Stingray 'Special' version. Lightweight body (I think it's poplar.), lightweight roasted maple 22 fret neck, 'Jackpot' finish (black with tiny gold flakes), gold hardware and pole pieces. Neodymium magnets in the pickups with an 18v preamp. This thing is light! I don't know the actual weight but it's about the same weight as a Strat I have. And it sounds like thunder. I don't usually go for preamps - especially 18v ones - but this thing is super musical sounding and not overpowering.
The only things I changed were the knobs - because it was just that little bit too much gold - and with the help of our very own Biil W, I swapped to a Hipsot D-Tuner. That was tricky. EB won't sell those gold tuners to anyone without providing a serial number proving you have an EBMM instrument with gold parts. I got the 'secret link' from their customer service so I could purchase one and had it sent to Bill, where he modified it into a D-Tuner. (That's why the post and swivel plate are black. But it looks good and I can't live without it. I use it constantly on stage.)
So far I absolutely LOVE this thing. I've used it for recording and on stage and it's my new go to. BUT... - and this is where maybe one or two of you might be able to offer some help - the pots on this thing - which are attached directly to the preamp circuit board - are wired in 'lefty' orientation. In other words, to turn the volume up, I have to turn it counter clockwise. I know this is a contentious topic here and I don't want to get into a big debate. If you like this sort of thing, good for you. You should have what you want. But I've NEVER understood this reversing of the pots. If I reach for my stereo volume knob, or my amplifier volume, or the knobs on my stove - with my left OR my right hand - they all turn the regular way. One might even say this is an international standard. All of my other instruments are wired with - ahem... - 'righty' pots. Even the ones that didn't come that way have been rewired so there is a standard accross the board. However.... upon contacting the EBMM customer service folks, they say this cannot be undone. I'm stuck with it the way it is. I suppose this could be true, but it could also be what the CS flowchart tells them to say if asked this question. It's really causing problems for me on stage. To the point that even when I want to adjust the tone or volume on stage, and know what I want to do, I don't. I'm afraid of turning it the wrong way and making a worse tone. Then getting flustered and then making a mistake... you get it. I switch between this bass and an 8 string throughout a performance, and having the knobs turn in opposite directions is super confusing for my bass player bird brain. Ha...
So... do any of you have any experience with this or other EBMM preamps when it comes to this? Any help would be appreciated. I know this may seem like a first world problem, but it's driving me nuts.
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