Sterling Stingray first look

[BUC]

Wandered into GC with some time to burn and to my surprise they had a stingray on the wall. Made'em pull it down for me and saw that it was a Sterling and thought I'd try it out. Plugged into an amp and really ended up putting it through it's paces.

Have to say, I was VERY impressed. The neck isn't quite like my Music Man guitars but still very nice. What I really loved was just the way it sang and how good the pickups sounded. Loved the way it reacted to both the tone and vol knobs. Looks great. Yes the headstock is a little larger but I had to take a close look at it to even tell.

For mahogany it sounded pretty fat. Not as mid-focused as some mahogany guitars.

I'm a "control freak", meaning the position of the switches/knobs is very important to my playing technique. The vol/tone were in great position for my playing and react great. None of my guitars have the p/u selector up on the horn, and I found myself swinging into thin air trying to change p/u's. Normally that would be the kiss of death for a guitar but I loved the way this guitar sang so much that I might be able to make an exception.

No compensated nut either. I'm a huge fan of the EBMM compensated nut.

For $499 this great axe. Competes with or well exceeds other guitars at this price point.

I already have 6 EBMM guitars and didn't really think I was in the market. I didn't take this one home because I'm in the middle of a kitchen remodel and today is tax day. Very bad cash flow month!

However, I can tell you for sure that this guitar made a fantastic impression and is stuck in my head. Can't wait to try out the EBMM version.

Great job guys!

 

[edhalen]

The compensated nut is imho the most underrated feature of EBMM guitars. I'm such a fan that I can't see ever buying another guitar without it.

 

[banjoplayer]

nice review thanks for sharing!
You mean a litttle larger headstock compared to the normal EBMM models or compared to the StingRay/Cutlass guitars from EBMM?

 

[guitarheadhunt]

I had a chance to play both at GC about a month ago. I was really wanting the new EBMM stingray after playing it. I played the vintage burst color in both. I have been wanting a Silo for a while and have never had a chance to play one. When I picked up the stingray I wondered how the neck felt compared to the silo. At this point I had no way of knowing. After spending about a good hour playing the stingray I realized how inspiring it was to play the guitar. The guitar really brought out the creative juices. Nice neck a little chunkier than I am use to. I could not demo the whammy because they did not have the bar installed. The pickups sounded really good. i did feel like there were some sharp edges on the saddles when I rested my palm. That was the only thing I did not like. A few weeks later they got the sterling version in so I had to try it. I must say the neck felt very much the same. EBMM neck felt a little smoother. The bridge on the sterling was a little cheaper in feel and quality as well. The pickups sounded very good. They sounded different than the EBMM but they held their own. The EBMM pickups seem a little clearer not as gritty. They also seemed to have a little more high end detail to them. I went back and forth with each guitar. It was really hard for me to decide which one sounded best. The Sterling was also a little heavier. Overall for $500 it is a great deal. I don't know if the EBMM is worth a $1000 more. I will say the EBMM had more of a polished feel to it. It felt more refined. I like the way it felt in my hands and its weight was very forgiving. I was not as comfortable with the Sterling but after playing it for a while it grew on me. If I had never played the EBMM I would not have know any better.

With all this being said I got a chance to play a white EBMM stingray with the maple neck and immediately put it down. It was thicker, heavier and the neck was even chunkier. I really liked the vintage burst and I have been wanting to try the black one. I almost pulled the trigger on one until I decided to buy a silo without trying it. The neck on the silo is just more my style. The silo neck has a smaller width near the nut and does not feel as chunky. I still would own the Stingray. Either the Sterling or the EBMM. Their neck is close to that of the silo but there is a noticeable difference. If I was on a budget I would not hesitate on the sterling but if I had the cash I would get the EBMM. I guess the stainless steel frets, the more refined feel, the cooler looking trem and the compensated nut not to mention a nice case is worth the extra cash.

 

[SBMM]

We love to hear stories from the field as to how our Sterling By Music Man instruments measure up to the end users' fingers and ears. Thanks for taking the time to post these and the kind words

 

[Gio_Force_One]

I was at my local Guitar Center today and saw a sting ray and i looked awesome . I sat down and played with it unplugged and it played great and felt great. The unfortunate thing was when I went to plug it in the electronics were barely working. the pickups selector did not work right and the tone knob wouldn't turn. I could barely hear what the pickups sounded like. Like I said the guitar looked and played beautifully , everything about looked great. I just wish it worked right. hopefully the next time I goin they will have straightened it out .

 

[SBMM]

Gio - Which store was that? I'll contact them and talk with the stores GC Garage Technician.