It feels like a missed opportunity not to have bite/growl options and the blend between Alpha and Omega channels like all of the pedals do. Makes it seem like the better call is just to get a Sterling and an Alpha Omicron pedal at that point.
@thierry1810 ай бұрын
It definitely is, but I guess the appearance is the main selling point
@budverissimo110 ай бұрын
Or buy a USA stingray on reverb for 800, a DG pedal and save money
@honeybadger181010 ай бұрын
Yeah but this is ALL black.
@bobbyzig387910 ай бұрын
@@budverissimo1$800 for USA stingray?? Lol
@rainypath9610 ай бұрын
just turn your volume up on your normal sterling and get the same distorted tone lol
@Viper-dz2kw10 ай бұрын
Using the pickup selector to control the effect has gotta be the smartest way to do onboard effects I’ve seen yet, it’s so annoying when it’s a mini toggle placed in a really awkward spot
@TheGissy7710 ай бұрын
The only issue with your reviews is that you play so amazing and tough that all the basses you play sounds amazing 😂
@izzyroxx292210 ай бұрын
Pretty true 😆😆 had the same thought
@muhammedkasal10 ай бұрын
While watching your videos i feel like i am in a Bass lounge where i sit and talk with my friends ^^ Keep going on man love your work.
@patrickhunter10 ай бұрын
Dude YES. Thank you so much for the kind words, it seriously means so much brother!🤙
@omni-c10 ай бұрын
I just picked up the bass, and this channel so far as been really helpful on seeing different bass types and there tones, thank you Patrick!
@Tbag006910 ай бұрын
Just got mine on Tuesday and absolutely loving it. Feels fantastic and sounds amazing.
@negativetwospade718810 ай бұрын
Amazing playing and review as always Patrick!!! I’m definitely going to pick up this absolute monster very soon!
@patrickhunter10 ай бұрын
Thanks for watching, friend!🤘
@joshlawless102210 ай бұрын
Damn that was quick! Thanks for doing this, Patrick!
@dmbrooksonbass7 ай бұрын
I've watched quite a few review videos for the SBMM Dark Ray and you're the only one whom has made it sound good and the only one to mention the internal switches. Good work, man !
@BassBajo6 ай бұрын
I just ordered mine today in part thanks to your review. Cant wait to get my hands on it.
@usmcyounggun687910 ай бұрын
A 5 string would have me very interested!
@JoshuaMRichard7 ай бұрын
Looks amazing and sounds amazing!!! Would love to pick one up some day.
@pclindholm10 ай бұрын
Love that tone
@lakselv376810 ай бұрын
Amazing Patrick!
@patrickhunter10 ай бұрын
It's so ridiculous and SO fun!
@jasontrujillo285910 ай бұрын
I'll have to pick one up some day these are awesome
@patrickhunter10 ай бұрын
Dude they're so damn fun!
@rickhurst905810 ай бұрын
Played a few small bar gigs recently where I've barely had room to put a pedalboard - one of these plus a headstock mounted tuner would be perfect!
@julianbrum382810 ай бұрын
Beautiful bass, really sick concept. But for the same price (if not less), you can get yourself a standard Sterling Stingray and a POD GO that has a Darkglass Microtubes mock up effect that you can really fine tune, but also many other effects you can dial in! But I get why someone would want to get this bass! Very intriguing!
@TheUnerdanielson10 ай бұрын
Seen the advert pop up for this line and was searching for more info. Nice to see your one of the first to get a review up Patrick. Have to agree it’s a great bass but with that price being halfway to an American made Darkray I’d be tempted to grab the full fat American and also have the other colour options.
@rome818010 ай бұрын
I LOVE my Sterling Ray34. My best friend is an EBMM-sponsored artist. I've played his two EBMM StingRays, and I have to say I honestly like my Sterling better. I find the neck far more comfortable, and I don't feel like I'm losing anything meaningful in quality on the rest of the bass. I'll probably get one of these Sterling DarkRays eventually, but I'm going to wait to see if they release other colors. I understand that with "dark" in the name, it makes sense to release an all-black bass. But black basses just aren't my thing. I hope they release it with the option of the starry night finish you can get the EBMM StingRay in.
@billyjay110 ай бұрын
Wow thats a nice sterling!!!
@dissonantgrooves10 ай бұрын
kinda hard to justify the 'affordable' cost when i got an ibanez btb805ms for the same price.
@patrickhunter10 ай бұрын
Dude I want to try one of those so bad! How do the fanned frets feel?
@dissonantgrooves10 ай бұрын
@@patrickhunter pretty amazing honestly, i think its a little less intense than the dingwalls fan. very easy to adjust to. i definitely recommend giving one a shot!
@NickHollowKnives10 ай бұрын
Agreed, I have the BTB605MS (I'm not too sure of the differences, maybe the top wood?). It's a fantastic bass. I personally like my Dingwall much more, but the Ibanez used price is hard to beat.
@Unchainedmaple88810 ай бұрын
I seriously hope that Sterling makes a short scale version of this with a sparkle finish
@zacharydesjardins370110 ай бұрын
I hope they make a Dark Bongo and make a Sterling Version!
@stinky_nut_blast6 ай бұрын
A life saver in situations when you play so loud, you can only tell if you're clean or distorted by the colors on your guitar.
@allendickeson44210 ай бұрын
Id have to play one myself before jumping the gun on this one. Its a rad concept and glad its more affordable than its high end predecessor but never had a good experience with the stingray basses but hey too each its own.
@andreasvet446110 ай бұрын
So far theres one online store in UK with them added at £1899. Thats $2313. Id love one but thats crazy money.
@jamesmacleod67110 ай бұрын
It is, for a bass with just an added distortion effect. Better to just get a cheaper normal sterling ray and put it through an effects unit or pedal.
@mitchfindergeneral10 ай бұрын
I'd love to see a review of the Jackson Spectra JS3V. It's a pretty budget friendly 5 string with some nice features, but nobody has ever done a professional review to my knowledge. I want to buy one, but money is tight and it almost seems too good to be true.
@b1lly13710 ай бұрын
So I am not a pro by any means, but I bought this when I was on a budget and it is a solid bass for the money. It sounds good, the neck is a little thick for my liking, but not in a bad way, and it's got great versatility. The only issue I ever had with it was qc, but if you have a file, some Allen wrenches and a sautering iron you can fix all of that stuff in an afternoon. Solid bass for the money imo.
@bobbyzig387910 ай бұрын
Definitely sounds more fizzy and thin than the actual AO pedals.
@bjoernzimmer402910 ай бұрын
Tabs please!! Please Mr Hunter. Your riffs are so awesome ❤❤❤
@4deuce3110 ай бұрын
Now that's a Stingray I'd play ❤️🔥
@dchauser410 ай бұрын
I need to have that outro on repeat here recently. It's been hard to motivate myself to practice as much as I should. On the bass, $1400 is just astronomical. I paid just shy of $1100 for my Sterling by Music Man, and even that I felt was too much for the bass. Granted, that may be tinged by the fact I just don't like the way they feel/play and ended up selling it.
@oliverjohn263310 ай бұрын
Fun fact...its 3 grand for you guys its 8 grand here in austrailia for a ebmm darkray lol
@fistinair197910 ай бұрын
At that rate you might as well fly to the States for a vacation and bring one home with you. Haha
@NickHollowKnives10 ай бұрын
I had a few thoughts about this bass while watching. For some context, I typically buy American production/Custom Shop level basses. 1. I'm so glad they listened and did a Sterling version of the Darkray. While the original had a lot of hype, not everyone wants to spend that much. 2. It's a little disappointing this version doesn't have the Starry Night finish as I'll be completely honest, that finish almost convinced me to buy the Ernie Ball version. I'm realistic though, and they probably kept finish options to a minimum to keep production costs lower. It's still great that the overall aesthetic and roasted maple neck stayed consistent. It's a little odd that the neck profile is different, but I'm assuming this may be a Sterling thing. 3. While I do not plan on buying this bass, (I have been getting dark glass pedals/amps instead) $1,400.00 is not a bad price at all compared to the American version. I understand people are comparing it to regular Sterling costs when that's not really a fair comparison (the market is not the same). Most people who buy this are people who wanted the American version at a lower cost. I will say, in my limited experience with Sterling basses, they have blown away most basses in their price range.
@kameronwraithd.k.536310 ай бұрын
It´d be so brutal to have one in the future that has the DUALITY Fuzz circuits xD
@ShoesMagoo10 ай бұрын
Did you put the tuning machines through at least a couple of detunings and retunings? The black hardware on some of the other SBMM higher end basses have had a serious manufacturing/QC issue with these destroying themselves on use over the past couple of years. Hopefully they got it resolved for this model.
@Devilmang10 ай бұрын
Definitely holding me back from pulling the trigger I had one of the sparkly purple sterlings and the tuners were junk.
@sicilianmammalian8 ай бұрын
We need a comparison of having it on board vs having it as a pedal
@andrep0wly3510 ай бұрын
Best demo so far from this bass, but it doesn't sound like what I expected
@t.c.v.t.10 ай бұрын
Oooooorrrr, you could get the pedal and get slightly different flavors of that tone with all your basses and not pay three times or more for that circuit.
@JVMC_ZR110 ай бұрын
To be honest I think this bass isn't for anyone. You'd get a better tone with the Stingray and Alpha Omega pedal separately
@57precision10 ай бұрын
And you get a mid control with a regular Stingray, so more versatility.
@joshbeast859910 ай бұрын
Gimme gimme!!🤘🏼🤘🏼
@geroldjacob131510 ай бұрын
It feels like the overall tone on this is boomy/rounded sound. Tho the concept is really amazing but my taste is on the brighter sound. I'm always looking for that "slapiness" feel of the tone. That's why i love it but at the same time I'm not into it fully.
@OldPeepaw10 ай бұрын
IF this had a neck pickup....mmmm sold
@gazzy_burns10 ай бұрын
These are INSANELY expensive in the UK for a non-US EBMM instrument.
@kandem0110 ай бұрын
Waiting for the sterling DarkRay5
@danieltaylor488210 ай бұрын
Dang! That is all. Carry on 😁
@SteveBlancoMusicianWarrior10 ай бұрын
And then give you an ebony board, which is proper.
@ShawnSharkey410 ай бұрын
Were you referring to the truss rod when referring to spinning? I didn’t know what you meant by the nut spinning. Cheers 🍻
@patrickhunter10 ай бұрын
Input jack! Sorry I definitely should've clarified that
@ShawnSharkey410 ай бұрын
Makes complete sense haha I spaced that; love your channel.
@pedgedemos10 ай бұрын
Idc if it’s impractical or you’d get a better tone with the bass/pedal separately, I WANT ONE
@alexanderhemming914810 ай бұрын
The better make a Sterling Kaizen guitar and matching bass, that would be sick
@Bocchi_Mochi10 ай бұрын
I got the ebmm darkray for cheap so this thing is nothing to me.EBMM has amazing quality control and nothing else compares
@arcanesanctuary10 ай бұрын
Nice but I’d pay a few hundred more for an American fender it will always have better resale value
@lemillio53527 ай бұрын
What kind of case does it come in?
@meyersguitars219610 ай бұрын
Great video and all but I want to know is that shirt two layers or what?
@HDproducer110 ай бұрын
I was excited to see this model pop up but at $1400 it's hard to justify, with one or the other of the ray34 models being on sale around 6-700 at musicians friend every other sale they run.
@bluntzera82387 ай бұрын
Hey Patrick, do darkglasses sell this darkray preamp separately?
@MrTfuzz10 ай бұрын
great video and this has nothing to do with you...does the preamp add 1000 bucks to the price because this thing is 1500 dollars..better than 3k sure but damn
@57precision10 ай бұрын
Dark Rays are a niche deal. You are better off just getting a normal Stingray in your price range and then a DG A/O that you can use with all your instruments. This setup will be more versatile too because the Darkray sacrifices a mid control.
@bassamp2 ай бұрын
This bass is now 2400$. Dollar printer go brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr....
@razielkain545810 ай бұрын
Killer content as usual. I appreciate the fact that are doing these "Budget" models, BUT, Why the hell only the sterling shortscale has 22 frets and all the other copies they have 21 frets? It should be half the price but design wise exact copy, or I am the only one feeling this way?
@blousug10 ай бұрын
Beautiful bass!!! ❤❤❤ Patrick, wouldn’t know the weight on this bass? Thanks!
@Tbag006910 ай бұрын
Just got one on Tuesday and mine weighs 8lbs 11oz. Was the lightest of the lot of 6 available. Heaviest was 10lbs 11oz.
@honeybadger181010 ай бұрын
There isn’t nearly enough difference between this and the music man to justify an extra grand
@batuksri8 ай бұрын
Nah. Distortion is for guitars. Distortion for bass + distortion for guitar is a route to muddy sonic hell. Else have a big distortion party for every instrument in the band. Send the drum thwacks through distortion FX too.
@gonzalosanchez638710 ай бұрын
Oh come on. No lefty :(
@parkerellerbeck167410 ай бұрын
Sterling needs to make a natural finish
@dantesinfernopurgatory782610 ай бұрын
Enter the Death Ray...
@febrianpangestu_10 ай бұрын
is it a limited serial number?
@gregorymcmahon844410 ай бұрын
I need an Ernie Ball 4 string with a five string pick guard. Am I wrong?
@rl-ub9hx10 ай бұрын
Yes.
@patrickhunter10 ай бұрын
YOOOOOO that'd be RAD
@VeitLehmann10 ай бұрын
I need a Sabre, but from Sterling, so I can afford it. And with 5 strings!
@57precision10 ай бұрын
Yes the 5 string pickguard is the ugliest part of the SR5.
@patrickhunter10 ай бұрын
A SBMM Sabre would seriously be a dream come true
@rl-ub9hx10 ай бұрын
Does it have the internal trim pots like the USA?
@patrickhunter10 ай бұрын
Sho does🔥
@Uncle--Fatty10 ай бұрын
Pretty BaddAssIndeed..!! the price... (not so much... my suggestion, 200 bucks at a pawn shop, duct tape foot pedal on to bass... Perfect.)
@mixc810 ай бұрын
LOL good point!
@buckchoppers248010 ай бұрын
She’s a beauty.
@nicorepetto578110 ай бұрын
The bass is nice too
@flynbil10 ай бұрын
Sweetwater shows it at $1399.00. Nice bass, but a little out of my reach.
@thomasdeshais10 ай бұрын
WTF twin of my MM Spécial... But cheaper 😭
@viperBSG10 ай бұрын
$1,399.99 USD.
@57precision10 ай бұрын
Yeah I'll pay $500 more and get a used EBMM at this price.
@PakyMN10 ай бұрын
@@57precisionyou’re right, at that price is just ridiculous get the sterling over MM
@dissonantgrooves10 ай бұрын
paid the same for an ibanez btb805ms, multiscale and 5 string and more well built for the same price. its kind of a ripoff for a preamp that costs maybe $150
@oe3phen10 ай бұрын
US MMs going for over 2k these days, right? like 2.3. but I fundamentally agree@@57precision
@mugurgherghe375710 ай бұрын
What an overpriced squier
@CathodeRayNipplez10 ай бұрын
Guitar is a bit goofy looking but geez your playing more than makes up for it.