Adding a neck pickup to Stingray

[ariff]

So I have been playing Stingray's for about 10 yrs now and I love them. I really can't play anything else now. I have two a early 90's and a 99\00 with the piezo bridge pickup. Now that EB has started making the HH I was wondering If I could add another double humbucker PU at the neck on my early 90's bass? I guess I am asking you guys if you think it would even be worth the time and money. I like the way it sounds now but could it sound better? Or would I decrease the value of the bass by hacking it up and adding another PU. PLus how hard would this be to do? I was looking at the Seymour Duncan SMB 4a. Or they have a pretty sweet HH at our local music store I was thinking of maybe seeing if they would take in a trade my old Stingray and my G&L LB 2000 (Tribute) Not sure if both of those basses would be worth the price tag on a new HH. Well thanks for your thoughts..

 

[bdgotoh]

The HH Stingrays have a much larger control cavity to fit the switch so it would be a lot of hassle and routing to make it work in an older Stingray.
It makes even less sense considering the used HH Stingrays are selling for quite reasonable prices, probably only a couple hundred more than you could get for one of your older Stingrays.
The only potential problem is if your Stingrays are 2 band. The HH Stingrays are only available with the 3 band EQ.

 

[Caca de Kick]

Oh obviously yes you would kill the value hacking up the bass that way.

 

[ariff]

Thanks guys I pretty much had myself talked out of doing this. Hearing your thoughts just tells me I am on the right track to just leave her alone.. No sense on hacking up a perfectly good Stingray.

 

[ThePez]

No sense on hacking up a perfectly good Stingray.

no comment.

 

[bovinehost]

I agree with the above comments. I like the dual pickup basses, but wouldn't seriously alter a GOOD working single pickup bass* to try to approximate what the dual pickup versions can do.

Easier and less frustrating to invest in a good, used HH or HS.

Jack

*Yes, I have more than one good, working, single pickup basses!

 

[Bass Control]

I wouldn't modify an authentic EBMM Stingray. I'd do an 80s Myung mod on, like, an OLP copy so I can run "dual sound" in the same way he did (P pickups clean, MM pickups with effects). But with the way some effects/amps are set up today you can easily slave one amp and run that one completely effected WITHOUT modifying your bass at all.

Now that I think about it... when I get my Bongos (yes, I've finally decided where that money is going ), I may try a setup like that live and in studio.