mcnach

+1 on installing a switch. The parallel mode gives you the classic Stingray sound, but the series mode is very good too in my opinion: fatter, stronger low mids... it's good to have the option.

I had the GFS on an OLP too, and while it was a bit better than the original I personally didn't rate it highly. After trying some cheaper pickups, I was only happy after I went with Seymour Duncan SMB-4A. It's perhaps twice the price but money well spent. You can spend a lot more (Aguilar and Nordstrand make pickups very close to the Stingray originals, the Nordstrand MM4.2 in particular was very close) but the SMB-4A is really good. I wouldn't waste time/money with unknown quantities. I have come across some really nice sounding MM pickups on cheap basses sometimes, so you can get good stuff cheap, the problem is you can't tell until you try them.

wow, the RFE sold out within hours it seems. I guess I looked at the right time.

My '96 Olympic White Stratocaster was a slightly creamy type of white when I bought it (new), and over the years it has become a bit darker, more cream, and now it's almost the same colour as the cream Matt Freeman Squier Precision. I've seen 'Olympic White' in various shades of cream, but Arctic White is always snow white-ish as far as I can tell.

Very true. Nothing more disappointing than grabbing a bass "oh, it's light, nice" and then have it neck-dive. (No such problem on the MB-5 edit: did I mention it's 8.6 lbs? )

If you're looking for a 5-string Stingray alternative, especially light weight, I cannot recommend the Harley Benton MB-5 SBK enough (it's important that it is the SBK model, the satin black one). They seem consistently low weight (mine is 8.6 lbs) and they're superb. Yes, they're passive, but also they only cost £125 or thereabouts, so if you *must* put a preamp in it the total cost won't be high, which is nice. It is the first 5-string I really gelled with (the closest before this was the Lakland 5502, and a USA EBMM SUB, but one didn't have the sound I wanted and the other was very heavy, the G&L L2500 was a beast, but never felt comfortable enough and was also very heavy...) and I have been playing it exclusively since I got it. EBMM Stingray and Sandberg be damned, as nice as they are... I just gravitate towards the MB-5 every time. The only problem is they seem out of stock now, but they'll come back. If you're willing to wait, I cannot recommend it enough.

In case you were interested, they're back in stock (a few hours ago). I just ordered one. £168 inc. delivery (plus the charges I'll get when it arrives, usually working out to around 25%)

The USA ones? Yes, they can be removed just like on the others. I dislike their metallic pickguards too.

I tried the Prosteels, being a stainless steel fan, but it took a while until they sounded ok to me. When fresh they just had too much top end and felt even slightly mid-scooped, but after a few weeks they settled nicely. I since moved to other strings that get me there faster, I hate the sound of new strings and Prosteels were one of the worst in that respect (which means they might just be great for someone who likes the zing of new strings)

I'd say Jazz on steroids. The neck pickup definitely gets into that Precision-esque territory, and in combination with the bridge pickup you get some sounds that resemble a Jazz, only fatter. But it's got its own thing going on, and with the various switches you can get a very broad range of sounds, really versatile. The passive tone controls are really cool too. I should stay away... I'm getting urges to buy another

They're both quite different, but both really good. The L2000 cannot sound anything like a Stingray, but a Stingray doesn't sound like a L2000, they complement each other nicely... which is why I kick myself for selling my L2000 😥

Can you print a Stonehenge stage prop?

The weight surprised me a lot too. My girlfriend has the Precision and is also very light, it looks like it's a general feature of these black satin (SBK) models. I've got some adhesive vinyl sheets that I can try for the pickguard, I have some brushed metallic copper effect that could be interesting, as well as black matt. One day that I feel handy with a scalpel I'll try.

I think only Thomann sells those. Last I looked they were not expected back for 12-14 weeks. Even if they end up costing a bit more, they're completely worth it I think. I can't comment on the G string (which is only a 4-string issue as far as I understand, when it happens).

Not exactly NBD since I had it for a couple of weeks now or so. This is the black satin 'stealth' finish. They seemed to be on the light weight side, and mine didn't disappoint at 8.6 lbs. The set up was poor to start, far too much relief and very high saddles, but a few minutes spent reducing the neck curvature and adjusting the saddles brought it to a very comfortable action. The nut slots are well contoured but a bit too high, which makes me think that somebody tried to adjust the action by playing with the truss rod and saddles, failing, and then going the other way... I haven't adjusted the nut yet because it plays well enough already, but I'll have to do that to make the top positions a bit more comfy to play. I really like it. The neck is wider than a SR5 (so the G string doesn't fall off! ) but not excessively chunky. I find it quite comfortable. Not as nice as the Lakland 5502, but still very comfortable. The narrower string spacing (compared to my 4 strings) and the additional string means I was a little clumsy to start, but I've been playing this bass exclussively since I got it and I'm getting there now. In fact, I'm starting to really like this 5 string thing. I owned 5 string basses before but I never really got along with any. The closest ones were the Lakland 5502 and the old made in USA EBMM SUB 5. The Lakland had the wider string spacing that I prefer, but I didn't get the Stingray-like sound I prefer. The SUB5 had the sound, but I felt the neck was a bit too narrow and it was a very heavy bass. A Squier Jazz V came and went too, and over the years so did a Peavey Millenium, a Washburn Bantam (that one was pretty good too), a Crafter something or another, a G&L L2500, and maybe something else too. Nothing really stuck. And here comes the Harley Benton. I didn't need a new bass, certainly not a 5-string (by now I had accepted 5 strings are not for me and I no longer wanted to own one)... but these satin black ones looked so good, were so cheap, and the reviews were so positive... that it tempted me. Before I pressed the button, my girlfriend went and ordered one for me, just before they sold out in November. If I had to give it a one word review it would be 'wow'. This is a very decent bass, regardless of price, but when you consider the price... yeah, wow. It has that Stingray vibe and the passive electronics are just fine. Sure, not as versatile as having an onboard preamp, but I actually love passive tone controls, so I'm happy with it as it is. For some reason this bass feels and sounds nicer than any of my previous 5 string basses, and because of that playing it exclusively for the past 2 weeks was not a chore. Yeah, it was frustrating at first, but as I adjust to the different layout it becomes more fun... and I feel like something clicked. I'm enjoying immensely how I can move across strings and reduce the movement up/down the neck that way. I don't use the additional lower notes that much, but I use a lot of the notes I would often play on the E string on the B string now, just moving across with fewer jumps to different hand positions on the neck which also means I look at the neck a lot less. And having the option to play those notes between the low E and A on the E string for more definition or on the B string for additional girth is really useful too. This may be the bass that makes me finally 'get' 5 string basses. How much does it cost? Crazy. I would have paid quite a bit more for a bass that I can enjoy as much as this one. The pickguard will be replaced 'though. Not a fan of tortoiseshell, I think it's screaming for a black one.

Good post. There are enough rules already, I don't need no steekin' new rulez that tell me what guitar I can or cannot have and where to use it, darn it.

I've put a couple of members on my ignore list from time to time, it's a good option when you know someone tends to annoy you and you just want a chilled browse of the forum. I'm not sure you can be blocked from accessing just two subforums but... isn't it easier just to not click on those subforums? 🤔

Yeah, what next? Take up insurance at the restaurant in case they give you food poisoning? THEY should have an insurance, not us.

While the USA SUB is without question the better instrument, the SBMM SUB Ray4 ones are not bad at all. I always value playability first... so I like your approach, plus you get a much nicer bass to look at (sure, looks are secondary but they matter too). Your Ray4 will be a real beast, in the best possible way, you've chosen very good components IMO

That's a familiar feeling

If this is the USA SUB the natural finish may not work well, bodies tend to be made of several pieces and not well matched aesthetically. I've seen a couple done, and one looked decent but the other was quite ugly and they ended up refinishing in a solid colour. Unfortunately there's no way to know until you strip it.

The 5 string SUB seemed to be always parallel, indeed, it's only the 4-string ones that seem to be series initially. Stock, unmodified, series wiring from factory.

Well... I tried my phone running n-track and plugging the Focusrite Scarlett Solo to it via USB but using a separate mains charger rather than the power pack I used yesterday. It didn't fix anything: dropouts and other glitches. Ah, I hadn't restarted my phone... so I do that. No improvement. Then I had a thought... and turned the airplane mode on. Success!!! I made a quick drum track, recorded two basslines and 6 guitar tracks... no problem. I guess the newer tablet has enough 'oomph' to not be troubled by other processes running but the phone is old and pretty full. So there you go: use a USB interface and forget about messing with latency, even on an untidy 3 year old phone. Record demos anywhere.

I tried my mobile phone (Motorola G5S Plus, 3 years old) running n-track with the Focusrite Solo powered externally using a special cable attached to a power pack. That didn't work well. It did for a while, but it was unreliable with dropouts. Part of it may be my phone (whether using the phone or a tablet I'd advice to reboot and start a fresh session unless it's got tons of memory/cpu spare) as it was running a million things, but I also got a warning saying the Solo might not be able to receive enough power. I'll try again using a charger rather than the powerpack and see.

😍 now that's a cool bass