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Are Sterling Stingrays worth buying??
- Thread starter Danny E
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- musicman sterling 4 stingray
I have been summoned! The sterlings are great instruments all around, very solid build quality with the lower end models usually lacking in the electronics department (poopy preamp mainly). The SUB4/5 and Ray24/25 have thinner necks than the Ray34/35 and EBMM Stingray and are much more in line with a modern J bass. Honestly, they're really well built instruments and a really great bargain for the price. The HH series is also really solid, though the SUB ones suffer from the same minor follies as the single pickup versions (cheap electronics). The build quality and neck construction are top notch however.
I think the SUBs are great platforms for mods. As Hevy mentioned, I have my Mint-o-ray project which is my $220 (got on sale) SUB4 in Mint Green. Purchased a Delano dual coil MM pickup ($130) and a Darkglass Tone Capsule preamp (150), painted my control plate (and doing some other surprise aesthetic mods). At ~$500 (plus another $40 on some aesthetic stuff) after the current mod set (including the price of the bass), I'm really happy with how it turned out. I'm going to have an updated video coming really soon of the Mint-o-ray with the upgrades complete and it'll show you what this little bass can do with some improved guts!
They're awesome for the money. Get a Seymour Duncan pickup in there and you've got an amazing sounding instrument
That is proof that more expensive basses are not always better than cheaper ones, like many people believe.
Daniel
I really like my SubRay 5. I dropped in a aftermarket pickup and a two band control set from monotone. Sounds great. The base subway is a well built quality bass. The necks are great and very stable. I bought mine used and had change left over to do the mods. I am very pleased.
skyline_01
Endorsing artist: Nordstrand Audio, Tsunami Cables
Sterling Rays are legit. I played one of the newer roasted-neck versions at GC a few months back and I was floored at how good it sounded and how well constructed it was. Not a rough fret edge or buzz to be had. It was perfectly set up with low action too, which everyone knows is a rarity at GC. 
I also previously owned one of the long-discontinued and short-lived Sterling SB14 basses. Same deal -- great construction and tone, lots of versatility with the 3-band EQ and S/P/SC switch. I loved that bass but I found a 5'er that I wanted even more so it had to go. The SBMM instruments are a great value and I don't think you could go wrong with any of them.
I also previously owned one of the long-discontinued and short-lived Sterling SB14 basses. Same deal -- great construction and tone, lots of versatility with the 3-band EQ and S/P/SC switch. I loved that bass but I found a 5'er that I wanted even more so it had to go. The SBMM instruments are a great value and I don't think you could go wrong with any of them.
The SUB4 is definitely a great bass for the money. If that's your price range, go for it. Not quite the classic Ray tone and only 2-band EQ, but for $300 it's still an outstanding value. The Ruby Red Burst is beautiful, too. If you want to know how good it can sound, check out the juliaplaysgroove YouTube channel. She's terrific and while she now has a Ray35, most everything more than a couple months old is a SUB4 and it sounds great.
The SBMM Ray24 is not a meaningful step up and not worth it, IMO.
The SBMM Ray34 is 90% of an EBMM for less than half the sticker price ($750 vs. $1700). Seriously, if you can, go to a store that has both and play them. Just checked Reverb, and used EBMMs in good shape are running around $1100 or so. Tough call there.
The SBMM Ray24 is not a meaningful step up and not worth it, IMO.
The SBMM Ray34 is 90% of an EBMM for less than half the sticker price ($750 vs. $1700). Seriously, if you can, go to a store that has both and play them. Just checked Reverb, and used EBMMs in good shape are running around $1100 or so. Tough call there.
Very true! You will get kicked off TB for saying that!!
You may buy a 2nd hand MusicMan S.U.B at a very decent price .. they’re not that rare ..
Thanks for the link to Julia’s channel. I had not seen her before; generally not my type of music. But wow, she is a phenomenal talent. And she really makes that $300 SUB sound like a million bucks.
Grabbed a used SB4 here for my oldest when she turned 15. I had also just grabbed a Bongo HH 4 a few months earlier. Sounds weird but I was picking up her SB4 more often than the Bongo. I know apples to oranges but is noteworthy.
The two band EQ is HOT.
I have played multiple SUB Ray4's and will also say they are worth the money IMO.
If you need a bass to get the job done, it does it well if not better than most basses at the same price point. On the used market they are a steal IMO.
The two band EQ is HOT.
I have played multiple SUB Ray4's and will also say they are worth the money IMO.
If you need a bass to get the job done, it does it well if not better than most basses at the same price point. On the used market they are a steal IMO.
Me, neither, but she's so much fun to watch.
She's a great lesson for us all. If a teenager can get a "cheap" bass to sound that good, maybe us old farts need to reconsider a few things...
- Yes, SBMM StingRays are generally worth buying. They are nicely made and less expensive than EBMM;
- However, they tend to be heavy;
- The quality is not quite equivalent to EBMM but EBMM isn’t twice or three times as good;
- I personally want the SBMM Daphne HH with a roasted maple neck in the worst way but the weight is the only thing holding
myme back.
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Can confirm. I love my Ray34 because the neck is fantastic, it sounds great, and is gorgeous (pics here), but it is definitely a boat anchor. 10 and a half pounds, easily. Would be an issue were I playing out with it, but I'm not.
"holding my back"...funny. Typo or intentional?
Intentional ... right?"holding my back"...funny. Typo or intentional?
Okay, maybe a typo.
So what if it is a typo?
I’m only human.
I personally am quite happy with my 2001 EBMM Sterling 4H (Pearl Blue & maple) and my 2001 EBMM StingRay 5H (Honeyburst & maple) but I am still jonesing for a 4HH.
Hey Danny.
The Sub`s are decent enough basses but if you can stretch your budget to around £500, you could pick up a s/h Musicman Sub that was made in the US, the one with the check plate and painted necks.
Or throwing you a slight curve ball if your budget is around £350, jump down to Kennys music and have a shot of a Cort GB74JH. A Jazz and MM style pickup, active/passive, Omega bridge, good tuners. They are more than likely made by the same people as the Sub and are seriously good and not just for the money.
The Sub`s are decent enough basses but if you can stretch your budget to around £500, you could pick up a s/h Musicman Sub that was made in the US, the one with the check plate and painted necks.
Or throwing you a slight curve ball if your budget is around £350, jump down to Kennys music and have a shot of a Cort GB74JH. A Jazz and MM style pickup, active/passive, Omega bridge, good tuners. They are more than likely made by the same people as the Sub and are seriously good and not just for the money.
