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Help with extremely 'boomy' muffled bass from StingRay Special 5 HH

M

MonsieurPeeps

New member
Joined
Mar 15, 2024
Messages
4
Location
USA
Howdy all, I'm about near wits' end and thinking of parting with this bass. I have no idea what's wrong with it and have been trying to fix it.

The low end is basically totally overwhelming everything else. It seemed fine in the past?
I can hear the throaty/growly aspect StingRay's are known for underneath it, but this massive muffled bass is overpowering it.

It's like someone threw a blanket over the sound and that's what I'm hearing.

I've...
1. Changed strings.
2. Changed batteries.
3. Adjusted string height and truss rod.
4. Checked official measurements for pickup heights and even purposely lowered the bass side of the pickups a lot lower to see if that would help - it did not.

I've played through more than one amp, same issue. All my other basses as far as I'm aware sound fine. No idea what's happening with this one.

It sounds good with the bass knob turned all the way down, but that kills the overall output and tone, so..

HELP! lol
 
Howdy, yes new several years ago retail. It seemed fine back then, but I was using Fender Rumble stuff.
I haven't played it much due to other gear, but it doesn't sound right in my SVT-CL and I tried it on one or both of my other amps (Mesa TT-800 and Darkglass Alpha Omega 900).

It's just an overbearing boomy low end that muffles the overall sound.
 
MonsieurPeeps said:
Howdy, yes new several years ago retail. It seemed fine back then, but I was using Fender Rumble stuff.
I haven't played it much due to other gear, but it doesn't sound right in my SVT-CL and I tried it on one or both of my other amps (Mesa TT-800 and Darkglass Alpha Omega 900).

It's just an overbearing boomy low end that muffles the overall sound.
Click to expand...
'
I think you may be outside the warranty period. However, reach out to EBMM through their Customer Service for advice:

Email Customer Service
 
Thank you, just sent them a message.

Another thing that came to mind is the guitar makes a 'bzzzz' sound when plugged in and everything when I'm not touching it. Then when I even lightly touch a string the 'bzzz' sound goes away. Does all of this point to the preamp or some kind of connection being the issue?
 
All of them. Turning the bass EQ down definitely helps - they all noticeably do something, it's just when flat it's an overwhelming muffled boomy bass everywhere that blankets the other sounds.
 
MonsieurPeeps said:
Does all of this point to the preamp or some kind of connection being the issue?
Click to expand...
Most likely[grounding/shielding] but whether it effects 'Boomy/Blanket' problem won't be known until you have it looked at

If your comfortable with it can open up preamp area and check for the obvious.
 
Ive had broken grounds with the buzzing and humming and the relief of it when touching the strings ... but no instance had any effect on the voice of the bass. Seems like theres two problems here.
 
Hey I know this post is kinda old, but did you figure this out? I'm having the same problem. It actually sounds okay when just playing, but when recording, it's unbelievably and overwhelmingly bassy.
 
There are many Youtube Recordings than sound Great[especially Bass] with 4/5 Special

Maybe message them and ask if they encountered problems with overwhelming Bass or how they got such quality recordings with Special

None of few complaining with this problem have posted what EBMM Customer Service told them.

IE:

PS Obrad is a Talkbass Member
 
In my experience, the center detents on MM basses do not reflect a "flat" EQ setting. Not even close according to my ears. I would welcome any correction from EB if accompanied by EQ graphs showing various tone control settings, including all controls at center detent.

Try this:

1. Treble full counter-clockwise. (On a Fender amp that would be knob at zero.)
2. Mids full clockwise. (On a Fender amp that would be knob at 10.)
3. Bass: Find the center detent, then back off from there (counter-clockwise) about 1/3 of the way toward the full counter-clockwise position. (On a Fender amp the setting would be knob at 3, or maybe between 3 and 4.

You can fine-tune the tone downstream, if necessary.

Re. SR recordings, a good engineer can compensate for just about any instrument's shortcomings. The only recording I would trust for a tone evaluation would be one where there was zero downstream EQ or dynamics processing.
 
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