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Sterling Ray 34CA vs. Sting Ray Classic

#21
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TjMetalhead said:
So this is something I've been mulling over for a few years. I love my Sterling Ray 34CA, it's my number one (especially since they've been discontinued). The feature I love most is the thin jazz style neck. It would be nice one day to have an upper tier brand bass like a Sting Ray Classic or a USA made Fender. That's why I'm thinking the Stingray Classic because it seems like a logical step up from the Sterling but is it worth it? Is there a really difference in sound? What does the neck feel like compared to the sterling? I ask because I only played a SR classic once 7 years ago at GC and the set up was terrible so I never got to play one properly. What say you stingray players? I should mention the music I play is akin to Rush, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, and Iron Maiden. Thanks!
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I sold my Stingray Classic and kept the (Black/maple) Sterling Ray34 CA.
I always went for the Ray34CA, so there was zero reason to keep the Stingray.
Built quality, sound - All equally great.
The only noticeable difference for me is that the tone-controls on the Ray34CA are little less "finetuning" (is that a word?).
Also the Stingray had a beautiful flamed neck, but I like the aged color on the RAy34CA too.
 
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#22
mouthmw said:
P and Ray are my favorite combo and all I play nowadays :) I too have an EMG GZR P bass (2008. Highway One) and I love it to bits.

P.S. I JUST friggin ordered the John East preamp for my Stingray xD Can't wait to test that baby out and get the classic 2 band tone with the additional mid control for some badass tonal flexibility.
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Hell yeah! The highway one basses were killer, I loved that they came with badass bridges. Probably gonna put one one my fender. Please chime into this thread again because I would love to hear how the pre-amp sounds.
 
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#23
MD Stingray said:
View attachment 2932808



I sold my Stingray Classic and kept the (Black/maple) Sterling Ray34 CA.
I always went for the Ray34CA, so there was zero reason to keep the Stingray.
Built quality, sound - All equally great.
The only noticeable difference for me is that the tone-controls on the Ray34CA are little less "finetuning" (is that a word?).
Also the Stingray had a beautiful flamed neck, but I like the aged color on the RAy34CA too.
Click to expand...
Really? I guess that shows testament to Sterling by MM quality these days. I had a Stingray 4 for about 3 weeks back in 2014 before I sold it in favor of the Sterling. I hated that bass, turned me off of the regular stingrays for good. That tort pick-guard looks great on the black CA's. I'm convinced I don't need a Stingray Classic, not like I could afford one soon anyways haha. Just needed more convincing to keep my Sterling.
 
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#24
TjMetalhead said:
Really? I guess that shows testament to Sterling by MM quality these days. I had a Stingray 4 for about 3 weeks back in 2014 before I sold it in favor of the Sterling. I hated that bass, turned me off of the regular stingrays for good. That tort pick-guard looks great on the black CA's. I'm convinced I don't need a Stingray Classic, not like I could afford one soon anyways haha. Just needed more convincing to keep my Sterling.
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Really! :-)
 
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#28
LadyLoveStingRay5 said:
I would suggest Stingray SLO or a Caprice.
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That stringray 4 I had for 3 weeks had an SLO neck. The neck was one of the reasons I hated it because it dug into my left hand and left a blister, I never had a bass do that before. I had a SUB bass and preferred that to the Stingray. Caprice I tried once at one of my music stores and I loved it. Whenever I have the money I may get one of those.
 
#30
TjMetalhead said:
So this is something I've been mulling over for a few years. I love my Sterling Ray 34CA, it's my number one (especially since they've been discontinued). The feature I love most is the thin jazz style neck. It would be nice one day to have an upper tier brand bass like a Sting Ray Classic or a USA made Fender. That's why I'm thinking the Stingray Classic because it seems like a logical step up from the Sterling but is it worth it? Is there a really difference in sound? What does the neck feel like compared to the sterling? I ask because I only played a SR classic once 7 years ago at GC and the set up was terrible so I never got to play one properly. What say you stingray players? I should mention the music I play is akin to Rush, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, and Iron Maiden. Thanks!
Click to expand...

I may be a few years too late, but the perfect answer to all your worries would have been the EBMM Cutlass bass. It is the perfect marriage of everything you love about Fender + EBMM.
 
#32
Rdore2000 said:
What did you finally end up getting?
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Wow! Didn't realize this still got views every so often. So I actually took the advice of TB and got a PJ bass. It's my own custom fender with GZR EMG's. I actually ended up finding the very first Sterling Ray 34 CA I ever bought when I was 17 (I'm now 26).

Funny quick story, I worked at a local used music store and this was about 2 weeks before the shutdown and someone brings in a sterling to sell. I had sold my sterling back in 2013 to my local GC. It was a late 2011 model (the first run of Sterling Ray 34CA's), the best ones in my opinion. I inspect it and notice certain marks that stood out and lo and behold it used to be mine. How do I know? At one time I put paper towels underneath the pickup to raise it a bit higher and I checked underneath the pickup and the paper towels were still there. What are the odds? I bought it in for the store and then I ended up buying it back for myself.

As much as I wanted a Sting Ray Classic at one time, I realized don't need to be spending more than $1000 on instruments. I love my custom fender and my original Sterling CA that came back to me.

20200906_195603.jpg
 
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#33
TjMetalhead said:
Wow! Didn't realize this still got views every so often. So I actually took the advice of TB and got a PJ bass. It's my own custom fender with GZR EMG's. I actually ended up finding the very first Sterling Ray 34 CA I ever bought when I was 17 (I'm now 26).

Funny quick story, I worked at a local used music store and this was about 2 weeks before the shutdown and someone brings in a sterling to sell. I had sold my sterling back in 2013 to my local GC. It was a late 2011 model (the first run of Sterling Ray 34CA's), the best ones in my opinion. I inspect it and notice certain marks that stood out and lo and behold it used to be mine. How do I know? At one time I put paper towels underneath the pickup to raise it a bit higher and I checked underneath the pickup and the paper towels were still there. What are the odds? I bought it in for the store and then I ended up buying it back for myself.

As much as I wanted a Sting Ray Classic at one time, I realized don't need to be spending more than $1000 on instruments. I love my custom fender and my original Sterling CA that came back to me.

View attachment 3974141
Click to expand...

You think you don't...until you do :roflmao::roflmao:
 
#36
Rdore2000 said:
Where you say you don't need to spend over a 1000 USD on an instrument.
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Been there done that. I think you missed my post where I said I paid $1500 for a USA Stingray 4 and I absolutely hated it. At the time I had a $300 sterling SUB bass and liked it much more over the $1500 stingray. That's the day I realized price tags/country of manufacture doesn't mean squat. I also have a $500 MIM Fender P bass that I love more than any USA P bass. All that matters is what sounds and feels good to you the player. The only scenario I could see myself spending more than $1000 is (A) I'm actually making that kind of money and (B) It's an actual 1977 pre-Ernie ball Musicman.
 
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