The temple of time music when you change the hand is what made me subscribe btw

LOL, I laughed at that easter egg @1:02 It looks really interesting, I wouldn't spend more on the USA version. The stingray sound there, and the construction seems to be solid. Great review as usual!

Just pulled on the trigger on one of these baby's, thanks for helping me make the decision! Unlike most, I love heavy basses, as I'm a pretty big guy. They just feel right. I remember drilling out my basswood body p bass and filling it with rolls of nickels and lead. It felt awesome. I might swap out the side markers for luminlay later.

ELEVEN AND A HALF POUNDS? Damn, Lobster. I love Stingrays but I love my back a little more 🤣 I'll be looking forward for that passive tone mod! Cheers.

Great video Lobster - once again. At eleven and a half pounds - I would pass, especially at my age (72). Tone wise, I think a lighter body can be a little more resonant, but that's not always true. You could always opt for some glow-in-the-dark fingernail polish for your left hand, instead of side dots. Okay...........never mind.

I recently got the Sterling Ray 34 in vintage sunburst, it's 8.8lbs. I purposely waited a while to find one that was nice and light!

11.5 lbs is approaching Peavey T40 levels of weight. Great review as always, Lobster. The bass tone is great, just not sure if I'd want to buy something that heavy. Haha

All MM basses sound so good but I think the only thing they really need is a passive tone pot or a bigger roll off on the EQ.. My SUB is like this bass, when you roll the treble off it still has plenty of treble. This is just me as I feel this would make the bass more versatile to hit more vintage tones. Great video and beautiful bass. These Sterlings are making it hard to want a USA version. They are too nice!

the ray34s are amazing, im so happy with mine

I like to hear the pick come to the party. Thanks for that!

Awesome review, lobster. 😎🤘🏻🎸 this stingray bass looks real nice and sounds awesome. And the fact that this bass weighs 11 pounds is crazy. It weighs more than any of my current basses. I personally prefer lighter basses like 8 or 9 pounds at most. Other than that, great sounding bass. I did thought about purchasing a sterling stingray bass at one point. I might get one if I’m unable to purchase a schecter stiletto stealth 5-string bass.

Is there a bridge that can be added with mutes with no mods to the bass? Or some sort of alternative? I love the videos lobster!!! You’re my favorite bass channel period.

Hi to you too Lobster @1:02. Just my preference, but the black on black is not an upgrade in appearance so I would be looking for a discount for this instrument. Also my back is screaming NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! Sounds great though.

Just picked one up second-hand. I play it every day - can't wait for my next band practise...

My Next Bass , im shure . Written before i see this rewiuv . im exited

(Clears throat) LETS GOOOOOOO !!!!!

Looking to score a ray34! Looking forward to your review of the mahogany version! Thanks man!

Great stuff. Thank you so much for sharing. Cheers

Wish this color combination was offered in short scale. Love that neck!

Great video. Would love to see Ray34 HH and G&L 2000 Tribute. Versatility shootout!

Super review, should come with back brace. I think that helps the tone, has the Music Man tone. Your the first I've heard talk about side inlays being hard to see. No matter what brand bass I buy it has to have side inlays one can see. Beware I had shop change mine out, $125 and trashed my bass P bass😢

I bought this exact bass and it sounds great. I have a USA made Stingray 4HH and they sound nearly identical on the bridge pickup. Weight on mine is 9.4 pounds. Don’t immediately get turned off by the weight, as there is clearly significant variation from one bass to another.

Here's an update on my sassafras ray 34 I got a while ago. The bass played and sounded great, but there was a massive issue. The tuning machines were awful. It would play and tune fine for 2 weeks, until I wanted to change strings, then, as I changed strings, the worm gears would grind off the teeth on the cogs. I can think of 2 reasons this would happen. 1: unlike most other tuning machines, the ray 34 cogs did not have slanted teeth to accommodate for the spiral on the worm gears. This means that instead of pressure being equal across the face of the tooth, it just focused down to a tiny point on the face, causing it to wear away. The other reason is that the metal is really soft. This is not an individual problem, as I got a replacement after complaining about the issue, and the same thing happened again in two weeks. After it ate away at the gears, they would skip teeth and click as I tuned, making the bass unplayable. I have been playing my ray4 for years, and it doesn't have this problem. It's just in the 34. If you do have your heart set on this bass, please throw the machines away and fit aftermarket parts immediately after you get it.

For the long gigging bass player. No better purchase than a wide padded strap. My 5 string jazz is a hefty one and I don’t notice it while playing.

Hey Lobster nice review as always, this is the bass I bought before a couple of months. Mine is 4.5KG not bad at all. I love the sound of it but I have to say that has some QC issues, some screw's have not been implemented correctly also mine humbuger is moving a bit ( you suggested how to fix that in other comments , but I couldn't make it work) also after a while the volume potentiometer feels a bit to move from the zero possition ( - 0.2 ) . Not a deal breaker if you like the look of the bass but it could be cheaper ( specially in Europe ) and to be checked better before they sell.

11.5 lbs seems like a lot..... But that dark roasted neck told my back to quit being a wimp. Perfectly timed review for me, got a lot to think about tonight. I'll let you know if I end up getting it and what I think.

Thanks to this review and reverb I am now $899 plus free shipping poorer than I was this morning. Don't give a $hit about weight. I'm a bass player...not a guitar player... It also helps im a delivery driver for a foodservice company. Weight doesn't scare me 😉

I personally like heavier basses. It prevents neck dive, which is more annoying, in my opinion, than a heavy bass.

My Ray 34 Ash is 10 and a half lbs, and also has a dark roasted neck. The weight is probably the only thing I don't like about it. I fixed the invisible side dots with a white paint pen. Probably swap that out for some luminlays eventually. That murdered out look is pretty cool. It has more of a gloss finish to the body than I thought it did from the pictures. I love the way the Ray34's sound, just wish they were a little lighter.

Just picked this one up today. Love it.

Beautiful Bass !!!!!! Congratulations lobster !!!! Perfect tones ,you go make someone upgrade ? Peace and sucess my friend ! Cheers from Brasil

38mm nut, black head stock and ebony fretboard and I'd order one today

Thanks for the video. That bass looks great and sounds really nice. I am not sure if my shoulders can handle an instrument that goes to 11, though...

My Ray35 is under 10 Lbs. if I remember right, that 34 could have had a swamp ash body. I can tell you for sure weight makes a difference by the third set I don't care what strap is on it... I would not use that bass if I were still playing 4/5 nights a week...

Dear L.E. Lobster; Black Strings? Black Nylon Monel Flatwounds by Rotosound I believe. Or Black Wrap La Bella's. 11.5lbs so the bass was built when I was in 1979? Sincerely Mike B. B. From Philly P.A. U.S.A.

Nice review. But that 11-1/2 pound weight reminds me of the old Peavey T-40 and Aria SB1000 I used to have. At least neck dive is not an issue. I wonder why more manufacturers don't use a thinner body for the heavy woods. I have an old Chandler hard ash P-body planed to less than 1 and 5/16" thick. That drastically cut the weight off that build and I've had that bass since the late 80's.

Cool review enjoy your vids, , my 2 c worth is it should get the same four stars you gave the exact same bass in natural colour vs black....

11 1/2 LBS ? - No thanks ! I just saw a drop dead nice looking Sterling by MM Ray 34 CA in Trans Black satin finish. To each their own of course, but I really dig the look. The body is mahogany so that should shave some weight off.

The process of making this ash black finish is labor intensive, I understand why it's $100 more.

11.5 lbs? That's about a pound lighter than my five string sire jazz bass. That bass sounds incredible by the way.

I guessed 11 lbs so I was close. I like the aesthetics to a point. Black is nice. But that neck should have pearl dots front and side as the contrast is too harsh. Same with the logo on the headstock. Sounds very robust. I had a ‘78 Jazz Bass that was killer. Only reason I unloaded it was the 11 lbs weight. I used a X-style harness strap but it was still too heavy and the strap made the angle for playing difficult. This bass would be good for a studio situation but not gigs.

I have a Squire Vintage Modified PJ with a super glossy neck so any light reflection makes the Fret markers disappear so what I did is I took some of my wife's brightest nail polish and just put a dab on each fret marker that way I could actually see from the top

The darkness of the side dots stopped me from pulling the trigger on this one. The side dots should have been white to not only to properly orient the player but it would also match the natural white highlights in the finish. Not sure how this didn’t get fixed in final production runs. Otherwise, this model looks killer. Btw I ended up snagging a “blemished” regular black Ray34 for $649 so I’m a happy camper.

Very nice!!! I love that roast!! So dark you can barley see the lettering! Also sounds killer! Any plans for a mod on her? 11.5 lbs is crazy tho!!

I played one in a store a few months ago. It felt very solid but the weight sucked.

There is one video, the bass sound was so good that you make faces, i dont remember which one it was, I've been looking for that bass

I really really REALLY want a Stingray. Not a 11.5 lbs though, thankyouverymuch.

I agree, better to save $100 bucks, and also I’m not a big fan of the 11 1/2 pounds; probably need to cut at least 2 pounds off of that, even using a comfy 3” strap!! I’m sure there’s a way to get good weight distribution, a weight limit, and suitable tone from the instrument, but I’m guessing it cuts into the manufacturing profits when attempting to do so. I’m sure there’s a way to manage that, but they need to view it as required spec. I haven’t noticed basses that heavy having tone worthy of that kind of discomfort after standing and playing for long periods of time.

I have the ray34 Ash bass in natural , my neck is very dark , it's heavy (too heavy). The only reason I would sell is the weight.

Had one of these bad boys. They are really flippin heavy but look awesome and sound amazing. Kind of regret selling it. Also, I laughed way too hard at the end of the drum solo 🤣🤣

Great video lobster ! Are you going to be modding your Sterling stingray short scale ?

Excellent Lobster 🦞 any colour you like as long it's black Henry Ford

Dude I have the ray34 in natural and it’s just amazing. I teeter totter on if I want to change the pickup. I don’t know if I really need to.

You need to change the strings to a Dr black beauties ones...

My ATK300 from '95 is 12 pounds... I have not played it in 7 years. I'm too old

Great value for a price

I bought a SBMM Short scale bass recently. It was over 10 1/2 lbs. Nope! Back to the store for you buddy :(

was gona say round 6 kilos, goddamn, my Yamaha bb 5 string from the early 00's , weighed exactly 6 kilos or 12 pounds, daaaaaamn

Wow! Are they imbedding lead weights into the body? I have a 2008 MusicMan SR5 HH that weighs 11 lbs, that Ray34 has one less string and one less pickup but still ends up a half pound heavier!

Oh, he t h i c c Great video, Lobster! Salutations crustaceans!

Hey Lobster, if you ever wanna get rid of that bass I’ll take it😁 I’m also looking at 2 stingray special one being the one I’m playing in my pic.

I’m keen on the Firemist Silver color, seems like a pretty rare finish for the Ray34. It did say that one was made of Nyatoh wood however. Hopefully it’s even lighter than mahogany?

Boat anchor. What are they thinking making basses that are too heavy. I noticed the Sterling Sub Stingray with the single pickup has a narrower body than the HH Sub. Perhaps they can make the bodies weigh less. Too bad, it sounded good.Thanks for weighing this and hope you weigh them all.

It is Heavy because it sounds like a million dollars Lobster Man !!!

Cool bass

Hello, nice videos as always, I like the sound of this bass but I want ask you what is the net weight for this bass because I have some problems on my back so it’s around 9 LB or ? More ? Thanks a lot & best regards, & stay safe

Hate the dark over roasted fretboard. I had an Ibanez that was also roasted so dark the fret markers blended right in. At least they could have put white markers on it. Why can't they get that roasted neck right like in tbe EBMM Stingray Specials? Tbe weight is also a turn off. Glad it sounds good though.

Picked up a '21 Stingray Ray34 B-stock in firemist silver for $749 and it only weighs 7lbs. 9oz. I'm loving it and cant imagine a bass that much heavier?

To me it doesn't sound like a EBMM Special. This sounds a bit harsh without the smooth harmonic richness I love about the Special.

Sound okay

Sounds like my 90's Stingray. It was also a boat anchor, so had to go.

My favorite bass is 1985 or 1986 EBMM. I was thinking about getting a cheaper bass to leave the instrument at home. I think I have found my next purchase.

Hey Lobster, did you end up trying a mahogany version yet? I was curious how much of a difference it makes to the sound. Particularly if it's got a warmer bassier sound or not

I confirm... its heavy! Also confirm that on stage, those black side dots are invisible! I like very much that thumb rest shaped pickup. Very handy. The tuners feel a little on the "cheap" side, for the price. My Sires are better built than this one, and cost half the price. I like the bass, but it's pricey.

Those Things are 1300-1400€ now. Insane

It could be blacker! If it had an ebony board like the USA stealth models...

They forgot to make the nut black lol

Just bought this bass. Except the body is sassafras, not ash. 9.4 lbs including battery and strap. The neck is rather thick, but it’s still fun to play and sounds just as I’d hoped it would. Would the weight reduction change your rating?

My G&L is about 11.5 pounds. Lol it’s a lot of weight to deal with if you are not using a wide strap.

Man I was into the look, but it has some slight "bland" in the MM tone it has. Definitely doesn't sound anything like Old Smoothie, that's for sure. Here are my concerns. First of all, what that weight tells me is QC is probably all over the place - your mention of the grain on the bodies varying by a lot is just another sign. I played an EBMM USA Sterling for years and at 9 pounds. My Jazz bass is around 10.5lbs but amazing tone does come at a cost sometimes. My experience is that heavier alder basses tend to sound the best to me. This bass needs to be passive. The active circuitry and heavy ash sound pretty good but truthfully, not $900 good. I'd never buy one of these sight unseen, which means I'd have to buy it from a store, which means I'm probably never gonna get one. Nice Ray though! I'd definitely pick up the right one if I got to play it first and the price was right.

Hey there lob, do you know where I can get black stingray hardware. I would be soooo greatfull

I have a question and maybe you can help me. I have purchased this bass and on some internet sites they say the bass comes with alnico pickups and sometimes with ceramic pickups. Comes this bass in two Versions ?

Does anyone know how to remove the knobs for the bass, mid, and treble? I'm looking to mod the looks of the bass. :😊

GC here has one like that. The body is sassafrass. Is body on that 11.5 bass also sassafrass?

Show your arsenal !!!! Your basses your gear !!on next vídeo !

I have loved the look of it since these came out but at 11.5 lbs... no thanks. Noooooooooo way.

“The answer is none…none more black.”

I have one and it's Heavy!

I may be in the minority here but I’m not a fan of the clear pick guards on some of these.

I have a G&L that is around 11.5 lbs. it’s a big turn off for overall playability and comfort. Shame this one comes in at such a heavy weight. I used to prefer heavy basses but not so much lately.

What pickups would you recommend for upgrading my Ray5HH?

Hell no .11.5 at $900. you get one for 8.2 and mod it for less

This Sterling sounds great, I would prefer a black pickguard and a normal finish without wood structure like the classic black version of the Stingray / sterling.

This is heavier than the Ernieball’s right?

Eh 11.5 isn't that bad. I have a couple of 13 lb spectors. My lightest bass is only 11 lbs.

Toasted maple and black wood pattern looks nice tho. Can't say the same thing about inlays.

I would pay more for that finish, looks awesome! Would look cooler minus pick guard👍👍👍

Tasty looking bass, a heavy biatch

11... and a whole ass half???

I had 2 ray 35 Hh the maple fretboard and the rosewood fretboard. one had the D tuner fall apart the tuning key fell of after 3 days on the other one 2 tuners stripped out I wasn't happy both basses brand new Sterling sent me replacements but took a month but never trusted either bass again and sold both