A question about 5-string Stingray neck profiles

[tauzero]

If I should ever manage to reduce the number of basses in the house a bit, I'd be thinking about getting a 5-string Stingray variant to compensate. So, having played @dub_junkie's Stingray 5 and found it to have exactly the sort of neck that I really like, I'm curious as to which of the almost infinite number of Sterlings, Subs, Rays, EBMMs, SBMMs, etc would have the same neck profile. Has anyone played a few of the variants, preferably back to back, and could tell me if all the profiles are the same and if not, which are the same as the StingRay 5?

[miles'tone]

I believe the USA SUBs, EBMM, and SterlingBMM Ray35s (now SBMM Stingray5) have the same profiles.

The lower range import sub ray 5s have a narrower neck and really tight string spacing. No idea regarding the USA Sterling5 sorry.

I'm sure someone else here will know.

[fretmeister]

USA Sterling 5 used to have the same neck as the USA Stingray 5. I don't know if that is still the case.

[Kev]

48 minutes ago, fretmeister said:

USA Sterling 5 used to have the same neck as the USA Stingray 5. I don't know if that is still the case.

That's odd, I always thought the Sterling had a slimmer/narrower neck, or is that just the 4's?

[andruca]

The Stingray5 was originally a Sterling really. AFAIK it was born with the same sharp C neck profile (and narrow nut), and also had a ceramic 3 coil pickup (except for the first couple years, when it was still switchable, but alnico, I have only read this, have never seen one of those). EBMM made up their mind for coherence around 2008 and changed the pickup in Stingray5s to alnico (as 4 string Rays, 2 coil), while retaining the coil tap switch, and started offering the Sterling5 (ceramic 3 coil as the 4 string Sterling always was). That was also the time they started offering HHs and HSs of everything. The Stingray5 retained the thin neck profile tho'.

 

Still, there's Stingray5s with a thicker, more Stingray neck profile, and those are the Classic Stingray5 editions. They are easily recognizable because they have the traditional (not weirded out) pickguard, same as the 4 string, and don't have a coil tap switch (AFAIK it's only offered as a single H configuration, hardwired in parallel, same as the 4 string). Also this (thicker profiled) neck in the Classic has a glossy finish, while other Stingray5s are "unfinished".

Edited September 28 by andruca

[drTStingray]

In my experience, all of the Musicman 5 string necks are similar in terms of neck radius, fingerboard radius, and string spacing. That includes SR5, 5 string USA Sub and Bongo. NB they are all hand finished so there may be some minor variation in the feel. As far as I’m aware the 5 string Classic is also similar.

 

The Bongo, USA Sub and Classic 5 all have finished necks (paint for Bongo and USA Sub, lacquer for the Classic 5) whereas apart from some of the limited edition models, the SR5 from the early 90s onwards, the US Sterling 5 and the Stingray Special necks all have oil and wax finishes. The late 80s/early 90s SR5s have lacquered necks. 
 

So really the only major difference amongst any of them is the neck finish. 

Edited September 30 by drTStingray

[fretmeister]

On 26/09/2024 at 15:08, Kev said:

That's odd, I always thought the Sterling had a slimmer/narrower neck, or is that just the 4's?

 

Just the 4s.

[mikeswals]

US Sterling 5 is the same neck width as the SR5. But the headstock size is scaled down.

The rear shape really boils down to which worker was final shaping them that day; some feel a little a tad clubbier, some slimmer.

My 93 is fantastic, great slim C and rolled edges. Much different than any of the 2001-2012 5 strings I've had as well.