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Sterling by Music Man SUB Ray4 and Ray5

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I bought a Sterling Ray 34 a $800 touch, and I don't even play in a garage band. I am feeling buyers remorse, cause I can get 2 of these Subs and have coffee money for a month.

I had a used Sterling Ray 34 Classic on layaway at GC (until it cleared the 30 day police hold for used gear). When I heard about the new Ray 4 and Ray 5 SUBs. I canceled the layaway and ordered a SUB Ray 4 and Ray 5 from Musicians Friend.......$492 for the pair, no tax, free shipping. I couldn't be happier.

I bought them for all the s**t hole bars and dives out there. I have several very fine old Fenders and a 1990 EBMM Stingray......those joints aren't worthy of my older basses:smug:
 
I envy people who get along with cheaper gear. I wish to god I could, it would save me so much money. Some guys rip it up and sound great on "cheap" gear, most of us would. I got no complaints from anyone playing my Ibanez SR405, but I'm much happier with a 1400. Im also 900.00 poorer. It's just a personal choice, not sure why anyone cares much about someone else's choice.
 
Gabriel51 said:
This post reeks with condescension and arrogance with a disconnect I have not seen the likes of in some time.
The new poster child for SELF IMPORTANCE!

I disagree.
I think he makes a very good point.

I have, like him, owned tons of cheaper instruments. And like him I found the "real" MusicMan and the like felt and sounded better and just felt right.
I still own cheaper instruments, And I use them, because they are perfectly adequate. I do not care for names on headstocks, just gear that works. My most important gig last month was using a 150 GBP Jazz bass with upgraded pickups. I think it feels nice, looks great, sounds good. But it seems almost dishonest if I told someone that it was just as good as a [name your favourite over 1000 Jazz bass]. Because it isn't.
It doesn't make it bad. I do not own a single bad bass. But it is what it is.

It is ridiculous to look down on someone with cheaper gear. But it is also ridiculous the way some rosetint-talk about their cheaper instruments compared to more expensive ones. There is a reason why there is a price difference, although whether the price and quality difference are or not proportional is debatable.

I love basses, cheap and expensive.
Can't we all just share this common passion we have without getting personal, without attacking and without being oversensitive?

They are just pieces of wood and metal. Lovely pieces of wood and metal. But nothing more, until we use them to make music, and you can make great music on a 100 and a 10000 dollar instrument.

Can't we all just get along? ;-)
 
I disagree.
I think he makes a very good point.

I have, like him, owned tons of cheaper instruments. And like him I found the "real" MusicMan and the like felt and sounded better and just felt right.
I still own cheaper instruments, And I use them, because they are perfectly adequate. I do not care for names on headstocks, just gear that works. My most important gig last month was using a 150 GBP Jazz bass with upgraded pickups. I think it feels nice, looks great, sounds good. But it seems almost dishonest if I told someone that it was just as good as a [name your favourite over 1000 Jazz bass]. Because it isn't.
It doesn't make it bad. I do not own a single bad bass. But it is what it is.

It is ridiculous to look down on someone with cheaper gear. But it is also ridiculous the way some rosetint-talk about their cheaper instruments compared to more expensive ones. There is a reason why there is a price difference, although whether the price and quality difference are or not proportional is debatable.

I love basses, cheap and expensive.
Can't we all just share this common passion we have without getting personal, without attacking and without being oversensitive?

They are just pieces of wood and metal. Lovely pieces of wood and metal. But nothing more, until we use them to make music, and you can make great music on a 100 and a 10000 dollar instrument.

Can't we all just get along? ;-)

Getting along? That would mean "without condescension"
Agree?
If you think you know whats best for everyone based upon your own ideals then that's arrogance (an attitude of superiority).
I find your statements strangely odd? One one hand you side with the person making the initial remark then abandon your direction to side with the reasoning of most who bought this instrument.
You like your friend could not possibly understand the reasoning behind the choices made by the people here.
Comparing their choices to yours and suggesting they made a mistake repeatedly is an effort to fortify ones own choice, to think that a person could extract from a 2k bass what they need in a 300 dollar bass is a stroke of genius, it's only those that could have done the same and didn't shame those that did.

Get along; it was over until your contribution, school is out!...
 
I'm mechanically....challenged. What do I need to adjust the truss rod? There's a very slight bow in the neck which I'd like to fix. That would need a tiny clockwise turn of the little wheel on the bottom of the neck right? Pathetically, I don't own any tools. Do I need allen key? Would any rigid metal stick do? I have little screwdrivers for eyeglass screws.

I think you got screwed. The bass comes with a truss rod wrench, and an allen wrench for the saddles. Looking at the tape on your box and the packing job, looks like someone opened it. The bass also should have been held in place with cardboard.

2ylsf45.jpg
 
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You would certainly have to agree that the nomenclature is very confusing and lacks any intuitive structure. (politically correct format)
The frickin name is too f*#@ing confusing! (correct verbiage)

I'm primarily a drummer and *I* understand it just fine! *ouch* :p All yer bass names sound the same to a neanderdrummer like me - I call them all "big dumb guitar". :D (For anyone who doesn't detect e-humor, that was a joke)

On that note, I'm actually playing my new SUB Ray5 and I'm VERY impressed for the price. Immediately setup my new stick and installed EB Cobalts and WOWWWZA. Great sound and playability for this price point. Plus it's just plain more fun to play than my ancient T40 or ATK. Go easy on my lack of skills, but here's a little clip for you guys who wonder what these sound like...
 

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Getting along? That would mean "without condescension"
Agree?
If you think you know whats best for everyone based upon your own ideals then that's arrogance (an attitude of superiority).
I find your statements strangely odd? One one hand you side with the person making the initial remark then abandon your direction to side with the reasoning of most who bought this instrument.
You like your friend could not possibly understand the reasoning behind the choices made by the people here.
Comparing their choices to yours and suggesting they made a mistake repeatedly is an effort to fortify ones own choice, to think that a person could extract from a 2k bass what they need in a 300 dollar bass is a stroke of genius, it's only those that could have done the same and didn't shame those that did.

Get along; it was over until your contribution, school is out!...

Are you taking the pi*s :eyebrow:???
 
Gabriel51 said:
Getting along? That would mean "without condescension"
Agree?
If you think you know whats best for everyone based upon your own ideals then that's arrogance (an attitude of superiority).
I find your statements strangely odd? One one hand you side with the person making the initial remark then abandon your direction to side with the reasoning of most who bought this instrument.
You like your friend could not possibly understand the reasoning behind the choices made by the people here.
Comparing their choices to yours and suggesting they made a mistake repeatedly is an effort to fortify ones own choice, to think that a person could extract from a 2k bass what they need in a 300 dollar bass is a stroke of genius, it's only those that could have done the same and didn't shame those that did.

Get along; it was over until your contribution, school is out!...

Yawn.

Too obtuse to deserve an answer. Just reread my previous post when your mind is not clouded by antagonistitis

I tried. :rolleyes:
 
So I played a walnut Ray4 at GC this afternoon, fun bass! The finish was nice, the neck felt good. I don't think I'm dying to have one now, but I would consider picking up the Ray5, just because I've never had a 5-string, and for under 300 bucks, it seems like a winner.

Let's talk about the instruments themselves instead of the ego control required to own one.
 
I had a used Sterling Ray 34 Classic on layaway at GC (until it cleared the 30 day police hold for used gear). When I heard about the new Ray 4 and Ray 5 SUBs. I canceled the layaway and ordered a SUB Ray 4 and Ray 5 from Musicians Friend.......$492 for the pair, no tax, free shipping. I couldn't be happier.

I bought them for all the s**t hole bars and dives out there. I have several very fine old Fenders and a 1990 EBMM Stingray......those joints aren't worthy of my older basses:smug:

I am thinking the same way, that's why the remorse. How do they sound as compared to the Ray 34? I am thinking about of these myself. One for rounds and one for flats. BTW how does the ray 5's neck feel, anything like the Ray 35?
 
Bufalo said:
So I played a walnut Ray4 at GC this afternoon, fun bass! The finish was nice, the neck felt good. I don't think I'm dying to have one now, but I would consider picking up the Ray5, just because I've never had a 5-string, and for under 300 bucks, it seems like a winner.

Let's talk about the instruments themselves instead of the ego control required to own one.

I should unsubscribe... because I have terrible urges to try these basses... especially the walnut and a black 5er... and I would probably buy them :-)
 
I think you got screwed. The bass comes with a truss rod wrench, and an allen wrench for the saddles. Looking at the tape on your box and the packing job, looks like someone opened it. The bass also should have been held in place with cardboard.

The bass miraculously survived the journey from MM in california, to musicians friend in Missouri, to my job in long island without any padding whatsoever. It's actually a good thing I think that the rod and Allen key weren't in the box cus they most likely woulda been flying around scratching up my bass, based on the packing job. I got me a handy dandy rod wrench and Allen key Swiss army knife kinda thingamajig so I'm good to go. But yes, I did get screwed, but it coulda been worse.
 
I am thinking the same way, that's why the remorse. How do they sound as compared to the Ray 34? I am thinking about of these myself. One for rounds and one for flats. BTW how does the ray 5's neck feel, anything like the Ray 35?

The SBMM regular basses (except the CA) have 3 band EQ, and in the case of the SR5, series/parallel and I think, single coil settings on the 3 way switch (as does the SB14) - the SBMM Rays are also made of swamp ash - the 3 band EQ gives you a mid range control and you have a lot more tonal options there. Also, owing to the body wood used, the basses will sound much closer to an American MM. (Pl don't start a 3 band v 2 band MM debate - done to death elsewhere and if you want to read about it go to the Musicman forum and search it). I have both 2 band and 3 band MM basses, which I use regularly - the 2 band has a lot of major plusses but I have found in loud guitar mixes, I sometimes have to boost the upper mid on the amp a little - Cobalt strings actually help a lot in this situation. WIth the EQ fully boosted you get a scooped sound (in a similar way to a Fender Jazz with both pick ups on full) - a minor tweak of the amp mid range helps cut through on a heavy guitar mix.

All that said, these basses are great for the price point, and from the samples I've heard, have those Stingray sound characteristics - but there are compromises in the materials to bring the price down (the guy from Praxis explained about the strings in an earlier post).
 
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