Interesting discovery with the SBMM Ray24 and SUB

#81
This was an interesting read! I just bought a new Ray24 for around $380 (they're priced that way on a few different sites atm) and now I'm wondering if the extra $80 was worth it over the Ray4. Did a bit of searching around for deciding on the Ray24 and the general consensus seemed to be that it was a step up from the Ray4, but now I'm not sure what to think :D
 
#82
jackNcoke said:
This was an interesting read! I just bought a new Ray24 for around $380 (they're priced that way on a few different sites atm) and now I'm wondering if the extra $80 was worth it over the Ray4. Did a bit of searching around for deciding on the Ray24 and the general consensus seemed to be that it was a step up from the Ray4, but now I'm not sure what to think :D
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That $80 extra is basically the improved pickup, improved bridge, and maybe even the neck tint (if you like that). You got a steal! I paid almost full price for mine and I regret not waiting.
 
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#83
jackNcoke said:
This was an interesting read! I just bought a new Ray24 for around $380 (they're priced that way on a few different sites atm) and now I'm wondering if the extra $80 was worth it over the Ray4. Did a bit of searching around for deciding on the Ray24 and the general consensus seemed to be that it was a step up from the Ray4, but now I'm not sure what to think :D
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80 dollars are worth. Ray24 has EB slinky stock string , Sterling bridge and Dome knobs with lock . Ray4 come with no brand name stock string , push in style 6mm knob and economy bridge which you able get from Aliexpress.

Even both Ray4 and Ray24 use same neck and same tuning machine, but both my pre-love sub Ray4 and Ray5 has stable solid neck than any Squier VM and Cort Action bass neck i own in past. Just the tuning machine work less smooth but no tuning issue at all.

My favorite colour are Mint green and Vintage white Ray4, and Butter scotch Ray24. Put 3 of them side by side, the Ray24 look much like a expensive 70s Stingray than others.

My2cent.

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#84
Hey all! I did a video that touches on some of the points I made in the post. Also did a little tone comparison between the Ray24 and a SUB w/ Aguilar AG4M pickup and stock preamp.



Without a doubt the Aguilar is a really nice upgrade and perfectly illustrates how much better these things are with a simple pickup upgrade (and shows how gimped these things are with the stock pickup). Also seeing that the Ray24CA is on sale at some places for $380, makes it a much better value vs the regular $200 sticker increase. No sale on SUBs it seems.
 
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#85
I finally got to play a Ray 24 classic yesterday and yes, it sounds much better than an stock SUB.

For anyone considering one I would recommend grabbing one now while they have the $379 price drop sale in effect. It’s totally worth it.
At $499, it’s not.

for $500 my modded SUB sounds better
 
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#86
Installed a used Ray34ca pickups on a buddy's ray24ca( bought on 1st Dec) few day ago, overall tone get meatier and better string to string output balance (raise A and D magnet rod )than stock ray24ca pickups before string swap.
I install a set Dunlop super bright nickel 45-105 and the tone more open sounding(Ofcause fresh from pack tone) than stock EB slinky string .
 
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#87
Yahboy said:
Installed a used Ray34ca pickups on a buddy's ray24ca( bought on 1st Dec) few day ago, overall tone get meatier and better string to string output balance (raise A and D magnet rod )than stock ray24ca pickups before string swap.
I install a set Dunlop super bright nickel 45-105 and the tone more open sounding(Ofcause fresh from pack tone) than stock EB slinky string .
Click to expand...

Awesome! That sounds like a killer swap
 
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#88
First time modder looking at putting the Aguilar pickup into my Ray4, and maybe at the same time or later, the Darkglass preamp. I've watched Lobster's video on the EMC install, but I have a few questions still.

Did the Aguilar pickup come with foam/springs enough to install or should I plan on getting something for that before I attempt the install? I don't have any spare parts just lying around, and only one bass, so I don't want to put it out of commission.

For the Darkglass preamp, it needs the input jack moved as the pots aren't stacked. I've found very few guides on drilling a hole in the side of a finished bass, and it seems a bit scary to do with a hand drill. Any advice or guides on how to do this, or should a first timer just hand this off to a tech that knows what they are doing / has a drill press?

I grabbed a new control plate (black) and knobs and was planning on building that out and keeping the stock preamp wired up and stored somewhere, but the darkglass doesn't come with a volume pot and if it's cheap enough I'd rather get a new one so I can build it all out in advance. What pot would I need?
 
#94
Mike Allegrezza said:
So I realize I'm super late to the party. Silly question, but Sterling does not have the SUB series listed anymore. I'm assuming their Sterling by Music Man StingRay Ray4 Electric Bass is now what once was called the SUB Ray?
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No, not silly at all. It's the SBMM naming conventions that are a bit silly...anyway yes you are right, the Ray4 Stingray is the rebrand of the SBMM SUB (not to be confused with the earlier US produced EBMM SUB).
 
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#95
LowEndLobster said:
Hey all,

Some of you may know that the SUB is one of my favorite modding platforms. I've done many videos (and many more coming) on various SUB mod projects over the past 8+ months, swapping in and out various pickup and preamp combos and owning multiple examples. One thing that has never been abundantly clear is- what's the difference between the Ray4 (SUB) and Ray24. Various vendor website as well as the official SBMM have conflicting and vague (as well as inaccurate!) descriptions of the Ray24 and its components.

The official SBMM website lists the pickup for the Ray24 as the H-1 Ceramic humbucker (same listed as SUB), a 2 band preamp "designed to provide the warm 70's sound", "mahogany" slab body, improved bridge, narrower nut (from a standard ray), and that's about it.

View attachment 4051566

Well, I finally got one in the other day and decided to open 'er up and see what the deal is.

Let's start with the preamp- It's the exact same as the SUB. Exact same.

View attachment 4051567

I find that kind of deceiving to state that this preamp was "designed to provide the warm 70's sound" for the Ray24, yet say nothing more than 9v 2 band preamp for the Ray4/SUB when they're exactly the same. That's not to say the preamp wasn't designed for this sound, but to leave it out of the less premium product and then include that statement for the Ray24 makes it seem as if they're potentially different preamps.

Onto the pickup, they are very much not the same pickup, even though the website has them both listed as H-1 Humbucker. The Ray4 is using a ceramic humbucker with a single wire that has two layers (I forget what that's called), the outside being the ground and inside (shielded of course) being the hot. The Ray24 on the other hand appears to have alnico magnets (lighter gray vs black, pretty sure this is alnico), and copper shielding present. The wiring of the Ray24 pickup is also the more "traditional" Stingray wiring, giving you the ability to setup a series/parallel/single switch, whereas the SUB pickup does not have that flexibility.

View attachment 4051568
(left is SUB, right is ray24)

View attachment 4051569

In regards to the body material, the grain through the finish doesn't look like mahogany. This might be some of that "eastern mahogany", common on cheaper instruments, but this doesn't appear to have the same type of grain as what we'd consider "mahogany".

The neck is exactly the same for the Ray4/SUB and Ray24, the 24 just has a vintage tint to it. They're otherwise identical in both dimension and wood quality. Tuners are the same, control plate, pots, and push on knobs are the same.

The bridge is the other big differentiating factor, and is a nice upgrade from the cheaper SUB bridge. That being said, there wasn't much wrong with the regular SUB bridge in terms of functionality, and could be easily modded with a dremel and $35 mute kit to look like a classic bridge (or swapped out for an aftermarket bridge) if you're looking for something different.

The regular price of a Ray4/SUB is $299 USD, and the Ray24 $499 USD. The $200 difference yields a difference in body material (whether it's an upgrade or not is anyone's guess), an upgraded pickup, different finish (I've had no qualms or issues with SUB finishes both matte and gloss), tinted neck, and upgraded bridge. Is it worth it? That's not for me to decide, everyone's different and $200 means something different to everyone. Personally, I'd go for an SUB and mod it, but I'm glad I have the opportunity to investigate this further and clear up any questions regarding the differences between these two instruments.

I'll be doing a full review video on the Ray24, as well as a comparison between a Ray4/SUB w/ an Aguilar pickup and stock preamp, stock/stock, as well as other SUB and EBMM Stingray content looking at the differences between these. Hope this helped clear some things up about the differences between these two models! Lobster OUT!
Click to expand...
I just posted about the RAY34 at GC for 230 bucks new (black only). A steal IMO.
 
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#96
Only 80 dollars difference?

Those dollars added up in the 80's or 90's, however, $80 is next to nothing in today's dollars. :) Some of our friends might spend that on a weekend with nothing to show for it.
 
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