Seems you are comparing coarse measurements by private sellers to the EBMM factory spec. My (possibly incorrect) belief is that no change ever occurred.
.EBMM site says 1 11/16.
Sweetwater reports 1 5/8 for some, and 1 11/16 for others.
Same model: Stingray Special
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Are you supposing that the very same person at Sweetwater always does the measuring ? Clearly Sweetwater is measuring instruments cuz if they were simply reporting EBMM factory specs then they wouldn’t be reporting two different widths, would they.
I’d go with the EBMM spec unless and until one of their staff posts to this site that a change ever occurred. This IS their site.