Sterling 'SUB' Ray 4....I've heard some QC 'rumblings', whats the truth?

[iconic]

You know like the one posted below....I've been reading more a than few tales from across the pond of distorted sounds, possible pre-amp clipping issues even at low gains?..... whats the view over this side, just a bad batch, total baloney (or polony being US) or are they a good cheap single H bass?

....some good prices around, the 'walnuts' seem to be the cheapest, seen new for a little over £265? Seem to be a far more Stingay'ey than an OLP ever was?


[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sterling-by-Music-Man-SUB-Ray4-Black-Bass-guitar-New-Boxed-/230958242017?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item35c62f18e1#ht_2739wt_1093"]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sterling-by-Music-Man-SUB-Ray4-Black-Bass-guitar-New-Boxed-/230958242017?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item35c62f18e1#ht_2739wt_1093[/url]

[stingrayPete1977]

Last time someone dared question the ebmm build quality the thread was deleted!

[John Schoen]

Some of them seem to have very hot preamps. Someone from Ernie Ball posted a modification to fix that on Talkbass: http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f8/sterling-music-man-sub-ray4-ray5-871370/index17.html#post13351594

[marcus bell]

Got one in white with rosewood board and absolutely love it! No problems whatsoever

[iconic]

Thats good news. Is the maple only on black body?

[iconic]

Honeybursts from may/june but with rosewood...damn

[marcus bell]

If I can get a pre eb stingray in the near future I'd defret mine

[Green Alsatian]

I owned a Walnut one and found no issues regarding quality in construction or electronics and the preamp did a great job of providing various tones from it. It did have a noticeably hotter output than the Sterling Ray 35 I once owned, but no clipping on my amp.

[Grand Wazoo]

I tried one and to me it felt cheaper than a Sue Rider and sounded nothing like a Stingray or the original S.U.B. [color=#800000][sub][i][b]#bag'o'sh|te[/b][/i][/sub][/color]

[Machines]

Slightly off topic but the 5 string I tried had such a crappy light body wood (advertised as 'hardwood' on the website) that it had worse neck dive that a Thunderbird. Shame, as it sounded OK.

[iconic]

Hmm...neck dive....ive seen this comments too, on 4 strings....to be fair these can be bought for as low as 230 bucks across the pond though

Edited April 6, 2013 by iconic

[hubrad]

[quote name='Machines' timestamp='1365278473' post='2037661']
Slightly off topic but the 5 string I tried had such a crappy light body wood (advertised as 'hardwood' on the website) that it had worse neck dive that a Thunderbird. Shame, as it sounded OK.
[/quote]
Well, technically, balsa wood classes as a hardwood..
http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/genetic/question598.htm

[marcus bell]

[quote name='Grand Wazoo' timestamp='1365274366' post='2037591']
I tried one and to me it felt cheaper than a Sue Rider and sounded nothing like a Stingray or the original S.U.B. [color=#800000][sub][i][b]#bag'o'sh|te[/b][/i][/sub][/color]
[/quote]

Good for the money is my opinion.