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Stingray vs. Sterling

Rush Fan

Rush Fan

Sep 1, 2006
81
56
Southern California USA
#1
I just played an EBMM Sterling and just loved it. I was told though that the Stingray is more like a P bass but in reading the dimension on both bases, it appeared to me they were quite similar in weight and nut spacing. Basically what I'm looking for is one of them to sound much different than my Fender Geddy Lee Jazz bass. If I get either EBMM models, it'll be a four string with a maple neck. What do you guys have to add to this?


Rush Fan
 
#5
Do a search, been done to death, BUT the important differences that you will notice right away when playing them both are


sterling neck is thinner, more similiar to the geddy.
sterling body is smaller
sterling has 22 frets, stingray 21
sterling has the series/singlecoil/parallel coil switch


sterling is therefore more versatile, as far as who can get more tones. However, that does not mean that either bass will or wont work for a certain setting, the music man tone is incredible flexible.

Both will sound much different from the geddy lee. The sterling will have a bit more mids whereas the stingray tends to be a bit more scooped sounding.
 
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#6
Thanks guys. It sounds like I can't go wrong with either of them. I just want to make sure that I'll get the classic MM sound. I liked the Sterling as far as playablity more than the StingRay but I've always dug that StingRay tone. Now comes the procuring of the funds for purchase. :bassist::cool:

Rush Fan
 
#7
The neck on the Sterling is stellar, however, You'll get more beef in your tone with a StingRay. Neck mass is the number one contributer to beefiness...and the body is bigger, more beef. You'll be using more of the bass and less of the preamp. my opinion.
 
#9
Hijacking the topic, but does anyone know the history of the sterling? I wonder way they made a "stingray based" model instead of doing a different design. Also, I don't understand why they just didn't named it just "stingray special", "stingray custom" or something like that.
 
#11
Figjam said:
Do a search, been done to death, BUT the important differences that you will notice right away when playing them both are


sterling neck is thinner, more similiar to the geddy.
sterling body is smaller
sterling has 22 frets, stingray 21
sterling has the series/singlecoil/parallel coil switch


sterling is therefore more versatile, as far as who can get more tones. However, that does not mean that either bass will or wont work for a certain setting, the music man tone is incredible flexible.

Both will sound much different from the geddy lee. The sterling will have a bit more mids whereas the stingray tends to be a bit more scooped sounding.
Click to expand...

Thats odd, my Sterling doesn't have that switch, it just has the pickup switch.
 
#12
John Deacon said:
Thats odd, my Sterling doesn't have that switch, it just has the pickup switch.
Click to expand...

If you have a single coil Sterling, the switch is a 3-way that switches between series, parallel, and split coil on the humbucker. If yours is a HH or HS it has a 5 way that selects individual humbuckers, both humbuckers, and selections of tapped coils from both pickups (inside and outside pairs)
 
#13
I would say the stingray has a wider flatter neck (from the back, not the radius) while the Sterling is rounder and much narrower at the nut. The Sterling is a lot like some eras of Jazz that I have played in that way, but not like the current ones (orthe geddy) at all. Also the tone of the Sterling is a bit more mid forward than the ray. But then most EBMM basses are a lot more mid forward in general than any P bass and even with the treble and mid cranked they dont get that upper mid chirp that a Jazz can do.
It is kind of funny how every Leo Fender company has a P type bass and a J type.
 
#17
syciprider said:
I think that's because someone used the search and simply resurrected an old thread vice making a new one. Isn't that how the Search Nazis want things to work?
Click to expand...
yeah thats forums for you, damn'd if you do, damn'd if you don't. What's worse is being a forum admin! I have done that professionally and it is a thankless task.

But more to the point of my alleged thread resuscitation, I am just all giggly about my new Sterling. The neck is little gummy/dirty on the back so I did a quick search for the care and maintenance of the gun oil/wax neck finish on the Sterling. (My Ray has the older polished poly coat neck finish). This thread was one that came up some how.
 
#18
Can anyone explain to me the S.L.O. Special?? I know that its a Sterling neck on a Stingray body, but I didn't previously realize that the Sterling has an extra fret... Is the Sterling neck adjusted for the Stingray body on the S.L.O. Special or is the Stingray body modified??? I ask, because I read in the MTD forum that a simple neck swap from a 21 to a 24 fret neck doesn't work (in the MTD realm) is it the same here as well??? Or the other entirely plausible explanation, What am I missing? Not trying to derail, it seems kinda relevant...
 

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