat modeled after an old 2 band...but has more features.

i was looking into that and i was thinking whether i should get that preamp or not. but the 2 band with extra features doesn't sound so bad.

 

[RaginRog]

it wasn't that wild. i got the aple bass set up for DGCF with Power slinky gauges but i'm considering getting it set back up for standard since i left my band not too long ago. i might as well get my stealth set up with lighter gauges because power slinky's for standard tuning is a bit much now to me. maybe i'll go with hybrid slinky's.


i was looking into that and i was thinking whether i should get that preamp or not. but the 2 band with extra features doesn't sound so bad.

I had his P-Retro before, and I must say that his preamps do sound very nice. I actually sold the P bass and preamp to get my Sterling HS...Nothing personal, but my other --nder bass covers the P bass well enough.

 

[IvanHardy]

I had his P-Retro before, and I must say that his preamps do sound very nice. I actually sold the P bass and preamp to get my Sterling HS...Nothing personal, but my other --nder bass covers the P bass well enough.

so you would recommend i get it?

 

[drTStingray]

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[IvanHardy]

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Meaning?

 

[bovinehost]

Gentlemen, let's not leap into the aftermarket business here, please.

I'd rather not close threads and that sort of thing.

Thanks in advance.

Jack

 

[drTStingray]

Meaning?

Meaning I posted from a cellphone and it didn't work the forum used the word undefined btw!

I actually said that the 3 band EQ is far more versatile than the 2 band (as you'd expect as it was an upgrade - presumably to improve the Stingray's versatility) - however, if I'm using one of my 3 bands, and want to get a close approximation of the 2 band, I boost the bass and treble slightly and importantly, cut the mid a little as well - the 3 band has more mid at centre detent than the mids of the 2 band, generally (unless you cut the bass and treble right back on the 2 band - when it can get quite mid sounding).

I wouldn't mod a 3 band - you could save for a used 2 band Ray or a used Sub?

 

[Big Poppa]

You'd have to drill holes through the body and get ferrules. Additionally, it is about the 2 band; however, John East makes a Stingray preamp that is somewhat modeled after an old 2 band...but has more features.

adding a john east pre amp with extras does not make it 'vintage' or close.....boost the bass and the treble and keep the mids flat.

 

[oli@bass]

As others have already suggested, cutting the mids and lightly boosting the bass and treble on the 3 band is the ticket into the 2 band sound ballpark.

The reason behind this is that the 2 band EQ has less mids when set roughly to "flat" than the 3 band has at center detent. Also, the bass (and treble) control on the 2 band EQ seems to be a shelving type and thus affecting frequency range differently than the 3 band EQ of peaking type. See Wikipedia for further explanation of EQ types: Equalization - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

So, in order to get the typical 2 band "ultra low boom with high end sizzle", you rather should remove mids than add bass/treble on the 3 band because that will give you a similar smiley curve EQ.

However, what some people also seem to associate with the "vintage tone" for the StingRay is the sound of the 2 band with little bass boost and treble all the way off. Approximate that with a light mid boost and cutting treble, maybe even a bit of bass cut.


Edit: So my post came in right after BP... well it feels sort of stupid to have it here ....maybe you go with his suggestion first.

 

[IvanHardy]

adding a john east pre amp with extras does not make it 'vintage' or close.....boost the bass and the treble and keep the mids flat.

Thanks alot big poppa. It's that I listened to the stingray sound examples and heard that the 2 band boosts lows more and sounds more full and I wanted that.

 

[IvanHardy]

As others have already suggested, cutting the mids and lightly boosting the bass and treble on the 3 band is the ticket into the 2 band sound ballpark.

The reason behind this is that the 2 band EQ has less mids when set roughly to "flat" than the 3 band has at center detent. Also, the bass (and treble) control on the 2 band EQ seems to be a shelving type and thus affecting frequency range differently than the 3 band EQ of peaking type. See Wikipedia for further explanation of EQ types: Equalization - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

So, in order to get the typical 2 band "ultra low boom with high end sizzle", you rather should remove mids than add bass/treble on the 3 band because that will give you a similar smiley curve EQ.

However, what some people also seem to associate with the "vintage tone" for the StingRay is the sound of the 2 band with little bass boost and treble all the way off. Approximate that with a light mid boost and cutting treble, maybe even a bit of bass cut.


Edit: So my post came in right after BP... well it feels sort of stupid to have it here ....maybe you go with his suggestion first.

Well I understand what you're saying since I'm going to institute of audio research to become an audio engineer so I'm learning about frequencies and such. I'll definately try what big poppa said. By the way here's the settings on my ampeg and one of my rays to kinda give an idea of how my tone is. the grpahic EQ is for live only and i leave it off when i practice at home. sorry for the bad pics:

[/IMG]

 

[Rano Bass]

Lower the bands on the graphic eq and also lower the gain, you'll get a cleaner and smoother sound that way.
On the bass preamp just cut a little mids and boost a little more bass.

 

[IvanHardy]

Lower the bands on the graphic eq and also lower the gain, you'll get a cleaner and smoother sound that way.
On the bass preamp just cut a little mids and boost a little more bass.

damn lowering the gain might be a bit difficult at first. im so used to having a lot of gain i love it. any recommendations where exactly i should have it? playing today my tone was super bright because i put new strings so im in the process of breaking them in and it's buzzing a lot too.