This sounds so killer for a passive bass! Wish it came in a 5 string so glad your channel is growing Johnny! I remember when you were in the 9k range a couple years ago, did you get rid of your USA stingray??
Flatwounds (EB Cobalts) + tone at 0% would sound amazzzzing! Been thinking Sterling’s pricing had gone mental recently ($1400 for the Sterling Darkray 🤯) but this is fantastic value
Sterling is SO MUCH quality for price, I totally agree with you when you say it’s great they’re keeping updated their budget friendly line. I’m sooo curious to try this bass as soon as it’s available in my local music shop
@@clarencejones2397 I mean, this clearly is’t a product for you. But out there there are lots of suckers for passive instruments (myself included, since 60% of my sound is made by my first two pedals in my chain which are EXTREMELY sensible to impedance, a buffer of an active instrument would destroy my sound) that still to this day needs rock solid build quality, reliable QC and interesting materials (all of which sterling is top tier) without any electronic like active pickups or preamps. I’m more than happy to know that all of the money I spend are going into the general quality of the instrument and not in some preamp that I would never use (and even take off completely, probably)
@@geraldp494 well, it depends on what you’re considering: from a value/reselling standpoint? Yup, totally agree, they are extremely hard to sell back and their monetary value crashes the moment you buy them. Still, if you’re instead looking purely for quality and tone, there are some sig instrument that are great and well priced for what they offer (still haven’t tried this sterling, but based of what I’m seeing and hearing here and combined with my good past experiences with this brand I’m sure it won’t suck at all) and I can’t consider them a “bad deal” from this point of view. Then yeah, I can totally see why one wouldn’t pick someone’s else gear as a personal instrument, but it still depends on anyone view and what they are really looking for
This bass sounded awesome. Even the DI tone was great. A lot of the the time on the more affordable basses the DI tone is really thin but this one sounded great.
Nice to see MM/Stingray putting out something "affordable". Still, I wonder how it sounds and plays when put up against the Thomann branded Harley Benton MB-4 SB Deluxe Series bass?
Ive been looking at one of these since i saw you unbox this model. Never been much of a passive guy but i really like the look and sound. As i do have a sterling stingray ray 35. i think it would pair nicely with my orange terror bass amp.
This may very well become my first bass. I knew that it was going to be a Stingray, but wasn't one hundred percent happy with my choices at the RAY24 and RAY34 levels and price points. This Signature model seems to wipe out every single compromise that I would have had to make by getting the other models, or the money it would cost me to mod the Ray4 that I like. Now, I just need to hold out until I can buy one of those Fiesta Red ones that you showed locally.
Do you happen to know if the pickup is wired in series or parallel? I’m assuming parallel, but it would be cool to have that extra layer of tonal variety if you could switch between the two, but that’s just me being nit-picky. It sounds awesome and I agree that its really cool that Pete is making his signature model more affordable than most other signature models.
I'm not a huge fan of Stingray looks but always like its sound, but this bass in fiesta red looks pretty nice. The sound was good also. Solid "passive Stingray" I never knew I needed. haha
I have a ray 34 and whenever I consider getting rid of it for something nicer I play it and it’s just a great bass. Super comfortable. Only gripe is the weight of mine. Just over 10lbs
I'm pleasantly surprised by how much I like the D.I sound of the just the passive pickup as someone that hasn't really liked the sound of other stuff by musicman
Fall Out Boy is one of the reasons I started playing bass so this is tempting, especially as a sterling. I wish I had one of Pete Wentz's squiers too tbh
"i can't imagine that Pete Wentz is messing around with that tone knob that much" Funny thing is that his Previous Fender/Squier signature bass only had a volume knob in the typical pop-punk style. And during a rig rundown, his soundguy says that Pete sometimes even forgets to turn up the volume knob so for some of his bassguitars even bypass the volume knob. I agree that it's good they decided to give people more options than Pete probably uses himself
Does anyone know if they pick guard is the same size as normal stingrays?? Would be grateful to change it out for a black one if I was to buy this bass
The only thing that springs to mind to me about Fall Out Boy was their (singer?) having a strop and walking off set on Never Mind The Buzzcocks... I think that's just my age showing though. FOB were a "teen" band when I was pushing 30!
Looks nice. Sounds good. But the last Sterling bass I bought... the tuning machines literally self destructed. I hope they have gotten that sorted out. I'm a bit squeamish about buying Sterling stuff after that experience.
@@JonnyDibble Kind? You were sent a $900 Bass to make the video? 'No Money was exchanged' is a little cheeky. I think most of your viewers would assume you have to return the instrument. nonetheless Thank you for being honest.
They should have added a little switch for parallel-single coil like I have on my HB MB4. And maybe series 😮😁. Bax-shop has it on preorder for 999 euros. Rip off?
My first walkman was a cassette one from 'Boots', one of there cheapy own branded. The first tape i bought was the Rocky 4 sound track.. James brown and Survivor🎵🎶 Nice sounding and looking bass.. baring the pickguard, still not a fan of the pick guard on stingrays.
This makes me really tempted to go passive with my sub ray 4. I’m sick of the insane feedback I get when I click on my distortion, even with a Aguilar pickup installed
Never had that issue with any Stingray I owned (both 2 band or 3 band). I even had an Aguilar pickup and a Nordstrand pickup in one of them. All of my drive/distortion/fuzz pedals work perfectly fine, just as fine as with my passive P bass. Stingrays aren't hot output basses like many people (ignorant people) wold like to claim. Don't crank the preamp all the way and it's on par with a vintage voiced P bass pickup output wise. If your distortion pedals don't like your Stingray, it's due to buffer. Solution would be to get a good pedal that doesn't mind buffers in front of it, which is most modern pedals anyways, unless you go super cheap Chinese crap brand.
Nice bass... but unwatchable review/demo. Literally every 5 seconds there is a cut in your video... like you're unable to speak 3 sentences without a mistake.
![Is the CHEAPEST Stingray the BEST? | Sterling Sub Series Ray 4 [Review/Demo]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/qXpH7zrH7Tw/mqdefault.jpg)
![Is the CHEAPEST Stingray the BEST? | Sterling Sub Series Ray 4 [Review/Demo]](/img/tr.png)
One of the big advantages of a passive Stingray is how well it takes OD and especially FUZZ.
Yeah, less top end makes it a bit less harsh with effects!
The minimalistic design and colors look sooo nice
Love it!
just ordered mine in fiesta red. cant wait
This sounds so killer for a passive bass! Wish it came in a 5 string so glad your channel is growing Johnny! I remember when you were in the 9k range a couple years ago, did you get rid of your USA stingray??
Nice review man, hopefully won't be long until we get some availability in the UK, this thing seems awesome for the price!
Thank you for this video Johnny, currents really excited about the Ray2 that’s announced and thankful for the great video on the closest thing to it
@@krumbis I’m excited too!! Thanks very much ☺️
Flatwounds (EB Cobalts) + tone at 0% would sound amazzzzing! Been thinking Sterling’s pricing had gone mental recently ($1400 for the Sterling Darkray 🤯) but this is fantastic value
I'd go with D'Addario ProSteel stainless steel rounds.
@@mikev.1641 Eeehh. All a matter of personal opinion. And of course, what sort of music you're playing.
Sterling is SO MUCH quality for price, I totally agree with you when you say it’s great they’re keeping updated their budget friendly line.
I’m sooo curious to try this bass as soon as it’s available in my local music shop
Never understood why people would pay ££££ for someone else’s sig anyway. They should be to inspire fans!
@@JonnyDibble Sig. Instruments are always a bad deal
I will never be foolish enough to give somebody over $600 for a passive Sterling Bass when I can purchase an active one for Less.
@@clarencejones2397 I mean, this clearly is’t a product for you. But out there there are lots of suckers for passive instruments (myself included, since 60% of my sound is made by my first two pedals in my chain which are EXTREMELY sensible to impedance, a buffer of an active instrument would destroy my sound) that still to this day needs rock solid build quality, reliable QC and interesting materials (all of which sterling is top tier) without any electronic like active pickups or preamps.
I’m more than happy to know that all of the money I spend are going into the general quality of the instrument and not in some preamp that I would never use (and even take off completely, probably)
@@geraldp494 well, it depends on what you’re considering: from a value/reselling standpoint? Yup, totally agree, they are extremely hard to sell back and their monetary value crashes the moment you buy them.
Still, if you’re instead looking purely for quality and tone, there are some sig instrument that are great and well priced for what they offer (still haven’t tried this sterling, but based of what I’m seeing and hearing here and combined with my good past experiences with this brand I’m sure it won’t suck at all) and I can’t consider them a “bad deal” from this point of view.
Then yeah, I can totally see why one wouldn’t pick someone’s else gear as a personal instrument, but it still depends on anyone view and what they are really looking for
This bass sounded awesome. Even the DI tone was great. A lot of the the time on the more affordable basses the DI tone is really thin but this one sounded great.
Pete Wentz vs Ray4 comparison next!
Nice to see MM/Stingray putting out something "affordable". Still, I wonder how it sounds and plays when put up against the Thomann branded Harley Benton MB-4 SB Deluxe Series bass?
That could be a fun comparison!
I wish they made this in the reverse color.. Gold body and black pick guard.. That would be so awesome 😅
Ive been looking at one of these since i saw you unbox this model. Never been much of a passive guy but i really like the look and sound. As i do have a sterling stingray ray 35. i think it would pair nicely with my orange terror bass amp.
I love me some passive StingRays! Wish they had a lefty version though...
We need a left handed artist to do everyone a solid 🤪
I think I actually prefer the passive ones too tbh, the active ones are often "over the top"
@@JonnyDibble And not MonoNeon who's trolling us lefties by playing a right-handed Jazz Bass upside down... 😤
You should make a video creating a patch to match the new FOB sounds with the bass
Id like this bass tbh, looks cool, sounds good, and wont crap out with it being passive
This may very well become my first bass. I knew that it was going to be a Stingray, but wasn't one hundred percent happy with my choices at the RAY24 and RAY34 levels and price points. This Signature model seems to wipe out every single compromise that I would have had to make by getting the other models, or the money it would cost me to mod the Ray4 that I like. Now, I just need to hold out until I can buy one of those Fiesta Red ones that you showed locally.
Do you happen to know if the pickup is wired in series or parallel? I’m assuming parallel, but it would be cool to have that extra layer of tonal variety if you could switch between the two, but that’s just me being nit-picky. It sounds awesome and I agree that its really cool that Pete is making his signature model more affordable than most other signature models.
Parallel alnico V
I like it! A gold anodized aluminium plate would even better, but that's an easy fix. I ordered one a while ago for another StingRay.
I'm not a huge fan of Stingray looks but always like its sound, but this bass in fiesta red looks pretty nice. The sound was good also. Solid "passive Stingray" I never knew I needed. haha
Im super surprised MM made a passive pup for this, i like active MM a lot, BUT i love a nice passive MM humbucker
My guy, MM has never made an active pickup. They are always passive
I have Pete’s OG signature bass!! It’s Amazing!!
The fiesta red looks delicious...
Verrrrrry cool
Good review thanks 👍
I have a bass, but I really want one of these for something different! They seem like a good workhorse!
Very Nice. I ❤ the tones.
Is this one to keep, Jonny?
Lovely tones indeed! Yes it is
I bought one. Love the bass but hate the tone. May look into swapping the pickup.
I have a ray 34 and whenever I consider getting rid of it for something nicer I play it and it’s just a great bass. Super comfortable. Only gripe is the weight of mine. Just over 10lbs
clearcoat and ashbody I assume?
I'm pleasantly surprised by how much I like the D.I sound of the just the passive pickup as someone that hasn't really liked the sound of other stuff by musicman
I’ve really gotten into DI tones recently. Not for band use, but jamming? Hell yeah
Fall Out Boy is one of the reasons I started playing bass so this is tempting, especially as a sterling. I wish I had one of Pete Wentz's squiers too tbh
6:07 finger DI
7:22 slap DI
6:43 finger GK amp sim
7:55 slap GK amp sim
great sterling stuff out these days
"i can't imagine that Pete Wentz is messing around with that tone knob that much" Funny thing is that his Previous Fender/Squier signature bass only had a volume knob in the typical pop-punk style. And during a rig rundown, his soundguy says that Pete sometimes even forgets to turn up the volume knob so for some of his bassguitars even bypass the volume knob.
I agree that it's good they decided to give people more options than Pete probably uses himself
Man, I kinda want that Sterling Sterling SB14. It's kinda like a budget Joe Dart bass with a pick guard
How is the neck on this? Is it more like a Ray4 or more like a P bass?
More like a P bass size but a satin feel like the Ray4
Damn I love it, I’ve just always been such a blink nerd I wanted the hoppus and Delonge models.. maybe I have to branch out!
I heard you playing that Hoppus riff at the end!
Strings? Right?
Blink 182 - Feeling This
This config+ humbucker kinda reminds me of a Tagima xb-31
I don’t consider 9.2 pounds to be heavy. I have an ash Ray 34 that’s 11 pounds. That is heavy! I still love it though. It’s a great bass.
That IS heavy!!
Same I have a Mike dirnt pbass that's 11 pounds. THATS heavy.
What sterling model pickguard could you switch it out with?
Solid sound really like this bass, there is more bass added to the wish list lol
Ah the ever growing list 🥲
Does anyone know if they pick guard is the same size as normal stingrays?? Would be grateful to change it out for a black one if I was to buy this bass
The only thing that springs to mind to me about Fall Out Boy was their (singer?) having a strop and walking off set on Never Mind The Buzzcocks... I think that's just my age showing though. FOB were a "teen" band when I was pushing 30!
And now those teen fans are pushing 30!
@@JonnyDibble- definitely top marks for the powers that be making an affordable signature bass too.
stingray specials (the new ones) weigh in at around 8 lbs. so yeah, nobody complains about the weight. unless you're playing one that's ten years old.
The standard ones are heavier though. I had a 2016 one that weighed a lot
I’m thinking of getting one. Do basses need to get “set up” like guitars do when you buy them?
Hi! Yes all can have set ups 😀 Not all guitars and basses NEED set ups out of the box, this one certainly didn’t
❤ very interesting thanks a lot, sounds so good
Very good bass for the price
Passive = MASSIVE
Cool video. Thanks.
Want more passive stingrays.
Something I didn’t think I’d want, but I do!
I would like to see the Charvel Frank Bello Signature bass, maybe in combination with the Tech21 Signature pedal?
I’ve not had a Charvel in the channel before! 😲
but how does it sound with flats? lol
Man that thing has some growl for a passive bass. It really doesn’t sound that much different than my active American stingray
Looks nice. Sounds good. But the last Sterling bass I bought... the tuning machines literally self destructed. I hope they have gotten that sorted out. I'm a bit squeamish about buying Sterling stuff after that experience.
Oh no! The tuners on the Ray4 aren’t the best, these are on par with the Ray34, so top end of the spectrum and feel solid
Hey Jonny, do you get to keep this bass or do you have to send it back? cheers 🍺
Hey! They’re very kindly letting me keep this one
@@JonnyDibble Kind? You were sent a $900 Bass to make the video? 'No Money was exchanged' is a little cheeky. I think most of your viewers would assume you have to return the instrument. nonetheless Thank you for being honest.
@@christopherfidler3019 VERY kind
Is this bass well balanced?
Yeah!
They should have added a little switch for parallel-single coil like I have on my HB MB4. And maybe series 😮😁. Bax-shop has it on preorder for 999 euros. Rip off?
That would be incredible! It’s only online for pre-order atm. I wouldn’t take the BAX price as gospel until it’s widely available
Every bass deserves to snuggle up against a UK 🇬🇧 in-house radiator to keep warm. 😂😂 Nice review. 🤘🎸🎸🤘
I agree! Haha thanks
My first walkman was a cassette one from 'Boots', one of there cheapy own branded. The first tape i bought was the Rocky 4 sound track.. James brown and Survivor🎵🎶
Nice sounding and looking bass.. baring the pickguard, still not a fan of the pick guard on stingrays.
The toilet seat pick guard isn’t for everyone 🤪
$650 😮 I just paid £800 for mine!😢
This makes me really tempted to go passive with my sub ray 4.
I’m sick of the insane feedback I get when I click on my distortion, even with a Aguilar pickup installed
I did so myself about a year or two ago and i absolutely love it! Mine has a SD pickup on it.
Did you add a tone knob to it too or just volume straight to the output jack?
@@stevengonz yep! Volume and tone (both 250k pots). I pretty much followed the wiring diagram in the seymour duncan website ✨
Never had that issue with any Stingray I owned (both 2 band or 3 band). I even had an Aguilar pickup and a Nordstrand pickup in one of them. All of my drive/distortion/fuzz pedals work perfectly fine, just as fine as with my passive P bass. Stingrays aren't hot output basses like many people (ignorant people) wold like to claim. Don't crank the preamp all the way and it's on par with a vintage voiced P bass pickup output wise. If your distortion pedals don't like your Stingray, it's due to buffer. Solution would be to get a good pedal that doesn't mind buffers in front of it, which is most modern pedals anyways, unless you go super cheap Chinese crap brand.
That price sounds super cheap. Maybe a comaprison against the more pricy ray34 models to see if they are worth the money?
Hoping they bring out a Mike Herrera Sig Squier Soon. For us Broke Bassists
Just need some spray paint, stencils and you’re halfway there! 🤪
@@JonnyDibble lol indeed
Bruce Thomas p bass made by bass centre
Nice!!
Wow I thought it would be $800 atleast
Very impressed!
650 USD ... 870 euros in Germany.
dislike how sterling rip us off.
beautiful bass nonetheless
Ello
Ello there
actually it's a loon not a duck get it riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight
This bass was the first time I’d ever heard of a Loon 🤔😂
@@JonnyDibble they’re nice and sing on the lake. my grandma is a hardcore loon fan and has pictures of them
It's not a duck, it's a loon. Get your ornithology facts straight, Jonny! 🤣
I put that on screen! 🤪
Compared to his old Squire PBass, I think it sounds like sh*t. 😕
Work on your playing instead of your head movements mate. Your time is diggers. And stop talking like Alan Partridge!
Top class comment
Nice bass... but unwatchable review/demo. Literally every 5 seconds there is a cut in your video... like you're unable to speak 3 sentences without a mistake.
That me
Duck Inlay ??? WTF ???
It's a loon!
I think were all nostalgic about fallout boy, but lets not forget Pete Wentz was a gross creeper.
Not worth it. You can buy a ray34 with a 3-band-EQ for 650 on the used market.
I mean, used value on one of these will be around 400
tell me you dont know what pop punk is by not telling me you know nothing about pop punk....... fallout boy is not a pop punk and never has ........
Ok 🤨
That’s what you got hung up on
Awesome