Bass / treble string volume on StingRay 5

[AddedC]

New to forum and Music Man basses. I have also been mostly playing guitar for the past 10 years and recently returned to bass. I picked up a new Sting Ray 5 HS a couple of weeks ago and love it. Very tight and punchy. In rehearsal only, I am having a problem with consistent volume as the low strings are much louder and more prominent than the high strings. After first rehearsal, I was advised to set all the tone controls on the bass at neutral and use amp only for EQ. I tried this in a second rehearsal and it helped a little, but not enough.

Do any other Sting Ray 5 (or other 5) players experience this? If so, is it better to compensate by adjusting pole pieces or by slightly slanting the pickups so they are a bit closer to high strings or something else?

Part of it is probably technique, too. I am recovering my right hand plucking dexterity and find the volume issue is a bit lessened when using a pick.

Appreciate any insight.

Thanks.

 

[OldManMusic]

The first thing to check would be your string and pickup height. There's a FAQ on the Ernie Ball website that will give you the setup details. Welcome to the forum.

 

[nhbassguitar]

Not directly related, but possibly relevant:

I went through this with my HS 4, trying different tilts and different distances. There were two other cost-free options.

One was to adjust the individual magnet heights. See

but check first to see whether the internal construction of the 5 pickup will permit this sort of thing (without damage) the same way the 4 does. Maybe one of the experts will hop and and give the correct answer.

The video says the magnet heights follow the neck radius, but I have no clue whether this is the case with all current-production units. It's not the case on mine, which is fairly recent; the magnet heights are identical.

Second option, the one I used, was to adjust string height at the bridge saddles for volume balance among strings. I set them ruler flat, i.e. in one plane rather than following the neck radius. Of course the intonation at the top and bottom strings had to be reset (effective string length increased) to compensate for the increased tension when fretting. I don't notice the extra distance to the fretboard at those outer strings. Anyway, it worked out great, and zero risk of pickup damage.

 

[Golem]

I tilt the PU. If needed, I sometimes raise the
action at the saddle for the lowest bass string.
Minor playability issues do NOT trump sonics.

 

[AddedC]

I tilt the PU. If needed, I sometimes raise the
action at the saddle for the lowest bass string.
Minor playability issues do NOT trump sonics.

Thanks everyone for the tips. I will try them out and reply what worked best.