LOL!
Since they didn’t listen to me about clear coating the face of the headstock, over the logo, you’ll find that you can remove any part of the logo with 91% Isopropyl Alcohol and a Q-tip.
No need to sand...
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Sterling SUB ray4 changes
- Thread starter Fatcat1
- Start date
LOL!
Since they didn’t listen to me about clear coating the face of the headstock, over the logo, you’ll find that you can remove any part of the logo with 91% Isopropyl Alcohol and a Q-tip.
No need to sand...
See, this is the kind of stuff that happens when the VP gets let go, you know, the guy responsible for all the product from the last 6+ years...
I’ll clarify here.
KOREAN FACTORY CLOSED IN LATE AUGUST...
NONE OF THE SBMM OR SUB SERIES HAVE 9.5 RADIUS
All SUB SERIES 4 strings have a 38mm nut with 12” radius
All SUB SERIES 5 strings have a 45mm nut with 12” radius
SUB SERIES are all made in China and Indonesia.
See, these kinds of errors happen when you get someone who knows nothing about their own product referencing the Music Man website to try to get specs on their own instruments (because they don’t know how to even measure a fretboard radius...)
It’s sad to see this stuff happening, but that’s what happens when you let someone go due to a “Corporate Restructure”...
I hope that this clears things up.
Also, you’ll find that the electronics in Ray24/25 are the same as the new SUB Series Ray4/5 preamp.
There is no more hot preamp issue with this design, which was closely based on the “Old Smoothie” preamp. It has a much mellower, “P/J” vibe to it rather than a classic StingRay growl.
There is no more hot preamp issue with this design, which was closely based on the “Old Smoothie” preamp. It has a much mellower, “P/J” vibe to it rather than a classic StingRay growl.
- Dec 28, 2009
- 2,053
- 1,380
- Disclosures
- Endorsed by K.B. Guitars, Nordstrand Audio Pickups, Von York Strings and Gallien-Krueger Amps.
My apologies for the misinformation. I was told directly everything was made in Korea. So the guitars and basses that are not sub series are made in Indonesia then?
Also, I got my neck info from stuff I was sent and I believe, also the website.
My initial order was small. 1 Ray 34 koa, 1 JP 60 in the new color this year, mystic dream and 1 JP 150 in neptune blue with quilted maple top.
When I got everything, I took them out of the boxes just long enough to inspect for damages and then briefly plugged them in to make sure everything worked. I then put them back in their boxes to sell.
I didn’t really play the Ray 34 long enough to notice specific neck radius.
That sucks you were let go. I hate hearing about stuff like that. Especially if someone has excellent product knowledge.
I’ve had the instruments listed for about 2 months now but have had very little interest. I’ve had 2 offers made from people wanting to make ridiculous low ball offers and that is it so I may be re-evaluating some things.
Thanks again for clearing up the info.
Feel free
Hi Jay,
You’re more than likely dealing with Josh then as far as Sales go. He is a very dear friend and a super guy. I promoted him to Sales Associate several years ago, so know you’re in good hands with him. It was probably a misunderstanding or miscommunication regarding country of origin.
If you’re having difficulty moving the stock, hit him up for images and such, and always look outside of the box for sales opportunities to drive business to your location. OfferUp, Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, as well as your own company store Facebook page are valuable tools in this 21st Century Retail Marketplace. Additionally, having an Amazon and Reverb presence is a must.
Back to the instruments.
For certain, JP60 and JP150 are Indonesia. More than likely your Ray34-Koa is Korea. You can see the COO on the rear of the headstock.
Yeah, it was odd being let go the day before NAMM. If you look up SBMM NAMM on YouTube, you’ll see quite a few videos of me talking about the instruments from many of the previous years, as I was the go-to guy for all things SBMM.
Best of luck, and PM or email me if you need anything.
Hi Jay,
You’re more than likely dealing with Josh then as far as Sales go. He is a very dear friend and a super guy. I promoted him to Sales Associate several years ago, so know you’re in good hands with him. It was probably a misunderstanding or miscommunication regarding country of origin.
If you’re having difficulty moving the stock, hit him up for images and such, and always look outside of the box for sales opportunities to drive business to your location. OfferUp, Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, as well as your own company store Facebook page are valuable tools in this 21st Century Retail Marketplace. Additionally, having an Amazon and Reverb presence is a must.
Back to the instruments.
For certain, JP60 and JP150 are Indonesia. More than likely your Ray34-Koa is Korea. You can see the COO on the rear of the headstock.
Yeah, it was odd being let go the day before NAMM. If you look up SBMM NAMM on YouTube, you’ll see quite a few videos of me talking about the instruments from many of the previous years, as I was the go-to guy for all things SBMM.
Best of luck, and PM or email me if you need anything.
hmmm.......So one can easily remove the "Sub Series" and replace it with let's say the "Jimmy Hendrix Signature Edition" on it? (Reference to another thread here about an obviously fake Fender bass on CL).Also, I guess I won't be touching the headstock too often, some of us sweat alcohol y'know.
Sorry to see you no longer with the company. To be honest with you, I bought one of the early production run Indonesian SBMM SUB series, I really liked the bass but had some of the hot preamp issues. The fact that you were addressing questions and concerns here on TB, even letting us know about a workaround regarding this issue, influenced me somewhat to buy 4 more SUB basses. Of course I liked the basses to begin with, but the on the ball customer support on TB made me feel better about buying them. Big loss imo.
Seriously. They don't know what they're missing, @SBMM
Your posts have always been incredibly helpful.
When you say "new" preamp, you mean the one that was put in last year's China models as well, or is it also new compared to that one?
Also man thanks for all you've done. I wonder how many SBMM you sold alone just from your board presence!
- Dec 28, 2009
- 2,053
- 1,380
- Disclosures
- Endorsed by K.B. Guitars, Nordstrand Audio Pickups, Von York Strings and Gallien-Krueger Amps.
@SBMM, I just checked and you are correct that the 2 JP models were made in Indonesia and the Ray 34 was made in Korea.
With the Korean plant having shut down, does that mean all future models that are not Sub models made in China will also be made in Indonesia? So if in a few months I order another Ray 34, will it also be Indonesian made?
With the Korean plant having shut down, does that mean all future models that are not Sub models made in China will also be made in Indonesia? So if in a few months I order another Ray 34, will it also be Indonesian made?
I was worried when I had ordered my Ray34 that it'd just not compare to my EBMM and I expected that I would send it back. However, my Korean ray34 is an amazing player and right out of the box was really ready to go, so its a loss to see that operation close. I had a set up done on my Ray34 just to smooth things out to my own style but anyone could have picked it up and it would have felt set up well to them. I enjoy playing the sub basses they put out whenever I have the chance, but I've not found one that jumps out at me or really gets me into it at a personal level. My Indo G&L Tele, however, is just excellent. Indonesia certainly has some skilled workers, so hopefully if there is increased production with many of their lines landing in Indonesia the craftsmanship of the basses will improve over the Chinese basses. My favorite "value add" feature of the Ray34 series was the color matched headstock. The EBMM's don't even get that treatment very often, and its a real pleaser to have such a nice finishing touch.
Just got my Ray35. I was not expecting a non-flagship brand to be so high quality. The build, the finish, the sound are all top tier. If it didn't say Sterling on the headstock I'd swear it was the real deal.
It's gorgeous in person! The gig bag's pretty nice, not quite as nice as Warwick's Rockbag, but it's well padded
I am seriously looking at a StingRay4 with 3 tone satin sunburst. Think I might get it!
I'm looking at a SUB ray 4...are they still coming in mint green? They're listed on the website as mint green, but it also lists a 9.5" radius...so just confirming.
I had a chance to play the 'new' Ray4 at GC yesterday. In short--it's the old Ray4 with a new headstock decal (and a clean pre-amp, although I've played plenty of of the old models with clean electronics, too). So the changes are mainly cosmetic, and it remains a very good bass at $299.
I have to admit - I was not aware they offer these Sterling Ray4's so cheap. I was looking for a cheap beater 4-string and was going to go the Harley Benton route, until I saw the colors on these. Fiesta red, Vintage white, Walnut satin? Pretty much the hardest part is to choose which to get 
I have to admit - I was not aware they offer these Sterling Ray4's so cheap. I was looking for a cheap beater 4-string and was going to go the Harley Benton route, until I saw the colors on these. Fiesta red, Vintage white, Walnut satin? Pretty much the hardest part is to choose which to get
The answer to your question is pretty obvious....this was my solution when the SUB basses first came out.
Would be interested to know the weight
Whats your preference between the maple and the rosewood neck? Are they tonaly different?
