MM Stingray Problems

[JeSuisSkeleton]

I have a 2005 Stingray. I got it in early 2006, and it was great, all the bass I could ever need or want. But after about 18 months the circuit board fried itself and it wouldn't work at all. I took it to a shop in Glasgow, and, long story short, got ripped off. I was charged £150 for a new circuit board, which I found out a couple months ago, was never installed. All he did was resolder some of the board, and not very well I don't think. Since then, it's never sounded as good as it did when I first got it; it's been pretty flat tone wise, the E sounds dead (even with new strings) etc.

Now, in the last month or so, it won't hold a set up. I adjusted the action, and a couple of days later the strings were resting on the frets, so below the 9th fret you get nothing but choked strings. I readjusted, and the same thing happened.

Basically at the moment it's unplayable. Every now and then the signal cuts out or gets distorted to some degree, which I'm putting down to a crappy repair job. Does anyone have any idea what could be up with it? Do I need a new board or was it just repaired badly?

[Wil]

Have you adjusted the truss rod? In this cold weather it's likely that it will need a tweak, sounds like you might need to slacken it off a touch to add a bit of neck relief if your strings are touching the frets. Measure it first, naturally.

If I were you I'd take it to a decent luthier for a set up and get them to check the wiring.

Edited November 30, 2010 by Wil

[lemmywinks]

Aye take it to a decent luthier, the Gallery gets props on here all the time

Also name and shame the dodgy guitar shop!

[lapolpora]

[quote name='Wil' post='1042408' date='Nov 30 2010, 02:31 PM']Have you adjusted the truss rod? In this cold weather it's likely that it will need a tweak, sounds like you might need to slacken it off a touch to add a bit of neck relief if your strings are touching the frets. Measure it first, naturally.

If I were you I'd take it to a decent luthier for a set up and get them to check the wiring.[/quote]
As above! And if the circuit board problem cannot be rectified I'd recommend one of John East's replacement preamps. Stick with it. There's probably a great bass in there once it's sorted out properly.

[martthebass]

[quote name='lapolpora' post='1042423' date='Nov 30 2010, 02:41 PM']As above! And if the circuit board problem cannot be rectified I'd recommend one of John East's replacement preamps. Stick with it. There's probably a great bass in there once it's sorted out properly.[/quote]

+1

Sorry you're having problems, I've always found EBMMs to be pretty reliable for a mass produced bass.

Regarding the neck, I think it's that time of year. My SR5 neck is moving around as well and has needed 2 tweaks in the last 2 weeks, my SR4 is ok at the moment but that's fully laquered. The only way to solve that one completely on a Ray is to add a replacement Status neck - expensive unfortunately.

[MarkBassChat]

Can you post a photo of the preamp (components side)? I most cases fixing such preamp is quite easy. I wouldn't think of a new preamp until I'm sure that this one cannot be fixed.
Regarding the neck I think that this is just a metter of one visit to a good luthier. Maybe you are not adjusting it correctly.
Also if you are sure that the board was not replaced, can you tell us the name of the shop?

Mark

[JeSuisSkeleton]

Here's the component side:



And here's the solder:



The shop was CC Music in Glasgow.

[Al Heeley]

My MM ray neck is stable but pretty sensitive, only a mm or 2 adjustment can make the difference between too high and too low.
On the electrics front, when was the last time the battery was changed? Check with new battery first if you're getting cutouts or distortion, it could also be something simple like a dirty jack plug or socket.

[MarkBassChat]

This preamp is very simple, can be easily fixed and I cannot imagine that it costed more than e.g. £30 (no matter what was wrong with it). How do you know that it was not replaced?
Usually in such cases I don't suspect preamp but rather wires (bad soldering), pickup switch, pots, output jack or battery.

Mark

[Musicman20]

Contact Strings & Things in the UK, and also email Musicman customer service in the USA.

Strings & Things are you first call, and they are excellent with problems like this.

[cd_david]

[quote name='JeSuisSkeleton' post='1043092' date='Nov 30 2010, 10:47 PM']Here's the component side:



And here's the solder:



The shop was CC Music in Glasgow.[/quote]

That has been re soldered badly, looks like there will be more than a few dry joint (solder not forming full contact between board and component)

I would contact MM customer service they have a great reputation.

Dont give up on the brand because of a cowboy. Like everyone is saying take it to a reputable luthier, I always recommend Dave Wilson Guitars (depends where you are) and the circuit probably holds a max of £20 of off the shelf components.

Just guessing but neck wise and to be honest whole bass wise I have never ever had a problem with a MM bass, necks are solidly reliable so are the circuits and the build quality is outstanding, to me this sounds like someone before you bought it has possibly tinkered and caused the board to fail after you bought it and they may have had a go with the neck?

Cheers

Dave

Edited December 1, 2010 by cd_david

[Musicman20]

Was the bass second hand or new when you purchased it?

Edited December 1, 2010 by Musicman20

[JeSuisSkeleton]

[quote name='MarkBassChat' post='1043340' date='Dec 1 2010, 09:07 AM']This preamp is very simple, can be easily fixed and I cannot imagine that it costed more than e.g. £30 (no matter what was wrong with it). How do you know that it was not replaced?
Usually in such cases I don't suspect preamp but rather wires (bad soldering), pickup switch, pots, output jack or battery.

Mark[/quote]

I posted a photo of the solder on TalkBass and someone told me that it's the original board (it says SR 3EQ or something similar).


[quote name='cd_david' post='1043382' date='Dec 1 2010, 09:36 AM']That has been re soldered badly, looks like there will be more than a few dry joint (solder not forming full contact between board and component)

I would contact MM customer service they have a great reputation.

Dont give up on the brand because of a cowboy.[/quote]

Yeah, I thought that. I mean, I know nothing about electronics but the re-soldering just looks really messy. I'm not going to give up on the brand; I love MM basses. I've been considering selling this and buying a new 'Ray if I can't get it back to how it was.


[quote name='Musicman20' post='1043447' date='Dec 1 2010, 10:15 AM']Was the bass second hand or new when you purchased it?[/quote]

It was new, but the default set up when I got it was pretty much perfect. This neck issue is only in the last month or so. I put it down to the cold at first, but my Ibanez BTB406 and my Fender Strat don't seem to be having any issues with it.

[Wil]

Some necks will shift more than others. Apologies if I'm teaching my grandmother to suck eggs here, but if you fret the A string at the 1st fret with your left hand and press the string against the end of the fingerboard with your right elbow, how much of a gap is there between the string and the 9th fret?

[JeSuisSkeleton]

Well, now it's completely dead. I put a new battery in, sorted out the action etc. and tried it out at a rehearsal today. Worked great for an hour or so, it almost sounded like the bass I fell in love with, then it died suddenly. I've got a short video here showing the kind of thing it's doing. It's intermittent at the moment, but I can't think it'll be long before this is all it will do (like before). Sorry for the poor quality but it gives a good enough idea.

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQ7uW_b_JiY"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQ7uW_b_JiY[/url]

Edited December 1, 2010 by JeSuisSkeleton

[Wil]

Crikey. Doesnt sound healthy...

[JeSuisSkeleton]

Tell me about it >_< It's exactly the same issue as before.

[blind pilot]

[quote name='JeSuisSkeleton' post='1044026' date='Dec 1 2010, 04:55 PM']Tell me about it >_< It's exactly the same issue as before.[/quote]


AH its beyond help - you want to get shot of that ASAP

[Ou7shined]

Just to be on the safe side I wouldn't plug it into any expensive amps or PC's in that state for very long.
Having said that, does it make that same farty noise no matter what it's plugged into?

[blind pilot]

Dude,

Can you take a good close up of the back of the board showing the solder joints -

[blind pilot]

I have just zoomed in as best I can, it looks to me that some of the solder joints have 'Bled' and are so touching where perhaps they shouldnt.

Hard to tell from the picture, but if you know any one handy with a soldering iron, first thing I'd do would be to 'clean up' all the solder joints on that board.

Another thing that might be worth trying is to connect straight to the pick-up, so as to by-pass the EQ just to make sure its not a fault with the pup, although I doubt it is.

Not that familiar with the chip on the board, but that could be the issue....Given the strange noises its putting out.

[MarkBassChat]

[quote name='JeSuisSkeleton']I posted a photo of the solder on TalkBass and someone told me that it's the original board (it says SR 3EQ or something similar).[/quote]OK, but this does not prove anything. He could replace an original board with another original board.
[quote name='JeSuisSkeleton']I mean, I know nothing about electronics but the re-soldering just looks really messy.[/quote]Actually the board does not look that bad. It just looks like some unexperienced person did not know how to fix it and he resoldered everything (I never do that unless I know exactly what is the problem) and afterwards he forgot to clean the board. There still may be some cold solder joints but this is not a problem. It does not look nice but still can be fixed (and cleaned).
[quote name='JeSuisSkeleton']I've been considering selling this and buying a new 'Ray if I can't get it back to how it was.[/quote]It's not a good idea. Fixing this preamp is easy but if you try to sell it without fixing the preamp first, you will loose a lot of money.

Mark

[cd_david]

[quote name='JeSuisSkeleton' post='1043526' date='Dec 1 2010, 11:03 AM']It was new, but the default set up when I got it was pretty much perfect. This neck issue is only in the last month or so. I put it down to the cold at first, but my Ibanez BTB406 and my Fender Strat don't seem to be having any issues with it.[/quote]

If its was bought new dont touch anything, contact Strings and Things or insist the vendor does, They have sold you a new bass with problems that should be covered by the warranty?

[JeSuisSkeleton]

The only problem is that it's a 2005 and I bought it in early 2006.

[martthebass]

[quote name='JeSuisSkeleton' post='1044213' date='Dec 1 2010, 07:36 PM']The only problem is that it's a 2005 and I bought it in early 2006.[/quote]

Don't let that stop you. I just contacted them over some spares for my 1998 SR5 that I bought used - they couldn't have been more helpful!