2-Band EQ Stingrays...

[Chris C]

So, I know more than a few of you have both 2-band and 3-band EQ 'Rays. What do you perceive to be the main difference in the tone between the two?

I have a SUB 5 with active 2-band (I'm assuming that it's going to give me a very similar tone to 2-band 'Rays, even though the pickup is ceramic *I think*), and I'm really kind of blown away by the tone of the thing. Don't get me wrong, I love the tone of my 30th and natural 'Ray... but there is just a certain sound that the SUB gets that is VERY nice. If I were to get a 2-band natural 'Ray... say the one at Bass Central that I see they have in inventory... would I be a happy camper, or would it be close enough to my 3-band 'Rays to not be worth the extra $$$???

(if this is coming off as an excuse to plunge into the depths of GAS yet again... well, perhaps it is But seriously, I'd like to know what you think about the two varieties of preamp. )

 

[Caca de Kick]

To me it's different. The 2eq still has 'darker' lows and low-mids. Also I think the treble is smoother and not as glassy as the 3eq. I prefer the 2's. I really feel the 3eq cannot get the same tones that Paul Denman, Bernard Edwards, Louis Johnson and others made famous with the 2's.
The one thing that made me fall in love with my 30th, is the mahogany contributed to the low and low-mids, and that to my ears made it darker and closer to my 2eq basses.

 

[hankSRay]

I agree with caca de kick, definately more low/low mids on the 2 banders, and a smoother tone. I love my 2 band but prefer my 3 band in a live situation.

 

[cat_empire]

just a question and sorry if it sounds dumb, but couldnt you just turn the 'middle' knob right down on the 3 bands to replicate a 2 band or is there more to it than that?

 

[bdgotoh]

The 2 band definitely has more low end on tap, so there are differences between the two preamps outside the mids control.

 

[spencer]

Im guessing that the 2 band is just like a low mid and high mid instead of low mid and high.

 

[Kirby]

I definitely prefer a 2 band tone wise, but it is a noisier pre-amp than the 3 band. I have had to shield both of my two bands to quiet them to a 3 band EQ level. I love the low growl of the 2 band.

However, I do like the 3 band in my 30th, I think it fits well.

 

[oldbluebassman]

The 2-band and the 3-band are very very different circuit designs.

2-Band

- bass boost but give the impression of bass cut/boost. There is discussion about this on the Pit.

- treble cut and boost


3-Band

- bass/mid/treble all cut and boost

On the 3-band setting the mid pot to the centre detent does not give you a 2-band.

 

[ibanez2005]

My SUB5 sounds incredible, its not that its worse than a Stingray, just different.
The SUB only has a single tone too, i find thats enough.
Would an SR5 pickup fit into a SUB5?

 

[Kirby]

The 2-band and the 3-band are very very different circuit designs.

2-Band

- bass boost but give the impression of bass cut/boost. There is discussion about this on the Pit.

- treble cut and boost


3-Band

- bass/mid/treble all cut and boost

On the 3-band setting the mid pot to the centre detent does not give you a 2-band.

Hmmm....

I need to go check my 2 band treble pots. I don't remember them having a center detent, just a smooth sweep from right to left.

Does anyone else have a center detent on their treble knob?

Thanks!

 

[ibanez2005]

Mine does, mines a 3 band with Piezos. The pan, treble, bass and mid all have center detents.

 

[Kirby]

Just checked both two bands and neither has a center detent on the treble. My question is, how can you tell if the treble is a boost/ cut as stated above when there is no center detent on the two bands?

Thanks for helping me understand this.

 

[ibanez2005]

Im guessing that the only way to tell is that fully up is full boost, and fully down is full cut. It doesnt HAVE to have a center detent to make it cut and boost.

 

[Kirby]

Im guessing that the only way to tell is that fully up is full boost, and fully down is full cut. It doesnt HAVE to have a center detent to make it cut and boost.

True, but I thought it usually indicated such.

 

[oldbluebassman]

Hmmm....

I need to go check my 2 band treble pots. I don't remember them having a center detent, just a smooth sweep from right to left.

Does anyone else have a center detent on their treble knob?

Thanks!

MM 2-Bands don't have a centre detent. You don't need a pot with a centre detent for the circuit to be cut/boost.

 

[Rod Trussbroken]

Old blue speakem trueth.

 

[Chris C]

Okay... so, I guess I have a misconception here. I thought that the two band EQ's are boost only. Sure does seem like it on my active SUB 5 two band. When I turn the bass full down, I really don't think I'm getting any bass cut at all--could just be my ears, but it sounds like my three band 'Rays set flat. The same applies to the treble. Are we all sure the (active) two bands are not just boost only???

 

[ibanez2005]

I just got deja vu

 

[Chris C]

Okay... after doing just a bit of armchair research on the good ol' NET, I guess my assumption was right... and wrong.

It seems that, theoretically, the 2-bands are boost only. But, practically, they end up being somewhere in between a boost-only and the standard boost-cut. Looks as though the interactions between the two controls are a bit more complex than a boost only system... although we can still call them boost only... oh! I don't know. The talk out there seems to be all over the place. That does sort of explain what I think I'm hearing, though. However, in my own words, one cannot underestimate the psychological factor--what we THINK we are hearing.

So is this stuff I've been reading on the 2-band EQ's this morning a load of dog hud? Or is it really a wannabe boost only that falls a bit short and takes on some of the boost-cut characteristics? I can say that my 2-band on the SUB boosts the bass way more than on my 3-band 'Rays.

 

[ibanez2005]

Is it a 2 band on the SUB?
I thought mine had a Volume, tone and active/passive pan pot.
The EB website says its a 2 band active or passive EQ.