Stingray Special 4H, loud E string

[savage]

Recently bought a new (to me) Stingray Special 4H. It's a super comfortable, well built bass. However, I'm having issues with the volume of the E string. It's much louder than all the other strings. I have tried many different pickup heights, different amp models (I use a Helix), different compressors, various eq settings on everything, new strings, new batteries, and a full setup. When I run it through my DAW the input level from the E is much higher than the rest, and it's very noticeable through the amp.

I'm really at a loss for what else to try. This seems like an issue with the preamp. I don't have this issue with my other basses through the same gear/settings.

 

[xjbebop]

Call customer service for help...

 

[nebadon]

I know you have been struggling getting Help with this; So I sat down and played with my setup maybe to understand what you might be hearing [might being key word]

I have a Mesa WD 800 with Mesa 1x15 Subway and Stingray Special

IME the 'E' string is more dynamic that others but not louder; I can clearly hear all strings with Bass Lines and when setting pickup I got same perceived volume using open and fretted strings.

When setting my gain[EQ flat] I had to set to E string it would clip input a good bit before other strings; I consider that normal with any bass but more so with Special. Again it wasn't 'louder' to my ears but dynamic Bass response is a Stingray thing.

I can turn Bass EQ down just a tad or with WD 800 set HPF to 50-70hz and input clipping is subdued [I prefer using HPF]

Also the Bass power [so to speak] from E String is much more noticeable using Headphones as opposed to Bass Cab

 

[savage]

It's not just that I feel it is loud, or the tone or dynamics of it or anything. Of course just because of the nature of a bass, the e is going to be more present... but I have it running into my DAW and the e string consistently registers as 10 dB louder than the other strings. This is not the case with my other basses, which suggests to me something in the active preamp is boosting that string...or perhaps the frequencies it is producing. This is regardless of where I set the eq or the pickup height, etc...

That said, I started from scratch today. I dropped the pickup height much more on the e side, set the eq so the treble is a bit below the detent, the mid slightly above, and the bass slightly above that...this seems like a nice full tone. From there I then created a patch from scratch to try and get the tone balanced. The compressors seem to react a bit strangely to the ray and I had to set one up a bit differently than I normally would. But I have it so is is basically cutting the e string by about 7 db, while boosting the others a bit, and I have finally achieved a balanced tone.

I still don't feel like this is normal...but I don't know. I have no other experience with a ray...

 

[nebadon]

I don't have a Recording setup can't help there; I also don't think that it is normal or there would be much more widespread complaints [just 1 other I know of]

Did you contact Customer Service? Do you have access to HPF [may not help if you lowered Bass EQ slightly with no change]

I am glad you have been persistent enough to find a way to balanced tone with DAW but I don't believe it should be necessary.

Your preamp theory is also the only thing left in my limited thinking and knowledge on this matter

Did you try posting this on the Stingray Special thread and Recording forum on Talkbass as opposed to separate thread?

This Forum Members don't seem to reply much to those with problems and Admin just tells most to contact CS

 

[savage]

I don't have a Recording setup can't help there; I also don't think that it is normal or there would be much more widespread complaints [just 1 other I know of]

Did you contact Customer Service? Do you have access to HPF [may not help if you lowered Bass EQ slightly with no change]

I am glad you have been persistent enough to find a way to balanced tone with DAW but I don't believe it should be necessary.

Your preamp theory is also the only thing left in my limited thinking and knowledge on this matter

Did you try posting this on the Stingray Special thread and Recording forum on Talkbass as opposed to separate thread?

This Forum Members don't seem to reply much to those with problems and Admin just tells most to contact CS

I shot CS an email to see what they say. The bass was used (but virtually new), so I have no EBMM warranty...hopefully they can help out anyway. Otherwise I may just have to return it because I really shouldn't have to compress the crap out of it for it to be useful.

 

[mynan]

This Forum Members don't seem to reply much to those with problems and Admin just tells most to contact CS

Because 9/10 CS is a better source of information and solutions for problems like these than Joe Internet.