St_Genesius
New member
Maybe so. I suppose without a Fender forum, we'll never know. I feel like I've seen FMIC reps show up on Youtube channels showing off stuff from multiple brands, but I could certainly be misremembering.
OLP and Sterling - school me
- Thread starter ICTGoober
- Start date
Artie
Peaveyologist
At least Fender openly hosts Squier on the Fender website. Even a Google search takes you to Fender.
Sidenote: I got one of those Bronze Warlocks from a forum bro many years ago. Sounds and plays nice. I haven't even changed the pups yet because they sound decent.
alex1fly
Well-known member
Some Sterling axes are fine, others aren't. It's an affordable-ish option. My opinion on this kind of inquiry though, which keeps getting confirmed through my own experiences, is that it's best to assess an individual instrument with your own eyes/hands/ears rather than apply blanket generalities to entire lines with the intention of ordering online or making recommendations to less experienced gear-assessors and hoping it's every bit as good as the internet groupthink promised.
Artie
Peaveyologist
Our local GC has the Sterling St. Vincent in Vincent Blue, on the rack. It feels good and looks killer. I just can't justify another guitar at this time.
https://www.guitarcenter.com/Sterli...-Blue-1500000264239.gc?rNtt=sterling&index=11
https://www.guitarcenter.com/Sterli...-Blue-1500000264239.gc?rNtt=sterling&index=11
One of my students bought one a month ago, and I have played it several times. It is a seriously great guitar, if you dig the shape.
Artie
Peaveyologist
Owner of two Sterlings. My first one was a 2013 JP70, which I ended up giving to my son. When I first got the guitar, I went to the forums, and got great support from the man himself. He even sent me a Sterling t shirt and a bunch of Sterling stickers. Pretty cool to see Sterling Ball so active on the forums. But that was over 5 years ago and I went quite inactive on that forum.
The only thing I would’ve changed were the pickups. But other than that, this is a hell of a guitar for $550.
A few weeks ago I bought this one used. 2018 Majesty. This one retails right at $1000, and worth every penny. That’s why I couldn’t pass it up for $600. This guitar is even more refined than the JP70. The pickups even seem better, and the 12db boost really gives you that extra drive when you need it. The neck is set, but is as smooth as a neck-through. The fretwork is right there with other USA made instruments. As polarizing the Majesty design is, she truly is a beauty in person. And she plays amazing. My current number one guitar.
They’re great guitars, even if they creep into the four digits, especially if you go with Dimarzio equipped ones. But worth it.
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Thanks! Even after a few weeks, I still take a second to look at it.
Yeah, they can be pricey, but they start at downright cheap if you go for the SUB series. A decent non SUB Cutlass starts at around $500. The JP series 6 or 7 string start at around $550. Once you start digging into fancier finishes and Dimarzio pickups, they start to creep well into the $1000+ mark.
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St_Genesius
New member
I've been kinda eyeing the Sterling version of the Valentine- now that they've added roasted necks, I find them VERY appealing for $650-700.
For my intended use, I wish it had the Silent Circuit, but that's nothing I couldn't fix by swapping in a regular humbucker.
For my intended use, I wish it had the Silent Circuit, but that's nothing I couldn't fix by swapping in a regular humbucker.
ICTGoober
Well-known member
Everything Tony Levin has recorded. It is distinctly different than a P or J sound. Sort of a huge bottom and well-defined top (a clicky attack) with not a lot of mids. It is a great sound, but not like a Fender. I'm not a bass player, so I am terrible at describing it. Some bassists hate that sound, but I really like it.
I've been 3 feet from Tony and watched him pick up his Stingray into a SS combo amp and that tone is right there. Live, he uses a Kemper to get his tones, but I bet his signal chain isn't complicated. Honestly, I am amazed that Stingrays aren't more popular with bassists. They tend to be a bassists 3rd or 4th bass, not their main one, which is a shame.
ErikH
Well-known member
Hahaha. That's me too.
I love StingRay basses. Cliff Williams has been using one for years. A lot of funk players around here use them. I played in a band with a guy that has a 5-string StringRay. It's my favorite bass next to the Precision.
My SUB Ray4 may be a cheap version but it is a damn good cheap version. While the stock pickup is good, I wanted to swap it and glad I put the SMB-4A in it. One thing I did not realize is that the pickup in StingRays is wired in parallel. That definitely contributes to their unique sound. Many models have switches to go between series/split/parallel but the bare bones StingRay is wired parallel.
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St_Genesius
New member
I like Stingrays (and that new Snowy Night finish has been calling my damn name) but I feel like a lot of the flexibility of an active EQ is lost on me, as I tend to do the exact same thing on every bass: switch to the pickup nearest the neck and roll the tone all the way off.
