Sterlingpreview2

[ubertuber57]

Great sounding bass, and the playing is impeccable!

[PennybagDarrell]

absolutely digging the groove @ 0:38

[TechSmack]

what is the EQ setting for the first riff?

[BassGuitarMag]

@TechSmack - I don't remember, it was 2 years ago, but probably a little bass and treble boost.

[BoxHeadBassist]

Hey man :) Huge fan of your reviews! I'm currently looking at upgrading bass and am a big Musicman fan. I've noticed Musicman are currently running an offer on a musicman stingray (2 band eq) new for £999. I wanted your opinion; do you think it's worth the extra £300 or so compared with this Sb14? (I know this is a sterling copy and not a stringray but I much prefer the sound of this bass compared to the Ray34) Thanks for any advice you have :) Keep doing what you're doing, it's awesome!

[BassGuitarMag]

@BoxHeadBassist - Well, the SB14 is a great bass, particularly for the price... the US made stuff IS better though. Hard to put an exact value on that, but the materials are higher quality. If you prefer the sound of the SB14, I'd compare that to a Sterling and not a Ray34. Compare apples to (more expensive) apples I say. Then, gauge the price difference between them. I don't think you would be disappointed with a SBMM instrument, they are very well put together, but ultimately the US axes win.

[cheeseperson03]

would you say this is a simple bass to use

[EasyAntuan]

Do I need 9 V battery for this one? :)

I'm very thankful for an answer!

[BassGuitarMag]

@EasyAntuan - Yes.

[BassGuitarMag]

@xXTheVirus - They sound very similar, but you can tell that the US uses better woods, hardware and if you look into the control cavity - the electronics use better components. There is a reason the SBMM are way less than the US basses, but they still sound and play great.

[TheBoorkie]

dude seriously, your playing is awesome!! ...i like your videos very much!

cheers;)

Pete

[BassGuitarMag]

@TheBoorkie - Thanks.

[BassistTony]

Can I use this bass to play rock music? I study Duff McKagan play style but I play by fingers and thumb too :)

[BassGuitarMag]

@BassistTony - Of course!

[XxXdarkdayXxX]

great bassist

[demoncow416]

i just bought that exact bass less than three months ago and its soo funkadelic

[7DaCrunkMonkey7]

0:24 sick lick so tight

[nagays]

i dont know which one to get I played the ray 34 but i haven't played the sb 14 yet

[Cu1t06]

i want sterling sb14...

[MrCosmolord]

You know you should be famous with your bassplaying skills dude!! you´re awesome!!!XDD

[BassGuitarMag]

Well, thanks. I'd settle for rich!

[yellofury]

LOL!!!!

[basshred]

@MrCosmolord

i think the same

very tasteful playing indeed

[LiLVeSt23]

@MrCosmolord some people choose not to be famous for reasons

[MrCosmolord]

@LiLVeSt23 yea i know but it´s kinda wrong when theres these superfamous jason newstead-guys who think theyre the best and there´s this really skilled victor wooten-like bass whisperer who only few people know of..! but thats only my point of view..

[dreadtodred]

hey that axe sounds great,even better coming from a good bass player as your self ., sb 14 sounds a little hipper than the 34

[Diegobass05]

thanks!! hey when we play together?? u think u can beat me?? hah kidding!! ok thanks for the info man!!

[Diegobass05]

hey dude i have a question for u! hemmm wich bass is better, a musicman like this sterling sb 14 or squier standard p bass special...i dont know wich bass buy! good bye!

[BassGuitarMag]

Well, they are both good instruments in their price range, but the SB14 is a little more expensive and has better materials and workmanship. But more significantly, they are totally different types of bass, so you should go for the sound you want.

[LouBass09]

i love the fill at 0:24

[PenguinCatcher]

Cheers Ed, ly x

[PenguinCatcher]

What amp are you playing through?

[BassGuitarMag]

Genz Benz GBE1200 with a NeoXt 212 cab

[substerling07]

Yeah I love these basses... remind me of the sub range. I got to say though I own a sub sterling and I do get a bit jealous that it doesn't have that awesome toggle switch. But the subs are still awesome.

[turbanwarriorz]

Probably wouldn't be too hard to put one in yourself.

The hardest part is bring your self round to drilling a hole somewhere to install the switch :(

I know if I had one I wouldn't feel comfortable drilling holes in it...

[FunkyFellaDaBassist]

Damn Ed. You're a BIG piece of badass bassplayer! The slap thing on the beginnig makes my pants fall down ;)

[moejoe1205]

Sounds really great!

This Bass part at about 0:45 is this a part of a song or improvised? Sounds cool.

[BassGuitarMag]

Just some jamming, I usually just make up something and play, no songs were harmed in the taping of this video!

[skotty92]

Hey Ed!

Got one more question

Would you say that the handling between these 2 makes a bigger difference than the sound does?

I´ve only played Stingrays so far and they do seem to have a less-voiced sound, less mids and stuff from what I heard...

[BassGuitarMag]

Handling? Do you mean the neck width and body size? If so... that's a preference thing. I like the skinnier neck myself, but not everyone feels that way. To me the biggest difference is the sound, the ceramic magnets vs. alnico, and even more significant, the series/parallel/single-coil switch.

[skotty92]

Yeah, that´s what I meant

Well, I personally can´t decide... Got a Squier with a Jazz Bass neck and an Ibanez ATK which is more like a Stingray

Both feel great but sometimes, fat necks don´t work too well =/

Thanks for replying so quickly ;)

[netbot890]

Hi Ed!

you're doing the best reviews ever and i like how you play! just fantastic!

greetings from switzerland

[jlimproj]

Does this bass sound good with a pick?

[BassGuitarMag]

Watch the full review that's up now. I do some pickstyle.

[lukeescott]

Hi Ed,

When exactly are you posting the review of the Sterling basses? And do they sound just like the American Music Man basses? Thanks.

[BassGuitarMag]

When exactly? I don't know. Whenever I get around to it. Do they sound just like the US? Close enough.

[6mosher66]

Fucking sexy guitar man loveit , certinaly gonna get out there and pick it up . any pointers on what riff you were playing the first time ? E.G scale , key . etc.

thaks

[BassGuitarMag]

I was playing a pentatonic funk lick in D, the E string was tuned down a whole step.

[GLbassplayer]

Hi Ed,great review and playin as always!2 questions...Is it well balanced as the U.S ones(neck dive)Second question,the finish/ assembly quality ,close to U.S. ones.I own a U.S Stingray and would like to have a Sterling (SB)will I be satisfied with that?

[BassGuitarMag]

It balances just like any MM. The workmanship is very good, it's put together well. The main reason they are cheaper is the materials are not the same grade, and they are built in Indonesia. They receive lots of detailed setup when they get here, so they play and sound great. Full review coming!

[rijadhus]

Hi Ed,

Always a great review / preview from you. A question, how close is fender jazz basses with the sterlings? I mean character / sound /tone wise. I have a Am Dlx JB now, and thinking to find a 2nd bass. I kinda like Doug Johns tone with his Pedulla, do you think sterling will come close? Thanks Ed!!

[BassGuitarMag]

The Sterlings have very little in common tone-wise with a Jazz or a Pedulla. It's a completely different beast. I don't know what Doug's bass is equipped with specifically, but most Pedullas have a P/J Bartolini pickup arrangement.

[Scartman691]

So whats the difference in the SB sterlings and the MM ones? apart from where their made? Thanks

[BassGuitarMag]

The materials are not quite the same quality, the woods are less select, the electronics are the same design, but not built in the US... They cost almost half the price of the US models, but they are certainly more than half as good.

[dudli91]

ohhh man...

i'wll get one of the new Fleabasses, but now i saw this video and now i don't now if i would buy a Fleabass or a Sterling SB14 :-D

Do you have played a Fleabass? Which of these two Basses is better?

[BassGuitarMag]

Haven't tried the Flea Bass.... I would say the color schemes are not exactly my taste though.

[dudli91]

ok...a lot uf peoples don't like the color of the basses :-D

But do you think the quality from the Fleabass is as good as this form the Sterling basses?

[BassGuitarMag]

Like I said, I haven't tried the Flea bass, so I can't form on opinion on their quality.

[dudli91]

ok thx...make a review when you ever tried a fleabass! Your reviews are great!

[steveeovai]

that bass made in where can you tell me

[BassGuitarMag]

Indonesia

[bassistxx]

Is that the newer Sterling in the background????? The 600 dollar one?!?! can u review it?!!?!!

[BassGuitarMag]

Yes, that's the Ray 34. I did play it in the full review, coming soon.

[fxfilipe]

eu quero um pra mim *-*

[super0cabbage]

which would be the better bass to by for versitility?

ray 34? or sb14?

[BassGuitarMag]

Well, they both have 3 band eq, but the SB14 has a switch that lets you go from parallel to single coil to series mode with the pickup... so my vote goes to the SB14.

[super0cabbage]

cheers might just do that then..

also where would you place them up against actual musicmans?

[3072645]

and would this comparison stand for a sterling v stingray situation too? ive often read that the ceramic pickups on the sterling make it have more attack and the alnico ones on the stingray give it warmth.

loosely, does that translate into the stingray being better for subtle, jazz bass situations and the sterling just winning in hardrock/hardslap situations?

[BassGuitarMag]

Well, Stingrays are quite suitable for hard rock and slap, the Sterling is a little edgier though.

[scatman44]

I am contemplating selling my MIJ '94 Jazz in order to get a Ray 34. I prefer MM-sized necks (wider) as opposed to the smaller Jazz necks.

[Pudsy440]

You play with such skill, style and feeling! Not sucking up, just a comment ... :P I just finished watching a bass clinic vid with you and was blown away by your technique. Ahh well ... I guess you've taken the bass seriously over the years ... haha ... I was wondering, I don't think I've come across any vids, but do you dabble with the fretless bass at all?

[BassGuitarMag]

Thanks for the compliment. yeah, I've been at if for about 37 years... guess something has clicked. I do play fretless, not a lot these days, but I may have a demo coming up soon that features some.

[r4dioN]

Here's my question, How close are they to the "real deal" onto what aspect do they match the Us models and on what aspect they don't do it and so on... Basicaly im asking for a Us Vs Ind MM comparison :)

[BassGuitarMag]

Pretty darn close. The materials are not the same quality, but the electronics are built to the same specs. I think they're a damn good deal, and sound almost as good as the US stuff.

[r4dioN]

Thanks, although im still hesitating between a used US and these... But if i find a used SB ( will most likely take a couple of month and more) it's definitely a score

[jfh4242]

I have been asking around if anyone knows if these will be available in two pickup version...does anyone know? It would be amazing. Congrats on the review Mr Friedland. Simply amazing, as always. Wow!

[BassGuitarMag]

I haven't heard about two pickup models, and since these are brand new... it would probably be a year at least until they came out anyway. The full review will be up in about a month, keep your eyes open for that.

[jfh4242]

Thanks, Mr. Friedland! I will certainly watch for the full review. I've subscribed to your channel...lotsa great stuff!

[3072645]

What happens to OLP? Weren't they MusicMan's official budget products?

[3072645]

i found the answer to my question meself on the EBMM forums. apparently Sterling basses are supposed to be between the now discontinured SUB basses and the OLP superbudget versions, at least pricewise.

theyre most most probably going to be a lot better than the OLPs to play and listen to, im not sure how they'll compare to the SUBs.

[BassGuitarMag]

Yes, they are solid. I kept both of the review basses and play them regularly on gigs. They are perfectly good basses, but they are built in a cheaper country, and perhaps the materials are not the same top grade as the US.

As far as your thumb, you're probably squeezing too hard. Don't play through the pain, you'll injure yourself. Learn to play lighter - that's the key. Relax, don't drink so much Red Bull!

[BassGuitarMag]

Sterling By MM are made in Indonesia and cost considerably less. They sound.... pretty much the same although you can certainly tell that the US stuff is better.

[pepelletier63]

Just ordered mine! Can't wait to hack away. ;)

[Steve128967]

How do these compare to the Music Man ones?

[BassGuitarMag]

I have answered this question a few times, read through the comments.

[uribertocchi]

can you please review the sterling ray34? you have it behind you.

[dasgre0g]

I think he is well aware of that :) and if you read anything else he's said, he will review it eventually. Thats why this video is labeled as PREVIEW. Calm down there

[deanpadabass]

made in indonesia?

[hotsexybia]

what song was he playing?

[scribblee]

I think he was just improvising. He seem to do that in his review videos.

[palooka4u]

Ed, I always enjoy your playing. Your groove and feel are top shelf! Your instrument demos are the best that I have seen and heard. Thanks again for another great demo!!!

[BassGuitarMag]

Thanks, stay tuned for the full demo - coming in a month or so.

[EppiXrocK]

eres un mago hermano!!

[WoollyMonkey]

My GOD! I love that tasty little morsel at 0:24. Unexpected, and very classy. I could listen to this man for hours!

I can't get enough BassWhisperer! ^_^

[joshuaSelmore]

In your opinioun whats the best bass out ther in 4string,5string,and 6+string?

[BassGuitarMag]

No such thing as "best". It's always a matter of preference, and what you intend to use them for.

[apertama]

Ed - you are such a good bass player - you can play the crapiest bass in the world but you still sound good!

Thanks for the review

[BassGuitarMag]

Thanks - but this is far from the "crapiest bass in the world", in fact it's quite good. I'm gigging with it all the time these days.

[Bygde]

How is the build quality on the Sterlings? I don't have the money for a "real" Stingray, so I'm looking at buying a Sterling Ray35. How close is the tone to a real 'Ray?

[BassGuitarMag]

The build quality is very good, especially for the price range, and they sound great. I think they are extremely close to the "real" thing.

[AaronSchmidt]

Nice preview! Ican't wait to see them both in action! How do they compare to, say, a Fender Jaguar bass? I'm looking for an alternative bass for more aggressive playing for some shows.

[BassGuitarMag]

Well, the Sterlings are probably more aggressive than the Jag. The Jag is essentially an active Jazz bass, great sounds - you could probably use either and be happy. The Sterling is certainly simpler to use - the Jag has a lot of knobs, dials, and switches.

[spatemdim]

Take it to the bridge!  Nice.

[DesolationRow0]

is there anyway you could review a 5 stringer of those? i'm getting immense GAS for one!

[BassGuitarMag]

Probably not, I review what gets assigned to me and since I just did the SB14 and Ray 34... I won;t get the Ray 35 assigned to me.

[youknowyourrite1]

you didn't do the on for the ray34 yet did you? if you did i couldn't find it.

[BassGuitarMag]

The Ray 34 was demoed in the full review, this is just a teaser. Stay tuned, it'll be online in a month or so.

[ghostjs]

dunno bout you but im having mad GAS for the Ray34...

[divehater]

Oh bass sounds great too....thanks for the GAS

[divehater]

Cool little loop there....sounded a little like Hottentot.

[inuyashaspet]

Awesome. Just awesome.

[Lifeofbass]

Extremely good sound! Guitar World Magazine should let you do a review of the new bass model that Musicman hase released, think its called Big Al(its modelled after the Albert Lee guitar).

[BassGuitarMag]

At some point I believe I will be reviewing the Big Al.

[RussellZLeCroy]

is there any way you could tab out that 1st thing you play in this video for?

[BassGuitarMag]

Nope.... sorry I don't do that sort of thing. Figure it out man, it's not that hard. Use your ears, hint: I'm using a drop D tuning.

[RussellZLeCroy]

Okay, that's fair, I'll do that.  Thanks

[spectorsam68]

did I see a little smirk at 0:27? Can't blame ya :)  Beautiful riff at 0:24!

[BassGuitarMag]

No, not a smirk, just a weird face I make sometimes when I'm gittin' it.

[spectorsam68]

ah, i understand, the riff was wonderful though

[lummond]

I still here that thinner, hollow tone in common with pretty much all cheap basses. Cheap Basswood body maybe?

[BassGuitarMag]

Well, I gigged with this bass last night pushing a 10 piece band, it was hardly thin or hollow. Are you listening with headphones? Anyway, you may hear it that way, but I'm playing this bass a lot these days (yes, this one stays with me!) and it is ballsy and punchy as hell.

[lummond]

No, I have a proper speaker setup. Dunno if I could explain it - but you illustrated it well with the Squier Classic/Real Fender comparison. You could tell what the Squiers were going for, but IMO none of them had any of the midrange character or deep bottom the Fenders have. Ditto for this bass for me. And I sure hope every bass is ballsy and punchy from a Genz Benz or Phil Jones ;)

[BassGuitarMag]

Well, they are a lot less expensive than the US MM. I personally like these basses quite a bit. I've done about 6 gigs with the SB14 and I can say without hesitation that it has all the tone and punch I need.

[lummond]

Cool, cool - but personally, at that price, I'd stick to an MIM Fender. But you're the guy with the gigs, so who cares what I'd choose! :P

[BassGuitarMag]

Well, I just got a MIM Fender Road Worn Jazz and it kicks ass too. I like a variety of sounds at my disposal. In fact, I had both out last night - played the J first but the stage was too boomy, so I switched to the SB14 and it cut through better. I find I need to have options, no one bass will fit every situation, and every room I play in creates a different set of challenges... Hey, I care what you'd choose! :P

[dasgre0g]

he doesnt get to choose. He is not independent. He works for Bass Guitar

[ynod70]

wuhuuu.. finally, a sterling preview!

thanks ed!

[maturanesa]

good nasal tone, really nice in double coil mode. In single have a lack of bass frequence,,i think.. My question is..whats the difference between a Stingray? I mean..the two have the same pickup configuration and the body shape is similar...

[namcizum]

the body of the Sterling is smaller and the neck is narrower (like a Jazz Bass) and has 22 frets. The Sting Ray has a larger body with 21 frets and the neck is wider like a Precision Bass. The Sterling has Ceramic pickups while the Sting Ray has Alnico.

[krizalidzero]

that slap part was played so perfectly!

the bass sounds good xB

[ghostjs]

sweet! ive been dying to here the new Sterlings!!

[HipposMelas]

The sparkle you get from the treble in the first finger style demo after the jazz solo kind of reminds me of the pre-EB Stingray's sparkle. Now THAT was a sweet effect of that pre-amp.

[BassGuitarMag]

SB= "Sterling's Bass"

[Chipsonfire]

Not a bad bass, but not my sound.  Needs more beef, imho.

[zachreh]

yea deff

[Steve128967]

I was thinking about checking out one of these at Guitar Center... sounds nice!

[then00best]

Not enough bass in the initian slap tone

[davecg2]

great vid and the SBMM line looks pretty badass. I just got an EBMM Sterling, but im still considering getting one of the SB14s for a good backup with similar tone and style.

[yellofury]

waiting for the SBMM Bongo

oh wait I dont think thats ever gonna happen

[mountdennis]

HOT!

[Philipp1610]

When are these basses available in stores ? Can't find any Information on the Website

[BassGuitarMag]

Should be any day now.

[Fidens]

OOOHHHH GAS!!!

[Verminite]

He can only review instruments sent to him. So unless you pay him to do it...

[JaydWin]

thers a ray 35 behind him lol

[BassGuitarMag]

It's a Ray 34 and I demo it in the full review - coming in a month or so.

[JoeyFilms]

Are you fuckin' blind? It's a 34. Just look at the hardware keys on the headstock if you can't count the strings.

[izenbutt]

i think the ray 35 is a 5 string bass

[seattle94]

YEAAAH!

[limeyamos]

is the sb14 available in lefty?

[CiccioGonzo]

waiting for sb15

[bassist13]

sounds just like my old Sterling.

[BreakupBass]

i like the ibanez atk series better

[murderface74]

SWEET

[OlviMasta77]

wow this bass does it all. It sounds like a jazz and precison bass all in one! and then some.

[huraboma]

beautiful bass. Someday day I'll be able to afford one

[BassGuitarMag]

The Sterling By Music Man basses are selling for around $650 street price... go get one!

[azfryguy]

first comment your awsome edd