mcnach

Every bass should have a passive tone control, and then whatever you want, in my opinion. My Stingray was a 2EQ originally. I had one specific sound I tended to prefer and use most of the time. No idea how different from 'flat' it was. Then I put in a John East 3-band, which is essentially the classic 2EQ plus a semiparametric mids module. I asked for a bypass switch too. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that the sound I liked best was pretty much the same as bypassing the preamp I do use the on-board EQ, especially the mids module, but always just little adjustments. I'd probably get a lot more mileage out of a passive tone control

But I get why you ask... I never really fully understood why you can place a pickup in a certain position and sound so distinctive (Precision, Stingray, whatever) for any note you play, whether it's top or bottom of the neck. You'd imagine that you probably get the same harmonics if you move the pickup closer to the bridge and fret around the 3rd fret as you would leaving the pickup where it is and playing open strings... I don't know (shrug). I know what it sounds like because I've tried all these things, but I can't explain it.

To some extent, yes, but a graphic EQ does not have the LPF quality. If you want to blanket drop all frequencies above a certain point, graphic EQs are better than nothing but they're going to change the tone beyond simply taking off the high end, as it's a collection of frequency bands that you can boost/cut but do not provide a uniform field. The larger the number of bands, the better it can work, of course but your typical 6-7 bander doesn't cut it. I wish!

Not really. You definitely get bassier/thumpier or thinner/sharper attack, and it's something I use to achieve different sounds live, but the effect is not the same as moving the pickup.

I'll play! #1... I had it as a Jazz at first but after listening to all, I'd say it's the Squier PJ #2 Westbury with Model P #3 that one sounds very dark... I wasn't sure what it was, so after listening to the rest, I say it's the Harley Benton. Why so dark? #4 Stingray, no question #5 Jazz I'd only bet money on #2 and #4. Basses #1 and 5 could easily be the other way around, although I think I get the PJ vibe on #1.

I have a 2002 Stingray, so probably the same box as yours. What problem do you have? Mine has had an intermittent bad connection for years. The metal tabs at the bottom of the box that are meant to press against the battery terminals end up being bent flatter and not pressing hard enough. With a little screwdriver and a bit of care, I bend them upwards to improve the connection. That works for many months, sometimes a year or two. Not the greatest design, I admit. I've thought of replacing it with one that has a clip-on type of connector, but...

why not reinstall a passive tone control then? I personally always need some kind of low pass filter to eliminate the highest frequencies.

Are you sure? You'll be dampening the vibrations, so no (accurate) reading anymore.

I was having the same issue but I never found where my cables were going. It stopped when I bought pink cables. Ok, I lie, no, I bought red and orange cables. I do have a pink one 'though, it came with something I bought one day, I use it at home all the time with my pink tartan strap 😛

Not sure if this would work, but you may ask in the forum for anyone local to you who is proficient and likes doing this kind of work. It's pretty easy, if you know what you're doing... who knows, maybe you find someone who would love a chance to look away from Netflix for a bit and help you in the process if you are able to drop the bass with them. Of course it's a bit more complicated now with the distancing etc, but doable if you're sensible. Just an idea.

I was looking for a thread I participated in not long ago, where someone was asking for advice about making their Stingray style bass passive. Some people were claiming that the Stingray pickup needed a preamp as it's otherwise low output. There's also the question about the preamp, and some claim you need the preamp to sound like a Stingray. I have experimented with this quite a bit years ago when I cannibalised an old OLP expanding the cavity under the pickguard and trying different pickups at different spots etc, so I know that passive MM pickups are more than just fine on their own, and that the single most important factor for THAT sound is the position of the pickup (which is why every other bass with a MM at the bridge that pushes the pickup towards the bridge, compared to a Stingray, sounds great but not have that Stingray type of sound, just liek you don't get a Precision sound unless you put that pickup where it should). Here's an example I found on another forum. The guy put a cheap MM pickup on a Harley Benton Jazz, passive, but he put it exactly where it goes on a Stingray. Of course, it sounds like a Stingray. He just does not have the ability to get the wider range of sounds that the active onboard EQ would give him... but the sound is unmistakeably Stingray. See post #871 here: https://www.talkbass.com/threads/music-man-sound-and-pickups.739218/page-44#post-23825611

+1 It sums my feeling/experience about them too

+1 on the angled jacks.

Glad to hear you're well Stay healthy!

actually, the switch is just a bypass but the preamp stays engaged as long as there is a cable plugged in (regardless whether the switch is set to active or passive)... so @pepsi-abi, remember to unplug the cable when not in use!

!!!! oops. And yes, you're right, he doesn't seem to be working anymore

Oh 😥 I hope it's just because he prefers to do something else now, and that he is ok. I only dealt with him a couple of times, but he was a great guy and very accommodating.

what he says. Many good options out there, at similar or better prices than what you can get in a store 'branded'. Better quality too, which is why I get them. Places I've got great cables from: 1) our own basschat resident @obbm, of course. 2) designacable - search for it on eBay or amazon 3) cleartone - they have their own website All those use good quality components and they build cables that last a long long long time. I would try OBMM first.

exciting times!!! I hope you get it in your hands soon, have fun!

I mean with the repeated taking them off, and back on again, that I do with them.

all you have to do is twist two of the cables together and cover with tape, which connects the two halves of the pickup in series, and you have only two cables to connect as standard.

If you fancy something different then the D'Addario, for sure. I have an ETB92 set (50-105) which I find very comfy (flexible, but not quite as much as similar gauge white nylons). I have a couple of sets of white nylons, the standard ones and the copper ones, that I would use on a bass for a while, then remove etc. I was concerned that the nylon coating would degrade but it seems to be pretty durable.

Yeah, I like simplicity too. The Wilkinsons have great reviews, not a bad choice. I would not go for a quarter pounder myself... they're a bit... not sure what to call them: best to try a bass with them first. They are aggressive alright but not in a good way, for me. I would rather choose a DiMarzio Model P instead. They're not expensive and they do aggressive very well, but not just that. They're very musical.

aha! well, that's a GREAT bass too... some argue that it's even better!

Yeah, if you're buying *right now* you're going to have to just order. The good news is that both of your choices are decent instruments