Ray35 vs SUB5

[blendermassacre]

Are there any pro's or cons to either of these basses vs. each other. Besides one being made in America vs one being Inspected in America. I played a Ray35 (and a SB14 for that matter) at gc today and loved them, but I just was wondering if the SUBs are any better?

 

[ghostjs]

no i wouldnt think so. The new Sterling by MusicMan are almost like the real deal.

 

[blendermassacre]

I'm pretty torn between (as of now) a ray 35 or tuning the SB14 to bead. The sb (tuned EADG obviously) had some serious snarl through the svt4 and especially throught the Littlemark tube I played it through. I didn't know if anyone had played or owned both.

 

[DeanT]

The SUB is a "real" EBMM, made in America with EBMM electronics at the EBMM plant in California and all that goes with it. The new Ray35 is Made in China with EBMM parts. Does that make the SUB better, maybe, maybe not. But what's the difference? Which do you like better?

By the way, the Ray35 is being made now. The SUBs are long discontinued.

 

[bazzanderson]

I love the look of the Ray35.

I owned a black SUB5 and KICK MYSELF EVERYDAY for letting it go. It was one of the best, most responsive 2-band active, 5 string basses I've ever owned.

 

[eastcoasteddie]

I would rather have a SUB 5 because it looks like an SR4 with a 5th string. And I love that black satin back-of-the-neck finish

 

[Webtroll]

I would rather have a SUB 5 because it looks like an SR4 with a 5th string.

+1 Why they didn't go this way with their SR5s I don't know; the oversized pickguard is an abomination to me.

 

[blendermassacre]

I don't hate the big pick guard, but the smaller one is a lot better. I wonder if there is any chance in the future of making a SBMM with anything besides a 4h or 5h setup. I would love a 4HH setup, but I guess they want the extra $600 for that kind of flexibility.

 

[coolrunner989]

Two very different basses IMO. The Ray 35 that I've played the last few times in GC was light, had a great finish, and was %90 of what the real deal is. I owned a 4-string SUB last year and it was heavy with a preamp that was voiced poorly I thought (treble to high, lows to big of a Q). But for the cheaper used money it was cool, and a nice platform to mod if you wanted, and as a beater you cant get better than that hard black finish. The gloss on the back of the neck was a plus for me, but that's just preference.

 

[7StringBassist]

Sub

its a passive version of the Ray if I'm not mistaken

great sounding bass

 

[coolrunner989]

They had active and passive SUBs.

 

[thudfromafar]

The new SBMM are amazing. I am getting a SB14 whenever I can afford.

 

[7StringBassist]

They had active and passive SUBs.

got it I tried the passive it was awesome

 

[blendermassacre]

Yeah. I'm really torn between the Ray35 and a SB14 tuned bead. argh.

 

[classic57]

I found myself in the same situation a few months ago. In the end, I bought a used "real" Sterling for the same $$$, and I'm so glad I did.

 

[robd]

Reviving a dead thread...

What about the shape of the neck? Are the SUB5 and Ray35 neck shape/size the same?

Thanks for any input