LundeImages
New member
I'll try to keep this short. I bought a Stingray 5 BFR Moonbeam last fall through an authorized Ernie Ball dealer. It has always played like a bass—just a bad one. I've changed strings five times, hoping to find the sound I was looking for.
Last week, I put on a fresh set of strings, plugged the bass into Logic, and started playing. Finally, there was the tone I had been chasing! But then, suddenly—mid-bar—it disappeared, snapping back to the same dull, lifeless sound I'd been dealing with all along. If I hadn’t been recording in Logic, I would have booked a doctor’s appointment.
After a couple of hours of troubleshooting, I discovered that the bass actually does sound like a proper Stingray—but only when I give the battery compartment a push. I must have accidentally touched it when changing the strings.
That trick worked for a day or two. Now, I can’t get the preamp to function at all.
Normally, when an active bass has a dead battery, it either stops producing sound or distorts heavily. This one just keeps going, but with a completely uninspiring tone.
To be honest, this bass has been a letdown from day one. It arrived with a terrible setup, the certificate of authenticity was forgotten and had to be sent separately, the preamp has never worked properly, and now I can't even get a response from support. As if that wasn’t enough, I don’t even live on the same continent as Ernie Ball. I’m seriously considering having a tech rip out all of it, and install something that actually works.
Last week, I put on a fresh set of strings, plugged the bass into Logic, and started playing. Finally, there was the tone I had been chasing! But then, suddenly—mid-bar—it disappeared, snapping back to the same dull, lifeless sound I'd been dealing with all along. If I hadn’t been recording in Logic, I would have booked a doctor’s appointment.
After a couple of hours of troubleshooting, I discovered that the bass actually does sound like a proper Stingray—but only when I give the battery compartment a push. I must have accidentally touched it when changing the strings.
That trick worked for a day or two. Now, I can’t get the preamp to function at all.
Normally, when an active bass has a dead battery, it either stops producing sound or distorts heavily. This one just keeps going, but with a completely uninspiring tone.
To be honest, this bass has been a letdown from day one. It arrived with a terrible setup, the certificate of authenticity was forgotten and had to be sent separately, the preamp has never worked properly, and now I can't even get a response from support. As if that wasn’t enough, I don’t even live on the same continent as Ernie Ball. I’m seriously considering having a tech rip out all of it, and install something that actually works.
Guessing something amiss between battery,box and pre getting proper power
This. This is clearly an issue that should be taken up with the dealer you purchased the bass from. They might put you in touch with the distributor for your region, but EBMM customer support is probably going to do the same thing.