Differences Between Music Man StingRay Bass Guitars

When you’re shopping for a bass guitar, and you’re serious about high quality tone, you need to consider the Music Man StingRay bass guitars. 

The three bass guitars we’re looking at today comprise of the core line of Music-Man StingRay bass guitars. Namely the Music Man StingRay Special, Sterling by Music Man Ray24CA & Ray34 and Sterling by Music Man S.U.B. Ray4 models.

These models offer incredible playability for the price and are relied upon by world class musicians from all over the world such as Tim Commerford of Rage Against The Machine, Audioslave, Prophets of Rage, Mark Hoppus of Blink-182, Justin Chancellor of Tool and Colin Greenwood of Radiohead to name a few.

However, with the range constantly expanding and the brand adding slight tweaks here and there, we understand it might be a little difficult trying to figure out which bass is right for you.

So, we thought we’d compile a list of differences between these three major bass guitars with the help of our in-house bass expert.

Our resident bass expert and online merchandiser Paul Wilson breaks down the key differences between the Music Man StingRay Bass Guitars.

As with most Music Man instruments, the prestigious StingRay bass is available in three different tiers. Each of these tiers are available in both 4 and 5 string variants namely (in price descending order):

• Music Man StingRay Special
• Sterling by Music Man Ray24CA and Ray34
• Sterling by Music Man S.U.B. Ray4

First, there's the iconic Music Man StingRay Special - their top tier, premium-grade bass, which is now available in a slimmer, more lightweight package than ever.

Each StingRay Special bass guitar comes complete with a solid Ash body, with a Roasted Maple neck, powerful Neodymium pickups, and an active 18v 3-band preamp.

These models are the cream of the crop, and each of them comes complete with a deluxe hard-shell case to keep it safe when not in use.

Best for:

• Professionals
• Those who don’t ever want to upgrade again

Specs and differences:

• Body Wood: Ash
• Neck wood: Select Roasted Maple
• Fingerboard: Select Roasted Maple or Rosewood
• Pickups: Single Humbucking with Neodymium magnets
• Controls: 3-band 18v active preamp
• Case/Gig Bag: Deluxe hard-shell case

Shop all Music Man StingRay Special bass guitars.

Secondly, we have the Sterling by Music Man Ray24CA and Ray34 basses.

Both of these models are mid-priced instruments with solid Mahogany bodies (aside from the natural finish Ray34, which is Swamp Ash), and are ideal for aspiring professionals.

The key difference between them is the Ray34 sports an active 3-band preamp and Alnico pickup, whilst the Ray24CA opts for the classic StingRay active 2-band preamp setup and a Ceramic pickup.

Best for:

• Professionals
• Intermediates
• A 2nd bass for stage and studio

Specs and differences:

• Body Wood: Mahogany (natural finish Swamp Ash)
• Neck Wood: Maple
• Fingerboard: Rosewood or Hard maple
• Pickups: H - 1 Ceramic Humbucker
• Controls: 2-band Active Preamp
• Case/Gig Bag: N/A

Shop all Sterling by Music Man Ray24CA Shop all Sterling by Music Man Ray34

And finally, we have the Sterling by Music Man S.U.B. Ray4 - an affordable entry-level model that's suitable for relative beginners, and perfect as a backup for more experienced players.

Don't be put off by its budget-friendly asking price though: these basses are more than capable of holding their own against more expensive models.

The Music Man bass guitars feature a single high-output humbucking pickup, Maple neck for added snap and a Basswood body to provide all that low end you need in the mix.

An active two-band EQ gives you all the control you need over your sound and an easy-access volume control ensures you can place your sound wherever you want in the mix.

Best for:

• Beginners
• Intermediates
• Those who need another bass for stage and studio

Specs and differences:

• Body Wood: Basswood
• Neck Wood: Maple
• Fingerboard: Rosewood
• Pickups: Humbucker
• Controls: 2-band Active EQ
• Case/Gig Bag: N/A

Shop all Sterling by Music Man S.U.B. Ray4.

Shop a full range of Music Man StingRay bass guitars and other Musicman bass guitars over at PMT Online or call into your local PMT Store today to try some out for yourself!

Updated: 2020-07-02