Ray 34 CA vs Ray 24 CA

[mateoloco]

New to the forum, will be getting a Stingray bass of some sort in the very near future.

I searched on the forum but couldn't find any info. What's difference between the discontinued Ray 34 CA and the current Ray 24 CAs?

I'm guessing that the Ray 34 CAs are "closer" to EBMM Stingrays since they are likelier similar to the Ray 34s at the time. I know both CAs are the Classic Active with the narrower neck, slab body, and the 2 band active preamp. I think I read where the 34 CA's use the alnico pickup (which the Ray34s and EBMM Stingrays also use), whereas the 24 CAs use a ceramic one, but I'm not 100% certain. I'd love to hear how, if at all, they're different.

When the 34CAs were available were they priced comparably to the Ray 34s or were they less expensive like the 24CAs are?

(In case anyone cares, I've narrowed it down to a 34 CA, a USA SUB, or an EBMM Stingray Special 4. Not sure I can allocate enough resources for the EBMM Stingray Special, but the tax return was quite good and build code is on my birthday.)

 

[Stephen]

I'd love to help you here, but I can't.

The SBMM line up is a bit of a mess with seemingly random spec changes that are hard to comprehend and even harder to follow on the used market, which is why I never ordered a new one and hardly look out for what might be agood pre owned instruments.

I did however buy one guitar off the wall at my local brick and mortar shop.

It would be really helpful if SBMM put up a family tree for each line of instruments, including the specs and retail price tags. As it is, I have no idea what any of the instruments were made from, to what spec, with which hardware and what they sold for ... or why any two SBMM Stingrays are 2 or 3 times apart in pricing. And again, this is much worse for the used market.

Not trying to rant here, quite the contrary: I think that more detailed information would help selling more instruments, especially if they have been in the shops for a year or longer and the SBMM website no longer offers any information on them. To this day, I have not found out what year or model my SBMM Silo actually is. But it's a nice guitar, which for now has to do.