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Question Stingray HH or HS?

T

Tintin

Member
Joined
Jun 19, 2009
Messages
5
Location
Ascot U.K
Hi all.
I am going to buy my son a Stingray4 for his 21st birthday. Not being a bassist myself I just wondered if anyone had any opinions on whether I should go for an HH or an HS? He plays funk and jazz but also plays in covers bands doing more rocky things. He also plays a lot of solo stuf a la Victor Wooten.
I know this may be a 'preference' thing but if anyone has any opinions on the difference between the 2 configurations they will be gratefully received.

Cheers
 
If he plays funk and slap bass you might consider just going for an H. There is more room near the neck without the second pickup to get fingers around/under the strings for those styles.

I have a Stingray 4H and a 5HH and although there are more tones out of the 5HH the 4H is better for slap, in my opinion (others will say it's just sloppy technique on my part, which is probably true).

Have you considered a Bongo 4? As I discovered recently, the tones from the single H version of the Bongo are amazing for both funk and rock.

Either way you won't go wrong - he's a lucky lad :D
 
Stingray HH or H

I agree with Greydad. I have a 5HH and there is very little room between the front pickup and the neck. I have seen a few slap on this bass, but it would seem to me to be less work using the H model. Of course this is totally a preference thing.
 
Valuable info guys... I will of course get him to try out before buying but it's good to know what one is looking for.
If he is comfortable with slapping with the second pick up I would still be interested in knowing the HH and HS difference.
 
I have a 20th anv SR 5 HH. I have owned a single H5 and fretless SR4. I have absolutely no problem with slap/pop technique on my HH. Where this bass really shines is the tonal variations but stll keeping the MM vibe. Any choice I promise your son will love.
 
the hs will leave more room for slapping.
that said: slapping on a hh instrument isnt a problem for me.. and i like the chunky sound of all 4 coils!
unfortunately this is internet so we cannot know if it will work as easy for him as it did for me :)
but like pbass62 said: any alternative will work because you always have that classic stingray sound. the front pickup will only add more options...

MrM
 
I have the HH stingray and I absolutely love it! Slapping on HH is not hard, and it offers a lot of tone options. You can't go wrong with it!
 
Definately 4H

I've played my 92 4H Stingray, currently wearing EB Group III flats, in everything from rock, jazz, country, pop, finger funk. You name it. It sounds good.

Slap some roundwounds on it and you have the ultimate slap tone. Easy to play with plenty of room.

I alway say you can never go wrong with the original.

Just my 2 cents
 
The StingRay4 has more room for slapping in HH and HS than the other models (it has the least frets) and to be honest the sound of an HH stingray is so PHAT and versatile it would be hard to go wrong with it. I personally have an H ray, with no experience of HS - but if I were to get another (and I will) it's gonna be HH.

I also have a Bongo HS, which is insanely versatile and sounds incredible, with more than enough slapping room. I would check out HS bongos and HS stingrays...but that's just me.
 
I prefer my SR 4H for slap and Funk oriented stuff, and will grab it 100% of the time for that kind of stuff.

I can slap my Bongo 4HH fine as well, and it has a great funk tone... butt... To me the Bongo can pull off funk, where as the Stingray was BORN for the FUNK :D

Thats just my $.02... but I'm back in Stingray Loving Mode, so you might want to assume bias:o
 
Thanks all.... Really good info. I think we have decided on an HS, he doesn't have a problem slapping with the extra pick up. As has been said, I have a feeling we can't really go wrong. I will get him to try a Bongo though Greydad!

This is an excellent place to come for info and opinions....got a real friendly feel to it. I will get him to register.
 
Well..... after all that we got to the guitar shop with our spec worked out and they had a black sr4 HH on the rack. He played it and decided that nothing in the world could be better! I have to say it does sound incredible. So we bought that one and he hasn't stopped smiling since.
Thanks again all.
 
Glad to hear it all worked out so well. Have him post some pictures when he takes a break from playing it!
 
Well done Tintin sounds like a great choice - can't go wrong with a Stingray! And the HH sounds good too, I have that on my 5 string Stingray.

Good news is he can still look forward to his first Bongo!
 
Congrats on a great choice. It really is like you said, you just can't go wrong. Every Bongo/Stingray pickup combo seems to have it's own merits, but all are powerful and versatile.
 
Congratulations!

Didn't want to comment since you already had decided on the HS, but I'm glad you found the HH! IMO The HH is the best configuration for a fretted StingRay. I have both the HS and the HH and prefer the HH by far.
 
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