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Stingray vs. Sterling

Stingray vs. Sterling

  • Stingray

    Votes: 125 63.5%

  • Sterling

    Votes: 72 36.5%
  • Total voters
    197
  • Poll closed .
#5
The basses do seem to sound identical when both are wired in parallel mode. However, I love being able to siwitch into single coil mode on my Sterling when playing fingerstyle. It enables me to emulate the sound of a good jazz bass with the bridge pickup soloed. The Stingray 4 does not have this capability, although the Stingray 5 does.
 
#8
I prefer Sterlings for their greater, though not that great, tonal variety and smaller dimensions. The Ray is a classic but it's a big cumbersome beast. I've never noticed any difference in tone between the two when the Sterling is set in the Ray mode.
 
#10
i like my sterling better simply because it has a thinner neck and it somwhat more versatile. i can get it pretty close to ray sound but not quite. id be interested to hear people's "ray mode" settings for their sterlings too.
 
#12
kilgoja said:
to me the stingray is light because my bass before that was a fender jazz...the stingray is a little smaller...i don't know exactly ....maybe they weigh about the same....does anyone know
Click to expand...

it depends. i had a jazz bass that weighed close to 11 pounds and another one that weighed 8 - 9.
 
#13
Her's my opinion- The Stering is much warmer sounding than the Stingrays I've tried, and that's exactly what I like in a bass. I couldn't dial in the sound I wanted with the Stingray. Plus the neck is thin and comfortable and it only weighs 9lb.
 
#14
kilgoja said:
i played both of them...and i couldn't get the sterling to sound as good as the stingray even though it has the switch on it
Click to expand...
That's what I want to know. What are the tonal differences? It's too noisy at our local GC's to shop by sound. Damn guitarists. :eyebrow: Always steppin' on your groove.
 
#15
all i can really say is that the stingray has more growl to it...it's just got that unique sound that no other bass can acheive....although i saw a flea bass on ebay the other day that had a seymour duncan alinco magnet stingray pickup in it....i wonder how it sounds?
 
#16
Love my Sterling, playing off the neck vs pickup makes a HUGE difference, the tone is close... Go by what feels better. Slappers Stingray though...
Get a pretty one, Pearl Blue, White Pearlized pickguard, rosewood board, THE LADIES LOVE IT!! Matching strap with a matching dolphin hanging off... ladies go home with you!
 
#17
superfly said:
Just curious, how does one set a Sterling in the "ray mode" ? What are the knob and switch settings?
Click to expand...
Switch towards the bridge: Parallel ('Stingray') mode
Switch in the middle: Single coil ('Jazz') mode with the other coil working to cancel out hum (phantom coil)
Switch facing the neck: Series mode, can't think of a well known example really, though I'm pretty sure my Ibanez is wired series.

Search around, you'll find everything you need to know about these beasts.

Marty
 
#18
Sterling. I find I can get a pretty close Ray sound with mine, it's not the same, it's not as burpy (Though I have rosewood which adds to that anyway) but the other possibilities with a single switch are pretty amazing. Going through the warwick, I can get pretty awesome growl, infact, very awesome growl. Put it on parallel and I can emulate a Myung tone easily and it's great for soloing or a more mid punchy tone.

I voted Sterling, because of the tonal flexibility (Theres more than most people realise in there, in fact alot more, it just takes a bit of fiddling) but i'd love a Ray as well.

Just to note, I have found that a Ray 5 doesn't sound like a Ray 4 either.
 
#19
kilgoja said:
all i can really say is that the stingray has more growl to it...it's just got that unique sound that no other bass can acheive....although i saw a flea bass on ebay the other day that had a seymour duncan alinco magnet stingray pickup in it....i wonder how it sounds?
Click to expand...

Just to be a bitch. I find the sterling has much more growl, especially in single coil (I can almost get a Warwick esque growl, takes some eq'ing though). Compared to the Stingray which is usually said to have a more 'burpy' sound.
 

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