Theoretical agony: do I get a Sterling 5 H or HS?

[HeavyDuty]

I'm giving serious thought to adding a Sterling 5 to my small arsenal. A few months back I had a Graphite Pearl H on order from a large online dealer that was having a silly cheap sale, but they screwed me around with my old store credit card account and, like an idiot, I ended up taking a pass.

I currently have a Sterling 4H (which is going into the crematorium with me), a SR5H and a killer Bongo 5H that belonged to Travis, Brad and Lord Bongo.

I recently spent some quality wank time with a Sterling 5 HS at GC and came away *very* impressed with the ergos to the point that my SR5 just doesn't taste as good anymore. The HS sounded great, especially the neck single coil soloed.

My problem is this: I've always been a single humbucker fan and use parallel about half the time on my Sterling and SR5.

How can I reconcile my love for the traditional Sterling three way HB switching with a desire for a single coil in the neck? Can a Sterling 5 we rewired to get me back the parallel setting? (I'll bet not, I suspect everything is PCB now instead of point-to-point wiring.)

I think if I had to choose, I'd give up the single coil in the neck for the parallel humbucker... but I'm just not sure.

 

[Grand Wazoo]

We could all tell you only our personal opinion, but don't listen to any of them because at the end of the day, it will be your bass and we all are different and like different thing, find a store that has both and sit down and try them at your own pace and see which makes you feel more at home and that will be yours and your choice only. Well done for sticking to the EBMM brand whatever you choose.

 

[HeavyDuty]

This is going to be a really tough decision...

 

[jlepre]

Get them BOTH?

 

[HeavyDuty]

That ain't gonna happen anytime soon! I can justify a maple necked HS and a rosewood H, though...

 

[five7]

Flip a coin!

 

[silverburst]

That ain't gonna happen anytime soon! I can justify a maple necked HS and a rosewood H, though...

Justify: No

Rationalize: Yes!

I'd go for the single H, Ken. Just my 2-cents worth.

 

[HeavyDuty]

Well, if I sell a few unused guns...

 

[keko]

I had similar question mark over my head until last Monday, and than I bought Sterling 5 HS.
Yesterday I realized that I've made a good decision.
I was playing on a wedding party whole night long, and 90% I was using switch position only on H bridge pickup! (crowd was very loud )
But one thing I'm for sure, when I switch to neck single coil pickup position, I have real woody acoustic double bass tone, of course with lots of mid & treble boost, and just a little bass boost. It's very useful for jazzy jamming.
I think that's impossible combination on HH model, so that's it for me!
Anyway, very useful is sometimes single coil 1 from Hummbacker switch position, with huge bass boost some mid boost, and treble set flat, it' sounds like good old Jazz Bass fretless bridge pickup tone! (Jaco's tone)

Howevwer, that bass really rocks! My friends musicians from a band said to me: -wow, if it is a car, it will be V8 5.0 beast! (specially when diving on low B string)

 

[maddog]

Well, if I sell a few unused guns...

Selling them used ones can be a bit hard. Especially when they're tagged for evidence.


I vote for the single H. The dual p/u models are awesome but I love that classic single H build.

 

[phatduckk]

Hs
hs
hs
hs

 

[Bass Control]

I have an HS Sterling 5 right now. I love this thing! Even with it in series, you wouldn't regret getting it. I especially love the neck pickup with the bridge single coil. I probably play on that setting 80% of the time.

 

[oli@bass]

You already have the single H sound covered with two basses. Go for the HS. If you find out you really can't live withouth the parallel setting, sell one of the others and get a Sterling 5 H.

 

[HeavyDuty]

I'm definitely leaning HS...

 

[five7]

Sell guns to buy bass? I hadn't thought of that before. Good idea! I wonder if anybody would trade. Say an AK for a 5 string bongo?

 

[MingusBASS]

I recently picked up a single H Sterling 5 and it's the ultimate rock bass. Everything you need and nothing that gets in the way. I like the dual pickup models but I'm happy with my single H Sterling 5.

 

[fidooda]

HS everything except the bongo!

 

[barginkov]

Flip a coin!

i agree ,,, heads you get H/S maple and HH rosewood,, tail you get H/S rosewood and HH maple,,

 

[strummer]

Ken, get the H and be done with it!

 

[Duarte]

HS is an underrated combo. Sounds like you really like it...go for the HS.