Daft question - Is sterling sub the same as music man sub?

[Dropzone]

Hi Gang, I have seen a Sterling Sub for sale, is this the same as a music man sub? I presume not but do not know better. I presume the sterling is just and inferior copy. Thanks in advance for the help. Mike

[fretmeister]

Nope.

Sterling Sub is the newer far east built ones.

The MM Sub was a USA built one in plain colours with a slab body. These ones are highly prized.

All the same company, but different price points / factories.

[Dropzone]

Many thanks fretmeister, can anyone give a comparison of the two sound wise, even if just preference. Am seeing a 5 string sterling sub up for £200, which is the right price for me, but is quite far away, so don't want to travel to buy if it is not great. Thanks

[Mudpup]

Sterling isnt the same company as Musicman. They have just licensed the name i believe. The cheap Subs are good for a budget bass but have a really hot preamp that most seem to find tiresome after the honeymoon period. If you can save up another 150 or 200 quid for a USA SUB you have a full fat Stingray effectively - I have one and still cant believe how good it is. It will be easy to sell on if you dont get on with it too.

Edited June 8, 2015 by Mudpup

[fretmeister]

The full name of the company is "Sterling by Musicman"

No doubt who has ultimate control there!

[Dropzone]

I will keep my eyes open for a MM Sub 5er. I can find the extra if necessary. Is there a Child for sale section ;-)

[dannybuoy]

The cheap Subs are great basses - my Ray4 is nice and light, great neck and smooth fretwork, very resonant and sounds great too. Only pain point is the preamp is rather hot which doesn't play well with some amps and most distortion pedals. It's not too difficult to mod though, and there is a thread somewhere on Talkbass posted by a company rep with instructions on how to do it.

[ColinB]

[quote name='dannybuoy' timestamp='1433759049' post='2793614']
The cheap Subs are great basses - my Ray4 is nice and light, great neck and smooth fretwork, very resonant and sounds great too. Only pain point is the preamp is rather hot which doesn't play well with some amps and most distortion pedals. It's not too difficult to mod though, and there is a thread somewhere on Talkbass posted by a company rep with instructions on how to do it.
[/quote]

I too have a Ray4 and it's great. I've done the Volume mod ([url="http://www.talkbass.com/threads/sterling-by-music-man-sub-ray4-and-ray5.871370/page-17"]here[/url], starting half-way down the page at post #339) and it makes a big difference.

[Dropzone]

I thought these were passive, I am surprised they are "hot". Are these the sterlings that are hot, or the MMs as well?

[razze06]

I bought a walnut Sterling SUB ray4, like most people I found the preamp and pickups a little too hot and harsh, so I modded mine with a GFS pickup and a retrovibe stinger preamp. For less than £100 my bass now sounds vastly better than it used to.

[Pinball]

There are a whole lot of them just to confuse you.
The USA subs as already mentioned
The Sterling by Musicman's e.g. Ray34 and Ray35, which are near their American relatives in terms of sound and build quality
Sub by Sterling Ray4 and Ray5, which are capable but cheaper and not so well specked as the other. No comparison IMHO



I have had a Ray35 and liked it a lot. I still have the body with USA neck on it

Edited June 8, 2015 by Pinball

[ChunkyMunky]

The USA SUBs wreck the far east equivalents. Easily worth the couple of hundred quid difference.

[Mudpup]

[quote name='razze06' timestamp='1433768573' post='2793751']
I bought a walnut Sterling SUB ray4, like most people I found the preamp and pickups a little too hot and harsh, so I modded mine with a GFS pickup and a retrovibe stinger preamp. For less than £100 my bass now sounds vastly better than it used to.
[/quote]

The thing with doing that is you've spent pretty much the same as it would have cost to get a USA SUB in the first place......

[Dropzone]

I am with you Mudpup, do not underestimate my skills to bugger things up when it comes to electrickery

[razze06]

[quote name='Mudpup' timestamp='1433772807' post='2793801']
The thing with doing that is you've spent pretty much the same as it would have cost to get a USA SUB in the first place......
[/quote]

There aren't any USA SUB for sale in the shops (I like to try before I buy), and I liked the neck and body shape of the sterling SUB much better than the other variants available in the shop (sterling ray34 and stingray).

[Funky Dunky]

I have a Sterling Sub Ray 4, have had it about four months now. Here's my thoughts:

The preamp is a nightmare and the bass has incredibly high amounts of clack and zing which I'm finding really difficult to tame, even adjusting the setup and changing to nickel strings hasn't tamed it. The neck is a treat to play, and it's a good way to get the Stingray sound for a pittance, but I regret buying mine. I think I would rather have spent the money on a Sire V7. The Ray looks nice and plays comfortably but that preamp - eesh. If you're not tech-minded, prepare to stump up to get it fixed or replaced. I think a Stinger preamp is £40, which is nothing, but what will a tech want to install it?

Edited June 8, 2015 by Funky Dunky

[Mudpup]

[quote name='razze06' timestamp='1433776023' post='2793841']


There aren't any USA SUB for sale in the shops (I like to try before I buy), and I liked the neck and body shape of the sterling SUB much better than the other variants available in the shop (sterling ray34 and stingray).
[/quote]

You're unlikely to find one in a shop, they were discontinued years ago. If you can try a USA Stingray (with a 2 band eq, not 3 band...) you will get a good idea of what a USA SUB will sound like and the size of the neck. The only difference is a SUB has a painted neck, slab body and textured finish. The hardware and electrics are the same. And it's built like a tank (great for rowdy bar gigs ☺).

The best way to get one is from this site and flip it if you don't get on with it. They pop up for between £350/450 reasonably frequently and you'll sell it for the same all day long if its in half decent nick and its not tinkered with.

And if you're down near the sunny South East you're welcome to have a play on mine.......

Edited June 8, 2015 by Mudpup

[Funky Dunky]

How 'bout the wee SB14? I haven't played one but I've seen videos and they look and sound like cracking wee basses. Again not the easiest to come by, but maybe worth looking out for.

[razze06]

[quote name='Mudpup' timestamp='1433792454' post='2794047']
You're unlikely to find one in a shop, they were discontinued years ago. If you can try a USA Stingray (with a 2 band eq, not 3 band...) you will get a good idea of what a USA SUB will sound like and the size of the neck. The only difference is a SUB has a painted neck, slab body and textured finish. The hardware and electrics are the same. And it's built like a tank (great for rowdy bar gigs ☺).

The best way to get one is from this site and flip it if you don't get on with it. They pop up for between £350/450 reasonably frequently and you'll sell it for the same all day long if its in half decent nick and its not tinkered with.

And if you're down near the sunny South East you're welcome to have a play on mine.......
[/quote]

I know they stopped making them years ago, that why I wasn't going to find any in a shop

The shape of the body and neck were much more to my taste on the cheaper ray4 SUB than on any other variant, including american stingrays. In any case, I am not a big enough fan that I need to have the real thing I got my SUB because I returned a yamaha 5 string I didn't get on with, and the SUB was the only bass I had any interest in getting in an exchange...

[Vinnie V]

I have a USA sub 5. The jury is still out for me. sounds awesome but the neck compared to my lakies sees it sitting in the corner gathering dust. Feels like a sticky bassball bat.

[Raslee]

Having owned 3-4 U.S. Stingrays, 2 U.S. Subs and a Sterling Ray34 I am now the proud owner of the Sterling Sub 4, have been for a while The preamp sucks and is hot in the latter but the playability, of mine at least (Thomann), is one of the best of played...I much prefer the Sub Ray 4 over the ugly, sticky, slab bodied US Sub. However the sound of the U.S. Sub is much better because of the better preamp and of course mostly similar to the more expensive USA Stingrays.

So...I put a USA original music man pre amp & pick up in my Sterling Sub 4 and voilà a U.S. Music man Stingray Sound in a bass with the better playability and a lovely jazz width neck. Cost about the same as a U.S. Sub with preamp but I wouldn't change mine, not even for a Ray34

[cameltoe]

There have been some crazy cheap USA stingrays on here in recent months. I just think if you're taking a chance on the most cost effective model, the Sterling SUB, most agree the preamp and possibly pickup will need work. For that money, you could then buy a USA Sub. Add just another 100-200 and you're in the ball park of some Stingrays that have popped up here.

That's what I'd do!

[Pinball]

[quote name='Raslee' timestamp='1433961185' post='2795500']
Having owned 3-4 U.S. Stingrays, 2 U.S. Subs and a Sterling Ray34 I am now the proud owner of the Sterling Sub 4, have been for a while The preamp sucks and is hot in the latter but the playability, of mine at least (Thomann), is one of the best of played...I much prefer the Sub Ray 4 over the ugly, sticky, slab bodied US Sub. However the sound of the U.S. Sub is much better because of the better preamp and of course mostly similar to the more expensive USA Stingrays.
So...I put a USA original music man pre amp & pick up in my Sterling Sub 4 and voilà a U.S. Music man Stingray Sound in a bass with the better playability and a lovely jazz width neck. Cost about the same as a U.S. Sub with preamp but I wouldn't change mine, not even for a Ray34
[/quote]

I'd be interested to hear how you think the Ray34 compares to the USA Stingray 4 Raslee, to see if it matches my experience. I had an SR5 and a SterlingRay35 at the same time and loved the sound of both but I always preferred playing the USA version. It spent ages pondering why as I liked the 35's sound and eventually put it down to differences in the feel of the neck.
I recently found a USA SR5 neck and had it fitted to the Ray35 and it has transformed the bass IMHO, its hard to explain but the USA ones just feel more rock solid and more percussive in comparison.

[quote name='cameltoe' timestamp='1433970713' post='2795620']
There have been some crazy cheap USA stingrays on here in recent months. I just think if you're taking a chance on the most cost effective model, the Sterling SUB, most agree the preamp and possibly pickup will need work. For that money, you could then buy a USA Sub. Add just another 100-200 and you're in the ball park of some Stingrays that have popped up here.

That's what I'd do!
[/quote]

Me too, either a USA Sub or a SterlingRay

Edited June 11, 2015 by Pinball

[mcnach]

[quote name='razze06' timestamp='1433776023' post='2793841']
There aren't any USA SUB for sale in the shops (I like to try before I buy), and I liked the neck and body shape of the sterling SUB much better than the other variants available in the shop (sterling ray34 and stingray).
[/quote]


The USA MM SUB neck is just like the Stingray, while the SBMM SUB is thinner... so if you prefer a thin neck, the MM SUB would probably not be your favourite.

There's also the look... the USA ones can be a bit... ugly. However, if you don't mind the uglier finish *AND* you do like a Stingray (sound, neck, etc), then the USA one is a great choice.

Both SUBs are quite different.

[Funky Dunky]

Why does nobody ever talk about the SB14?