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Stingray Classic 3EQ (90’s) Vs Stingray Special 3EQ 2018


BassBeast
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Help again,

 

Tempted to buy a Special but have played me classic for so long, worried it could be a waste of money. I know I should try one out to be sure but access is so hard…

 

Has anyone here gone from one to the other? Does the 18v make any difference? Mine has that classic sound. Is the Special better or just different?

 

Any specific details would be very welcome. 
 

Thank you. 

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I went from 3EQ, to a Special, then back to my 2EQ…

 

The Special is a lovely instrument, EQ and ergonomics are excellent upgrades IMO. However I personally didn’t get on with the Neodymium pickups, even on the passive short scale. Alnico works better for me on a Ray. 

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I have an old American made 2EQ S.U.B. StingRay with a slab body and a StingRay Special, so I can't really compare with how the old 3EQ sounds, but I'll try to describe the difference between the 2EQ and the Special.

 

I think the biggest difference between the 2EQ and the Special is the amount of treble you can boost in the EQ. For good, or for worse, the old 2EQ has more top end and can thus sound much thinner, if you aren't boosting the bass.

 

The Special, to my ears, sounds more defined in the bottom end and isn't as aggressive as the old 2EQ, though it still sounds very StingRay-like. I think the new pre-amp voicing and the new pickups make the bass even more flexible than the old pre-amp. You can really tweak the sound a lot with the pre-amp and just the single pickup.

 

Generally, I think I prefer the sound of the Special, but at the same time I haven't bonded with the Special in the same way as my old 2EQ StingRay and I am not sure why. It might be the colour of the Special, or it might be because that the band I bought the Special for broke up shortly after I bought it. The ergonomics and weight of the Special are a an improvement compared to the old design. The Special I have haven’t got the slight deadspot that my old StingRay has around the sixth fret of the g-string either. Even though I prefer the Special I just play the 2EQ more and thus I am in the process of selling the Special. If I end up missing the Special, I might buy another one in black at some point as the Special is a great bass. It might be the simple (and expensive and stupid, haha) solution for me.

 

The two models look similar, but the ergonomics of the new Special models are improved, and the Special has a nice easy access to the higher frets and an extra fret too. My Special is light as it only weighs 3,6 kilo (or 7.9 pounds). Compared to my old, and somewhat light, StingRay which weighs 4,2 kilo (9.2 pounds), the Special just wins in comfortability. And I think the Special is the best bass that I have yet to play. It just plays really well.

Edited by nyre
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Interesting thread, which to me is just another example of the same old thing; despite what the manufacturers would have us believe, differences between all these different models are small

if not non-existent in real terms. This section summed it up.....

 

On 27/08/2024 at 09:19, nyre said:

I haven't bonded with the Special in the same way as my old 2EQ StingRay and I am not sure why. It might be the colour of the Special, or it might be because that the band I bought the Special for broke up shortly after I bought it. 

 

.... i.e., the two factors mentioned are really unnconnected with the quality, playability, and/or unique characteristics of the instrument. BTW I totally get it, the instruments we already have often just work better for us out of habit, sentiment, familiarity, whatever it is, but that doesn't stop the seeking that the manufacturers play on.....

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I recently got a Special and there is a lot to commend it, particularly when compared to StingRays that preceeded them that were heavy and seemed to lack some of the hand finishing/detailing. I had a 2010 black/rosewood 2EQ that was like that. They were to my mind,and recollection, getting more and more like that pre 2018 Special which probably necessitated the rethink/re-jig of the model. 

 

However my '96 blueburst Stingray 5 is to my mind nicer than my Special. Probably not built to the same tolerances but the neck has softer more radiused edges and this gives it a more appealing feel in the fretting hand. The birdseye neck looks better than the plain roasted maple as well.

 

And there's the fact that my 5 still retains a lot of what I used to ogle at and drool over in the late 80s/ early 90s when I would go to Denmark St and salivate at Rose Morris who always had some amazing looking Musicman basses. The Ernie Ball models then had some ridiculously figured necks and the see thru finishes were lush. Those were my favourite EBMM, the ones from that period.

 

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On 27/08/2024 at 16:18, ebenezer said:

Had a special, and lovely though it was, I preferred my 79 ray and 95 with 2 band pre....I also found the neck profile a bit clumpy if that's a word haha.

 

IIRC the Specials have a slightly different neck shape on the 4 strings and the nut width is now a touch wider than it used to be.

Very annoying for those of us who prefer a J type neck!

 

I think the 5 string neck on the Specials is the same as on the older ones though.

 

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