Why are there so few Musicman Sterlings?

[BassApprentice]

Why are there so few EBMM Sterlings out in the wild? Or why have they made a version in the Sterling Range (would that just be too confusing?) 

The smaller body shape must appeal to a fair amount of us so only having them in the full fat versions seems illogical. 

[jrixn1]

4 minutes ago, BassApprentice said:

Or why have they made a version in the Sterling Range (would that just be too confusing?) 

There is the discontinued SB14. 

[martthebass]

27 minutes ago, BassApprentice said:

Why are there so few EBMM Sterlings out in the wild? Or why have they made a version in the Sterling Range (would that just be too confusing?) 

The smaller body shape must appeal to a fair amount of us so only having them in the full fat versions seems illogical. 

Not sure BA. I think a fair few think it's somehow not got the same presence as a Ray.  I've got both and TBH the Sterling is a beast compared to the Ray - sometimes it's a little hard to tame in a live setting.  Despite the smaller body, the weight isn't that much less than its full fat brother (though I've only owned 3 and played a 2 or 3 others) which surprises me though.  The neck however has to be my favourite profile of all the bass necks I've ever played.

 

 

Edited March 2, 2020 by martthebass

[songofthewind]

1 hour ago, martthebass said:

Not sure BA. I think a fair few think it's somehow not got the same presence as a Ray.  I've got both and TBH the Sterling is a beast compared to the Ray - sometimes it's a little hard to tame in a live setting.  Despite the smaller body, the weight isn't that much less than its full fat brother (though I've only owned 3 and played a 2 or 3 others) which surprises me though.  The neck however has to be my favourite profile of all the bass necks I've ever played.

 

 

How do you find the different neck feel? I fancy a Ray or a Ray 34 but I don't like big feeling necks. The Sterlings with the 38mm nut catch my eye, but as the OP says, there don't seem to be that many about.

[jrixn1]

7 minutes ago, songofthewind said:

I fancy a Ray or a Ray 34 but I don't like big feeling necks. The Sterlings with the 38mm nut catch my eye, but as the OP says, there don't seem to be that many about.

The RAY CA models ("classic active") have the 38mm nut: the current 24CA or the discontinued 34CA.
 

[songofthewind]

Yep, but I see the Ray 34's don't have the body carves. Do you know how they feel to play?

I must say, the EBMM/SBMM/ Sterling nomenclature is really confusing!

[BassApprentice]

Without realising they had a narrower nut width than standard I tried a Ray35 without the carve. I compared it with a Sub 5 and while the fit and finish was far better than the Sub I did miss the carve but that's personal preference of course. 

[martthebass]

2 hours ago, songofthewind said:

How do you find the different neck feel? I fancy a Ray or a Ray 34 but I don't like big feeling necks. The Sterlings with the 38mm nut catch my eye, but as the OP says, there don't seem to be that many about.

I prefer the neck profile on the Sterling to the Ray; to get the 'Sterling neck' on an EBMM Ray you need to hunt down one of the SLO specials which don't crop up that often.  Don't get me wrong, the Ray neck is still ok it's just that I find it easier to get around the neck on the Sterling after years of playing Jazzes, so it really is a personal preference thing.  If you get on with a Precision neck then you're ok with a standard EBMM Ray as there really isn't much in it.

[fretmeister]

EBMM should discontinue the Sterling and just re-introduce the SLO neck option for the new Stingray Specials.

Especially if they are not going to do a lightweight update to the Sterling.

 

[dub_junkie]

5 hours ago, martthebass said:

Not sure BA. I think a fair few think it's somehow not got the same presence as a Ray.  I've got both and TBH the Sterling is a beast compared to the Ray - sometimes it's a little hard to tame in a live setting.  Despite the smaller body, the weight isn't that much less than its full fat brother (though I've only owned 3 and played a 2 or 3 others) which surprises me though.  The neck however has to be my favourite profile of all the bass necks I've ever played.

 

 

Wholeheartedly agree. The neck carve is my favourite in all of bass land. 

I had a USA Sterling in that same colour with the maple neck. Fantastic bass but I ended up trading it away to eubassix. 

I’ve also had a white sparkle with rosewood and a honeyburst with rosewood over the years. Currently eyeing the black 2HH on here. Ah...if only funds would allow it😕
 

[dub_junkie]

I have a SBMM Ray34CA in mint green with rosewood. The neck doesn’t feel as deep front to back as the USA Sterling’s from my memory of them. 
 

the Ray 34CA is a bass I really like and use a fair bit. The 2EQ sounds really fat but still with that top end zing .The rest of the band have all commented on how good that bass sounds. 

[AndyTravis]

I’d love a sterling - I know @sshorepunk and @lee650 swear by theirs.

Have never owned one though, have owned way too many stingrays and even a bongo...but never a sterling.

 

[dannybuoy]

I like the idea of a smaller body and slimmer neck, but Sterling's don't quite sound the same.

[40hz]

Weird, as for such a relatively well known model, I've never seen anybody use one in 17 years of gigging or even seen one in a shop.

[AndyTravis]

4 minutes ago, 40hz said:

Weird, as for such a relatively well known model, I've never seen anybody use one in 17 years of gigging or even seen one in a shop.

I recall seeing Starsailor (2000’s Indie mid-leaguers) and thinking “ooh, the bass player has a sterling...” 

that’s all I can say.

[lee650]

27 minutes ago, dannybuoy said:

I like the idea of a smaller body and slimmer neck, but Sterling's don't quite sound the same.

Sterlings have a ceramic pickup! Stingrays Alnico. My sterling has a Nordstrand vintage pickup,which is Alnico and very warm. Best of both worlds 😁

[BassApprentice]

1 hour ago, 40hz said:

Weird, as for such a relatively well known model, I've never seen anybody use one in 17 years of gigging or even seen one in a shop.

As a very guilty pleasure I went to see McBusted (I grew up in the 90s/early 2000s) and the bass player there used a Sterling with LEDs. Very cool 😎 

[Deedee]

Not sure why they aren't more popular, they're great basses. The two I had (including the black HH currently in the FS section) were superb. 

If it wasn't for me getting pains in my fretting hand when playing skinny necks I'd still have them. Now if they did a Sterling with a 'Ray neck......

[martthebass]

4 hours ago, dub_junkie said:

Wholeheartedly agree. The neck carve is my favourite in all of bass land. 

I had a USA Sterling in that same colour with the maple neck. Fantastic bass but I ended up trading it away to eubassix. 

I’ve also had a white sparkle with rosewood and a honeyburst with rosewood over the years. Currently eyeing the black 2HH on here. Ah...if only funds would allow it😕
 

Dan (DeeDee) graciously let me play that HH Sterling when I saw him last year, along with his Ray Special 4H. Some may think me mad but I thought, tonally, that the Sterling was superior.....

Edited March 2, 2020 by martthebass

[miles'tone]

I saw the band James a few times years ago and their bass player played a Sterling. Simple basslines but you could actually hear every note as well as feel it. 

[songofthewind]

There’s gonna be a run on Sterlings now, you mark my words.

[pineweasel]

5 hours ago, fretmeister said:

EBMM should discontinue the Sterling and just re-introduce the SLO neck option for the new Stingray Specials.

Especially if they are not going to do a lightweight update to the Sterling.

 

I have read somewhere that a Special style update for the Sterling is in the pipeline. 

[Deedee]

53 minutes ago, martthebass said:

Dan (DeeDee) graciously let me play that HH Sterling when I saw him last year, along with his Ray Special 4H. Some may think me mad but I thought, tonally, that the Sterling was superior.....

I have to agree Mart. Having the Sterling 4HH pushed me to bite the bullet and finally get the 4HH version of the ‘Ray Special - the model that I wanted in the first place but couldn’t get hold of in the colour I wanted.

[BrunoBass]

14 hours ago, 40hz said:

Weird, as for such a relatively well known model, I've never seen anybody use one in 17 years of gigging or even seen one in a shop.

Steve Marsh, session player who also plays with EMF has one and does the festival circuit using it. 
 

I recall several bands using them in the early nineties, but not many since, Steve Marsh apart. 

[sshorepunk]

16 hours ago, AndyTravis said:

I’d love a sterling - I know @sshorepunk and @lee650 swear by theirs.

Have never owned one though, have owned way too many stingrays and even a bongo...but never a sterling.

 

Had mine for a while, it's probably the third one I've had, had Stingrays in between

Great basses, nice slim neck, lots of tones to play with, especially when matched with a amp such as a Genzler!

I paid about £600 for mine, it's had a few knocks, but has the best neck and is lovely to play

 

Tony