Sterling or squier

What's wrong with the Squier?

 

Pretty much comes down to whether you like a JB (passive) or a MM (active humbucker). Both of those models are on the same level (quality, price)

 

Sterling SUB 4 is a very comfortable bass to play.
I really like the satin finish neck.
I don't have to tell you it looks great in walnut.
I was thinking about swapping out the stock pickup and preamp for a Seymour Duncan SMB-4A pickup and their Basslines Blackouts series active bass preamp with separate bass and treble contols and turning a good bass into a great bass.

 

Big difference actually, sound-wise that is. As I said, just comes down to what you prefer (sound-wise again).

 

I don't think you can go wrong either way. I owned a Squier VM Jazz and loved it, and I've had a few EBMM models over the years and really liked them a lot. If it was me personally, I'd go with the Sterling, but honestly both are fantastic quality and are great basses at twice the price. Why not keep the Squier and get the Sterling too? Is there any reason why you don't like the Squier?

 

I'd keep the VM and get a Sub as well.

Well, I wouldn't get a Sub. Not into active basses, really.

 

FWIW, I'd first change the preamp to something like a Nordy 2b-mm before worrying about the pickup. Even better, try it stock first, you might really like it.

 

got some videos of Squier VM '77 upgraded (i think it just the same as '70) and SBMM SUB Ray4 upgraded too, it may inspire you

 

Ordinarily I'd pick the Sterling, but the quality of the current Squiers is very good with lovely finishes and properly finished glossed necks. The few Sterling Ray 4/5 models I've played have sounded okay, but the finishes are truly horrible, particularly the necks, which are some kind of brushed on oil finish which feels sticky and nasty. The necks aren't even sanded down properly, feeling rough and horrible. The ones I played were all particularly nasty and I wouldn't recommend them. Maybe I just played a few from a bad batch, but I wouldn't accept that kind of shoddy quality at all.

 

I think maybe you have, because the two Sterling SUB Rays I bought and several more I tried while picking them out had necks much smoother than the new Squiers with the glossy necks. I had to degloss the neck of my CV Jazz with a Scotch-brite sponge to make it acceptable, and still it wasn't nearly as smooth as my Sterlings. Even worse, brand new, straight from the factory the Squier had two stress cracks on the back of the neck pocket...only in the paint, and when I brought it back to the store I was told it was a rather common problem with Fenders and Squiers and the salesman actually looked it up online and showed me a number of articles about it.
I'm not putting down Fender, in fact, I'm trying to decide between a Fender Deluxe Active Precision and a Squier James Johnston, but problems with quality control happen even with the American made Fenders...I've seen several posters here complaining about it.
As for Sterlings, the few I've purchased are flawless in construction, bodies and necks.
Regardless, I'll be stopping at the Guitar Center in Totowa, NJ...one of the good GCs...Thursday. They have the SUB Ray in blue, red, walnut, and trans black. I'm going to check them all out. My niece has a birthday coming up.

 

Maybe it's just me. Maybe I'm bias, but I could NOT trade one for the other.....in either direction. The quality of construction of what is coming out of the Indonesian factories is great! Both instruments are quite nice. If I had to pick ONE and I was going purely on which one is more versatile to ME...I'd say the 2012 Squier. Then again, I did a gig on my SB4 and love love LOVED the tone I had.

If weight is any issue, then HANDS DOWN get the SBMM SB4. You get the ray4 sounds with a significantly lighter body.

Now for a wrench in the works. Try the Yamaha TRBX series. My TRBX305 is becoming my "go to" bass now.

 

are you able to just add the SUB instead of replacing the VM? cuz that is what I would do.

 

The SBMM SUB is a great bass, especially for the money, and needs nothing except new strings. If you want to upgrade it, the preamp is maybe the thing I would swap first, but there's really very little need.

 

i also have both basses, but the squier is heavily modified and the sub little less modofied.
i love them both. but use the squier more. the passive jazz bass ,to my taste, fits more to the music styles i have than the sub. and also little more versatile becouse of the two pickups. but the preamp also provides some versatile.
but somtimes i like to switch betwen them.
i like the sub pickup and the preamp after the volume pot mod.