Sterling by Musicman StingRay Short Scale bass - demo and sonic battle with a Jazz style bass!

This video will demonstrate the different tones you can get with the Sterling by Musicman Stingray short scale bass. It will then put this short scale Stingray up against a passive short scale J-style bass on a track - Tim Commerford style!
Re-arranged and recorded track: Audioslave - Be Yourself
All basses were recorded direct through a Line6 Pod Go (my GK800RB model, same settings for all basses).
Basses were level matched for the tracks.
No EQ or compression was added to the bass tracks in post.
*To best appreciate the sonic differences, headphones or quality speakers are recommended.
00:00 Intro
00:36 Basic features
02:30 Volume knob
03:20 Parallel circuit
04:00 Single coil circuit
04:59 Series circuit
05:54 Tim Commerford
06:19 Intro to track
07:00 Track Sterling in Parallel
08:22 Track Sterling in Series
09:44 Track Atelier Z J-style
jonathanwong.bandcamp.com

[@GAZZA1960]

I disagee with criticism of you being long winded.. i really enjoy your insightful comments. To me, you have a wealth of knowledge, that only years of "playing " , can bestow

[@jonathanwong458music]

Thanks for watching and for the encouragement!

[@SirDude555]

I agree with you. Without ever meeting Jonathan I can tell he's genuinely trying to give the best reviews he can. This channel has been my go to for bass shopping information. And for the people who complain about ANY KZbinr being long winded, there is a feature down in the lower right corner to speed up the playback speed. Yes, it will change the Bass sound, but it'll shorten the time you have to listen to any KZbinr's video.

[@jean-pierrethouin2404]

Best explanation of this Passive Short Scale electronics that i have heard so far. Tx. I personally believe they are in the right direction. Tx.Again good work! J.p. P.S.i want one...

[@jonathanwong458music]

Thanks for watching and for the encouragement! The newer models with the roasted necks look quite nice. Sold out in many places, though.

[@CamposMIC]

Thanks a lot for this review. I am looking to buy one of this basses.

[@jonathanwong458music]

Thx for watching! It's a cool bass, pretty solid build for the price.

[@joekustek2623]

Just got one today and love it,. You can set the action up great on this bass.

[@jonathanwong458music]

That’s awesome!! Is your’s pretty lightweight? There seems to be a wide range of weights. Hope you enjoy it!

[@SergeUnplugged]

Great presentation , keep it up

[@jonathanwong458music]

Thank you and thanks for watching!

[@disco8863]

Really good video ☺️

[@jonathanwong458music]

Thanks so much for watching and commenting!

[@saschakupke405]

I got my one yesterday, and i love it. In kombination with my orange crush 100 it has THE rocksound i want ❤❤❤

[@jonathanwong458music]

That’s so wonderful! Thanks for sharing with us! Rock on and thanks for watching!

[@Asmuk]

Wonderful song!

[@jonathanwong458music]

Thanks for watching!

[@paulbucklebuckle4921]

Looks great too.

[@jonathanwong458music]

Headstock is a bit too big, proportion-wise, but otherwise, looks pretty sharp. Thanks for watching!

[@wei-chengfang9904]

Thanks for your great demo! The short scale stingray is lack of the well-known clanky tone of a long scale stingray. Well I could still differentiate that the Atelier Z short scale is still a jazz bass. Recently I just bought the same Atelier Z short scale model (but with different color and some hardware upgrades), may also demonstrate the comparison between a regular jazz bass in the near future.

[@jonathanwong458music]

Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@Harry_G89]

Thanks for explaining the 60hz ground hum on the true coil position, I thought there was something wrong with my pickup wiring couldn't understand why I ld hear it through my Ampeg amp, the other positions were dead quiet, thank's again, greetings from Harry in Australia!!

[@jonathanwong458music]

Thanks so much for watching from across the ocean!! Hope you are enjoying the stingray!

[@Barry101er]

Great demo. If they did the Olympic white with a maple fretboard, I would be all over getting one.

[@jonathanwong458music]

Yeah! That would look great! The neck is pretty comfy and I had no trouble getting used to it. Thanks for watching!

[@RobVespa]

Thank you for reviewing this MusicMan short scale bass. I wasn't a fan of this style (aesthetically) at first, but it's beginning to grow on me. A lot of musicians seem to enjoy their experiences with this brand. I have an offset full-scale IYV double humbucker bass that is said to be modeled after the MusicMan, despite having a more traditional appearance. It's nice, although I'm presently unable to enjoy playing it (leading to my interest in short scale basses). I enjoyed the Atelier Z bass more than the MusicMan for this selection, although I liked both. Your playing was nice. Thank you. Using different woods for different color schemes is interesting. I wonder how many companies do this. It seems that a specific model should have the same specfications, as changes might impact the resulting performance (outside of normal thresholds - however minute) - plus, there's the price point consideration if one variation uses less expensive components. On a similar note, I recently learned of Fender's Gretsch line of basses selling single coils as humbuckers (as I understand it). I'm surprised this news wasn't covered as much (unless I missed it). All the best.

[@jonathanwong458music]

Thanks for the kind words! Yes, the Gretsch pickups caused a bit of a ruckus. I have a few friends who got the compensation/rebate with Fender-branded swag. The stock pickups, regardless of how many coils it has, actually sounds alright. But being mis-leading is not cool. The Stingray sound is definitely not for every genre. But if you're looking to slice, the 'Ray with an active preamp is born to slice and cut through! Thanks for watching!

[@michael_caz_nyc]

I have it in white = love everything about it ( except ) the Tuning-keys are just ok. Sounds great with my Fender Rumble 100 amp.

[@jonathanwong458music]

The white guard on white model looks fantastic!! Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@markbass354]

wow it sounds good i want one

[@jonathanwong458music]

Yeah! Solid instrument for the price

[@markbass354]

@@jonathanwong458music MY FREIND HAS THAT BASS AND HE LIKES IT A LOT

[@jonathanwong458music]

Such a great feeling when one connects with an instrument!

[@markbass354]

Mine is a Fender jazz I like it a lot i bought it in 2014 new

[@jonathanwong458music]

Right on! Can’t go wrong with a j bass

[@StevenDoyleLuke]

Not fair, nothing beats your Jazz Bass :)

[@jonathanwong458music]

The atelier z is pretty great! Thanks for watching!

[@TheBassfresh]

Great demo! Now that I'm, like you, using almost exclusively short scales due to arthritis (and the glove) I need one of these for my stable. How's the weight?

[@jonathanwong458music]

From the 4 I’ve tried, there has been a large weight range….from 8 to 9+ lbs. the different body woods may play a role. As such there’s different degrees of neck dive/balance. The daphne blue example in the video was on the lighter side at a little over 8 lbs. Thx for watching!!

[@melody8935]

Thanks for the video! Is this a weight balanced bass without neck dive? I have read conflicting statements from different people. My local Guitar Center does not have this model so I couldn’t try one.

[@jonathanwong458music]

Thanks for watching! The one in the video was a lighter example and balanced alright both on my lap and with a strap. However, having played several different ones, I will say that there is a large weight range, and subsequently different degrees of neck dive. Probably why you’re getting conflicting statements.

[@greglisk9408]

Hi Jonathan! Thank you for your short scale reviews. I am learning bass and a shoulder injury has forced me to switch to short scale. I had narrowed my choice down to the stingray until I watched this video. Your demo showed the stingray to be very muddy throughout it's range. But thre next two reviews that the youtube algarithm cued up sounded much more punchy and with a fair bit of P-bass growl. I'm wondering what the difference is.

[@jonathanwong458music]

Good ears. As the stingray in my video was a rental, some of it may have come down to played-in relatively dead strings. I can’t speak for other videos, but I typically record with my model that is relatively neutral. Just a touch warmer than direct/flat. But I agree with you that this particular stingray shorty was on the duller side of tone. Thanks for watching!

[@greglisk9408]

@@jonathanwong458music Thanks for getting back to me with some thoughts. After weeks of research, I'd had my heart set on the Stingray, but your video had me second guessing myself and looking at the Ibanez Mikro. But the Mikro is too close to the Half scale (24") Blackstar Carry-on with P-bass config that I imported from the UK to use during rehab to increase my fret reach. But 8 months after the motorcycle crash, I think I can stretch myself up to a 30" that is a more serious instrument. I love a lot of things about the stingray. Things like the truss rod adjustment at the bass of the neck where it belongs appeals to me as a mechanical designer as a sign that they have thought things through. Thanks again and keep up the great work!

[@jonathanwong458music]

Best of luck in your hunt!

[@prestonnunez7]

I wonder if the difference between long and short scale basses plays a part here. The short scale passive stingray may sound more ‘dead’ to you because I’ve heard shorter scales lack the overtones the longer scale basses have, in favor of a clearer and more dominant fundamental tone.

[@jonathanwong458music]

Very true. The shorty stingray may benefit from a preamp, even though I prefer passive basses. What would have been interesting (if I had thought of it at the time), would be to run it through an outboard preamp to give it some extra zing. However, for half the cost of the atelier Z, it’s a lot of bass for the $! Thx for watching and commenting!

[@EICOPhotography]

Can you advise what glove you are wearing? Thx

[@jonathanwong458music]

Thanks for watching! I've been using the 'Musicians Practice Glove' exclusively for the past year or two. They've been the best of the limited options. They get chewed up way faster with roundwounds compared to flats. But given my underlying medical issues, these gloves have allowed me to somewhat play again. Helps manage the pain from fretting and pushing down on the strings. Here's a link to a video I've made on these gloves. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hYLGh2uBebqkosk

[@danielvanulst2990]

Currently playing a Sterling Ray24. Considering to get one of these as I like stingrays but I'm also looking for a bit more variety in tone. Would that be a good move for me you think? And thanks for your video!

[@jonathanwong458music]

Interesting question. Are you after a short scale in particular? If you are looking to sell your existing stingray to go shorty, then tonally you’ll be in a similar ballpark. (Keep in mind the shorty is passive though). If able to keep both, you could experiment with different tunings or strings on each for tonal variety. Having played both, they both sound like rays! But neither sound like a P bass, which is more my thing, so if you’re really after variety, different pickup config will give you more sounds. Thanks for watching! The shorty stingray is a cool bass

[@danielvanulst2990]

@@jonathanwong458music No, I'm not particularly after a short scale. Just looking for another bass that I could get to give me some more options. My ray24 isn't going anywhere tho, that's for sure, I like it a lot! And I just thought that since the shorty stingray is passive and has different pick up options it will give me something that is slightly different. And if I ever were to go for a P bass, I think it would have to be a PJ. I think i like those better. But from what I've read and heard, those are kind of a Jack of all trades, master of none. So I'm not sure what to get exactly, I've considered a PJ as well.

[@jonathanwong458music]

@@danielvanulst2990 I'm so happy you found a great instrument to keep! It really comes down to the type of music you play and the kind of gig you have. For what I do, The P style pickup gets me there 75% of the time, 15% with a jazz, 5% fretless and 5% active 5. Good luck hunting for another perfect instrument!

[@ea7065]

I recently I saw A Sterling Stingray shortie modded with the MDF Fallout pickup. Unfortunately, it sold before I got a chance to try it. A mini Kiloton perhaps?

[@jonathanwong458music]

That sounds interesting! If that's the sort of thing you are looking for, could get a G&L Fallout and route/install a second MDF in the bridge position - with stacked volume pots. That would be a pretty versatile setup. Thanks for watching!

[@ea7065]

@@jonathanwong458music I probably would prefer to mod a sterling for ergonomic reasons. My Fallout is too heavy already. :)

[@jonathanwong458music]

Right on! The fallout I had was on the heavier side too, unfortunately.

[@matthewpovia2985]

Great video, Jonathan! How would you stack the short scale Stingray up against some of the short scale Squiers (Paranormal Rascal, Bronco, whatever)? I can't figure out which to buy!

[@jonathanwong458music]

Thanks for watching! I have featured many short scales on my channel! And more to come! In terms of playability, I enjoy the player mustangs, and I’d take that neck over the squier classic vibe. The Sonic Bronco is solid for the price and is a great modding platform, if you’re into that. This shorty stingray is nice too, but I do feel the stingray pickup placement sort of limits the tonal variation one can get from it. But with bright rounds it has that throaty mid grind. I think it would really come down to what sort of tone(s) you’re after and whether you need lots of different sounds or 1 or 2 go-to ones. I haven’t filmed this video yet, but it’s in the cue…..if you want stingray type aggression and bite and want pronounced mids (unlike a scooped jazz bass thing), check out the G&L tribute fallout. I have one in the studio waiting to be recorded and it’s a solid short scale bass for not a lot of money. Hope that answers your question!

[@mattpovia6401]

Very helpful. Thanks for taking the time to consider my question and reply!

[@jonathanwong458music]

My pleasure! Thanks for supporting my little channel! Good luck shopping!

[@superduperj1202]

I have one in black and I like it very much. Sadly, the quality control on mine was lacking a bit.

[@jonathanwong458music]

Oh man, sorry to hear that. What is the issue? Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@superduperj1202]

@@jonathanwong458music Had to sand the back of the neck, there was filler on both sides of the fret board that was not wiped off and got trapped under the clear coat. The black paint is so soft it scratches very easily. I have to use my screen cloth that I bought for my Mac to clean it. The tuners keep tune, but not great. Both screw covers that hold the side screws for the bridge were loose when I got it. And the knobs/pot post combos are just crappy. Lots of little things, but I still enjoy the bass. I put Deep Talkin short scale flats on it and it sounds great!

[@jonathanwong458music]

Wow, that’s not just little things…glad you still dig the bass though.

[@razielkain5458]

Are the Nyato version lighter than mahogany ones? I have left shoulder issues and even 200g will help

[@jonathanwong458music]

That I’m not sure of. The rental sterling here weighs just over 8 lbs. Having tried a bunch of these modeIs, there is a large variability/range in weight.

[@razielkain5458]

@@jonathanwong458music thank you so much for the info. 😎

[@jonathanwong458music]

Hope you find a nice light one!

[@williamperri3437]

Is this still in production? How does it compare to the Squire Jaguar Vintage short scale bass?

[@jonathanwong458music]

Yes, it's still in production. Here's the Sweetwater link: www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/RAYSS4Bk--sterling-by-music-man-stingray-rayss4-short-scale-bass-guitar-black I don't have any affiliation with Sweetwater. The Squier Jaguar SS I'm thinking of (the PJ) is discontinued, I believe. They had a medium scale with the MM style humbucker. Between those, I'd take the stingray.

[@williamperri3437]

@@jonathanwong458music Yeah, the Stingray does sound sick! It’s also $350 more than what the Jaguar short scale was brand new 😉 but unfortunately the Jaguar short scale is now 400 everywhere used. Until this morning I didn’t even know there was a stingray short scale so I’m very interested just not thrilled with the price. Thanks!

[@jonathanwong458music]

Those PJ jags were under 300 CDN new. That’s really aggressive used pricing, unfortunately. There’s a lot more affordable short scale options now, even compared to 5 years ago. Good luck in the hunt!

[@bobt5778]

Great job. Passive Stingray? I don't get it. Active electronics was s large part of what made them so influential in music.

[@jonathanwong458music]

I agree, the preamp and the bass and treble boost was THE stingray sound. This particular example lacked the active zing I associate with a ray but I don’t remember whether or not I actually said that in this video! Thanks for watching!

[@ArleyMcBlain]

Joe Dart’s signature is a passive - he also used to play Fender Jazz

[@StevenDoyleLuke]

Thanks for this video, tried this bass out at NAMM . . . something just didn't feel right, couldn't put my finger on it

[@jonathanwong458music]

Welcome back! It’s pretty solid for the $, but it is not bright enough to fulfill the StingRay void for me.

[@StevenDoyleLuke]

@@jonathanwong458music I changed the pickups on my Sterling Bass to Nordstrands and swapped out the preamp for a John East and it sounds amazing

[@jonathanwong458music]

I can see how that would sound great! Would need a battery box in the sterling shorty to do something similar

[@RubyDimasStudio]

...Two things that i did notice just from here, and do not like: 1-Not a nice Headstock size, because it look the same size of the normal size (34") , it look big for that size. (they have a small body, but left the headstock the same size, look strange) 2-Notice that the strings at the headstock are not aligned to the neck ( like the normal size Sterling 34")

[@jonathanwong458music]

Good eyes! Strings are splayed a bit past the nut. Agree that proportions are really important. When I had my custom short scale made, we were very careful with proportions and visual balance. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@RubyDimasStudio]

@@jonathanwong458music nice, i want to see that custom :-)

[@jonathanwong458music]

Here are some links: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iYi1pZJ-i6aBo7c kzbin.info/www/bejne/o4G1koqOmqtnZtE

[@kelalamusic9258]

I really like the variable tones from this bass, plus it’s a perfect size short scale. My only issue with this bass, and that’s just me, and that has to do with aesthetics/appearance. It took me quite a while to get my head around that paddle boat style pickguard, but I truly dislike the headstock. It looks like they were trying to get that traditional Fender vibe, but ran out of room, so they had no choice but hang the g string tuning knob on the bottom. To me, that looks absolutely flunky. Like I said, that’s me. I honestly just don’t like the appearance of that bass. Thanks for the video.

[@jonathanwong458music]

Thx for watching! I think historically, Leo Fender had to change a few things in the early Musicman days so that his old acquired company wouldn't sue him! There are so many things Leo got right the first time. We will be studying his designs/lines/shapes for decades to come.

[@fuzzyharold]

I’m giving it to the jazz, just way better tone!

[@jonathanwong458music]

Thanks for watching and commenting! I quite like that atelier Z jazz!

[@larsetom1]

Tim always seems to play with a little bit of overdriven SVT sound.

[@jonathanwong458music]

yes! From what I've listened to, I find his solo / side project tone to be grindier too!

[@larsetom1]

@@jonathanwong458music Wakrat?

[@jonathanwong458music]

@@larsetom1 the 7D7D song 'capitalism'

[@larsetom1]

@@jonathanwong458music Thanks for the tip, not familiar with 7D7D. But the bass sound is signature Timmy C. I have covered a half a dozen Audioslave songs, so I had been on a quest to find his tone!

[@jonathanwong458music]

Without knowing the post-production techniques used, it’s possible you’ve already found the right/same tone before it hits the final mix!

[@obsoletemachinery]

What if, and this is crazy, you didn't talk for 11+ minutes before playing the bass

[@jonathanwong458music]

Thanks for the feedback. The first note played on the bass is just before the 3 minute mark and the whole thing is 11 mins.

[@georgeargon5113]

Next time, turn down the backtrack. I wanted to hear the bass not the band when deciding on purchasing this bass.

[@jonathanwong458music]

Thanks for the feedback. Will keep it in mind!