So I was at my local guitar center, and played a Sterling SUB Ray4 through a Fender Rumble 500 combo (an amp I've been considering for a while now and have played my own basses through loving the sound.) I'm completely enamored by the tone i was able to dial in and want to find some examples of what it may sound like in a mix. Considering the band I'm in plays in Drop A and Drop C, does anyone know of metal bands that play in those tunings where the bassist uses a MusicMan or hell even a SUB? Also what kind of opinions are out there about using a SUB Ray in a metal setting with those tunings?
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Played a SUB Ray4 and loved it!
- Thread starter summerson1
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Get a Ray5 and then you won't have to worry about tuning as much. I play in a death metal band and I've been considering either getting a SUB or replacing one of my pickups in my LTD with a MM humbucker. You can honestly play any bass you want in a metal band, just play what feels good to you and sounds like you want it to. Play what makes you happy, if the SUB rocks your socks buy it and shred it.
I actually use 2 basses when we play shows since we have songs in both A and C. My 5er runs the A songs and my 4 runs the C songs. Both my current basses are PJs with my 5 being a Rogue lx205 and the 4 an Alvarez AEB200
Well still, I'm going to say you can't go wrong with either one of the RAY's 4 or 5. Honestly these days with advances in technology there isn't really a such thing as a "bad" bass. Those Sterlings are sweet as hell though.
I've been wondering about the sterling sub Ray basses for quite some time. I would like to try one out sometime.
The one i played was quite wonderful. Had the punchy stingray tone, comfortable neck, and seemed a lot better than it should for 400 bucks. Combined with the Rumble 500 amp i got a tone i was happy with without diving into the active eq on the bass itself
I haven't played a Rumble 500, what catches your attention about them. Also what kind of metal are you playing? Out of curiousity.
What caught my attention about them at first was power for price and a DI output, but what won me over was that I was able to just about imitate the tone I achieve using my Digitech BP8 ran direct into a PA (my usual setup.) Some people knock the BP 8 but I have a rather punchy slightly gritty sound dialed in that cuts through well.
Our style is kind of numetalish, but if you wish to check us out the name of the band is Obey the Virus. We have a Facebook page and a few very rough demos on soundcloud. Although ignore my bass work on Head Up.... I was fresh and going overboard with picking fast lol.
Our style is kind of numetalish, but if you wish to check us out the name of the band is Obey the Virus. We have a Facebook page and a few very rough demos on soundcloud. Although ignore my bass work on Head Up.... I was fresh and going overboard with picking fast lol.
Right on, I'll definitely have a listen when I get home. My band doesn't have any recordings at the moment and won't get anything done until I get my M6 Carbine back from Mesa in a few weeks. This band is actually my first time being a full time bassist in a band. I usually just fill in or am the vocalist.
Next time I'm at GC I'll plug into a Rumble and check it out for sure though.
Next time I'm at GC I'll plug into a Rumble and check it out for sure though.
Yeah the SUB Ray4's rock. They cop the Stingray tone for a fraction of the price of a MM. Buy!
On our soundcloud the Purge 4/6 rough demo is our highest quality recording. We actually took the time to individually track all the instruments and mix them. None of our recordings have vocals included and I'm only on 3 of them, but a good indicator of my tone would be the Braden/Sid OTV file. That was a jam we did of just me and the drummer while we were ahem.... Hanging out with Mary Jane and we're currently working on making a song out of it
I sure am loving mine. I play a lot of old-school hard rock and metal on mine, Sabbath, Rush, Van Halen, Zeppelin, and this bass sounds great. Easy to dial in lots of gnarly tones, plus it gets a smooth, dark tone if you roll back the highs. Mine just needed a pro set up to get me going. Great bass for the money.
When I had mine, I added Schaller tuners (stock ones are trash and will strip)
A badass 2 bridge (holes lined right up) and Duncan electronics and that thing became a stingray killer
I was playing bike week last year and the hired sound engineer liked it so much he offered to buy it right on stage.
I sold it to him at the intermission and played the rest of 5he show on my backup
A badass 2 bridge (holes lined right up) and Duncan electronics and that thing became a stingray killer
I was playing bike week last year and the hired sound engineer liked it so much he offered to buy it right on stage.
I sold it to him at the intermission and played the rest of 5he show on my backup
I am in the exact same boat as you. Right down to the P/J and everything (mine are Fenders tho). I just stopped by GC last night and had the exact same experience with the SUB Ray 4 through the Rumble. I am impressed with both and it seemed so easy to play and produce some really great tones. I also found the maple neck to be considerably brighter than the Jatoba (or maybe the strings were just newer).
I have never really played the MM basses much and the MM's I HAD tried have been so heavy and stiff so I never really thought about it. I have been pretty much a Fender guy for a long time and was kind of looking for a "reasonable" jazz bass as I have been on a big Zeppelin and ELP kick lately and loved those tones. I never really considered trying other brands as I was pretty content with what I was getting from Fender. The price tag just made me wonder "what the heck, let's see what a cheap Sterling MM sounds like".
I was super surprised how much more beef and tone it had than the $800 Fender jazz I had just been playing. Same amp. And the neck was really easy to play. Not like the other MM's I had tried in the past where they were more thick and stiff. I know this Sterling is an active bass and that might have something to do with the tone, but that doesn't bother me. There is an easy access battery compartment on the back.
I am guessing GC will have some killer deals with the Holidays coming up and all. We shall see.... I sense a NBD coming soon to a home near me.
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skyline_01
Endorsing artist: Nordstrand Audio, Tsunami Cables
A few years back I picked up a seafoam green SUB Ray retrofitted with a US-made unlined fretless pau ferro neck. I recently installed a Nordstrand 2-band preamp and it sounds even more fantastic, stock pickup and all.
Pretty sure one of these guys uses an Ernie Ball. I'm not sure of the tuning but it sounds like Drop B or Drop A to me. Hopefully this helps
I have a SUB5, while it is good i've never like a MM pickup and wheres it placed
No comfortable place to play finger style and the tone isn't as heavy as I need it to be
It is a good bass though just not my thing, the neck on the 5 is huge to
No comfortable place to play finger style and the tone isn't as heavy as I need it to be
It is a good bass though just not my thing, the neck on the 5 is huge to
I had a Ray4 and liked it, but the edges of the fret board were sharp and that really sucked. I ended up refinishing it and giving it to a friend. Got a USA SUB and it kinda feels the same, but the neck is waaaay more comfortable to play.
