NBD: 2nd hand 2007 (2008?) StingRay 4H - Setup - I don't even

[BullHorn]

I just traded my 2005 American Standard Jazz for this beautiful Trans Teal Green (I believe) StingRay. I love the weight and balance, I love the smoothness of the neck and I love the tone.

Serial number E71519, what can I learn from this number?

Anyway, I'm having a bit of trouble with the string height. First I tightened the truss-rod just enough to have the smallest relief at the 7th fret while holding down the 2nd and 12th frets. Then I tried adjusting the bridge saddles.
The result is either a slight buzz all over the neck when I tighten the truss-rod a bit more or a slight buzz all over the 12th+ frets when I lower the saddles a bit.

 

[Rod Trussbroken]

Welcome to the Forum.

If you have buzz all over the neck then, IMO, your relief is ok but your string are too low..for your playing touch/techique. Adjust the strings higher. A good starting point would be 3/32 inches at the 12th fret between the top of the fret and bottom of the strings with Bass in play position and a good 6 inch steel rule.

There's a "sticky" tread at the top of the Forum. You'll get the info you need by quoting your serial number.

 

[BullHorn]

The reason I ignored the sticky and asked anyway is because the distance of the string from the 12th fret is more around 5/32 inches, any lower than that begins to buzz.

-EDIT: I eventually managed to get the action low enough with 0 fretbuzz. Actually less fretbuzz than I would like on a StingRay...

This bass has a 3-band EQ, I hear it's not the standard for this bass?

-EDIT2: I read about the StingRay on Wikipedia and noticed this: "Some users have also noticed an audible difference in volume between the lower three strings (E, A, D) and the highest G string, with the G string suffering from a lack of volume. This problem has not been observed in 5-string StingRays." -- I thought it was just this bass but I guess it's a common issue?

 

[Rod Trussbroken]

Deary me!

Go to a luthier.

All Best

 

[BullHorn]

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE this bass. The quality of it is impeccable! I've also had quite a few years of experience with other basses, only went to a luthier once in order to watch and learn.

I was just hoping to get more input and opinions here regarding the G string volume, proper setup, etc. My setup is so good right now that there is absolutely no buzzing at all but being a dirty StingRay... I think I want it to buzz a bit? I don't know.

 

[drTStingray]

Nice Stingray - congrats.

You need to post your serial number in the sticky thread at the top to get details of exact DOB and original spec - I suggest you ask about whether it started as a 2 band or 3 band if you have any doubts. The 3 band is a standard option on the model of Ray you have.

The factory set up arrangement for a Stingray is in the FAQ sticky at the top. That will give you the best arrangement for the bass including pickup height.

If by a 'dirty' Stingray sound you mean something akin to Tim Commerford on the first Rage album, then just have a lowish action, and get the sound by tweaking the EQ towards high treble boost and attack the strings harder.

You won't get a debate here on the point you describe - IMO it's also a bit of an internet myth. Record your bass and see if there's an imbalance - I doubt there is. It's something which can happen through over emphasising bass EQ both on the bass and amp (some amps do this naturally as well). As the bass is so dynamic, it also responds to how hard you play it - fact is many bass players of 4 strings whack the E string harder than the other strings - with a bass with high dynamic response it makes the E string sound out of balance when it's really the player who is out of balance, if you see what I mean!!

 

[BullHorn]

A short search lead me to http://forums.ernieball.com/music-man-basses/11343-weak-g-string-output.html - scroll down for confirmation by Big Poppa. The thing I don't get is how a pre-amp problem lasted for 38 years? The first thing I would've done was to replace the faulty part...

It doesn't really bother me because I usually just use the 2 low strings around the 0-5 frets, you know...

That's exactly what I meant by 'dirty' actually, you must be psychic. I set the bass well, very low action now. What I get now is a bit of fret-clank from too aggressive attack.

 

[drTStingray]

The 'thinner sounding G string' is not an issue I've had particularly with my basses and I've been playing Stingrays since about 1980 - if anything, high fills can sound too loud on my Classic 2 band and SR4HH (which has a 3 band EQ). Perhaps it's something you compensate for in your playing, who knows?

My fretless SR4 has the most ringing mwah sound on the G string - anywhere from C up to G, it sings like mad. It is a 3 band, which may help it a little, but the idea this bass has a thin sounding G string is just wrong.

As Big Poppa said the output is not lower it can just sound thinner - you should do the recording test - I'm guessing you won't hear it, seriously. Having read your thread earlier, I was practicing for a gig tonight and played around with a few disco lines using octaves and 10ths - I couldn't get the E and A string notes to overpower the D and G string notes unless I really hit the low strings far too hard. Mind you, I do have Cobalts on my Classic 2 band, which may help.

What I find so impressive about the Stingray is one minute you can get that 'dirty' Tim Commerford sound, the next you can get a fat fingerstyle sound like Bernard Edwards - or a little slapping like Louis Johnson, or some melodic pop like Pino Palladino - you don't need to tweak the EQ much to do this - it is a seriously versatile bass.