OutToPlayJazz

If the £1400 California PM "Extreme" model is anything to go by, it'll bury both of the aforementioned basses. I don't know if the lesser models are different sounding, but everytime I go to Electro, I have to play that PM. It is simply amazing sounding!

Cheers, mate! I suppose I have a more acute ear for pitch or something - Everytime I pick up a fretless I always think I'm playing out of tune! Strangely, on a cello or double bass I know my intonation is perfect - Work that one out?!

Hmmm... For the type of playing you're suggesting, I'd say the Sterling just pips the G&L, but then again I always played mine on parallel. Put it into series mode and you're really shattering the Earth's core! Again, both will do the job admirably. Whack up the bass control on the basses and you're away. Women's underwear will automatically vapourize as you play, LOL! Another to consider for that sort of sound is a Warwick Corvette $$. Same sort of concept. I loved the original one I had. Amazing sounding bass!

[quote name='Golchen' post='631425' date='Oct 20 2009, 03:31 PM']Totally disagree with that! It's not rocket science - people want them, so there's a market, and they are more expensive to produce. To put it another way - some people grow out of 'new, shiny, shiny, new' at about age 3, and go for something with more character [/quote] Depends on how well you looked after your toys as a child I didn't start this thread for the old relic'd vs shiny and new argument. I just wondered if anyone had played or owned one of these basses, that's all. I love the sound of them & may consider one in the future. May take a while to get all those scratches out and to get the chrome to shine again, though!

Yes, the Big Block Precision never really took off. Basically works like an MM Hubucker, which I'd imagine was part of the idea, to create a cheap off the peg MusicMan competitor. The other multi-jazz pickup that springs to mind is the Tri-Max used on the Status Groove (another MM-type bass.) The Tri-Max used the same style of hum cancelling as the Sterling basses (with the silent third dummy coil in between the main two coils), but moulded into a block of three. Makes a great sound. I'd like to hear two of this style of unit on one bass. Now that would be something!

Yes, they're both really nice instruments. If anything, the G&L is more flexible in terms of the sounds it can create, but if I had to choose one, it'd be the Ray 34. Having had both, I just like the top end clarity of the Ray better. But I've always liked punchy hifi-sounding basses. As for build quality, there's really not much in it. Both are excellent quality instruments. Top notch Indonesian made stuff, the same sort of quality as you get on the Lakland Skylines. I think we've agreed that they're both very close in terms of spec (apart from the 3-band eq on the Sterling) and quality. Just comes down to which one you like best. Rich.

As wood gets older & the instrument is played more, the sound does penetrate through it better. Same goes for varnish. It takes a time for the sound to permeate through. But that's my experience of classical instruments. Electric instruments will share this effect to a lesser degree, as so much is in the pickups and electronics. As a point in question, D4dve comes for his lessons on a Sunday with his Status S2-Classic 5-er. Dave's is maple & mine is the Myrtle wood one. Mine is a lot more polite sounding, but Dave's maple bass is a few years older & much more vocal and brighter sounding. So there is something in the woods and an ageing process. Rich.

Hmmm... Not sure on the tuning stability of that one! I think I'll stick with my Triumph!

As above... Discuss. And yes, I know I like shiny and new, but there's just something about these, isn't there?

Give Rob & Dawn a call at Status. They're off the shelf available to buy. All the reports I've heard have said that they make Rays sing! Current price is £286 + VAT which should come to something like £328.90

If you want a Precision, have a look at that JV Squier on the for sale pages (if someone hasn't snapped it up already!) The new American Standards are excellent, but as MM20 mentioned, try all Fenders before you buy. There are diamonds and dogs in all the ranges. For me, the American Standard Jazz is the one to go for. Lovely quality and output & I just prefer the Jazz sound, but that's my personal opinion

[quote name='Wil' post='629913' date='Oct 18 2009, 10:37 PM']Oh lord. GAS. For a bass. I thought I was a reformed bassist! [/quote] Heh! I know what you mean - It's a terrible addiction/affliction!

Just been having a peruse through your pics... Lovely condition for the age, mate! I'd imagine someone will snap this up quite quickly. With times being hard for so many at the moment, I'd not expect any miraculous prices for it at the moment, though.

[quote name='Brave Sir Robin' post='629796' date='Oct 18 2009, 08:31 PM']big LOL[/quote] Agreed on all counts! For a super-wealthy rock star, he's not very bright, is he?

Yes, you can have maple fingerboards on all of the "Ray" models. Only the SB-14 is rosewood only.

Looks like we just about have a basschat-wide consensus that there should be a Flea-Bass boycott! If anyone on here buys one of these, we're going to point at you and talk in hushed disapproving tones...

Yes, 55-01 is a lovely bass. Also try the new American Standard Fender Jazz 5-string.

Over in America you could buy a new V8 Mustang for that amount of $!

Review now in the bass reviews section. Here're some pics...

Well, here it is - A freshly minted Stingray not from California, but Indonesia. Well, it passed through the American factory on it's way over here for inspection & setup, all of which are fine for an off the peg instrument, but bear in mind that this is no OLP. Now we all know the OLP basses had their ups and downs. Some were fab (especially the last of run MM22/23 models with their twin humbuckers and active preamps) and some were dogs. But at the end of the day, the range was never priced any higher than Squier territory. These new "Sterling by MusicMan" basses are in a different league altogether. The range starts at around £550 (rrp) for the SB-14 basswood "Sterling" model & the Ray 34 we're dealing with here (essentially a standard swamp ash bodied Stingray) is priced around £599. All Sterling by MM basses are supplied in a very nice tapered oblong, thickly padded & fur lined gigbag with the Sterling logo on the front pocket. So these basses aren't exactly cheap like their forebears, but instead fall squarely into the Fender MIM price bracket (a new MIM Jazz retails at over £600 these days!) So the expected quality is going to have to be very good & doesn't disappoint. Quality, fit & finish & playability are all more comparable to Skyline series Laklands & Tribute series G&L's. Sterling is an official MusicMan brand and not an instrument "made under licence" like the old OLP (Officially Licensed Product), so essentially these instruments are MusicMan basses made in another location where labour rates are obviously cheaper. The bass we have here is the aforementioned Ray 34. Essentially a Stingray. The differences between this and the American version are minimal and don't seem to make a whole lot of difference to the overall instrument. Finish is a lustrous thick gloss black for the body & headstock, with a nicely figured rosewood fingerboard & pleasantly figured maple neck. The back of the headstock is glossed nicely with a neat line dividing this finish from the satin finish neck. The neck is smooth with good edges & never feels rough to the touch. Fretwork is smooth and excellent. I swapped over to some 45-105 DR Sunbeams for test settings & dropped the action to a very low setting and no buzz or flat spots presented themselves at all. It's also possible to run the neck almost straight, with just the smallest bit of relief to it. The neck pocket fit is excellent & sports a six-bolt neck plate for added stability. Playing wise, this instrument sounds like a Stingray! What else did you expect? The 3-band eq is extremely powerful, giving a huge range of tones & everything from thumping lows to seriously sizzling highs. I find the best overall setting is just a little added treble, full bass boost & the mid control in the centre detent. This gives a really nice compromise sound with plenty of bass & just that bit of sparkle on the top. Having the mid control centred is no hardship, though. There's still plenty of mid presence in this position. Overall output is huge and by no means is this an underpowered preamp or pickup. Even on such thick strings, with the action down low, there's still plenty of speed and sparkle to be had out of the Ray 34 & all the traditional Stingray sounds we know and love, the rasping top end, amazingly clear slap sound & the huge thump/growl these basses are known for. All in all, this new "Sterling" bass looks like a MM Stingray. It plays like a MM Stingray & it sounds like a MM Stingray. They just happened to make it in a different factory!

Excellent, Peter. Make sure you put some pics in the "Get your Status-Graphite basses out" thread

[quote]That's a beautiful bass you have there! I love it: black, rosewood and matching headstock .... Awesome! What's the neck like? Same dimensions as on a Stingray? Also unfinished?[/quote] The neck has a very high quality finish. The back of the headstock has a gloss finish which ends at the top of the neck - The neck itself has a satin finish. Basically, spec is just like a US Ray, apart from the swamp ash body. Electrics & hardware are all proper MM as well. They're a steal and sound just like the US bass. Think of these as an equivalent to a MIM bass, with excellent quality control.