Any sexy new basses you've got your eye on?

Gear
945

This is what the archive page says about the Ray34ca. They were lower in price then the Ray34, about the same difference between what is offered in the Ray34 and Ray24 today. The Ray4 was not introduced as a lower option until later, but I do not know if it was 2018 that it came out or not.

Here is what the 2011 site says about the Ray34ca

New for 2011, Ray34 Classic Active Series basses deliver old school vibe and looks for the vintage enthusiast. Lightweight slab bodies (no belly or forearm contours) available in 2 finishes – classic Mint Green and 3 Tone Sunburst.

The glossy amber tinted neck features a narrow 38 mm nut width, 34” scale and 21 thin vintage style frets. The finish is a hard glossy coat that exudes the vibe and look of an older instrument.

Music Man designed 2 band active preamp features volume, treble and bass controls. The preamp and pickup were re-voiced for this model, for a more organic feel and are noise free.

45-100 Ernie Ball Reg Slinky Bass Strings

Ash body
Maple neck
Rosewood fingerboard (MG)
Maple fingerboard (3TS)
34” scale
Active vintage voiced 2 band preamp and pickup

And what the current site says about the Ray24ca today.

STINGRAY CLASSIC RAY24CA

Modeled after the iconic original StingRay Classic bass, the Ray24CA brings the classic look and feel of one of music history’s most enduring accomplishments. Featuring a vintage flat ‘slab’ body, a 9v powered 2-band active preamp, and a narrower 38mm nut, the StingRay Classic gives the player total tonal control

CLASSIC STINGRAY TONE

Inspired by the vintage StingRay tone, the StingRay Ray24CA features a ceramic humbucker and 2-band active preamp designed to provide the warm 70’s sound.

TIMELESS DESIGN

An instantly recognizable and historic bass, the StingRay Classic Ray24CA features a vintage flat ‘slab’ body and narrower 38mm nut for a timeless look that continues to inspire bassists worldwide.

They have changed the words around, but it is the same animal, with the acception they changed the Ray24ca to Mahogany body, because alot of manufacturers are moving away from ASH due to price, availability, and it might be going endangered, IIRC.

It is not a BAD BASS. But it is the same as the Ray24ca. The older ones looked cooler IMO, and for the right price, it is going to be a keeper.
The only problem that I have with the Ray24ca is the marketing, and the fact they did no real upgrades from the Ray4 for the price it is offered.
Well, in fact, since the Ray 4 was not around first, they took the Ray34ca, changed it to the Ray24ca, and downgraded it to the Ray4, so they would have a bass in the $300 range.

I post this often, for people who are interested in Stingrays, because I have spent alot of time learning about the differences, and I want people to not be fooled into buying a Ray24ca, unless they know what they are getting.
Same pre-amp as the Ray4
Same pick up, but they hid the wires on the Ray4 so you can’t even wire it like a stingray (since they downgraded) but otherwise the same pick up.
It has a look, and a different feel due to the slab body, and if the look and feel appeals to you, it is NOT A BAD BUY.
But for me, the Ray 4 is more what I want, and since I would upgrade the pick up in both of them, I would go for the cheaper model.
That said, if I found a good price on a Toluca Lake Ray24ca, I would get it just for the color alone, and I would drop a Kent Armstrong pick up in it and call it good.

1 Like
946

That says “Classic Stingray 4”. The “Stingray 4” pre 2018, that some called the Stingray Classic, changed to the Stingray Special in 2018.
I guess I should just call it the “Modern Stingray 4 pre 2018” so as not to confuse people more than EBMM and SBMM already do.
I am not sure what years they started calling it a “Modern Stingray Pre 2018” or even, but it was probably between 2005 and 2010 if I were to guess.

Here is the difference I am talking about between the Stingray Special (2018) and the Stingray (original, Modern, pre 2017, whatever you want to call it).

Between Music Man and Sterling by Music Man, there are alot of WORD PLAYS. They make it confusing on the surface, you need to really follow up on it and research it

Again, that is just marketing. it is the same preamp that is in the Ray4.

I am honestly not trying to argue with you, I am just trying to make you aware of what they are saying, and how it really translates to what is in the bass.

I honestly do not know much about these. They were made by Music Man before there was Sterling. I have never researched them, I have only seen them in for sale ads and some played recently on a youtube channel, but didn’t pay attention to the body.

It boils down to, if you like the Big Al, then its a good choice
If you like the Bongo, then it is a good choice
If you like the Ray34ca, then its a good choice
If you like a Ray4 then its a good choice.

They are all excellent instruments, and for the price points, the Ray4 and Ray34 really stand out.

I don’t want to see you buy something that you think is more then it really is. If you find out that you are correct, and the Earlyier Ray34ca’s have better electronics than they do today, more power to that bass.

For reference, I saw a guy selling a Ray34ca, Silver one, so I think it is more like 2013 or later, but he replaced the pick up and pre-amp with an EMG set. I am sure it was a great instrument with the upgrades.
He listed it for $800 or $750 and sat on it for a while. He lowered it to $700, to $650 To $600 to $550, over about 4-5 months, and finally sold it about 2 weeks after lowering it to $500.

It was a $499 bass the year it was purchased. It had $300 in upgrades, and sold for the same price it was first bought for. So it held its value, but it was also upgraded.

There was another that I chatted with a guy about, it was a 2012 with a burst finish, all original and very good condition. he started selling it for $500, but by the time he sold it a few months later it was down to $375.
With both of those basses, I never talked to the owners after selling, I just saw it sold, and what price it was at when it sold, so IDK if they discounted it further at the actual sale.
Yes, they are more rare, and not often seen, but they have not gained value in todays market from what I have seen.

3 Likes
947

@mateoloco. There is a US made SUB at New Jersey Guitar and Bass Center.

image
image2732×2048 723 KB

2 Likes
948

He calls it “amber” but looks trans orange to me

3 Likes
949

That looks like the bass from @T_dub’s pic a few days ago. Notice that neither have fret markers on the face of the neck. But that’s a pretty penny to pay for a Stingray Special.

2 Likes
950

Yeah that’s, like, more expensive than new.

2 Likes
951

I don’t feel like you’re arguing with me and I appreciate the time you’ve taken to respond in detail. I posted in the Ernie Ball Forum asking about the differences between the Ray 34 CA and the Ray 24 CA, so hopefully someone there can respond. I’ll just keep my eyes out for a newer Ray 34 with the roasted maple neck or a USA SUB and pass on the Ray 34 CA for the time being. @John_E thanks for the link to that store. That pick guard is the egg shape of a Sterling and they did make USA SUB Sterlings, which it would say on the headstock. Unfortunately the headstock pic isn’t clear enough to read what it says so I can’t tell for sure. That store has a ton of inventory, including a ton of new EBMM basses that haven’t been in production for a while.

4 Likes
952

He’s the real deal there, 39 years. He’s just bad at marketing so has a big pile of everything.

2 Likes
953

It’s supposedly a custom. Different from the @T_dub picture but not sure if it’s same or not. And don’t know if a custom is factory custom or he did it or what that means for value.

1 Like
954

Looking at the other pic, the woodgrain is different, and the flame maple neck looks nicer in the post, but, again…worth more?

But that neck though, it is really pretty.

image
image1286×1600 411 KB

image
image960×1600 240 KB

3 Likes
955

I am a Albert lee fan, but sadly I didn’t know their was a bass lol. Thats my vote!

20210426_145210
20210426_1452103024×4032 3.04 MB

5 Likes
956

Thats the one, and that is the cheapest I have seen it. It is usually $2495.

No, its cheaper then that custom limited release is new. it is $100 less then a new EBMM Stingray off their site. You probably get free shipping from EBMM (although I am not certain that you do), so then it would really be $20 cheaper, but still, its cheaper.

All that said, I am not rushing out to buy one, its more than I would pay, even for that. Had I been willing to pay it, I would have bought one when it was listed at $2495.

2 Likes
957

New Stingray Specials are $2499 on Sweetwater.

edit: ok I see, their new price varies a bit, $2299 to $2599 depending.

3 Likes
958

Whenever I see blocks of text I know @T_dub has been there. :smiley:

5 Likes
959

It is definitely the TEARDROP of a Sterling, and more telling sign, is the lack of a chrome control plate.
I was not aware they did a EBMM SUB STERLING. I did know that SBMM did a SUB STERLING at one time, and I actually had one for a bit. it was way cheaper feeling then anything that SBMM puts out today, but it was still a cool bass. I just sold it so I could get the SBMM Ray4.
But to be totally honest, I didn’t realize it was a Sterling, I thought it was a cheaper then a Ray4, SUB Stingray. Had I known, I would have kept it and still got the Ray4.

IMG_8070
IMG_80701421×3831 929 KB

This is the Ray34 that I have from back in the 2010-2012 era. I am selling it. It is a GEM, but I like playing the SLO / STERLING / J necks better then the neck on the Ray34 or Stingray Special / Classic / Modern. This is why I also love the Ray4. So much customization you can do to it, and you get a great neck on a great overall bass.

IMG_0021
IMG_00212353×3423 1.86 MB
IMG_0020
IMG_00201408×4029 1.31 MB

@mateoloco, I would strongly suggest you try out a Ray34, or Stingray (classic / modern / special) before buying one. You might love the wider neck (at the nut with less of a taper down) than the thinner neck (at the nut, more taper down to the body. And you may not find it comfortable, and prefer to keep with the SLO / Sterling / Jazz neck.

For the most part, they are the same width and thickness at the body, but up at the nut, the SLO neck is 1.5" (38mm) at the nut, tapering down to 2.5" I think (would need to verify) and the Stingray neck is 1.6875" at the nut, tapering down to the same or very close 2.5" at the body.
That sounds like a minimal amount, but it makes a big difference. I also think that the Stingray (p bass) neck is also thicker at the NUT end, so it really gives it a more CHUNKY feel.
I actually like playing on it a bit more now, that I have been playing longer, and I can appreciate more space between strings when doing certain finger roll string cross licks, I can fret them cleaner.
But, Overall
I prefer to play my day to day stuff on the SLO neck.

Also, I still want to make it clear, that the Ray34ca and / or the Ray24ca is still a great bass. I do not mean to sound negative about it because it is a very good value and a well made instrument. I just don’t really like how they try to WORD it up to sound like so much more then it is. I know they do this because when you get into the $500 price range, there is a lot more quality basses to choose from, so for that money, you really NEED TO WANT a stingray, in those colors or style, because IMHO, the extra $200 is not adding $200 in value TO ME. I think paying for the Ray4 ($300) and adding $125 in pick up, puts a better bass in your hands then a Ray24ca.

For $200, you could find a good Pick up and Pre-amp combo, (or spend more and get a top brand one, not always better, but very good none the less) and make the Ray4 a 3-band EQ, plus add a pick up wired in parallel. Or even find a pre-amp that has a 3 way selector and be able to go from Parallel to Series to Single coil.

Now, take that same $200 and add it to the Ray34ca / Ray24ca, and now you are in the $700 and up price range, which puts you dead smack in the middle of the Ray34 basses, that have better electronics and is the top bass SBMM puts out.
So, that sounds like a No brainer, right.

WRONG.
If you want the classic slab body, and you want the vintage 3 band pre-amp and a more classic stingray look, AND you want a SLO / Sterling / J neck, then you are better off getting the Ray34ca / Ray24ca and upgrading it.

You see, there is no right or wrong in this situation. it is all about what YOU WANT, and what YOU CAN AFFORD.
So you want to upgrade a bass? Do you want a bass that plays right out of the box, with no upgrades needed? Do you want to customize your bass, with pickguard, bridge, bridge mutes, tuners, etc…? Or do you want to buy a bass and play it as is?

You can get a Ray34, and leave use the stock electronics, and have a great sounding and playing bass (assuming you are ok with the fatter neck).
Or
You can get a Ray4 or Ray34ca / Ray24ca, and use the stock electronics, and have a great playing bass, and ok sounding bass, if you leave the Bass at or below 50% (middle or detent on the dial) and don’t turn up the Treble past maybe 25%. It sounds OK with the stock electronics.
Actually, that is a setting I actually prefer to use, so with a Stock pick up, I can get buy for a bit. But it took me a little while (3-5 months) to fully know my bass, and then upgraded the pick up, so I can dial in more treble if / when I want / need it.
I opted not to change to a 3 band pre-amp, and left the stock one in it, it works good for me. And that is the same preamp that is in the Ray34ca / Ray24ca, So I am not knocking the pre-amp at all, I actually like it. i am just saying it is NO special Vintage pre-amp. There are some pre-amps that you can get between $60 and $100 that are CLONE REPLICAS of the 77 or 78 Stingray Pre-amp. So if you want that classic sound, you can upgrade to that pre-amp and get much much much much closer to a classic stingray tone then the stock preamp will ever get you.
But again, I am not knocking the preamp. It works fine for me and my application. If I got another Ray4, even tho I love my Aguilar pickup, I would probably get a different pre-amp and pick up, just to have something different.
But that is why I love the Ray4 so much and recommend it highly. You can get several basses, and fully modify them per your own specs, and still pay less then a EBMM Stingray.

Again, please play on a Stingray neck before you decide on a Ray34, or Stingray (unless you find a SLO Special that has the SLO / J neck on it)

3 Likes
960

Is there a chart somewhere of all the models and what the differences are? I know there is one in your head @T_dub, but man MM is so confusing to me. I can’t keep them all straight.

Beautiful bass BTW

5 Likes
961

It is the same one. You can’t really see the neck and fretboard in the picture I posted, but if you see other pictures, they show the neck being same as this picture.

There was a limited run of these, I don’t know if they were BFR (Ball Family Reserve) or a custom run for a certain vendor, or what, but they pop up new on reverb every once in a while. Usually I see them from the same seller, who is somewhat local to me (in So Cal), but I have never gone to see it or inquire about it.
I have also seen it on a Retail Web Store, I think one that I linked to thru EBMM site, just selecting “find a distributor”.
That solid orange one also has that same neck. IDK what the story is about that one. They used to have them for sale on Guitar Center, but they have sold out. I don’t know what year they were from, and I have not found an older EBMM catalog or Archive web page that shows it, so IDK at all.

BTW, @mateoloco
Here is the Archive web page from 2011. This is the Ray34ca page. you can navigate thru some of the website menu features to see the Ray34 as well. It also features the SB14 that was a NEW / RE-RELEASE of the SBMM Sterling.
You can actually navigate thru most of this archive website, so its pretty cool to at least see where the Ray34ca originated from, since it was NEW FOR 2011.

http://web.archive.org/web/20111001033852/http://www.sterlingbymusicman.com/ray34ca

2 Likes
962

BONGO!!! :smiley:

Anyone else just shout that out when they see one? No? Just me?
I am seriously in love with that purple.

12 Likes
963

Me too. Love Bongos too.

4 Likes
964

I was just saying it is cheaper, because the Reverb links to one for $2200 plus $80 shipping.

2 Likes