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Ibanez SR500 VS Sterling Sub Ray 4

A

acoustic58

Guest
Mar 18, 2015
82
8
#1
So I went to a guitar store today and played both the SR500 and the Sterling Sub Ray 4. The 500 is $600 and the Sterling is $300. Literally half the price of the Ibanez. I am a guitar player not a bass player but I can hear tone and know what sounds good. The following is my opinion but I would like to hear if I am either right on or completely missing something.

First of the Sterling seems like it was double the weight as the 500 but it also did not feel like it was a toy guitar which the 500 can feel like because it is so light. The 500 had a smaller neck but not so much smaller that it is a deal breaker. The Sterling has a great finish on it and the 500 had that typical chipped stain that everyone complains about. Looking at just the finish, the idea of paying double the amount for a guitar that is known for a bad finish seems a little nuts. I understand it's just cosmetics but how the guitar is going to look in a year is also important especially if you are ever going to sell it. The 500 has more tone control over the sterling which is important but then again, how many settings are you really going to be playing at. As far as sound, I actually thought the Sterling sounded better. More power and clearer than the 500. Both guitars seemed to be reviewed fairly well but keep in mind, you are paying $300 more for the Ibanez SR500 so the question really is, is it worth paying double for it???

As I said, I am not a bass player but I do know what sounds good but because I am not a bass player, maybe I am missing something and that is where your help can come in. Thank you.
 
#2
I've had the Sub Ray 4 - in fact, I had four of them at one time in different colors. Now, I don't have any. Why? Versatility eventually became an issue. Why did I buy four, because of this %&*A#$ website and it's GAS inducing powers.
It's not fair to compare the two basses though as one is almost twice the price of the other, but the better bass is still the SR500. Yes, I hate it's finish which is why I got the SR700 instead.
Now, Ibanez has a new bass that would be comparable to the Sterling Sub Ray 4 in terms of price and in my experience and opinion is a much better bass as it has greater versatility. In fact, I was holding on to a mint green Sub Ray 4 until I tried this bass. After I bought it, I sold the last Ray4. It is just as powerful as the Ray but again, more tonal capabilities. It's the new Ibanez Talman. I would recommend trying the Talman TMB300 - price is $299. I bought the lesser model TMB100 as I found a scratch and dent special for $127.(normally a $199 bass). I would recommend the 300 though. Some have experienced some QC issues with the earlier batches as they seem to have been rushed into the marketplace, but seems to have rectified lately.
However, I will say trust your ears and instinct, if the Sterling sounds like a bass you want then I would say go for it. It's not a bad bass at all given the price.

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#6
Dustykatt said:
Where is the 300 built? the 100 comes from China, how is the build quality on the 100?
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Is this in regards to the Talman? The TMB100 and TMB300 are both made in Indonesia. Early ones had some qc issues as in rushed out the door. They seem to be a lot better now. The TMB100 is excellent for the price and really love the neck,thicker than my SR but comfortable. No sharp fret ends, had one wiggly tuner that I fixed, but other than having to do a setup (string height and a very slight truss rod tweak), excellent bass for the money. Very happy with it.
 
#7
Normally I'd recommend the Ibanez as I have a few but it really sounds like you have found what you are looking for in the Sub Ray 4. Personal feel and comfort are by far more important than any other metric you can put on the sales sheet of a bass. The entire reason I bought my SR500 was because I pulled it off the wall and just had to have it after playing it in my hands. It sounds like you had a similar experience but you are going to save $300!

I can't tell you where the $300 goes. For me the SR500 is a quality bass and I feel like that's a fair price point. While I understand your feelings on the weight I've now gotten used to it and feel like heavier basses are just clunky. The neck is very thin for a bass and I hear guitar shop guys comment on them all the time. Again, probably something to get used to but I like the extra articulation I can get out of my fingers during some runs. I've had mine for a few years now and probably have over a 1000 hours into it so they do hold up.

Anyway, I don't know much about the MM basses but it sounds like you found a good one. Use your ears and your hands and you'll do fine.
 
#9
i really like the SUB ray 4, so much that i brought one home with me. it was gorgeous, the neck fit my hand like no other bass, i liked the tone, i liked the feel. a LOT. but this is where i discovered that except for a stool the exact height as the one at guitar center, it hurt my shoulder to play the ray 4. i have had some issues that make many basses painful to play. turned out the ray 4 is one of them :( i returned it and went back to the drawing board. but i discovered that some ibanezes due to body shape, size and overall weight don't hurt me to play. the SR300 was the one i was considering, but found an SR500 used yesterday and went for it. i like it a lot - it's totally different than the ray 4, but not worse - just different.
 
#10
Personally I would choose the Ibanez sr500 for it's versatility and smooth sounds. the sterling sub ray is good for if you want like bright mid-rangy type of sound. and it can deliver warm bass sounds too if you roll back on the treble boost a little bit and add a little more bass boost. but I personally like Ibanez soundgear basses for their smooth warm punchy sounds. if it's used, I'd say go with it.
 
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#11
Maxdusty said:
Now, Ibanez has a new bass that would be comparable to the Sterling Sub Ray 4 in terms of price and in my experience and opinion is a much better bass as it has greater versatility.
Click to expand...

The Talman is not that comparabele to the Sub Ray 4 in my opinion.
The Talman is more like a PJ-Bass for me.

But the Ibanez ATK is more like a Sub Ray 4.

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