Can I get a Stingray Sound 5 with a Sterling S.U.B?

[JoaoSalles]

Hi everyone, First of all I apologize for my English, I'm using Google Translator, I'm Brazilian!
I bought a Sterling S.U.B 5 string, but I didn't like the sound when I compared it to a Stingray 5!
I know there are several differences, I was wondering if you guys have any EBMM 3-band DIY circuit design...
And would a Seymour Duncan pickup help to have a growl and tone similar to the Stingray 5?

 

[Lesfunk]

Yes any popular company that produces stingray pickups, ( EMG, Seymour Duncan, Nordstrand, Aguilar, etc etc...) will be a very big improvement.

 

[JoaoSalles]

Yes any popular company that produces stingray pickups, ( EMG, Seymour Duncan, Nordstrand, Aguilar, etc etc...) will be a very big improvement.

But if I make a DIY PreAmp from the ones posted here on the forum, do I already have a Big Upgrade?
I heard that using pickups in parallel would help something, but I found that the Sterling S.U.B pickup only has 2 wires!

 

[hvymetallurgist]

Take a look on YouTube for @LowEndLobster’s fantastic series on pickup and preamp mods for SUB basses…I’d argue there are a few options tested in that series that will get you a heck of a lot closer to what you want than the stock SUB electronics. I suspect you may get what you want by just swapping the pickup (vs both the pickup and preamp) but take a look and give it a shot!

For what it’s worth I changed my SUB Ray4 over to an EMG MMHZ pickup and am delighted with the result. Maybe not a classic Ray tone but much better across the full range of preamp settings than the stock.

 

[hvymetallurgist]

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLARWKD6E0nmzzlO2mFRuHvzKy4DKrEKK9

That should be the link to the full playlist of good stuff - have fun!

 

[JoaoSalles]

Thank you so much, I am fascinated that you are quick to respond and thoughtful, even though my English is horrible!

 

[Dr. Cheese]

A SUB is designed to sound like an SR5 and it does. The bigger question is what sort of Stingray tone do you like the most?

 

[hvymetallurgist]

Way better than my Portuguese hope one sounds like what you’re looking for and a 5str option is available.

Thank you so much, I am fascinated that you are quick to respond and thoughtful, even though my English is horrible!

 

[JoaoSalles]

This is the Sound I Wish to have in the S.U.B

 

[JoaoSalles]

This Audio I sent is the Real Sound of Meu S.U.B
It looks like a growling duck hahaha!
I just played it anyway, don't pay attention to the beat or the notes played incorrectly.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

This Audio I sent is the Real Sound of Meu S.U.B
It looks like a growling duck hahaha!
I just played it anyway, don't pay attention to the beat or the notes played incorrectly.

You sound pretty good to me.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

This is the Sound I Wish to have in the S.U.B

The guy’s tone is at least as much his technique and amp as it is his bass.

 

[JoaoSalles]

The guy’s tone is at least as much his technique and amp as it is his bass.

He told me that he turned on the built-in bass in the audio interface, which only used a Logic Pro X compressor plug-in.
Would it be possible to improve my sound with a new PreAmp (Circuit)?

 

[Dr. Cheese]

He told me that he turned on the built-in bass in the audio interface, which only used a Logic Pro X compressor plug-in.
Would it be possible to improve my sound with a new PreAmp (Circuit)?

Yes.

 

[RandalPinkFloyd]

The Sub basses could definitely use a pickup and/or preamp upgrade. FYI, I went with the Seymour Duncan SMB-5 Alnico pickup, and it is not a direct fit, you can't just drop it in. I just tried installing one in my SUB Ray5 yesterday and now I've got to take it to a luthier as I botched the install (it's too low). There's a thread on this site discussing the various pickups and preamps that can be installed on these SUB's. Look for lowendlobster's videos here or on youtube as he did a comparison of the various types.

 

[bigtone23]

Yes, a preamp and pickup upgrade makes SUBs sound much more like their MM counterparts.
The most important pickup feature is parallel wiring.
I prefer the classic 2EQ circuit, but East makes a 3EQ that sounds just like the 2EQ with added midrange control.

 

[Mr Ralph]

If you go into the pickups and electronics forum. There is a huge thread on the MM sound right at the top.
In my SUB I added the Mojotone MM clone 2 band preamp and a MM Tone Monster pickup. Huge improvement.
I also suggest the excellent videos by Lowend Lobster.

 

[JoaoSalles]

I'm going to run a test, I'm going to remove the preamp so that the bass is "passive", then I'm going to use some preamp plug-in in the DAW (computer), just to see if I can get any improvement!
In case I notice that using a preamp simulation, sounding better than the S.U.B factory preamp, we already know that the problem can be "solved" partially by replacing the factory preamp with one from other brands!

 

[JoaoSalles]

Another "problem" is that the SUB pickup has only two wires...
Apparently it is a little impossible to know if it is a Pickup That Is in Series or Parallel, Probably this is defined in the construction of the Coils!

 

[bigtone23]

Another "problem" is that the SUB pickup has only two wires...
Apparently it is a little impossible to know if it is a Pickup That Is in Series or Parallel, Probably this is defined in the construction of the Coils!

If the cover can be removed, you might be able see the coil wires and determine series or parallel. Also, a multimeter might uncover the mystery. If the pickup reads closer to 4K, it might be parallel, if it reads closer to 10K, it might be series. Musicman doesn't use really hot wound pickups since the preamp boosts the gain up.