Question Sterling SB14?

[tj1]

I wondered if anyone had opinions about this(got my eye on a second hand one), i understand it has been discontinued.

I am new to the bass and can't really justify the cost of a fully fledged Stingray. How does this compare? the asking price is £395 or about $500.

Any/all advice appreciated!

 

[Otto Sump]

Yes I have had one for many years. This is a truly excellent bass for the price. From what i understand it has the same pickup and electronics as the EBMM version. It has a nice fast (Lacquered) neck with a "jazz" profile. The main difference between the SBMM and the EBMM is the body wood, which is basswood on the SBMM.

Playing wise, the body is nice and compact but not particularly light. It weighs about the same as my EBMM Stingray. The lacquer on the narrow neck is not at all sticky and the action goes very low on mine (2 mm at the 12th fret), overall leading towards a very fast playing neck.

Tonally the output from the ceramic humbucker is very hot indeed and it will clip my SVT without attenuation. The tone is classic Musicman - very punchy and with those characteristic overtones. It's much fatter sounding than my stingray though and rolling the mids off on the 3-band EQ can make it sound a bit honky. This IMO is a bass good for rock, blues and metal. Because it slightly lacks the clarity of a Stingray, strings feel like they go dead a bit more quickly, so it's not an optimal bass for slapping - for that i use the 'Ray.

However, I replaced 2 USA P-basses and a Lakland Bob Glaub with my SB14. In a live rock band situation it just sounds better, more agressive and just cut's through the mix superbly.

If you are after a more funky clean sound though, I'd pay the extra and get a USA Stingray.

 

[sloshep]

I still own one. Its based of the EBMM Sterling model, not the Stingray. If it's all original, the pickup is ceramic, not alinco (Stingray). It has a more focused mid sound. The electronics are overseas built, not USA. They were approved by EBMM. The pickup has a 3 way switch. Parallel / single coil / series (right to left). It sits nicely in a mix (especially single coil mode). It will sound more like a a gentler Sterling than a Stingray. The body wood is basswood, not ash. Most SB14's are in the 9 lbs. range. I have had mine since 2011 with no real problems. Go on YouTube, you will find multiple demos of what it sounds like. Good luck.

Sorry if this sounds a little harsh. I am in tech support and this is how we write. Its a great bass for the price point. Just make sure you like the sound. It definitely sounds different than a Stingray. But it still has that Music Man sound.

 

[tj1]

Thanks for both your replies, that is really helpful.

Bought after making the seller play it for me(I don't yet know how to play).

It looks really good but am still trying to work out what all the knobs are for...

 

[Otto Sump]

Switch changes the pickup coil configuration: From neck end to bridge end = Series, Single coil (plus phantom coil), Parallel.

4-string Stingray pickups are wired in parallel (while most basses are in series) and don't have the swtiching option that Sterlings have, so putting the switch towards the bridge will give you the tone closest to a Stingray if that's what you are after.

Knobs from neck end to bridge end: Volume, treble, middle, bass.

 

[ead]

Zombie thread revival...

Well, a strange thing happened on the way to the forum. During these strange Coronavirus times I was looking around online at local guitar retailers websites and came across an advert for a new SB14.

I enquired as to how this could be and the best I could get out of them was that they had had it for "quite a while". The price was such that it would have been rude not to relieve them of the burden of ownership.

When the courier (eventually) delivered it it was immaculate. Still had swing tages, sticker on the pickguard and sticky plastic cover too. Zero signs of any use whatsoever.

It also had the neck with a satin finish up to the nut at which point the gloss lacquer took over. Plays superbly too. Serial number would seem to indicate 2010.

Not a fan of the pearlescent white p/g that came with it so sprayed it matt black