ULTIMATE Stingray Mod Guide FINALE! - 8 Stingray SUBs go head to head! - LowEndLobster Fresh Look

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Hey everyone! Happy holidays and Merry Christmas! We're finally here, the finale of the ULTIMATE Stingray Mod Guide! Over the past week we've looked at a ton of great sounding modded Stingrays from many of the big names, and there were a lot of surprises a long the way! But alas, all good things must come to an end - and so we bring forth our EPIC conclusion! We'll put all 8 basses head to head one last time and I'll give you my final thoughts. Be sure to stay until the end, as there will be a surprise ;). I'll need YOUR help picking the best 'Ray of the bunch! Be sure to check out all the individual videos linked below for an in depth look at each of these 8 basses.
Aguilar: • Aguilar AG 4M & OBP 3 ...
Bartolini: • Bartolini MMC 4 & HR3....
EMG: • EMG MMHZ & BQC Preamp ...
Delano/DarkGlass (Mint-O-Ray): • Delano MC4 & Darkglass...
John East (Preamp): • John East MMSR in a Ra...
Nordstrand: • Nordstrand MM4.2 & 3B-...
Seymour Duncan: • Seymour Duncan SMB-4A ...
Tone Monster: • Tone Monster TM MM4 & ...
Finale: • ULTIMATE Stingray Mod ... (Xmas Eve/Xmas @ Midnight!)
Series/Parallel switch wiring (keep scrolling in the doc): www.delano.de/...
This bass and all my other basses with rounds are strung with MJC Ironworks Nickel Plated Stainless Steel 45-105(130) unless otherwise noted. Check them out at www.mjcironworks.com
Info on my signal chain, setup and more: • FAQ: My Signal Chain, ...
Discord: discord.gg/dzrFMzD
Facebook: LowEndLobster
Twitter: @LowEndLobster
Instagram: LowEndLobster
Reverb Shop: reverb.com/shop/lowendlobster

[@budizen3104]

I'm a retired electronics tech with many years experience modding basses and amps. I've also played bass for over 5- years. For over 20 years, my only bass was a '77 Stingray. When its 2-band died, I exchanged it through EB, for a 3-band which I never really did like. Recently, I exchanged the 3, which died, for a clone of the original 2-band. Which gave me the idea to build clones of the two-band preamp. The plans are easily found online. The first one I built, I put into my 2013 SUB 4, which I had already defretted. I had heard good things about the Nordstrand MM4.2 so I installed one of them. Added a set of EB Cobalt Flats, and it sounded just great. Of course, I agree with lobster, of all the three-band preamps John East by far was the best. But for two-band original Stingray sound, find or build one of the originals. That sound can't be beat, even though it is one of the strangest preamp circuits out there. I just picked up a SUB 5 and am building another two-band to install in it, and was hoping to find some guidance as to what pickup to install, so this was a great comparison. I would have liked to try the Guitar Fetish pickup but alas they have no plans to make a 5 string version. I guess I will be shopping for either an Aguilar or the Nordstrand. Thanks for the great review, LowEndLobster!

[@MrMeh57]

This is like a stingray player's dream

[@LowEndLobster]

:)

[@jonsidell3338]

This work will be appreciated for years to come. The gift that keeps on giving. Thanks lobsta! Will we be seeing the Bartolini pickup with the John East???

[@LowEndLobster]

Maybe ;)

[@ZachKTS]

​@@LowEndLobsterThis needs to happen!!! Please!!

[@thiagodeandradeneves4585]

Lobster, you're a Stingray angel. Ernie Ball should acknowledge you as THE Music Man. Thank you so much for this series. As a stingray player this channel is a dream come true. As for my favorite combo, I can't decide it. Gonna try throwing some cab sim in Amplitube and hearing with my best phones. Thank you so much and Merry Xmas!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Thiago! You know what? I should do a video on capturing audio using OBS, and then putting my raw audio feed through amp simulators and effects. I don't do the latter, but the former is a very easy and useful thing to know!

[@shyguy6185]

@@LowEndLobster Mr Lobster, What was the EMG Preamp you used? I'm interested into getting one for my Sterling SUB Bass, hope you read this, great video!

[@russellzauner]

LEL: FINAL RAY VIDEO Me: *chuckles in yeah right*

[@LowEndLobster]

Selling all my rays forever ;P

[@russellzauner]

@@LowEndLobster only most of the black ones lol I also found this pickup location test some guy did kzbin.info/www/bejne/q4XGY6maoLWAZtk

[@ttb124]

I still like the EMG combo but it’d be curious to hear the Bartolini pickup with the John East preamp. That might be the ticket!

[@LowEndLobster]

;) Perhaps we may see that soon

[@ttb124]

@@LowEndLobster I just pulled the trigger on a Transparent Blue Ray 4 for my Christmas present to myself. I miss my Stingray Special but $2k is too much for me right now. Definitely going to upgrade the electronics and your videos have been very helpful.

[@LowEndLobster]

@@ttb124 congrats :)

[@user-or2em2nj9x]

@@LowEndLobster hi, great video! I've ordered ray4 and i have an opportunity to obtain John East preamp and Bartolini or Seymour Duncan pickups here in Moscow. How do you rate ray4 with these upgrades against ray34 in terms of sound and also weight?

[@FagnerSerrano]

That's exactly what I was thinking!

[@jamessimpson1515]

I just got around to modding my Sterling Stingray and went with the following: John East MMSR 2-Band (just couldn’t find a 3-Band) Aguilar AG 4M PUP AlBridge Bridge Hipshot HB1 Tuners In short, I cannot believe I waited this long. Wow…just wow. The preamp was incredibly easy to add and required ZERO soldering. The bridge was a perfect fit. The tuners required me to fill and re-drill the mounting holes, and the PUP required me to (1) sand the edges of the pick guard to fit and (2) use more foam than the stock PUP had so I could set the height right (I just used the foam from the preamp packaging). Anyway, this was an incredibly easy project and if anyone wants to sink an absurd amount of money into a budget bass instead of just buying a new one, go for it.

[@LowEndLobster]

Awesome! Thank you for sharing!

[@jamessimpson1515]

@@LowEndLobster no, thank you for the inspiration and all the information you provided. This was a phenomenal series that I referred to several times.

[@1thess523]

I just got another blue Stained SUB and I'm going to swap the pick up first and keep the original preamp, then probably ad one of those bridges and then I'll need new tuners. I'm playing mine right now through my Gallien-Kruger 700RB and it sounds sweet so I don't think I need the preamp right away plus on the video of Lobster playing the Aguilar Pick up with the SUB preamp it sounds really good. Did you notice a big difference with the new bridge compared to the stock bridge?

[@nathanchalcraft6919]

You have done what no other youtuber has done; give a clear opinion! But seriously this was epic! Endgame be dammed!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you Nathan! :)

[@stainless641]

Wow that has to be the ultimate guide on pickup and pre-amp offerings for Stingrays. There were more options than I thought. Great video.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks KJC, glad you found this informative :)

[@andrewlookenbill3249]

This series is a bass tinkerer’s dream. The head to head is very educational and eliminates a lot of guessing. Thanks so much and have a great holiday! You most likely need the rest and relaxation after all the content that was put out during this week! I know what I am asking Santa for, that EMG pickup and preamp, okay like beg my wife for, same thing. Merry Christmas!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Andrew! Merry Christmas to you as well! Yes it was a lot but it was all worth it, very happy with how all the basses and videos came out. First time doing something so epic, I don't think it will be the last :)

[@PropS570]

Excellent series. I can’t really say I disliked any of them from a sound standpoint. The Nordstrand is my favorite.

[@SwainBjornstrandt]

Υep... Mine too.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Skank :)

[@czguy3045]

Listening to them all again back to back, I'd probably agree that the EMG set was my favorite and the Bartolini was pretty close though the Bartolini preamp sounds like a bit of trouble. The Aguilar and Nordstrand sounded pretty great and as you said, probably most classic Stingray. I really dig the Delano/Darkglass combo but it's not a very Stingray-ish sound. That John East had to be the best preamp though I think the slap setting on the Duncan could be pretty useful, even if you don't slap. Tonemonster sounds like the budget buster, esp if you combine their pickup with a different preamp or even if you just keep the stock preamp which is what I'm going to do. If the Duncan preamp wasn't such a nightmare, I'd probably order one of those to go with the Tonemonster pickup. Thanks for all the work this project entailed. For someone new to the budget Stingray stuff, it's been pretty overwhelming but very informative.

[@bassimprovjams3772]

Ya crazy how its passive thats my favorite as well

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks CZ! Great comment :)

[@dennispack350]

Great series!!! And “Salutations Crustaceans!”has got to go down as one of the best opening lines in all of KZbin history. Cracks me up every time! I really like the Bartolini. I think I agree with many that a Bartolini/John East preamp combo might be the super combo we are waiting for.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Dennis :) You may be seeing that combo soon!

[@matthewlunsford4351]

Just listened to this again, with my eyes closed this time. The EMG system jumped out at me. Thanks for doing this comparison and summing up. Looking forward to the new year and whatever appears on the channel. Thanks again.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Matthew! Happy new year :)

[@acrivcleo5781]

John East Preamp with Aguilar Pickup my choice. But all basses sound great because its all my fav. Thanks lobster for reviewing that bass🙏🙏🙏

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Acriv!

[@rcjd7834]

I really liked the Nordstrand combo. From the perspective of someone who would put some gain on it, it had a great high mid sparkle and plenty of treble to cut through a mix. Would love to hear something like Mammoth on it!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you Johnathan!

[@sethnicholls7861]

I have to agree, the EMG combo was my favorite, followed by the East setup. LOVED this series, you did a killer job Lobster 🙏

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you Seth :)

[@andrewrichardson8840]

John East certainly is the Caddy in functions and price. And ease of installation too. But I'm not really hearing a significant in-your-face difference between all of the combos. Maybe it's the KZbin compression or just my ears are not what they use to be but they all sound pretty good including the Tone Monster. Personally, I would not install an East in a

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Andrew!

[@SentientExistence]

Nordstrands voicing just had something extra that made me want to jam on that bass. Thanks much for such a comprehensive comparison!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you :) So glad you enjoyed it

[@bassnyc1]

Merry Xmas Lobster. Great series! I looked forward to each installment this past week. For me, the Aguilar one was the best with the John East a close second.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Bassnyc :) Merry Xmas to you too!

[@zacharydesjardins3701]

I loved the Norstrand and EMG. Emg was the biggest shocker tbh also give her breakfast. Lmao

[@LowEndLobster]

LOL Thank Zachary!

[@stanleytrobertson]

Thanks for such a great series everything from old smoothy and mintoray and everything in between . definitely one of the best bass channels on KZbin. My personal favorite was old smoothy tribute but the emg loaded bass was the biggest surprise to me. Merry Christmas to you and the family and keep up the great videos.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Stan!

[@johndelong9230]

Wow, your fingers must be sore! The best comparison of multiple combos I've seen. Your explanation was first rate, waiting to see and hear what your doing next....

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks John! :)

[@jamesmarkham7489]

Overall i was very surprised at how much i liked the emg equipped bass. I will defintely consider them for future proj's. I loved the series, it would be really interesting to see more of these type of comparisons

[@russellzauner]

EMG passive bass pickups are actually pretty well received and I like the sound of most demos I hear - I haven't had any myself so I can't give any details but I've wanted to put a Geezer set in an old double P - I wonder if they make the Geezer sets in 5 string...I've been meaning to evaluate or A/B a bunch of p bass pickups to replace whatever came in my fretless p bass (corroded, pretty low output, pots are kind of goopy and gritty feeling inside, etc) but I just realized in this moment that since it's not the original body, I am hacking up a vintage Boogie Bodies zebrawood artpiece but it's still a Boogie Bodies body. Maybe I can drive over to Warmoth in Puyallup and have their shop route me a second p bass pickup into it. I could have a double p fretless lol... In zebrawood no less. That literally sounds dangerous as fuck ha ha ha I would split basalt with it

[@russellzauner]

can you imagine a 78 fretless p bass with zebrawood body and twin geezer p bass pickups jacked into this pair of Bassman 1200S I got here? I can't. My house wiring won't support it and I don't have any speaker cabs that can even come close to surviving it. May as well be staring at a Firebird 700 for all the good it does me in making my neighbs grab the good dishes amirite

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks James!

[@pogoism1]

Thank you for this series. Cant't even imageine how many people worldwide are gonna benefit from this. You really live up to your name L.E.Lobster Here are my 2 Cents: My fav Combo is the one with the EMG pickup which to me sounded stingrayish but with a sliedly more mordern touch . The preamp seems to work nicely and has all the features I would need. I also like the Nordstrand and Agular combos for their truthfull sounds. My fav pickup has to be the Bartolini. I would love to have it combined with the Darkglass Preamp. I really like the low-mid and high-mid concept which seems so much more logically in terms of sound alteration. Like before: I also liked the more classic sounds of the Nordstrand and the Agular.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks pogoism! :)

[@franktreppiedi2208]

This was an eye-opening and informative experience, and I appreciate all the work you put in this series. I once put a Bart in a Sub 5, and it sounded like shite. To be fair, it sounded bad w the stock pups, too. I just bought a CA model, but I can't see spending all that money for the East pre on a $400 instrument.

[@LowEndLobster]

Glad you enjoyed it! We did another one of these in MODcember 2022 with some strange Stingray pickups. Check it out! - kzbin.info/aero/PLARWKD6E0nmyK5lEoPSFL8FF3m3MpH5mS

[@adriancruse3413]

That was a brilliant series, very entertaining over Christmas. It must have been a lot of work, editing etc. As we say in the uk “Ta very much”

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Adrian :)

[@nautilus6663]

was searching for music man basses and came along your channel! awesome series! to me its the one with the Aguilar Pickup!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you and welcome :)

[@guy5359]

How come that I missed that video? It's never to late to appreciate though. Thank you for the great work you did with all those modification it surely took you a lot of time and patience, keep up the good work LowEndLobster!!!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Guy!

[@nalukeko]

The old SUB pickup makes a killer FRIDGE MAGNET!!!

[@LowEndLobster]

HOLY CRAP! DUDE, I have SOOO MANY OF THESE PICKUPS. You're BRILLIANT... I love you.

[@nalukeko]

@@LowEndLobster I've got an Ampeg SCR-DI coming (also purchased via Reverb link ;) , would the Nordstrand preamp be considered a 'high-output' preamp where I should use the -15dB input switch inside the Ampeg pedal?

[@PabloAGarcia73]

Just a thought, consider adding chapters to this video for easier jumping around between the different mods. It would make it easier to do side by side comparisons.

[@Blazerota]

Excelent comparison! I really appreciate all the work you did to prepare this series!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you! This was a lot of fun to make. I have a similar series coming in a few weeks focusing on deluxe jazz bass preamps, stay tuned!

[@mcdeepend]

Unsurprisingly, the Aguilar wins for me as most musical and excellent frequency/tonal balance, with the Nordy being a close second, just a little too bright for my tastes (just depends on what you're going for). I'm also a longtime Aggie devotee so.... will be getting a Ray4 and dropping in the AG 4M... I got plenty of preamp tone-shaping options on my board. Thanks for the informative video!

[@christianaaronportillo588]

I like the john east preamp, it sounds more like a traditional stingray, merry christmas lobster, greetings from mexico

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you! Merry Christmas :)

[@danbarto282]

I picked up this SUB- RAY4HH in candy apple yesterday. A little noisier than my USA Ray, but we figured out there was a loose wire it seemed and the toggle needed sprayed. Anyway, I put DR high beams on it, let it sit overnight and it sounded fine. Plug pedals in and play were just; Diamond comp, Darkglass B3k and MXR bass-preamp, in that order, into a RB115 Amp.(vol at 9) mids, bass, treble at 11 oclock. Compressor, B3k and Pre-amp knobs at 12 O'clock and tweak. Toggle on bass 3 clicks down and you can figure out the rest. You will not believe the grit and sizzle you can get out of this budget bass. I play with a pick... Polish crust, Punk, nothing like Lobster. This bass suits punk well. I have a Jazz bass for what he is doing. I am no Billy Sheehan, or Geddy Lee, probably because It bores me....think Discharge, Exploited, street punk. LOUD! I dunno, I guess, if you have money to burn, you can upgrade tuners and bridge, me, I will wait til they break, but fwiw, i see no mods necessary---this may be the best budget bass, but I know nothing. My USA '98 Ray cuts thru the mix a little better, without distorting, but it was $2k+. Do you want a decent, gnarly, sizzling SUB or do you want to mod it into a fartbox? You gotta ask yourself. I would say before you go dropping $400+ on the guts, just try tweaking some knobs for a few days, try different strings and grab a decent overdrive pedal & compressor & pre. Guys will disagree, but I do not believe aftermarket, 'upgraded' pups or a 2 or 3 band actually make a huge, huge world of difference(maybe a little if you don't have pedals) or if you want to change the sound. I tend NOT to overthink or nerd out, but I guess guys gotta make money somehow, selling aftermarket parts to people. I could go on....but just try it. Get a pedal each payday, go slow.😮 Edit. I returned this Sub, only because I bought a new Ray34HH with the wider neck, but both sound amazing. It is all about dialing it in.

[@BennieTheBassistXD]

Love the Delano. Very impressed with the Tonemonster

[@DotteeG]

JUST unboxed my Black Ray4! Glad I stumbled upon this channel, I was on the fence on getting one to mod it and Mint-o-Ray convinced me! Thanks a lot! Only need to settle on a pickup now (most likely ceramic Delano if I can find one in Canada) and a John East pre. Cheers!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Francis! Glad you found this helpful! Best of luck with your mods :). Feel free to hop on the discord to share your bass and talk mods!

[@trevorblair5552]

Hi Lobster, great video . The John East preamp with either the Nordy or Aguilar definitely gives you that 70’s stingray sound! The Ray 34 wins! 👍🏾🙏🏿

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Trevor!

[@chriswenkle2635]

Wow - I'm REALLY behind my times here. I have an SUB coming tomorrow that I will be modifying. I was surprised with the EMG combo, as it sounded really nice. Anyway, the SUB that is coming will get a Bartolini pickup, and a Noll 2-band preamp with passive tone. The Noll preamp module is actually smaller than the Aguilar and has a very transparent tone. Plus the single 9v battery life for their 2-band is - according to the Noll website - 1200 hours. That's just nuts. Cheers Lobster - as usual a nicely done and informative video!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Chris! Congrats on your new bass and good luck on the mods!

[@paulbrend8354]

Lobster you are the man! Thank you I have been going nuts trying to figure out how to get around spending the huge dollars on a US Stingray. I owe you and the cats a beer!

[@unamericano]

I’ve got a Schecter from years ago with an emg dual humbucker set and it’s been phenomenal for 14 years. Highly recommended tech.

[@LowEndLobster]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing :)

[@valdikolli]

Totally agree, EMG was a surprise, I’ve always boxed EMG’s as a 90’s metal pickup maker 🤪

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Valdi! It's funny how certain manufacturers can get pigeonholed into a specific image/genre and that kind of takes over their identity. Schecter, ESP LTD, EMG are all examples of this. They make tons of excellent non-metal products but the brand image is all about metal.

[@aaronb8442]

Hi again Lobster, These videos are so great, was the purpose of these to use a budget bass base + mods to get a “premium” sound for a cheaper price, i think these videos are great inspiration in the current pricing climate.

[@totomoyap8648]

Oh man,I believe this is the most awsome stingray mod video in the history.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Totomo! :)

[@ShredAimlessly92]

The Bartolini preamp really colored the tone in a way I liked, but I can see how you could dislike it if you want the centered tone to more closely represent the pickup in question. Also, I can imagine the bartolini pickup and John east preamp combination would be a fun epilogue to the series.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you! We will be seeing that combo soon ;)

[@ShredAimlessly92]

@@LowEndLobster Ahhhhhh yeeeaaaaahhhhhh

[@michaelkeefer4293]

I found this series very informative! Thank you Mr. Lobster! I have to say that my favorites were the Nordstrand and Aguilar combos, which is no surprise to me as I have always been a big fan of the classic Stingray tone. Although, I really did like the sound of the EMG and Bartolini a lot, it would just be weird to me to have a Stingray that doesn't really sound like a Stingray. Maybe my mind would change after hearing them in person apposed to processed through your interface and KZbin. And I certainly wouldn't turn them down if I were to win one and would absolutely put it to good use. 👍

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Michael :)

[@swaewithme]

My buddy just gave me a Sub4 and this series inspired me to upgrade it. Going for a Mint-o-ray vibe. I loved the EMG sound. Starting with just the BTC pre-amp and I’ll add the BQC if I feel I want more control over my mids. Like always, great video/content!

[@LowEndLobster]

Awesome! Congrats on your new bass! The BTC would be a killer upgrade and you'd have room for the tone control as well so you could go Vol-Tone-Bass/Treb stack.

[@swaewithme]

@@LowEndLobster that’s the setup in mind. Where could I find wiring diagrams for that? I was wondering if you know if I could do a passive/active switch also?

[@LowEndLobster]

Join our discord server for help with that stuff :)

[@brent3994]

This series was a great idea. Very cool. My favorite was the Nordstrand combo.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Brent!

[@datle1402]

I think you should change the video tittle to something like "stingray pickups comparision" so that many people who are in need can find this wonderful work

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Datle! I'll add that to the keywords!

[@sebastianlienlaf367]

I really appreciate the time and effort you put into these videos, keep up the good work uncle lobster!!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Sebastian :)

[@mattrodela2030]

Really great presentation, thank you for sharing. IMHO Bartolini MMC pickup is King w/Mojotone MusicMan Clone 2 band preamp. Good on you for loving animals ;-)

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Matt! :)

[@stevendandrea9528]

Hey Lobster, my favorite of the bunch was the Nordstrand. I love that you can get a real classic Stingray sound at that price and the way the voicing leans into the mids

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Steven!

[@starliteaquatics7308]

Love the Yellow with black pick guard haha sounded great I've been a subscriber for a long time brother 😄🤘🏻

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you Starlite! I appreciate it :)

[@bizibetiko9778]

Merry Christmas Lobster, and all of the Crustacean Family! Finally! On second listen, I really like the EMG a lot, but I still like that Nordy a lot too. And the John East. And the Darkglass/Delano combo. And... I guess I need to buy a shitload of Stingrays now.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you Bizi! You as well :).

[@kirtfulcher6288]

So I think if I do preamps in the future, I'd want to get ones with a dynamic (knob) mid-sweep rather than just a 3 band or 4 band (low/hi mid). At same time, you presented some arguments against doing this at all: 1) fitting the preamp may be a headache 2) Additional points of failure (electronics voodoo, battery outage) 3) Finally you can only use it on one bass at a time So I'm thinking I might be better off with good pickups and passive controls and then use a really really good EQ pedal (I travel so I use this in the hotel to kill time) so that I have that tonal flexibility for any bass and none of the installation headaches. I currently use a TC Eectronic SpectraDrive which gives me almost everything I want in a portable EQ ped (Headphone jack, aux in, DI out, Comp, OD), but yeah if I could have a sweepable mid on the pedal too, I'd be set.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Kirt! Great comment! I agree about the mid sweep, definitely adds a lot of value and another dimension of flexibility.

[@frederickdoyon]

Exactly like you, best combo EMG, best pick up Bartolini. I feel in the last few year it was trendy to hate EMG but from my experience they are really great pickups though I understand they're not everyone's cup of tea.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Frederick! I agree! Interestingly enough, the EMG thunderbird pickups in the Schecter corsair turned me onto the passive EMGs. I think the hz gets a bad wrap because of the OLD hz pickups that used to suckkk. The current line of EMG passives is super nice however!

[@frederickdoyon]

@@LowEndLobster that's good to know! Didn't like them too before but heard good things now. I will have the chance to have someone build a bass for me next year or so and I'm considering EMG because of the series.

[@Belman5]

Aguilar for me thanks. Sounded terrific.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Belman!

[@rasmillion]

Hey man, I was at the music store yesterday and a guy was playing a squire affinity P and it sounded amazing. These all have very slight tone differences but they all sound “good” because of the fingers playing them, so it’s really just that the set you played was slightly more on point on this one or that one. I liked the bartos in this video! Of course the emg sounded amazing as well, nordstrands are so good, but they all are. Great job letting us know the pros and cons for all the choices !

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Ras! Happy new year :)

[@wasapinepig]

Nice work man, really enjoyed the series. Great info for folks looking to swap the goods in their bass even if they don't have a SUB4.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you! So glad you enjoyed it :)

[@jpdabass]

This is more than a review/comparison, this is definitely a great show, very entertaining and you seem to be a very nice dude. Congratulations, wish you much success with this really good YT channel. BTW, EMG wins for me as well 😁

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks José! :)

[@craigzinga]

Your companion - “Thank God” - my wife would say the same 😂

[@basshoh]

All in all ..i LOVE the EMG Ray for SURE!!!...i am with you love the Bart p/u and think it would be a MONSTER paired with the JE preamp!!!...

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks dude! We may be seeing the bart paired with the JE ;)

[@bevinmodrak4997]

So interesting. To me and my damaged hearing and KZbin compression, the Aguilar is the brightest and the John East the darkest. Everything else was pretty much the same to me. Now that's with everything flat. I think for my money, I'd do the ToneMonster pickup with the stock pre-amp to start. Then see where things take me. I have to say for my favorite sounds, the Seymor Duncan was my favorite just based on sounds achieved. But great series of vids!!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Bevin!

[@tlneil5726]

The John east was my fave. I would love to hear it with the Delano pickup though

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Tl :)

[@jeremygalvin7726]

Thanks so much for this! I learned a lot about this category of pick-up and it was quite fun to watch the different possibilities!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Jeremy! So glad you enjoyed it :)

[@marklongshore4860]

I bought a $250 Indonesian Stingray SUB for practice, but the electronics were subpar and strings were horrible. After your comparison I ended up with the Aguilar AG 4M pickup and OBP-3SK/PP preamp, soldering myself using the schematic on the Aguilar website as well as emails back and forth with their helpful staff, and a set of Ernie Ball Super Slinky strings. I own a Ball Family Reserve StingRay as my main bass, but I must say, after the mods the tone on the SUB is killer and the neck on the SUB is every bit as good as my Ball Family Reserve San Luis Obispo bass. I plan to gig with the SUB sometimes, especially in "questionable" venues, LOL. Thanks for all you do.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you Mark! So great to hear your experience. I agree, out of the box the SUB leaves something to be desired, but with a little elbow grease and know-how, these basses turn into absolute beasts for a faction of the USA Stingray sticker price.

[@marklongshore4860]

@@LowEndLobster I agree a beast, as well as less wear and tear on my Ball Reserve Stingray. When playing basses, the SUB actually played better than Mexican Fender Jazz basses in the same Guitar Center bass room. Thanks again. I forwarded this video to a friend who is an Ernie Ball artist and does BETA testing.

[@ChipsA17]

I will just take one of each lol. They all sound great. Well done lobster

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Ross :)

[@zacharydesjardins3701]

I did love the darkglass preamp the most and probably would use that a lot tbh

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks! Me too, definitely will be using it in other projects in the future!

Didn't know what to expect from an EMG in a Stingray, but it was the big suprise here. So the EMG with the John East is the winner here. However, the super Stingray would apparently be the Bartolini (or maybe the Delano) with the John East Preamp. Very cool series.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Georg! We will be seeing the Bart/JE combo soon ;)

[@Carrion700]

This series was awesome lobster! Watched all these videos a few times. I'll be picking up preamp soon to upgrade my bass.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Roger!

[@peekaboo4390]

To hell with bass guitars .. where did you get the T-shirt? Great series and right up my alley... for me the Turner pups please.

[@Bugatti024]

And here I finally arrive, thank you for the help from the other video as well! You really went all out with these, incredible playing and thanks for the detailed info!

[@Mr.Goldbar]

Aguilar sounded the best for the classic Stingray tone. Delano/Darkglass and Bartolini sounded the best for a more unique tone, really close to a Dingwall honestly.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you Goldbar! Indeed the Aguilar definitely nails the classic 'Ray tone, a great upgrade for a SUB

[@adawg4522]

So if I use the John East pre amp which pick up would you use? I have the same butterscotch 24 ca. BTW I really admire your playing.

[@Mr.Goldbar]

@@adawg4522 depends what you're looking for. If you want the classic Stingray tone get the Aguilar

[@vabassin]

Aguilar and EMG pickups, John East preamp are my favorites. Little bias on my choices because I've been able to hear these in person 😁. Would love to hear the Darkglass preamp mated with these pickups. Great series Lobster!!!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks vabassin :)

[@ryanrogers8923]

Ya like the other guy was saying, the bart installed with the John Eastman. You got to do that one some day. As for me, im still in the EMG camp!

[@LowEndLobster]

I think this may happen ;)

[@kirillukin2222]

What a great series, i wish i watch it before i started modding mine! Youre doing amazing work my friend

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you Kiril!

[@christophjaedtke7357]

Hello Lobster. That was quite a nice series of videos to watch! :) Usually I'm watching KZbin on my TV, so that's why I never wrote a comment before, haha 😆 Personally I did like the Bartolini preamp. I do understand that it's not your favorite choice - considering the price for the amount of features - but the sound itself combined with the pickup... wow! However, I'd go for the Aguilar setup as it was much closer to what I would expect a StingRay to sound like. Overall I really like the pickups from Aguilar. By the way... Have you thought about doing a video with AG 4J-HCs in that Cort GB64JJ? I bet it sounds amazing, especially with that 70s pickup spacing of the Cort.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Christoph! Great comment :). The Cort has been sold but I definitely plan on doing more series like this in the future but focusing on mods for other types of basses (J, P, others?)

[@christophjaedtke7357]

@@LowEndLobster There is quite an interesting bass by Fender Japan. It's the Jino signature model, a Jazz Bass which - I believe - is exclusive to the Japanese market. It comes with a MM-style pickup in between the Jazz Bass pickups. Maybe something like that? Mod-wise it would be interesting to see a P/MM configuration with both pickups in the correct positions. It would be possible on one of those SUBs - and you would have the comfort of a neck with a 38mm nut-width. I don't know how comfortable you are with woodworks, but whatever the result might be, it's going to be covered by the pickguard 😅 What I also like is to have an independent passive tone control. I have a Glockenklang preamp in my Jazz Bass, but it doesn't have the original volume poti any longer. Instead it has got a stacked knob with a passive tone controll at the bottom. That poti also has a push-pull-function to switch between active and passive mode. I prefer that to the option to use the treble controll as a tone blend in passive mode, since I usually boost the treble on an active bass, but roll back the tone controll on a passive one. Well, let me come to a point before this comment gets even longer 😂 With a poti like that, you would basically get two independently working electronics in one bass. Isn't that cool? 😁

[@PushSueAside]

They were all amazing!!! Merry Christmas to you and your co host. It’s been a great year. I send all the happiness I can spare. Cheers lobster have a fecken great night!!!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you Tommy! You as well :).

[@kevinarcher2634]

Really like the lows and mids in the Nordstrand. Thank you for the education, learning alot from your side by side comparisons, look forward to the next!

[@ChargedCovers]

Thanks a lot for this! Was looking to buying a new bass to go in the studio soon but I guess I will just go for one of these upgrades on my SUB, good stuff

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks ChargedCovers! Glad you found this helpful!

[@harrybardos1283]

The yellow one! It had a vintage tone to my ear, that pre amp is awesome and so is the colour! Love your channel, new subscriber! 🤘🤘🤘

[@peterquinlan9411]

I think the $120 Aguilar pick up only in the sub sounded the best overall. Just a pickup change only, straight 2 band original pre amp with the ag4m pick up - bargain !!!!!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Peter! The Aguilar with the stock preamp definitely illustrates the potential of these instruments! It took me a while to figure out the actual weak point of the sub, but once we found out it was the pickup - smooth sailing! Fun little basses to upgrade

[@peterquinlan9411]

Shame you didn't do this few years ago, I sold my sub for £200. The pickup was too hot, the bridge is sub standard too. I rubbed off the Sub logo and put a Stingray logo on it too. I might get a ray 24 with a rosewood neck and put the Aguilar pick up in it.

[@KwonCW84]

Thank you for great comparison videos. This project will be a good reference for bass players who want to modify Stingray basses.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you :)

[@bassclefconnoisseur]

Bart with John East sound? Hmmmm.....🎅 Merry Christmas to you and Ms. Lobster! EMG overall winner IMO I thoroughly enjoyed this video series and appreciate your time and effort. Never had a Stingray but have been dying to get one! !!EDIT!! WHERE IS THIS POLL YOU SPEAK OF LOBSTER?! IS THERE A LINK I'M MISSING?! HELP, LOBSTER!

[@LowEndLobster]

Hey Bass Clef! It's in the channel's community tab, I linked it in the description.

[@1redgate8]

I actually like the stock... But also the Ag and SD

[@maxproud]

Like the P bass, and the J Bass! There'll nothing like the sound of the Stingray bass! One of a kind! I love your vids 😍 on this subject!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you Earl! :) Speaking of P and J, might try and do the same thing with those basses in the future :)

[@robertyoung7027]

Delano/dark glass & EMG are my picks.. sounded great. 1st EMG 2nd Delano

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Robert!

[@ravelitschimo]

And merry Christmas!!! I like your channel and don’t know why it’s so small.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Emma! I just started back in March, very stoked at how much it's grown in such a short period of time. It's really picking up now too, it's incredible!

[@stushwartz]

Hi Lobster. Managed to pick up a USA sub in Black :) already has a John East pre-amp in. Will look at pickup , and maybe STATUS GRAPHITE neck at a later date :) , you have inspired me. Just trying to decide Aguilar AG4M or DCB4M . Cant find anyone who has done an A/B comparison . Foudn differnet vids but you are one of the best as you play the same thing so we can decide and hear for ourselves. A lot of them play different licks and not easy to decide . Stay Safe. Stu

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Stuart! Awesome, congrats on your new bass! I just got a DCB in and I think I'll be shooting some pickup tests using our new tester bass very soon. Expect to see those vids late April/early May :)

[@stushwartz]

@@LowEndLobster Appreciate the heads up. Always a good watch

[@sidbates3423]

Aguilar definitely Lobster !!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Sid :)

[@andrescolin02]

The Aguilar sounds really really good

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Andrés! I agree :)

[@mikejoseph23]

Can you do a video of how I can learn the licks you do for your demos?!? I love to play to my Spotify tunes and sound okay with them, but I can never just pick up a bass and go off like that! You seem to have a couple go-to's for your consistencies of demonstrations and I'd love to learn a couple of them!!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you Michael! I'm glad you enjoy my playing. Honestly, I just make up licks where I try to cover multiple areas of all four strings. After a while of doing this, I just developed some go-to licks that were fun to play and also showed off different types of playing (staccato, long notes, hammer on/off) and different registers of the neck. I've been playing for about 20 years too so I've just gotten really comfortable with getting the notes from inside my head onto the instrument.

[@campfiresedge9395]

Great series! Favorite was the Bartolini. I have been in the market for a Stingray for a while and these videos have been so informative. I can’t express how cool this has been. Thanks Lobster! Where is the poll posted so I can vote?

[@LowEndLobster]

It's in the community tab on my channel page. Gonna try and link it in the vid description

[@guidocallegari2628]

John East definitely my choice... It add perfect growl to the sound!!!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Guido :)

[@jannetoropainen9865]

Seriosly man. You got a really nice rig full of music Man. More of these please!!

[@marcusparnell2403]

Your videos are the best. Information always spot on too. Great work Sir.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Marcus :) I appreciate it!

[@bassimprovjams3772]

I would take anyone, but the EMG WAS MY FAVORITE!!! AGAIN MERRY CHRISTMAS LOBSTER

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Jeremy! You too :)

[@Hitch1612]

Got the Nordy with the John East in mine. Perfect 👌🏻

[@LowEndLobster]

Nice! Killer combo :)

[@mikeplefka9688]

Thanks alot for this series. Very informative. I already voted, but I loved the Nordstrand combo.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Mike :)

[@pvfury2730]

Great series, and everybody loves a giveaway! You're father Christmas this year!

[@LowEndLobster]

:D Thanks PV