Clearly a good player, and doesn’t play a bunch of nonsense show off bullshit to demonstrate, and keeps true to the mission of letting the differences and similarities of these instruments that both are perceived and which actually exist, speak for themselves. TREMENDOUS value in that kind of authenticity and transparency. Subscribe. I did.

The winner? All of us who get to watch.

God Stingrays has always been one of my favorite Basses EVER!!!!!! This video is just making want one over a jazz bass more and more!!!!!!

This was a Stingray Buffet to the MAX!! I loved it and it’s my second time watching it. In about a year I’ll watch it again. “Lobster Mode” so cool👍🏽

Man, the fretboard on that fretless bass is IMMACULATE. Extremely jealous.

With today's snow storm, I finally got a moment to watch this fantastic video. It's like taking a tour of a stingray museum with each piece expertly demonstrated. Fabulous job. Keep you claw out of the snow today!

All of them sound great 👍. I’m actually going to buy my first bass soon and it’s a stingray 34 HH with a burl top and trans black satin. It look knarley and sounds freaking amazing. Best tone with a huge punch. Can’t wait ❤

Musicman has its own tone that most basses don't. Great video

That Pink Champagne Stingray Special is a bucketlist bass for me!

Suggestion Box: For those of us who haven't developed "Stingray Fatigue" would love to see your take on the Stringray Short Scale passive. All the current reviews are coming from the folks trying to Sell rather than with your with critical and honest take.

Thanks for this great comparison demo! I've ordered a Ray34 single p up and soooo excited !!

When Lobster breaks out with Primus, the Gods smile.

Just bought a used Ray34... can't wait to receive it !!!

You deserve so many more subs, the quality of your videos and edits are fantastic. Keep keeping on!

I think he likes stingray

They all have their unique qualities. But Mint-o-Ray was my favourite. Followed by the sparkly one, then Old Smoothie, then the 34.

Just go the Harley Benton 'Stingray'. Used your advice on the tone for my EQ pedal and totally dig it.

man, you are definitely one of the best bass players of the bass content channels

That HH ruled the other ones IMO. Interesting to hear them side by side.

Oh my gosh I'm so glad I watched until the end. PRICELESS!!!

I dig the Darkglass Preamp over the Mojotone for my SUB project,but the Ray34 sounds the closest to a USA EBMM We thank you for this comparison.

Great job again lobster! Friday i received the FGN JMJ-ASH-M. with the mm seymour duncan pickup, what sounds great!

That Ray 34 us the Truth. Thanks for putting me up on some game🎸

That project Mint-o-Ray sounds and looks incredible! I really like that one. You’re getting some really nice tones out of that bass. I think I need one of those with the same mods. I hope you don’t mind me copying you

Well…I finally found one I like, and couldn’t leave the store without it. All the “sterling by MM” I tried, just didn’t “do it”for me. I just came to terms that I’m not a MM fan. So I figured the US MM couldn’t be that much better, so didn’t bother worrying how much they are…and DAMN! they are pricey. …but, the way we as humans are wired…you find what you really need/want/ connect with in a special way, is there, waiting for you to stop looking for what isn’t there, and to see what is! I normally prefer maple fretboards and passive circuitry, but WHAM!!!! Rosewood and active!!! Anyway, I don’t know if you still read older posts, but…Cheers, Lobster Will! I finally get it..at least, I finally found one I like. I don’t know if it’s even considered “decent, in comparison” but it’s a 2003 Music Man SUB and it plays real nice. I don’t think you have done a video on one (that is, I don’t remember if you did) but I’m curious, what your thoughts on them are? Cheers

WOW seriously what a great video and your intonation on the fretless made it sound like a fretted bass. Well done!

Man... That ol' smoothy just changes everything. No spiking out and it just has such a growl.

Really cool comparison. I really enjoyed it😎🤟. I just ordered a 4 string special in snowy night and already own a black stealth 4 and 5 string. They are such iconic bass guitars. I cannot choose between my Fender jazz custom 5 string/Spector USA NS-2/Ibanez ATK 1200 prestige and my Music mans. They all have their iconic and recognizable sound.

Nice comparison! I really liked the old smoothie and stingray special HH. My Stingray special HH should arrive any day! I went with the classic natural with maple fretboard.

Lobster! I love your videos, man. Thank you! Just picked up my 2nd bass - a Ray34 =)

Love the "hifi-ish" sound of the delano pickups.

Nice comparison Lobster! Can't go wrong with any of those basses. I like the fretless since I never played one and it looks and sounds very good.

They all sound like Rays except for the tone glass Mint-o-Ray and the fretless.... The neck on the fretless is great looking and the BFR (BFE?) looks like a piece of candy, great color....

Very fun video to watch! I don't own a Stingray but I definitely want one now. Thanks for the great demo.

So i went to guitar center and played a bunch of basses. I ended up not liking the fenders which suprized me. I found a music man sting ray 34. Im in love. The best bass i have ever played. Im getting the black ash maple neck ray 34 in a few months.

Man I hope to see you come back to KZfaq. Really like your videos.

Wow! pink champagne. Suuuuuuuper nice bass ! From mtw - super frequent jam nighter in LA. 2013-2019.

The fretless was one of the best to me, sounded so beautiful! I also wonder if anybody could tell the difference between the cheapest sub vs the american special in a mix... Very nice basses

I have a chance to buy the BFR pink champagne stingray.......you are tempting me lol, the only problem I have is that I would have to play it, not put it away as a collectible!! Thanks for the comparison video....and I loved the sterling with the dark glass preamp!!

Your bass playing really impressed me today. Loved the slap ditty you did on the fretless. Sounded like some Les Claypool stuff! I want a fretless 6 string bongo so bad. Think ima save up for one or sell my soul one of the two. My 2 favs were the fretless and the champagne special.

Lobster, I can’t make up my mind, I love the smoothie, love the sterling, love the stingray. I have a 2005 stringray 5 and I really love it because you have the pickup selector and the tone. I’m really more of a four string guy, but the stringray doesn’t have the selector for series, parallel and single. Not really interested in a multi pickup version of music man bass. What do you suggest for a a 4 string starter into the stingray line up? Cost isn’t really the factor, it’s just getting a piece I’m gonna love and keep forever.

I own a 5 string StingRay 5, cheap? Maybe but I AM IN LOVE WITH IT. I was curious about your video thinking... ok, good... now somebody will show me how really things are and how one bass sounds and how the other sounds and so on... but since you are a GREAT player, they all play GREAT. So I am a bit confused, but happy with the bass I got :) Good video Lobster, good video and wonderful basses!

I bought my 2006 MM SR5 HH for $1080 and it was the cheapest I’ve ever seen one. It only had one little ding and it’s fantastic.

Years ago I got a 76 silver stingray (77) with the Foam mutes on the Bridge. I hated that Bass( did not know much about proper set ups) could never get it to feel right. Never played traded it for a 1984 FODERA mornarch. Loved my Fodera but always regretted selling the Stingray. Like them Now. That Bass was a Classic!!

thanks for this channel man.. i saw my EBMM stingray 2000 model natural finish.. cheers

That BFR Fretless is awesome 🎸

Everything sounded really good, but I think you and that BFR fretless are a perfect match. Man do you sound good on that thing.

I just picked up the Sterling 24CA. In the Sterling line they are the middle ground between the SUB and the Ray 34 and so far I'm really enjoying it. Great video.

Honestly I like the Mint-o-Ray the best I think. The slap tone was rad. Has me want to do a Ray HH with the same mods.

While it holds true for all instruments, I feel like MM, Sterling ray basses are less forgiving with bad sound setup. Having owned ray, sub4, sterling sub, none of them sounded good on my crappy setup while I could get a semi decent tone on a squire bass. I gotta say these do sound phenomenal with good pre/amp.

Benjamin Orr put the Stingray into the imaginations of a new generation of Bass Players.

I can't wait to get my sterling ray 34. I really want a charcoal sparkle eb mm but i am going to have to settle for the ray 34 ash black

I too really enjoyed the sound of the fretless though for my part I wouldn't be slapping it, if it were mine. Thanks for another great video.

Great video lobster! I like The Music Man bass guitars; Sterling and Sub Basses. However, I bought a used passive OLP 4 banger and it sounds better than any 4 string passive musicman bass I've ever played in guitar center. However, a Preamp bass like Turbo charged car will always have an advantage over a Passive bass! I liked the Mint Mman bass!

The $300.00 Sterling. I had one just like that! It's the one bass I had the most fun playing too.

Keep the claw and become Rock Lobster 🦞 Nice Simon Gallup shoutout!

Great Comparisons! And thanks for the history lesson...

How many basses do you have in your collection? Do they get donated to you for these reviews? Fantastic channel and great reviews!

Love to see you do the same test and same playing examples with the 5 string versions and various series/parallel selector switch settings, etc…

They have got two of those HH specials in Andertons in the UK. I'd pull the trigger on one but £3,299,00 is a bit over my budget

Sterling states that their H-1 Ceramic Humbucker pickup is wired in Series on SUB Basses, so hotter and more distorted than MM's Parallel configuration

Great intro. Got the 👍 up right there. Thanks for this comparison.

I’ve never seen someone slap a fretless and have it sound that good!

Man that fretless is sick I’m super jealous of your whole collection. I barely have one instrument in playable condition. Must work harder at my day job! They sold the ehb at my local store so I can’t go see her anymore :( That champagne finish is gorgeous !

I would have LOVED to hear Jaco Play that Fretless and Louis Johnson on the Ray34!

Hey lobster, i need your advice, i'm in a band and we play a lot of rock styles from 60's rock and ballads to grunge and even trash metal. I would like to know which kind of bass would be better for me, i've been playing a p bass style for a few years

Whoop whoop found it Lobster. Fretless...💙👊😎

This video is awesome. I've been window shopping and sitting down at some music stores during the year and that ray 34 is the coolest that they have had in-store to play. As far as budget, that is probably the one I'm going to go with. That fretless is soooo gnarly tho. Really dig the old smoothie too. Is it possible to mod that ray 34 with the newer electronics?

yesterday I bought the first bass guitar of the test: in my opinion for the price range it is the one that sounds best.

I think the best value for money is the Sterling Ray24CA (or 25) for $499 ($550 for the 5-string). But that only has a 2-band preamp. Not a problem for me.

epic video, love you lobster

excellent video!!! your reviews are out of this world. You mentioned the olp brand. I saw a special model "olp tony levin signature". It is a real "tony levin supervised" bass? or just a name made for marketing? have you tried that bass? thanks!!

40th Anniversary Old Smoothie was easily my favorite. Like a more open, sweet version of the others. And now I'm considering replacing my broken fretless with an MM style....

Mojo and 2017 sound pretty mean. Dark glass is so clear with mids that sparkle. Fretless is very unorthadox and sounds like a blast to play. Stingrays are amazing all Around but those stand out to me.

The bfr fretless really sounds the best balanced IMHO. Lots of everything. The top end seems notably smoother on 18v.

I have one of the older SUB basses. According to Sterling it was made in 2013. It doesn't have the string tree nor the silver plate over the controls. I think it might be rare. I haven't found any like mine on the web. The pick-up on it is hot. I play mine in nearly the same sound configuration as Lobster. I'm not sure if I'm going to mod it or not. I have a set of Ernie Ball Slinky 100-45 on the way.

Nice comparison! I have a Ray4 project bass too with a Duncan SMB-4D (ceramic) to kinda imitate the tone of a MM Sterling bass and it does get very close. Kinda a shame not so many people know about the Sterling though, so that could be a cool comparison in the future :)

Call me a crazy Boomer but: Old Smoothie was my favorite. That impromptu song to your lady was a smooth move BTW 😎👍

7:55 nice groove here, sounds kinda dorian

I would love to see you compare your P-basses!

Lobster, is the ray34 worth 2x the sub in your excellent opinion?

emg has that high mid/ trebly sound and not enough low end imo to compensate, not just on mm , I also got a humbucker in bridge and j in neck, no preamp tho, just the batteries for the pickups and I can hear the exact frequencies though it's a different flavour of tone, I dunno, they grew on me as I mostly play distorted and low end doesn't like distortion as well as the other registers :)

I have an old smoothy in green I agree it's the closest sound to what I had an 1979 from new the fret wire is about the same

LobsterTone(tm). The fretless has a nice tone. Quit slapping her. 3.02k subscribers! Woo hoo!

I like the last one. I believe the pink one sounds the best

My favorite is Pre EB

I just came back from GC and played a Ray 34 after GASSING for a Ray 24... Now I want a RAY 34!!! Is the Ray 34 wired in parallel unlike the Ray 24 being wired in series?

favorite: The fretless!

@LowEndLobster Another amazing video. Props to you for all the work you'd have put into doing this! I have a fairly new Ray34, my 1st dip into the Stingray pool & I was just wondering if any of these mods would be a significant upgrade or more of a "side-grade"? Being in Australia modding isn't cheap so not sure if it will be worth it. Love the channel man & my wife loves your cat, keep up the great work!

I prefer the first bass .Sunburst with black pickguard and 2 band eq !! best sound !!

Man, your camera image looks really good!

What strings are you using? I have USA SR 5HH and had other USA SRs. I also have a Sterling Sub 5 and an HH one as well. They are very good inexpensive basses even stock. Enjoyed your video!

That natural sounds great, I just love the size of a stingray sterling is to sell for me

Great video, I’ve just purchased a Sterling Sub. I’ve played guitar for over 30 years and only just tried a bass, I love it! I’m interested in your comment about the pickup height, I play with a plectrum and I sometimes struggle on the D and G strings, as the plectrum occasionally touches the pickup and it’s very frustrating. I’ve tried watching Cliff Williams of AC/DC as he plays a Stingray, are the pickups lower on the US models? It’s difficult to find a dealer where I live, current financial times etc. The big stores are 100’s of miles away.

1. I was somewhat expecting you to play with that lobster hand on and was slightly disappointed. 2. Darn, I need to practice a lot to not even come close to your playing. 3. Apart from sound, what are the differences in playability (except for the fretless of course)? Do they all play equally smooth?

Hey brother, is there a difference in the pickups from the EB musicman to the sterling Ray 34?

That fretless is bloody gorgeous.

Well I was going to replace my SUB 5 with a Ray35 but I think the Mint-O-Ray sounds better. Time to get modding.

It's unbelievable how much the price of Ray34 increased last years :( I compared one in a music shop with a Stingray Special and liked the Ray34 better.