NuttnButDaBlues
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- Dec 24, 2013
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- 2
Love the bass, but just COULD NOT get used to that volume pot. Changed it out for a conventional pot and much better now.
- Thread starter Chris C
- Start date
StuonBass
New member
Purchased the Ray4 in late 2012. Ordered one in black and tan, which looks awesome! First thing I noticed was how light it was. First gig I had with it was on one of the biggest club stages in St Louis (Pops) and sound check got a big thumbs up from sound man. It plays very well and sounds big. I am not a Stringray guy so, I am not sure if it has the Ray sound or not, but a nice modern rock sound for sure. I am much more accustomed to passive Fender P or J tones, which I actually prefer, but for the price, this bass offers a good alternative. I have to agree with other reviewers on the electronics. Low boost is thunderous and will overload the input of my amp if set really high. Treble is way too brash when boosted and even when fully cut, the overall tone is still bright. I favor a bright tone so all good. I have enjoyed it very much and glad to have it in my arsenal. I need to play it more often!
S.U.B. Zero
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- Nov 10, 2014
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Just curious, what pot value did you use? Thanks.
SBMM
Well-known member
Look farther back in this post. There is a link to a modification that I came up with and it gives all the necessary changes step by step
S.U.B. Zero
New member
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- Nov 10, 2014
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Thanks for the reply. Unfortunately, the two links that I found in this thread are dead. :-/
SBMM
Well-known member
Here's the new link for that thread with the full modification:
Sterling by Music Man SUB Ray4 and Ray5 | Page 17 | TalkBass.com
SBMM
Well-known member
It's not a problem, it's just the way that it is designed.
The modification I came up with just re-routs the preamp signal through the VR to give more control over the output and lessen the harshness that some people don't care for.
The modification I came up with just re-routs the preamp signal through the VR to give more control over the output and lessen the harshness that some people don't care for.
S.U.B. Zero
New member
- Joined
- Nov 10, 2014
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- 4
Great! Thanks. After reading through many of the posts I think I'll go forward with replacing the preamp and pickup as I had originally planned. Otherwise, a great bass. A bit heavy but I like it. The 16.25mm string spacing is an added plus IMO.
RobertB
Well-known member
Surprisingly good, while at the same time not so suprising, given the name on it. But still, I was just shocked when I first played one ... the one that I took home shortly thereafter. I thought "how is this possible", and I still think that every time I play it. I truly don't know.
Thumbs up on these.
I have an sb14 and a ray4. Previously owned a ray34. Very wise choice for MM to offer these. My only complaint is you need to lower the pickup quite a bit because they're really high gain pickups.
I have an sb14 and a ray4. Previously owned a ray34. Very wise choice for MM to offer these. My only complaint is you need to lower the pickup quite a bit because they're really high gain pickups.
Just thought some comments/opinions (by me and anyone else who owns one of these basses) might help those contemplating getting one with their decision.
Not all that long ago, I bought a Classic Stingray. Great bass. Sounded killer. Very classy. Beautiful. Everything about it was stellar... except my hands, unfortunately. I could certainly play it without any trouble, but I'm "blessed" with tiny hands and short fingers. I simply prefer the narrower and slimmer neck and I'm tired of “making do with a “normal person's bass.”So, I sucked it up, sold the Classic Stingray, and used the proceeds to special order my dream Stingray, which is a couple of months out (natural finish, maple neck, 2-band EQ, SLO neck... Perfection!!!).
In the mean time, I bought a "cheapie" Sterling SUB Series Stingray. Truthfully, I wasn't expecting much. It's a cheap bass. Cheap basses suck... or at least they did when I was learning to play. Back then a cheap bass was pretty much automatically a dog -- unplayable, sounded like garbage, felt like garbage, and fell apart soon after you bought it. I know, cause I had a few back in the day (when the dinosaurs still roamed the earth).
Boy... was I pleasantly surprised by this SUB Stingray. I would have given my eye teeth back when I was learning to play bass to have something as nice as this. Yes, obviously the hardware is not as high-end as the real Stingrays. But I must say that I LOVE this bass. I haven't been able to put it down since I got it. I've used it for everything I'm doing -- band gigs, recording, and whatever else.
It sounds like a Stingray, but with some differences (and not even bad differences, just variations on a theme). To my ears, the bass control is very similar to the 2-band Stingray, but perhaps a bit "hotter," boosting and cutting more. It is quite sensitive. You can really get some huge boom out of it.
On the other hand, the treble control is, to my ears, quite different. In fact, I would call it a "high-mid" control more than a straight-up treble boost/cut. In boost mode, it's a bit harsh to my ears, although I boost just a very small amount for slap. Other than that, I use it as a cut. And as a cut, it ABSOLUTELY shines, IMO. It almost acts as a passive tone control sound. I can crank the zing out easily and get an old-school Motown thump if I slightly boost the bass. So this “treble” control won't give you shimmering highs like a regular Stingray treble knob, but it does do something just as useful, I would argue, in a greater number of musical settings.
In general, the preamp is very HOT! The signal is way hotter than I'm used to. I have to really pad the input on my amp to keep from overdriving the input stage and clipping/distorting. This SUB has a WAY hotter signal than my other active basses, including the Stingray I sold.
As for the volume control. Well, what can I say? It's weird. For about 7/8ths of its travel it only marginally turns the volume down. Then at the very end of the travel, it's almost like an on-off switch! Now, I'm sure this is just due to the price point. You can't use top-of-the-line electronic components when selling the basses for so cheap. At first I just concluded that I would replace it with a better pot. But, as I used it more... I actually found that a "by-product" of it's weird character was actually useful. Through the first part of its travel, it actually acts like a subtle tone knob. It doesn't cut much volume and at the same time it rolls the high end off at the upper frequencies and sort of smooths things out a bit. I actually find that a useful addition for lots of things. So... the "cheapness" of the pot actually turned out to be quite useful. (my apologies if it was intentionally designed that way... but, I'm doubting it.
As for the feel of the neck... love at first touch. My small hands really dig it. Narrow, thin, and sleek. The finish is the slightest bit sticky at times, but nothing fine steel wool won't cure. It's a flat/satin finish, so no gloss finish is harmed by this process.
As I said, the hardware is not the most heavy-duty (nor should it be at this price point). But it's all perfectly serviceable and works the way it's supposed to. It's not junk like low-end hardware was 30 years ago. The pickup is fine. Honestly, I'd intended to change the preamp and pickup before I actually got it. But after playing it for awhile, no way am I going to touch it. It sounds great. Running through my amp, it has its own voice, but it sounds as good as anything else I have.
Until I get my new SLO Stingray, this will be my main bass. And I have no reservations about using it as such. Hell, I may become so attached to it that it will stay my main bass.
So, if you are a beginner, or a seasoned player who wants a "beater bass" (personally I think it's better than that!), don't hesitate in getting one of these. As I said earlier, I only wish they would have had "beginner basses" like this back when I was learning. I actually had a bass (my first) where the entire body cracked open (huge crack) over the course of a couple of days while trying to play it. That was excuse enough to throw it in the garbage because the action was so high and neck so warped, I could hardly fret a string. None of that here. The SUB is a class act "beginner's bass" that can certainly do gigs as well. And it's SO inexpensive. Amazing.
Any other Sterling SUB Series Stingray owners like yours as much as I like mine?
Orangejulius3
Active member
Hi, my first post
SBMM Ray5
I needed a 5 string and this bass has really impressed me so far.
SBMM Ray5
I needed a 5 string and this bass has really impressed me so far.
SBMM
Well-known member
They are there now.
Awesome. Can't find a dealer yet though.
SBMM
Well-known member
Best bet is to look on our website, find your country, and contact the distributor that services your region. They can generally let you know exactly who has what. If you have an issue with finding it after that, email me directly and I'll intervene for you. [email protected]
Link
Is there a new link for this? This one goes to another message board that doesn't have the info for this.
Is there a new link for this? This one goes to another message board that doesn't have the info for this.
BrickGlass
Well-known member
Just bought my daughter a Sterling Sub Ray4 for her birthday. She turned 12 and the bass that she started on at age 6 was getting a little too small for her. Oh my hell, this bass is so great for the price. So impressed with the quality. Could not recommend a better bass in this price range. There simply isn't a better bass in this price range. Kudos SBMM.
danny-79
Well-known member
Im sold! , this is just what I'm looking for, (apart from a Bongo 4H but that's an on going search) I "neeeed" a back up bass to take to the larger gigs, and from what I have seen of them in local shops they fit the bill perfectly.
Would I be happy playing the whole gig with one of theses if SunBlue had a hissy fit first song ? hell yeah !
Would I be happy playing the whole gig with one of theses if SunBlue had a hissy fit first song ? hell yeah !
