Difference between a Stingray Special and Classic

[lancer]

It’s been quite a week for me , I’ve been made redundant, sold my Stingray Special in a panic and then got a better job, hooray.

So in celebration I have reserved a Stingray Classic, coming in February.

I’ve  been informed it’s one of the last ones coming to the UK as they have been discontinued.

I loved my special and I’m kinda wondering to those who have played both what are the fundamental differences in the sound of the two basses?

I’m still undecided whether to go with the classic or another special

Thanks in advance

 

[drTStingray]

Congratulations on the new job 👍

They're both excellent basses but they're actually quite different from one another but here goes:-

Stingray Classic

Pretty much like a combination of a pre EB Ray and a very early 90s one 

6 bolt neck joint

Original style large bridge with through stringing, large holding down bolts, mute assembly - serial number on bridge 

Slab body almost always ash

Some special colours not available on other models

Original style 2 band EQ  

Highly figured maple neck (birds eye or flame)

80s style headstock logo and neck plate

Chrome plated truss rod adjusting spoke wheel

Weight around 9.5 lbs

Neck radius 7.5" - lacquer finish 

Were available in 4 or 5 string versions

Alnico 5 pick up poles, which follow the contour of the neck - 9 volt electronics

Fretboard either rosewood or maple 

Standard nut

Black or white pick up cover and pg (some pgs in tort) dependent on body colour

Stingray Special

5 bolt neck joint and contoured neck heel

Lightweight aluminium hardware

Small bridge held down by screws (no large holding down bolts)

Originally lightweight swamp ash body - now changed to other woods owing to ash shortage

Revised body contours 

Neodimium pick ups with revised pole piece spacing enable strings to centre over them (most notable on HH neck pick up). Pole pieces flat to pick up cover 

18 volt electronics with revoiced 3 band pre amp

11" radius neck; roasted maple neck; oil and wax finish

Compensated nut

Fretboard in roasted maple, ebony or rosewood dependent on body colour

Black or chrome hardware dependent on body colour

Weight around 8.5 lbs or less

4 or 5 string (original SR5 shape and pg)

Large range of colours

Broader range of sounds; more headroom on pre amp before compression. 

 

 

 

Edited December 10, 2020 by drTStingray

[Chiliwailer]

I think the first thing you’ll notice is a massive difference in ergonomics, the Special has been cleverly designed that way as its lighter and contoured beautifully for feel (even better than pre-2018 Rays IMO) but the Classic is a no frills weighty slab body. 

The gloss neck on the Classic is the next difference, and the profile is different.

They both sound great, just different. The EQ on the Special is super flexible and sounds great through the range.The Classic EQ is simpler and not as well engineered IMO, but still sounds great for doing what it says on the tin. The Special is a more modern tone, but the EQ can get into the old school territory-ish. I prefer that the G string aligns to the poles better on the Special too. 

I almost have both, a versatile HH Special with rounds and an Old Smoothie with flats. If I had to just have one then it’d be the Special. Get both 😂

Congrats 👍

Edited December 6, 2020 by Chiliwailer

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

I can’t really add anything to what has been said already. I would be hard pushed to choose which one to give up first. I do love my Classic - it’s a proper weighty funk machine. I’m not sure what it means, but all three of us opted for the HH Special, probably because they are a bit of a Swiss Army knife. Loved my 2006 HH, but it was unbelievably heavy, so had to go.

Good luck in your new job 👍. Enjoy your new bass, whichever one you go for.

[Old Horse Murphy]

My main bass is now a SR5 Special and I really can't fault it. I've had a few Classics and as good as they were, I never quite gelled with them. They can be a bit uncomfortable with the lack of contouring and I found them really quite heavy too. 
 

All that said, they are beautifully built and play like a dream. 
 

Congrats on your good news. It's about time 2020 played fair! 

[Eldon Tyrell]

This week I lost out on a stunning looking Stingray Special in natural. Well, it means that I am on the market again for another one or a Classic in natural. Let me know if you want to part with one. I have already put an ad in the "Items Wanted" section but no response so far 🥴

[4000]

On 06/12/2020 at 16:19, Old Horse Murphy said:

My main bass is now a SR5 Special and I really can't fault it. I've had a few Classics and as good as they were, I never quite gelled with them. They can be a bit uncomfortable with the lack of contouring and I found them really quite heavy too. 

The Classic I had was extremely heavy, at least 10lbs, and all the ones I’ve played have been similar. I really didn’t get on with anything about it TBH, but I’m very interested to try a Special. 

[drTStingray]

Mine (the coral red one in the pics above) is fitted with TI flats and is a sublime instrument - it weighed 9.75 lbs on S and T's parcels scale.  They are, of course a slab body, and unlike some other very well known makers who shall remain nameless, Musicman don't create routs under the pickguard which not only lose weight off the bass but prevent removal of the pick guard unless you're happy to have such things on show!! 

My Classic sounds very Bernard Edwards in tone, but it is, of course, largely a combination of a 70s and very early 90s 2 band Stingray. 

On the other hand the Specials (both of mine are HH) do a wider range of tones but can do vintage Stingray as well. They drive my Mark Bass speakers beautifully when you dig in (as I found out at an outdoor gig in September - fabulous sound from the 4HH) - my Specials are much lighter. However you get an 18 volt pre amp and neodimium pole pick ups so completely different from the Classic, but still, absolutely a Stingray. 

[4000]

I have chronic back and neck problems, with several prolapsed discs. 9.75lb is too heavy for me. 

[Baxlin]

While I’m not in the market for (yet) another bass, I have to say these are some brilliant responses, chaps.  Just what Basschat is all about.

👍👍

[4000]

On 06/12/2020 at 00:49, drTStingray said:

Congratulations of the new job 👍

They're both excellent basses but they're actually quite different from one another but here goes:-

Stingray Classic

Pretty much like a combination of a pre EB Ray and a very early 90s one 

6 bolt neck joint

Original style large bridge with through stringing, large holding down bolts, mute assembly - serial number on bridge 

Slab body almost always ash

Some special colours not available on other models

Original style 2 band EQ  

Highly figured maple neck (birds eye or flame)

80s style headstock logo and neck plate

Chrome plated truss rod adjusting spoke wheel

Weight around 9.5 lbs

Neck radius 7.5" - lacquer finish 

Were available in 4 or 5 string versions

Alnico 5 pick up poles, which follow the contour of the neck - 9 volt electronics

Fretboard either rosewood or maple 

Standard nut

Black or white pick up cover and pg (some pgs in tort) dependent on body colour

Stingray Special

5 bolt neck joint and contoured neck heel

Lightweight aluminium hardware

Small bridge held down by screws (no large holding down bolts)

Originally lightweight swamp ash body - now changed to other woods owing to ash shortage

Revised body contours 

Neodimium pick ups with revised pole piece spacing enable strings to centre over them (most notable on HH neck pick up). Pole pieces flat to pick up cover 

18 volt electronics with revoiced 3 band pre amp

11" radius neck; roasted maple neck; oil and wax finish

Compensated nut

Fretboard in roasted maple, ebony or rosewood dependent on body colour

Black or chrome hardware dependent on body colour

Weight around 8.5 lbs or less

4 or 5 string (original SR5 shape and pg)

Large range of colours

Broader range of sounds; more headroom on pre amp before compression. 

 

 

 

BTW, absolutely love that finish. That and Starry Night are something else.

[drTStingray]

Sorry to hear of your back problems as well - the Stingray Specials are significantly lighter than previous models.

I think there are one or two additional sparkle colours - there's a darker, royal blue colour (Aztec blue?) - I'd i hadn't already got two I'd seriously consider that colour. The colour vibrancy changes significantly with light variation on these sparkles - low light levels giving the effect in the photos, bright light causing the sparkle to really pop with a bit of prismatic effect 👍

[Guest]

It’s Tektonic blue I believe. I considered it but a) I could find a 5 HH model anywhere in Europe in stock b) I can’t even order one as all 2021 stock is already allocated to back orders according to my local dealer and c) it’s a bit too “magician’s coat” for my liking. In the end I plumped for Charging Green as it still has a (more) subtle flake and I’ve loved the look of the ones I’ve seen with the roasted maple neck.

[acidbass]

The string alignment on the Specials is much better on the G string.  You'll notice that the string is perfectly centred through the pole pieces of the pickup on the Specials due to a redesigned pickup.  This effectively gets rid of the weak low G syndrome experienced with most Rays since EB took over.

[LukeFRC]

The best bass I think I ever played was a stingray, @mark_irs brown pre-eb. That thing was amazing. 

otherwise I’ve played a load of stingrays and they have been somewhere between nice and alright. The Stingray Special I tried when they first came out though was a different level and very enjoyable to play and had a very nice even musical response. 
that doesn’t really add much in way of comparison but based on just trying that one example I would buy one of them!

[drTStingray]

16 hours ago, acidbass said:

The string alignment on the Specials is much better on the G string.  You'll notice that the string is perfectly centred through the pole pieces of the pickup on the Specials due to a redesigned pickup. 

Correct - especially noticeable on the neck pick up. I seem to remember EBMM stating they'd done this for aesthetic reasons - the pick ups are neodymium rather than alnico 5 so were redesigned along with the more powerful/ revoiced pre amp. 

16 hours ago, acidbass said:

This effectively gets rid of the weak low G syndrome experienced with most Rays since EB took over.

This is very inaccurate:-

1) Pre EB basses are virtually the same as the early EB basses (until the early 90s) - except the string retainer was moved to the A/D instead of D/G; an extra dot on the last fret; improved quality control and consistency (particularly pick up windings); body contouring - thus an improved product. 

2) The weak G string sound is suggested to occur with some single pick up Stingrays - not 2 pick up versions

3) There are a lot of variables which can affect this - there are many owners that don't have that problem - I actually have 8 Stingrays (pre Specials) of varying types (2 band/3 band/ maple /rosewood/fretless - none has a weak G string sound compared to the others or string to string volume variation. In fact the fretless, where arguably you need good G string volume, has substantial mwah, resonance and volume on that string.

Im aware some people experience this problem but it's completely wrong to suggest it's a universal issue. 

Edited December 12, 2020 by drTStingray
Auto spell marginally more accurate than a DJT speech!

[horrorshowbass]

On 06/12/2020 at 00:49, drTStingray said:

Congratulations on the new job 👍

They're both excellent basses but they're actually quite different from one another but here goes:-

Stingray Classic

Pretty much like a combination of a pre EB Ray and a very early 90s one 

6 bolt neck joint

Original style large bridge with through stringing, large holding down bolts, mute assembly - serial number on bridge 

Slab body almost always ash

Some special colours not available on other models

Original style 2 band EQ  

Highly figured maple neck (birds eye or flame)

80s style headstock logo and neck plate

Chrome plated truss rod adjusting spoke wheel

Weight around 9.5 lbs

Neck radius 7.5" - lacquer finish 

Were available in 4 or 5 string versions

Alnico 5 pick up poles, which follow the contour of the neck - 9 volt electronics

Fretboard either rosewood or maple 

Standard nut

Black or white pick up cover and pg (some pgs in tort) dependent on body colour

Stingray Special

5 bolt neck joint and contoured neck heel

Lightweight aluminium hardware

Small bridge held down by screws (no large holding down bolts)

Originally lightweight swamp ash body - now changed to other woods owing to ash shortage

Revised body contours 

Neodimium pick ups with revised pole piece spacing enable strings to centre over them (most notable on HH neck pick up). Pole pieces flat to pick up cover 

18 volt electronics with revoiced 3 band pre amp

11" radius neck; roasted maple neck; oil and wax finish

Compensated nut

Fretboard in roasted maple, ebony or rosewood dependent on body colour

Black or chrome hardware dependent on body colour

Weight around 8.5 lbs or less

4 or 5 string (original SR5 shape and pg)

Large range of colours

Broader range of sounds; more headroom on pre amp before compression. 

 

 

 

They have a classic like above for sale in andertons at moment, 1600 quid. Tempted. I have a ray34 which I love but would love to try a US

[Eldon Tyrell]

Interesting review

 

[horrorshowbass]

16 minutes ago, Eldon Tyrell said:

Interesting review

 

Watched it, lobster is a sound lad for a crustacean

[Munurmunuh]

On 12/12/2020 at 02:29, drTStingray said:

This is very inaccurate:-

1) Pre EB basses are virtually the same as the early EB basses (until the early 90s) - except the string retainer was moved to the A/D instead of D/G; an extra dot on the last fret; improved quality control and consistency (particularly pick up windings); body contouring - thus an improved product. 

 

Apologies to people who dislike old threads being resurrected, but this thread came up when I was searching around for a couple of answers, trying to get my head around the Stingrays evolution

 

Firstly, was there a time when the trad 2-band EQ and alnico pickup was paired with a contoured body?

 

Secondly.... Watching an Ed F demo of a Classic* I realised that the Stringray sound which makes me 🥰 comes at Treble 7, Bass 10; is the Special, with its NeoThingy pickup and 3-band EQ, capable of impersonating that specific sound?

 

Thirdly, since I'm on a roll, did the Special nut start off at 1 5/8" and then change to 1 11/16"? (or have I been reading a mistaken listing?)

 

*3'12" to 3'38":

 

 

 

Edited September 19, 2021 by Ricky Rioli

[Eldon Tyrell]

8 minutes ago, Ricky Rioli said:

 

Apologies to people who dislike old threads being resurrected, but this thread came up when I was searching around for a couple of answers, trying to get my head around the Stingrays evolution

 

Firstly, was there a time when the trad 2-band EQ and alnico pickup was paired with a contoured body?

 

Secondly.... Watching an Ed F demo of a Classic* I realised that the Stringray sound which makes me 🥰 comes at Treble 7, Bass 10; is the Special, with its NeoThingy pickup and 3-band EQ, capable of impersonating that specific sound?

 

Thirdly, since I'm on a role, did the Special nut start off at 1 5/8" and then change to 1 11/16"? (or have I been reading a mistaken listing?)

 

*3'12" to 3'38":

 

 

 

Good questions, I am calling the doc for you, he will know all the answers -  @drTStingray

😉   

[drTStingray]

1 hour ago, Ricky Rioli said:

 

Apologies to people who dislike old threads being resurrected, but this thread came up when I was searching around for a couple of answers, trying to get my head around the Stingrays evolution

 

Firstly, was there a time when the trad 2-band EQ and alnico pickup was paired with a contoured body?

 

Secondly.... Watching an Ed F demo of a Classic* I realised that the Stringray sound which makes me 🥰 comes at Treble 7, Bass 10; is the Special, with its NeoThingy pickup and 3-band EQ, capable of impersonating that specific sound?

 

Thirdly, since I'm on a roll, did the Special nut start off at 1 5/8" and then change to 1 11/16"? (or have I been reading a mistaken listing?)

 

*3'12" to 3'38":

 

 

 

Question 1) yes - the 2 band was an option from when the 3 band was introduced at the end of the 80s, till 2017 (with the rest of the standard Stingray features including contoured body). Not very many people bought them, and particularly  in the 90s. The 3 band is arguably far more versatile and you can get close to a 2 band sound by cutting the mids back significantly and boosting the bass and treble a touch. The 2 band does not have the HPF which the 3 band does - which avoids the boomier bass frequencies. 
 

Question 2) yes - I’m my experience they are capable of the normal sounds you’d associate with a Stingray. In fact I did a dep gig (mostly R and B), sone of which was recorded - I used my SR4HH Special - and I was pleasantly surprised that the bass tone was reminiscent of Bernard Edwards with Chic or Alan Spenner using a Wal. Which pleased me greatly as those are my favourite bass sounds. There are comparison videos on You Tube between the Special and the earlier Stingray. The main difference is headroom and the mid range voicing - there is also more bass boost available with the Special. 
 

Question 3) The Stingray nut (standard neck size) measured on my basses (not massively accurately) is 1 and 11/16”. The Sterling (US) and Stingrays with ‘SLO Special’ necks are narrower (1 and 1/2” I think). 

 

[Munurmunuh]

21 minutes ago, drTStingray said:

far more versatile

 

Versatility is wasted on me – presumably thanks to being brought up on acoustic instruments, once I've found how to make the one noise I like best, I stop there and forget about the controls. I had a bass with two pickups and 3-band EQ, and it got no more fiddling with than my P. Were I to get a Stingray, it would be to find that sound that I like so much, and make it.

 

Looking through out-of-date adverts left online by helpful retailers, it does seem that not so long ago there did exist a Stingray with

• alnico pickup ✔

•2-band EQ ✔

• contoured body ✔

• 1 5/8" nut ✔

 

.....which gives me something to think about.....

 

[dub_junkie]

I had at least three regular StingRays with alnico magnets, 2EQ and contoured body. The last one was a black/rosewood which was one of the ‘133 series’ Rays. Basically a 2EQ StingRay in black,Pearl blue or Candy apple red with either maple or rosewood fingerboard and a MusicMan gig bag instead of a case. No other options. Bought it new for £1099 in late 2014 when there weren’t many left kicking about. They were originally £999 which was a great price at the time for a USA MusicMan.

I also had a teal/maple 2EQ and a sunburst fretless 2EQ like Pino’s one but with an unlined pau ferro board. 
Don’t know what the nut width was for sure but 1 5/8 or 41.3mm rings a bell.

and iirc the difference in price between a regular production 2EQ and 3EQ was only something like £40 

[tegs07]

On 11/12/2020 at 16:39, acidbass said:

The string alignment on the Specials is much better on the G string.  You'll notice that the string is perfectly centred through the pole pieces of the pickup on the Specials due to a redesigned pickup.  This effectively gets rid of the weak low G syndrome experienced with most Rays since EB took over.

If people are experiencing a weak G issue the pickup poles can be raised or lowered to compensate. Just remove the pickup raise the G pole, lower the others, replace pickup  and it should balance out fine.