stingrayPete1977 Posted October 30, 2011 Share Posted October 30, 2011 Does anyone know how to identify the Ceramic from the Alnico pickup? My new one is a bit of a bitsa really, It has the newer stlye cover and the battery box is nearer the neck like my 2010, Do we think its also a newer 2008 onwards body and pickup then or did that come before the Alnico? This neck is a 2004 as it had LED's fitted in its original one and retained by a previous owner but Icant find a body date, the neck plate serial suggests about may 2007 as does the date on the preamp. Might take a few heads to get all the bits dated but its cleaned up nice so far, Im off to restring it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grand Wazoo Posted October 30, 2011 Share Posted October 30, 2011 Ask Gavin at musicman.org he is the "MusicMan" historian and knows a heck of a lot and he is also a moderator on the EBMM forum all around nice chap. This is his website: [url="http://www.musicmanbass.org/"]http://www.musicmanbass.org/[/url] His username in the EBMM forum is Rod Trussbroken. I have a feeling if yours is a 2008 that it might be a ceramic one. If I remember rightly they went back to AlNiCo in 2009, but I might be mistaken it's has been a long time since I had a Stingray 5 mine was a 2000 model and did come with a ceramic one, which I changed with the excellent Seymour Duncan AlNiCo SMB5A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted October 30, 2011 Author Share Posted October 30, 2011 Here you go, I have totally stripped it down, removed the controls for the LEDs (hole in pickguard to fill or change guard, hmm) wire wooled the fretboard back and sanded the rear of the neck finishing at 1200 grade paper,re strung it B to G with EB super slinky 40-125's as it was E to C, set the relief and string height and checked the intonation, Its not perfect yet but its close already (impressed myself there!), I have started to cut back the top coat and polish it a bit but it soon smudges again anyway so I soon got bored. [attachment=92264:Pair of 5s.jpg] with its new brother, ahh [attachment=92265:pair of 5s back.jpg] from the back ooh errr, note forward battery box like the 2010 new version next to it. [attachment=92266:Ray 5 bits.jpg] note the new style pup cover with the built in thumb rest, Alnico or Ceramic? Its got a bigger neck pocket than a clowns chuff but it plays and sounds great Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted October 30, 2011 Author Share Posted October 30, 2011 Im not sure Gav will be able to tell much from the serial as its quite a bitsa really, I will ask him a few questions though and see what he thinks, after playing it and getting it near enough for practice tomorrow night Im not really bothered, Its a cool care free Ray 5 IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prime_BASS Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 Can't you tell from the sound? The ceramic tends to be more middy(muddy in my opinion) while the alnico has a better low and high frequency extension, and a more clearer not definition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted October 31, 2011 Author Share Posted October 31, 2011 Ta guys, I'm not sure still. It sounds different (but good) to my Alnico Rays, I have a hunch that the new style pup cover came in earlier than 2008 when the Alnico was reintroduced, it might not be the original pickup either for all I know? Confused.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunsfreddy2003 Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 A bit of topic but I was down at the luthiers in Bristol on Saturday having both of my 'rays attended to and the first thing he said was have you thought about changing to a Bartolini pick up! Anyone have any advice or recommendation on this? Don't think that I would do anything to the '77 but the Classic 5 maybe! [quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1320079858' post='1422039'] Ta guys, I'm not sure still. It sounds different (but good) to my Alnico Rays, I have a hunch that the new style pup cover came in earlier than 2008 when the Alnico was reintroduced, it might not be the original pickup either for all I know? Confused.com [/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martthebass Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 (edited) Pete, That pick guards gotta go......unless you want to start wearing a nice big frilly shirt to go with it... Edited October 31, 2011 by martthebass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted October 31, 2011 Author Share Posted October 31, 2011 Mark-I'm not sure, I like the EB pickups so I've never been worried about changing them? Mart-Don't worry the job is in hand, Its going to be black gloss with a white middle ply to match the pup and coil tap knob It sounded and played pretty good at practice earlier, just needs fine tuning here and there. It sounds quite different to my blue one so I'm swaying towards ceramic and thinking the pup covers changed a bit before the Alnico came back, it's all looking like 2007 to me other than the 2004 neck. The only little downside is the weight, she's a bit of a beast! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted November 1, 2011 Author Share Posted November 1, 2011 Just got the DOB and details back, It was a Pau ferro fretless with a matching headstock! 5/June/2007 everything else is as it should be Ceramic it is then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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