I have to accept it... the Sterling is the best bass

[tunaman4u2]

I've researched, tested, played a ton of basses & I just have to stop looking

The Sterling HH is the best 34" scale bass with a J sized neck... but lets not stop there... lets throw in the HS & the Stingray HH too.

Its the 5 position switch. That thing just rocks. So many different TONES not just EQ. Tons of pickup placements in just the right spot. Rock solid construction, comfy pickups to play off

I have a Bongo & its wonderful, but the 5 position switch just beats a blend for me, changing tones on the fly. Plus its a no for me as a 4 string for the spacing

The Big Al. Sounds a lot like a Sterling but again Id rather have the switch then the buttons & I'm a really big fan of where the pickups are on the Sterling\Stingray (They also have 4 vs 3)

The Reflex. This is where things get interesting. The HSS.. has 4 coils just like the HH. I kinda like the Stingray\Sterling pickup positions but its subjective thing. The Reflex HH, now thats a bass I want BADLY. If I could play that spacing I'd love to A|B it vs the Sterling. It has the location of the pickups, the EQ, the passive\active, the series\parallel. If only with a J neck!

I have to accept that the Reflex is different, just like the Bongo & Big Al is different but I just keep coming back to loving the Sterling, its just the best even though its not the latest & greatest

I could only imagine the Sterling\Stingray HH\HS with a 4 band EQ & Active\Passive. That would be the perfect bass... as for now, I'll just keep accepting the best bass with a J neck you can buy!

EDIT: This is more about the Sterling being better than all the other manufactures out there but I didnt' want to go through all the basses from other brands that I've tossed aside, lets just say its been a lot & the Sterling wins !! The EBMMs are close behind & I love my Bongo too!

 

[five7]

Thanks for rubbing it in, I really would like another sterling 5.

 

[Gravesend Black]

Hey, sterling lovers) Could you answer me about one question? According that an old ceramic SR5 is pre-Sterling but with SR shape does it share whole electronics or just ceramic PUs?

 

[tkarter]

I will maintain a Bongo 5 H is the best bass ever. LOL Unless we go Bongo 6 H.

tk

 

[tunaman4u2]

I will maintain a Bongo 5 H is the best bass ever. LOL Unless we go Bongo 6 H.

tk

I guess I should clarify... I'm talking MOSTLY about versatility. A Bongo H is a great bass, different tone but it wouldn't be classified as more versatile than a Sterling HH. If I was in an original band & could pick my own tone, maybe I'd prefer the Bongo H vs playing covers

 

[keko]

Reflex 5 HH is the best for me, ...I'm only tired of cleaning unfinished maple fret board!

Body construction (ash/mahogany/maple), neck shape, ceramic humbackers, bridge H at the sweetspot...lots of coil switching options, active/passive, brutal 18V preamp with 4 band EQ, LW tuners, ...no neck dive/perfect balance...etc.

Reflex rule for me!

 

[tunaman4u2]

Reflex 5 HH is the best for me, ...I'm only tired of cleaning unfinished maple fret board!

Body construction (ash/mahogany/maple), neck shape, ceramic humbackers, bridge H at the sweetspot...lots of coil switching options, active/passive, brutal 18V preamp with 4 band EQ, LW tuners, ...no neck dive/perfect balance...etc.

Reflex rule for me!

If I could play it! the Reflex HH is THE BEST BASS PERIOD... As for now, the Sterling is the best bass with a J neck

 

[Psycho Ward]

The Sterling is the official bass of Lefthanzia.

 

[T-bone]

As much as I love my 30th, my Sterling is getting more and more play time. That neck is just so damn sexy.

tbone

 

[tunaman4u2]

As much as I love my 30th, my Sterling is getting more and more play time. That neck is just so damn sexy.

tbone

You got it, the neck! Its awesome! The only way to improve on the bass would be the Reflex electronics package. Since no other J sized neck bass in the land has that... that makes the Sterling HH the king. The selection for J necks bass across all manufactures is so poor... Its like you MUST play a J & like it.

 

[keko]

Ohh, ...now I just realized that You guys talkin' 'bout 4 string basses, right?

I owned Sterling 5 and that 5th tuning machine was just too much weight on headstock so I had a problem with neck dive, also string spacing at nut (5 strings Sterling) was just too small for me! That's why I prefer reflex and Bongo 5 string necks, slightly wider string spacing at nut and now even a Bongo got new LW tuners, so neck dive should be history!

 

[Freddels]

Hey, sterling lovers) Could you answer me about one question? According that an old ceramic SR5 is pre-Sterling but with SR shape does it share whole electronics or just ceramic PUs?

It is my understanding that EBMM just took the ceramic pickup and the electronics from the SR5 and dumped them into the Sterling 5 (b/c the older SR5 was really a Sterling with a 5th string). And the new SR5's have the Stingray pickups and electronics. It took me a while to get my head around it.

 

[Gravesend Black]

It is my understanding that EBMM just took the ceramic pickup and the electronics from the SR5 and dumped them into the Sterling 5 (b/c the older SR5 was really a Sterling with a 5th string). And the new SR5's have the Stingray pickups and electronics. It took me a while to get my head around it.

Thx. I knew about present SR5 but was wandering about the old ones)

So anyone can tell exact info about present day SR5/ceramic SR5/Sterling electronics similarities? Except the PUs that is purely obvious

 

[Golem]

`
The old SR5 is the same as the Sterling 4 that was
contemporary to the old SR5. The Sterling 4 was
born in order to provide a 4-string version of the
old SR5 [which was sooooo different from the old
SR4 at that time ..].


`

 

[1954bassman]

I likes my Sterling 5HS so much I bought a 5H, and sold all but my G&L L2500 fretless and my Epipy El Captian

 

[tunaman4u2]

I likes my Sterling 5HS so much I bought a 5H, and sold all but my G&L L2500 fretless and my Epipy El Captian

Good man, I'm selling my Sterling HH to buy another Sterling HH ! ha ha ! I'd love to try a HS one day & sell my last remaining non EBMM to do it

 

[jliptak06]

I wont say that it's the best bass. That really depends on the bassist and their individual sound and style. I've met plenty of bassists that love a thicker neck and a larger radius. One of my friends has an Ibanez BTB705dx and the neck is extra wide for a 5 but the spacing is just right. Plus his action is crazy low, so you can be wicked fast on it.

For me, yes the Sterling 4HH is the best I've had. I love the versatility of it and the neck is heaven. Cant forget how comfortable it is hanging on you. The biggest thing that got me was how hot the pickups are but once you learn the pickup selections and how to EQ them to your liking. Its amazing! The more I play it and gig, the more I love it.

 

[tunaman4u2]

The Sterling is the BEST bass (which I'm defining as great sounding & the most versatile) with a J neck thats a mass produced bass ie not a custom

I've tried a lot of other manufacturers. Actually there isn't that much out there so EBMM nailed the Big Al & Sterling offerings. I could see why they wont offer a Reflex with a Sterling neck having the Big Al but damn would I love that.

 

[cellkirk74]

Reflex 5 HH is the best for me, ...I'm only tired of cleaning unfinished maple fret board!

You could get a finish for it. I think someone, not sure who it was, got his oiled & waxed neck finished about 2 years ago or so...

 

[tunaman4u2]

Brought my J to practice vs my Sterling HH yesterday... not even close the Sterling crushes it in every way.