SR5 History Lesson Part 2

[freddy]

"STINGRAY 5

Introduced in 1987, the StingRay 5 was the first all-new Music Man bass designed and built in San Luis Obispo by the Ernie Ball team. The 5-string's styling is based on the classic look of the Silhouette guitar. Advanced active electronics combine the best of the 4-string StingRay along with new innovations from Music Man designers."

Part 1 above is quoted from the Ernie Ball History link.

Can we hear more from the experts on the development of this awesome instrument and its influence on the evolution of the 5-string bass?

 

[joshbrake]

SR5's are the best.

 

[Baird]

SR5's are the best.

+1. The bestest of the best.

 

[MK Bass Weed]

Great memories...

In 87, I had a Guild Pilot 5. I walked into Focus II Guitars on Long Island in 87. They had the new SR5 in the store..I played it...and ordered one on the spot in 'Tony Levin" peach...before it was 'his' color...The Peach was some new special order paint EBMM was offering. The NECK was what sold me...amazing.

I would love to know about the neck shape and how they decided on the spaceing..which I like

 

[PzoLover]

lucky us

Hear Hear, Mr.Speaker!!!
ATB,
/PL

 

[mynan]

Word is that Tom Walker helped develop the preamp.

The preamp was changed in 1991, when the pickups changed from alnico to ceramic.

 

[robobass13]

there is no better 5 string than the SR5.

 

[bovinehost]

This would be a good question of the week for BP.

I shall toss it up and see if he feels like typing.

 

[Arawak]

Hey everyone. New guy here. Since this was a history lesson on the SR5, and there has always been a question I needed answered about the SR5, I thought I would make my first post at this time.

Here goes: why was the StingRay 5 modelled after the Silhouette guitar, and not the StingRay 4. And yet the SUB 5, and the StingRay 5 20th Anniversary maintains the familiar lines of the SR4. I guess I have always wondered why that is. Especially since I would love to have a StingRay 5 that looks like a StingRay.

Just wondering....

 

[Duarte]

I always thought the SR5 was more like a sterling...but what's a sterling5 like?

Probably something new and awesome!

Edit: Still love the SR5, don't get me wrong!

 

[mynan]

I always thought the SR5 was more like a sterling...but what's a sterling5 like?

Probably something new and awesome!

Edit: Still love the SR5, don't get me wrong!

The SR5 came out in 87.
Ther SR5 pickup/preamp changed to ceramic in 91.
The Sterling came out in 93 with same ceramic pickup/preamp as the SR5.
The Sterling5 came out this year with same pickups/preamp as the SR5 and Sterling
The SR5 pickups/preamp changed to alnico (Like the original SR5 and like the SR4) this year.

 

[Duarte]

so when the sterling came it, it was sorta like a SR5 - 4. I was aware of the changes it had gone through, but it's nice to have it all summed up there, Cheers.