Need Advice - Sterling by MusicMan SUB

[Rayan]

I have a problem with my bass, it's a 4-string Sterling by MusicMan SUB. I bought it three years ago and I love it, but lately it's been acting up a lot. First of all, the output gets really hot really fast so there is a ton of distortion on it. Secondly, the bass knob crackles and makes weird sounds as I turn it. I told this to Sterling's customer service and they sent me a replacement preamp, but the circuit they gave me was poor quality. As soon as I turned on the amplifier, there was a ton of crackling whether I was touching the strings or not. I put back the old circuit, and now the same problems with the bass knob have come back (but the new pots were a real improvement, at least). I told this to Brian as customer service, he offered to let me send it to him to repair it free of charge. This is where I need advice.

I live in Massachusetts, so to send my bass all the way to California would probably cost me an arm and a leg. It would probably be my cheapest option even so, since taking it to a repair shop here, I'd need to spend more money on pickups and preamps before even getting to the service. But still, I am weary about sending my bass all the way to California.

The alternative would be to buy a new bass. I don't want to do this because I really like this bass, but SUBs are budget models as it is, so I assume most SUBs have hot outputs, and maybe I should invest in something of greater quality.

Has anyone sent their bass to customer service before? How was the experience? Is it better to just replace my bass? SBMM customer service has been great so far, but I just don't know the best way to proceed.

 

[walldaja]

Check your battery?

 

[Rayan]

Check your battery?

I've replaced it about four times.

 

[twinjet]

@line6man is the guy to see.

 

[walldaja]

With the battery eliminated as a problem most likely it is a bad solder joint / connection. Shouldn't be a major problem to repair and should be relatively easy to find. The static on the knob may or may not be related, could be just dust and a shot of contact cleaner would take care of that. I think I'd open it up and see what's going on rather than boxing it up and shipping it across the country. I'd be suspect of the output jack. Best wishes.

 

[andruca]

I'd put the old preamp back in and replace or clean the bass pot. Also the too high output that can overdrive some amps' inputs can be cured with a trim pot/variable resistor (inside the bass, right before the output jack). Did it with a couple basses, piece of cake.

 

[Rayan]

@line6man is the guy to see.

I'll shoot him a message. Thanks.

 

[Rayan]

I'd put the old preamp back in and replace or clean the bass pot. Also the too high output that can overdrive some amps' inputs can be cured with a trim pot/variable resistor (inside the bass, right before the output jack). Did it with a couple basses, piece of cake.

I've already done that, actually. I put back the old circuit and replaced all the pots (including the bass one), and the problem is still there. It's a significant improvement though, I'll say that. I didn't know about that second part though. Forgive me for sounding like a noob, but is the variable resister a replacement for another pot, or something additional? Forgive me, I know less about the electronics than I should.

 

[andruca]

I've already done that, actually. I put back the old circuit and replaced all the pots (including the bass one), and the problem is still there. It's a significant improvement though, I'll say that. I didn't know about that second part though. Forgive me for sounding like a noob, but is the variable resister a replacement for another pot, or something additional? Forgive me, I know less about the electronics than I should.

It's an additional tiny pot you put right before the bass' output (inside the control cavity). You max the volume of the bass and adjust this trim pot so that output doesn't exceed a certain point. You don't dial it with normal use, you just leave it set and that's it, your volume pot keeps serving its purpose as usual.

EDIT: these should only cost some cents in any electronic components store.

 

[Badwater]

That's great that Sterling company responds quickly and with parts. A lot of companies that sell lower priced basses could care less. I would check to see if you can just send in the body. That way shipping will be much much lower.

The other option is save up for a Sterling Ray34. Or get another SUB Ray4.

 

[Rayan]

That's great that Sterling company responds quickly and with parts. A lot of companies that sell lower priced basses could care less. I would check to see if you can just send in the body. That way shipping will be much much lower.

The other option is save up for a Sterling Ray34. Or get another SUB Ray4.

I agree, their customer service was excellent. Even if they sent me a faulty circuit, it was free, and they have been more than cooperative.

I considered that, actually (getting the Ray34). Though that's also a budget model, so I'm not sure. I guess I'd need to play it first to see if I like it (though I can't imagine it feels much too different from the SUB). Good idea about sending in the body though, I'll try that.

 

[Rayan]

It's an additional tiny pot you put right before the bass' output (inside the control cavity). You max the volume of the bass and adjust this trim pot so that output doesn't exceed a certain point. You don't dial it with normal use, you just leave it set and that's it, your volume pot keeps serving its purpose as usual.

EDIT: these should only cost some cents in any electronic components store.

Thank you, I'll look into it. It seems like a good idea. Do you know if I need a specific kind for a specific bass, or will one work for all basses?

 

[TjMetalhead]

I agree, their customer service was excellent. Even if they sent me a faulty circuit, it was free, and they have been more than cooperative.

I considered that, actually (getting the Ray34). Though that's also a budget model, so I'm not sure. I guess I'd need to play it first to see if I like it (though I can't imagine it feels much too different from the SUB). Good idea about sending in the body though, I'll try that.

I'm a really big fan of the Sterling Ray34 CA series, they're built like the classic models from the 70's so no tummy or forearm contours but I think they sound and play better than the subs. I had a SUB a few years ago and made good use of it, but the neck just felt too cheap for my taste. Ebay has one similar to the one in your profile pic. Sterling by MusicMan RAY34CA-SVM SILVER METALLIC Electric Bass 4 String w/GigBag 856205001270 | eBay

 

[andruca]

Thank you, I'll look into it. It seems like a good idea. Do you know if I need a specific kind for a specific bass, or will one work for all basses?

I've used anything from 50k to 250k trim pots with success.

Don't get me wrong, you could lower the pickup (don't know if enough to eradicate the problem 100%), that'd be easier. But I usually avoid that for 2 reasons:

1) The most obvious, I (and many people) prefer how pickups react to strings being close. I've yet to find a bass pickup that sounds better when far from the strings.

2) I play fingerstyle over my Musicman's pickups, so want my pickup high for thumb support and also for my plucking fingers not to go too deep between strings. And even these days, when I play mostly with a pick (damm HC and metal), I certainly rely on contact with the pickup. The use of a soft pick (orange .60mm Tortex Triangle) together with the pickup preventing it from going too far down create a sort of first compression stage, very functional to my particular pick technique.

With a screwdriver, an iron and minimal soldering skills you can do the trimpot hack in 10 minutes, for a permanent solution to a problem that's endemic on those SUBs.

EDIT: BTW those are totally nice basses (I can tell, own 3 EBMMs and found all SUBs I've tried really competent). Still they could be made nicer with a further (cheap too) hack consisting of a series/parallel/single or coil1/parallel/coil2 tap switch. Your pickup comes hardwired parallel, so you'd probably need to add a couple extra wires comming from it. With a coil tap that bass would get way more functional. I'm sure they skip this option on SUBs to diferentiate them from SBMMs and EBMMs, not because of cost.

 

[eccles77]

I had a problem with the Sterling Sub and the "hot" pre amp. What I did was rather drastic. Ripped out the pre amp and got a local shop to convert it to passive with a parallel/series switch and changed the pickup for a Wilkinson MM style pickup.

It cost around $80 but the bass sounds so much better to my ears. I wouldn`t buy a new Ray 34 as for the price they go for in the UK, you can buy a second hand Stingray.

 

[andruca]

I had a problem with the Sterling Sub and the "hot" pre amp. What I did was rather drastic. Ripped out the pre amp and got a local shop to convert it to passive with a parallel/series switch and changed the pickup for a Wilkinson MM style pickup.

It cost around $80 but the bass sounds so much better to my ears. I wouldn`t buy a new Ray 34 as for the price they go for in the UK, you can buy a second hand Stingray.

Funny I did the trimpot tame hack to one of those thomann basses that resemble a twin humbucker Stingray. They came with those Wilkinson humbuckers too. The electronics were messy, to say the least, but the pickups' tone was decent.

 

[eccles77]

The Wilkinson is a decent pickup. I fitted it with the intention of upgrading it later on but it sounds fine so I just left it. I fitted Schaller tuners as well which blew the budget rather!

 

[RattleSnack]

I had a problem with the Sterling Sub and the "hot" pre amp. What I did was rather drastic. Ripped out the pre amp and got a local shop to convert it to passive with a parallel/series switch and changed the pickup for a Wilkinson MM style pickup.

I agree with eccles77. My Sub4 also had too strong signal and meh sound. Preamp is ok, but pickup is hot. So I got used Bartolini MM pickup for cheap and it was big improvement.
I recomend getting used MM pickup of any decent manufacturer. For more versatility, you can add parallel/series switch.

 

[Stevorebob]

Forgive me if this has alepready been considered: Have you tried a different cable? Cable, battery, jacks, amp, these should all be considered as possible culprits.

 

[bassstrangler]

I agree, their customer service was excellent. Even if they sent me a faulty circuit, it was free, and they have been more than cooperative.

I considered that, actually (getting the Ray34). Though that's also a budget model, so I'm not sure. I guess I'd need to play it first to see if I like it (though I can't imagine it feels much too different from the SUB). Good idea about sending in the body though, I'll try that.

The Ray34 IMHO is not a budget model.