SR4 HH Tone

[drTStingray]

Hi folks I'm new here but confess to having wandered around the forum quite a bit in the past! I've recently become the v proud owner of an LE2007 Blue Dawn SR4 HH. having had standard Stingrays since about 1980, and since 2003 a really nice SR5 natural/maple.

The SR4 HH seems to have a different tone (slightly less punch) when the bridge pick up is soloed from my previous experience with single pick up SR4s - and when both pick-ups are used in humbucking mode (centre switch position) - the tone goes really quite bassy and a some of the 'shimmer' is lost from the treble - the volume also sounds v slightly lower with all settings except the bridge pick up soloed. The PUs are set exactly to factory settings - it's got a rosewood board - and I use an Ashdown 300W rig with an Ashdown 4x10, with the EQ set virtually flat on the amp. I've changed the battery also.

So three queries - has anyone any advice on EQ setting for the centre switch position on an SR4HH; does my experience with the SR4HH tone and volume reflect other people's; and thirdly does anyone know what body wood is used on the blue dawn SR4 - I'm sure it isn't ash because mine is very light and it doesn't growl like my natural 5 on either parallel or series settings - I sometimes use both basses on gigs so get a good A/B of them.

That said the bass is really so versatile, and it sounds and looks great.

Cheers, Don

 

[bassmonkey]

The SR5 uses a different preamp to the SR4, so the sounds will be different. I've never played a Sterling, but apparrently the tone of a SR5 is closer to that of a Sterling, which is described as growly.

I'm not sure about the answers to your other questions. Is the bridge PUP in the exact location to that of a single PUP ray? If not, then this will make a big difference in tone comparison.

 

[bdgotoh]

The bridge pickup is in the same spot as on a single H.

I have an HH Stingray and had a single H until I sold it. When I was comparing the two I made sure they had the same strings and the pickups were adjusted similarly (same angle and distance from the strings). I got the same tone from the bridge of the HH as on the single H, which is why I let the single H go.

 

[Caca de Kick]

The SR4 HH seems to have a different tone (slightly less punch) when the bridge pick up is soloed from my previous experience with single pick up SR4s - and when both pick-ups are used in humbucking mode (centre switch position) - the tone goes really quite bassy and a some of the 'shimmer' is lost from the treble -

Like Bassmonkey said, the SR5 and Sterling share the same preamp and ceramic magnet pickups, so those are going to sound different than a StingRay 4.

The SR4HH has a different voice on positions 2345 vs just the bridge pickup soloed. The bridge soloed still has that typical H sound, but I really love how the other positions are a bit tamed, mine stays on position 4 99% of the time.
I never noticed a volume difference in a band situation, but that 'shimmer' in bridge H mode adding more to the top end is probably what gives the idea of more volume, lowend still seems the same.

 

[drTStingray]

Thanks guys - useful info.

I never knew the sound had that much of a growl on the SR5 - I realised when I used both basses in the same gig for the first time on Friday - I changed to the SR5for some songs in the middle of the set and the tone was so different even the guitar players noticed and commented!!

 

[bdgotoh]

I forgot to mention that ash can be very light as well as the more typical heavy. My lightest Stingray ever was 8 lbs and had an ash body.

 

[phatduckk]

the sr5 and the sr are pretty different basses. obviously there's the mass, but the pickups and preamp differ quite a bit so i would not expect them to sound the same.

try upping the mids on the sr. maybe that will point you in the right direction

 

[drTStingray]

Guys - I played the SR4HH bass at a jam session last night through a MarkBass F1 + 4x10 - I was able to A/B the sound as the resident guy had an SR4 H - with the HH in switch position 1 the sound was classic MM - especially on old school funk - awesome! On soul numbers, using both p/u s in humbucking mode, the sound was much warmer (the guy with the SR4 H described it similarly).

So now I have it - gotta get a MarkBass F1. Really brings out the sound of the bass and so loud!

I'll try upping the mids on the bass with the neck humbucker dialled in and see how it goes. I agree entirely with Mike, the SR4 HH has five very distinct voices - and versatile enough to get a good sound for any musical style.

Don.