Music Man SUB vs Sterling Ray 34

[fauzy4z]

Old topic but nevertherless interesting opinions!

However, my 2 cents worth opinion.

Owned a Ray34 - the sparkling blue with maple neck and maple fret board.

Sold it to get a Fender Road Worn Precision Bass.
- Just did not like the tone from the Ray34.
- Did not like the weight
- Did not like the brightness

After a while i sold the Fender Road Worn Precision Bass.
- Cause it is too plug an play
- I have a Fender Jazz MIA and it totally out shines the PBass
- PBass ended up collecting dust

However, the actual reason to why i sold it was cause i went to this shop that was selling this used Musicman S.U.B. Curious, i plugged it in and started to play around with it. The weight was just nice. Playbility awesome. Tone was something different that i liked + nice bottom + nice growl which Fenders do not have. I ended up trading the Pbass for the Musicman SUB.

Now i have both a Beauty (Fender Jazz Bass) and a Beast (Musicman SUB)

I guess it all depends on the user. Beauty lies in the ears of the beholder in this case!.

 

[rogerbmiller]

I am firmly in the SUB camp. I own several and have owned several more. They are for the money the best value on the market period. Essentially a 2 EQ stingray. They are a little darker and mellower owing to the poplar body woods. Some like that sound less than the EBMM, I happen to like it the same or more. Also, they are light. So if you are ok wiht the slab body and the looks (which I am) then these are the way to go.

The SBMM basses are great too but meant to be much more like regular EBMM basses. I like to paint from a broad palate so I have an EBMM rays and EBMM subs. They are close to each other in tone but different enough to my ears that I justify having both.

 

[Miettis]

There seems to be lots of 2band eq fans. There is a ray34ca (classic active) With two band eq. I have it and I love it. It has a really narrow neck and great tone! First the neck felt a bit odd but after getting uses to it. It feels like I got big manly hands and its easy to play. Havent tried any ebmm nor sbmm so cant say for comparison but for me ray34ca is absolutely awesome. One downside is that I dont seem to get that extremely smooth bassy sound because the growl is apparent even when cutting mids and highs but it isnt a huge problem for me cos I rarely need that kind of tone. The bass cost me 400€

 

[JakobT]

I have owned both a SBMM SUB Ray4 and (briefly) a Ray34, and currently own an EBMM SUB.

I prefer the EBMM sub over the Ray34, as it uses the same pickup and electronics as a 2-band Stingray, and I actually regard it as a Stingray, without the contouring and fancy finish. It certainly sounds like one. The playability is as good as anything I've owned, including my current EBMM Sabre and AmStd P. I'm actually a big fan of the finish, which so many people other people dislike. It's bombproof and doesn't show fingerprints, and has a matt sheen to it that sets it apart from other basses. I thought maybe the lack of contouring would bother me, but I find it doesn't, it's light and comfortable to play, even for extended sessions.

The Ray34 is a great bass, it looks good and sounds good. But since the electronics are reverse engineered, it may not quite nail the Stingray sound in all respects. Also, it has a 3-band preamp, which may or may not be your cup of tea. I sent mine back because of poor fretwork, but I may just have been unlucky.

It all comes down to personal preference. If you primarily want your bass to look like a Stingray, get the Ray34. If you primarily want it to sound like one, get the EBMM SUB.

 

[jd56hawk]

My next bass, if I do buy a new bass, which I don't need...but should that stop me?