New 2020 range of Sterling Sub4 Ray Bass Guitars

[Triumph_Rock]

Anybody else seen the new range of Sterling SUB Ray4 Bass Guitars? Which have been released this year.

I'm pretty interested in these. Now includes a neck humbucker pick-up, and 5 way toggle switch! I kind of see this kind of as a reincarnation of the Gibson EB-3L. What does strike me as being a bit weird, is the lack of a volume or tone knob for the neck humbucker? 

If anybody gets the chance to play one, I'd be interested to hear your thoughts!?

Link https://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Sterling-SUB-Ray4-Bass-HH-MN-Olive/35OL

Edited September 13, 2020 by Triumph_Rock

[linear]

The control knobs will be volume, treble and bass.  5-way switching, so options are rear humbucker, neck humbucker, both, inner single coils, and outer single coils.  You don't tend to get individual volume controls or blends on Stingrays, I believe because the pickups are supposed to be connected directly to the preamp.

[BassApprentice]

Here's a review - jump to 5:10 for the pickup selector explanation. 

 

[Machines]

10 hours ago, Triumph_Rock said:

Anybody else seen the new range of Sterling SUB Ray4 Bass Guitars? Which have been released this year.

I'm pretty interested in these. Now includes a neck humbucker pick-up, and 5 way toggle switch! I kind of see this kind of as a reincarnation of the Gibson EB-3L. What does strike me as being a bit weird, is the lack of a volume or tone knob for the neck humbucker? 

If anybody gets the chance to play one, I'd be interested to hear your thoughts!?

Link https://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Sterling-SUB-Ray4-Bass-HH-MN-Olive/35OL

I had a USA Stingray 5HH, great bass, just too 'expensive' for what I do. I tried one of these out though in PMT a few weeks ago, soundwise they're great and hit my expectation. But the neck felt a bit unfinished/rough, it needed more sanding or some oil to feel right for me. For the price however it wasn't a bad instrument.

[BassApprentice]

The finish is basically the difference for the Sub series. Perfectly good basses - but when compared to the middle range Ray34/35 you can see where the corners are cut. 

They just need a bit of work at home to make them great basses. At the end of the day that Julia on YouTube used a Sub for ages and she got some brilliant tones out of it. 

[rasher80]

4 minutes ago, BassApprentice said:

They just need a bit of work at home to make them great basses. At the end of the day that Julia on YouTube used a Sub for ages and she got some brilliant tones out of it. 

This. 

For a few hundred quid she gets a fantastic sound from hers 

[tom1946]

Got an olive green sterling coming tomorrow, quite excited really. Well as excited as I ever get....

Wonder how it'll compare to my Stingray.

[BassApprentice]

I tried one this afternoon in the shiny blue. 

Was decent enough, the single coil setting did zero for me but both pickups on was nice. I had the original big logo Sub with the hot preamp, these new ones with the tamed preamp are a bit too polite as standard. If I got one I would definitely be tinkering with it to get more out of it! Fit and finish was good though.

[tom1946]

I am going to make the unfinished neck super smooth like I did with the stingray. 'Polite' is good for church, assuming we ever get back there.