How close is a Sterling Ray to a real Stingray

[dave_bass5]

It might not be about new or old but this is something that always comes up in these threads
I don't think I've ever read a suggestion to het a secondhand SBMM, surely that's then brings it in line price wise with a Sub.
The argument for a secondhand SR4 is normally that it's only a couple of. Hundred pounds more than a SBMM but that's based on a new one and I think this is a bit of a one sided argument.

My Ray34 had a nerdy MM4.2 in it and it was still less than some of these over inflated Sub prices.

Edited August 19, 2010 by dave_bass5

[stingrayfan]

[quote name='Prime_BASS' post='929582' date='Aug 19 2010, 11:34 AM']I'd take a ray34 over a sub if it had a nordstrand mm4.2 as and try and get a MMSR pre-amp from John east.[/quote]
I had to put a Nordstrand 4.2 in my old SR4 to get it to sound like the Ray34 I've got now.

FWIW, I played a few Subs and wasn't that impressed. They did feel budget.

[BoomBass]

Pretty close, I guess... I have only tried a Sterling in a music store, but it was really nice, and it sounded and played as good as the 'real' Stingray hanging next to it.

The main difference (I think) is that the Sterling has a Ceramic pickup and the SR's have Alnico pickups. But then again, until 2008, SR's also had ceramic pickups.

I wouldn't worry too much about the Sterlings being assembled in foreign countries and then set up in the US. It seems to me that it's pretty similar to what Lakland do with their Skyline series, and they are top-notch instruments.

[ezbass]

[quote name='stingrayfan' post='929384' date='Aug 19 2010, 09:15 AM']But I can't put it down for long, it plays really nice, the neck is much nicer than the one I had on my US Ray and it sounds warmer. It feels like a bass I'd like to gig, and that's my rule for keeping stuff, really.[/quote]


Here's the nub of it. If it feels and sounds good to you then it's a keeper. The point about resale value is valid but do you buy stuff because of the resale value or because it does what you want it to? Not a dig at those who always have an eye on chopping their kit out because that's a valid standpoint, but more about what's important to you personally. "it plays really nice, the neck is much nicer than the one I had on my US Ray and it sounds warmer" exactly what I found. If you do go the used route you might have to wait a long time to find one that's just right for you and spend out money in doing so if you can't try beforehand on a private seller deal.

[stingrayPete1977]

If everyone is always so happy with these budget Rays why do these sort of threads keep popping up? I used to have a Yamaha chopper style motor bike in the end I got so sick of people asking me if it was a Harley-Davidson I went out a bought what in this case we are calling the real thing.Its always a niggle at the back of your mind if it doesnt bother people at all why do these threads start all the time,Human nature.

If you like it keep it but always a sh EBMM for me on this subject,Why do we always have to compare a sh*t tatty second hand £750 EB to a new sub surely thats a single sided argument back? For £650 there are loads of good as new EBMM's you dont have to buy the ones that dont feel good,Walk away until you get a nice one for as little as possible and in the long run you will know you did the right thing.

[Prime_BASS]

IME secondhand subs and SRs are more common than Ray34s

I think I've seen at least 2, on this forum.

I agree people do inflate prices.

IMO playing the SUB feels better and I'm not constantly think I wish it was a real Ray, where as with the RAy34s ive tried, I just have that in the back of my mind, and after a while it frustrates me.

[Vibrating G String]

[quote name='iconic' post='929366' date='Aug 19 2010, 12:57 AM']Maybe it's the name, Manta Ray would have sounded sexier, Sterling reminds me of old Rover 800's, pipes and slippers...[/quote]
I hear the new names and I think of that old Abbot & Costello routine "Who's on Bass?"

Hey, Abbott is that 1st bass player using a Sterling made by MusicMan? No it's a Sterling by Musicman. Didn't I just say that!!!! (cue laughter)



I like the looks of the SBMM 5 strings more so I'm hoping they're just as good if not better.

[Vibrating G String]

[quote name='stingrayfan' post='929384' date='Aug 19 2010, 01:15 AM']I've got a couple of days left to take this Ray34 back to the shop for a full refund, if I want to. On the basis of what people are saying, I should. I'm going to lose money on it and I could prob get a S/H Ray for a little more.

But I can't put it down for long, it plays really nice, the neck is much nicer than the one I had on my US Ray and it sounds warmer. It feels like a bass I'd like to gig, and that's my rule for keeping stuff, really.[/quote]
So you like it and think it would be good for gigs but other people say you should return it. It sounds like a keeper to me

I'm of the school of thought that if a bass is actually used for music resale doesn't matter. The money you could lose should be less than the difference between the SBMM and a 'real' one. And if Sterling cancels this line as quickly as he did the SUB and OLP they may lose only a tiny bit of value if anything. OLP's are selling on eBay for 3 times what I paid new... though I did get a closeout deal for $115

[stingrayfan]

[quote name='Vibrating G String' post='930509' date='Aug 20 2010, 01:46 AM']I hear the new names and I think of that old Abbot & Costello routine "Who's on Bass?"

Hey, Abbott is that 1st bass player using a Sterling made by MusicMan? No it's a Sterling by Musicman. Didn't I just say that!!!! (cue laughter)



I like the looks of the SBMM 5 strings more so I'm hoping they're just as good if not better.[/quote]
Think you're right - it's a bit daft calling a brand the same name as a current model. Asked the guy in the shop if he had a Sterling Sterling and he scratched his head.

MantaRay would have been a great name.

Ps - keeping the bass ;-)

Edited August 20, 2010 by stingrayfan

[MB1]

[quote name='stingrayfan' post='929610' date='Aug 19 2010, 11:50 AM']I had to put a Nordstrand 4.2 in my old SR4 to get it to sound like the Ray34 I've got now.

FWIW, I played a few Subs and wasn't that impressed. They did feel budget.[/quote]

MB1.

...Me Niether!...and why did they finish them in Hammerite?...with a Hacienda Scratchplate?...Stick to the Sandwiches!
The Main keeper test for the Ray 34 is Rehearsal/Live Situation!...I await your review!
...By The Way!...theres a Black Man Ray 34 on Ebay at the moment(3 month old) Starting price 350/Buy it Now 400 quid....

Edited August 20, 2010 by MB1

[dave_bass5]

[quote name='stingrayfan' post='930715' date='Aug 20 2010, 11:08 AM']Asked the guy in the shop if he had a Sterling Sterling and he scratched his head.


Ps - keeping the bass ;-)[/quote]


Probably because its called a SB14 and not a sterling ;-)

I agree it can be confusing but i feel its down to the customer to get the name right (no offence intended).

Glad your keeping it, as others have said, if it plays well, sounds great etc then who cares what name it has on it.

I lost money on mine but i never brought it to sell it so that was never a consideration at the time of purchase.
I did think about maybe getting a SR4 after finding i liked my Ray34 so much but could never see where the extra cost would benefit me.

[ezbass]

[quote name='stingrayfan' post='930715' date='Aug 20 2010, 11:08 AM']Ps - keeping the bass ;-)[/quote]
Good man, a sensible decision there I think and for the right reasons.

Here's the thing with budget lines (I'm not going to get into the S/H US Ray argument here for reasons that will become apparent) if you feel like upgrading some of the components, or adding another p/up for instance, cutting into them doesn't feel so terrible, whereas as soon as you cut into a US model the value goes straight out the window. I've changed the p/g on my Ray34, fitted a Hipshot D tuner and fitted flushfit straplocks, all of which required getting the drill out. On my MIM RW P bass I've fitted an additional P p/up, didn't blink an eyelid about whether to or not. If these 2 basses had been full on US models I may have thought more than twice.

Enjoy your new bass for itself. Pics?

Edited August 20, 2010 by ezbass

[stingrayPete1977]

All of the things you stated above would not of needed drilling if it were a "real" one as the parts would of fitted anyway!

And if OLP's are fetching three times what they were new they must of been about £43.33? Theres one in our FS for £130!

If you like it keep it, If you like it but would be happier if it were real save up a bit more.

[iconic]

ohh dear I thought I had these Sterlings sorted, thinking Sterlings were lower cost Musicmans?

Sub, SR14 then Ray34....but these ones on Fleabay says its a US one?

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Musicman-Sterling-Bass-USA-Black-Case-Candy-/170528998105?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Musicman-Sterling-Ba...ents_Guitars_CV[/url]


[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MUSICMAN-STERLING-BASS-/320578363472?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MUSICMAN-STERLING-BA...ents_Guitars_CV[/url]

Edited August 20, 2010 by iconic

[ezbass]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='931149' date='Aug 20 2010, 05:27 PM']All of the things you stated above would not of needed drilling if it were a "real" one as the parts would of fitted anyway![/quote]


Ah I see what you've done there, hoisted on my own petard so to speak, or at least on my own pickguard What I was really driving at was adding another p/up for a double buck or J/buck, using my own tiny upgrades on the 34 was perhaps a poor example.

[stingrayPete1977]

Sorry I was just playing the devils advocate again! I love a good mod and have done the same to my squier jazz that I would not of done to a pukka Fender except a mex which is kinda like a sub anyway,Oh I am so confused now with all these versions I might have to go and check that I do actually own a real one and its not something like Music'man made in Barnsley or something!

[ezbass]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='931209' date='Aug 20 2010, 06:27 PM']Sorry I was just playing the devils advocate again! I love a good mod.[/quote]


No worries I do it myself. I'm a modaholic, the only bass I didn't change a thing on was my old Fender Roscoe Beck IV, all the mods that I would've done had already been fitted.

[stingrayPete1977]

I did a gig recently and the first band on were a group of young know it all dudes ,The bass player is a Fender and big EBS rig guy but Im pretty sure they all though my pre EB was a cheapo EBMM copy! It wasnt until it turned out one of the mates was a fellow MM fan and came over after our set to see a Real ( If a pre is "real" whats an EB now?)Muiscman as he had never seen one in the flesh and spotted the original logo from a distance! They didnt look so smug after!

[MB1]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='931226' date='Aug 20 2010, 06:43 PM']I did a gig recently and the first band on were a group of young know it all dudes ,The bass player is a Fender and big EBS rig guy but Im pretty sure they all though my pre EB was a cheapo EBMM copy! It wasnt until it turned out one of the mates was a fellow MM fan and came over after our set to see a Real ( If a pre is "real" whats an EB now?)Muiscman as he had never seen one in the flesh and spotted the original logo from a distance! They didnt look so smug after![/quote]

MB1.
That one in the avatar? ...Suspiciously Barnsleyish!

[stingrayPete1977]

After a few months I realised I didnt have one ( I thought the idea was you could not see your own,I know Im thick at computer stuff, Actually Im pretty thick in general!) So I thought it was about time.I think Leo actually ran the Barnsley operation until 1984 and checked each one at QC very carefully!
Its a 1982 BO(Barnsley Operation),Pre EB, Pre G&L post USA, MM, Unroasted neck none Sub LE

[MB1]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='931293' date='Aug 20 2010, 07:54 PM']After a few months I realised I didnt have one ( I thought the idea was you could not see your own,I know Im thick at computer stuff, Actually Im pretty thick in general!) So I thought it was about time.I think Leo actually ran the Barnsley operation until 1984 and checked each one at QC very carefully!
Its a 1982 BO(Barnsley Operation),Pre EB, Pre G&L post USA, MM, Unroasted neck none Sub LE [/quote]

MB1.
Very few people know of the early Pre EB BO Musicman Stingrays....Many ,thinking quite wrongly of course! that BO stood for Bolt On....

[Vibrating G String]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='931149' date='Aug 20 2010, 09:27 AM']And if OLP's are fetching three times what they were new they must of been about £43.33? Theres one in our FS for £130![/quote]
Some, not all, are fetching more than 3 times what I paid new. But even just a tiny bit over new is keeping all the value. It's funny that they kept going down in price until they were discontinued and then the price went up and now they are the rare hard to find OLP's in the sales.

[Vibrating G String]

You guys may be joking but how long do you think it will be until an eBay ad hypes a MM as being a "Barnsley model".

[stingrayPete1977]

Maybe the super rare OLP's were developed alongside at the Barnsley operation and thats why they fetch so much?

I dare you to ask an Ebay seller if they are aware of the BO and see if they google this thread up!

[MB1]

[quote name='Vibrating G String' post='931602' date='Aug 21 2010, 02:35 AM']You guys may be joking but how long do you think it will be until an eBay ad hypes a MM as being a "Barnsley model".[/quote]

MB1.
I kid you not! Leo used to take the occasional Vacation there! although a workaholic, he still found time to visit his cousin in nearby Royston Vasey...thats how the Barnsley Operation came to be!.The reason Production ceased was due to Leo being forced to issue a restraining Order to one Mr Les Mcqueen formerly of rock band Creme Brulee!..Common Knowledge!