I had the short scale in the blue color. I found that if i adjusted the gain on my amp to just below distortion and used the amp volume control volume, when you use the volume boost on the guitar it sends the amp into distortion. This way I was able to go in and out of distortion using the switch on the bass instead of a pedal. More flexible that way.

I currently own 10 short scale bases and have owned a few others over the years. I purchased the Sterling Stingray a few weeks ago and I am very pleased with it. It plays and sounds wonderful.

Having had to have surgery on my left index finger, I had to switch to shorties just to keep playing for a while and I got addicted to playing them. Though now I'm mostly back to normal playing ability, I still really prefer them. The Sterling by MM SS has been at the top of my list to try/buy. I got a chance to play one of these in a Guitar Center today, and while I liked almost everything; it sounded great, felt great, seemed like a quality bass, it seemed really tiny, smaller than a Mustang, Schecter Banshee, Epiphone Allen Woody, or any of my other short scales. I hesitate to make this comparison, but it felt similar in size to a Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar SS. Just in size and feel in the body/neck. Maybe it was just me, but it still sounded surprisingly crisp and strong. Love the channel Lobster!!!

Once again... Excellent detailed reviews. For me it would be the Sterling bass. Much preferred the sounds.

I bought this Sterling Short Scale and end up grabbing it to play quite a bit. Sounds so different than my other basses. It is a heavy wee bass though. Thanks for all your informative videos. As a bass player about a year in (coming from mandolin) your videos have entertained me but mainly you have given me so much good info with all the honest reviews and comparisons. Love your Lobster bass licks. Thankee for all that.

I bought the Olympic White version of the SS Sterling because of your review and playing it at my local GC. Great bass guitar reviews! Subscribed!

Short (my height) guitar player, and part-time bass player here. Own two Jazz Basses. The MIA 2000 ash one that I bought a week ago weighs close to my Jeep. Bad back (like needs surgery) here so no bueno. It's on the chopping block. My 2013 MIM is lighter and actually sounds better to my ears. But a long session with it still kills me, especially the next day. So for half+ the cost of my used '00 jazz, I ordered the Sterling @ $450. I'll easily be able to justify upgrading the tuners, possibly the pots, though I doubt it, and definitely drop it off at my tech for his magic touch on the setup and frets. Weird - I fully expected to prefer the Ernie Ball (I have a Luke III and a Silhouette Special), but here, I prefer the Sterling. It sounds more present and open to my ears and brain. Thanks again Lobster!

Two observations from your great demo. First I did notice a volume boost when you hit the volume boost on the sub model. Second there seemed to be more noticeable hum in single coil mode on the American made stingray.

I love shorties...shape..comfort and sound..

I own over 30 long scale basses and about 6 short scale basses. Later in life,(I'm in my late 50's) I have developed carpal tunnel in both hands as well as trigger finger issues on my left hand. I have several shorties,( mini p....modified pups, a Marcus Miller and a G&L Fallout) that have become my "go to" basses. They sound every bit as good as their larger counterparts and are mush easier to get around on. Anyone interested in 30 long scale basses lol !

All your USA-made MM basses are gorgeous. And they sound great, too.

Best bass gearhead on KZfaq❤️

What I like about these basses is all the pickup settings sound pretty good. It's not wasting any pickups, haha.

Considering that the Ernie Ball Sterling is 4x the price, I'm very happy with the Sterling by Music Man as my first bass. I also preferred the sound of the Sterling by Music Man. I got one in Olympic White. This is my first bass guitar ever and I love it. I also really like how closely it matches my guitar neck since the difference is minimized. Regular scale length basses just seem too long to me. When you deploy the volume knob there's a definite gain boost. I keep it out (boosted). Thanks for the great review!

I'm so glad you did this comparison! I had emailed you a few months back about maybe doing a review on these basses as I absolutely love my Sterling shorty and would have liked to see it stacked up against the USA version. I'm very pleased to see the Sterling absolutely holds it's ground in terms of sound! Great vid as always.

I love the maple fretboard with that finish in that sterling ♡.♡

I was really hoping someone would come along and do this comparison, I'm glad it was my favorite KZfaq bass personality. 👍 If money were not a factor I'd definitely choose the MusicMan, but that Sterling sure does look and sound awful nice for the price! So I'd probably go that direction considering it would be a secondary bass for me that wouldn't get played often. It is amazing how much they capture the big Stingray sound in a short scale without the preamp. I am hoping to get one down the road if I can get my wife to approve the acquisition request. 😁

Ironically Lobster,.. I just bought a Short Scale Music Man ,.. and I love it !! 😎🎸

My joy is immense and my day has been brightened sir. I love the sound of a passive stingray and I want a full scale one!

Just re watching some of your reviews as I’m in the market for a new bass. Would love to see you back on KZfaq. Hope all is good with you.

Twenty two! That's one better than 21! My Daphne blue SBMM shorty weighs a hefty-ish 8.5 lbs. I swapped necks with a friend and now have a rosewood fretboard on a blue bass. I'm sure there are others out there, but mine is the first one I've seen. From what others have said, the swap from the heavier tuners to the light ones requires drilling new screw holes, and perhaps the hole through is different size. Seems like my "boost" button is more dramatic than the one you tested. I notice a difference quite clearly on mine, but it was hard to tell on yours. Pretty clear which one I picked! Just could no pony up the difference.

I love the finish on that USA stingray

Its been a few seconds and I already saw it in my recommended. Thank you KZfaq!

I actually listened to this comparison on my television rather than my phone and I thought that the Sterling sounded better. The USA sounded maybe a little more rich but not by a lot. Great job as always showing these cool basses

It would be amazing if you could do a short scale "fight" or comparison, including this Sterling, the Mustang JMJ and others like Squier or Sire. I'm sure it would be really helpful for the people who is thinking about buying a short scale like me but has no idea what to buy.

Just ordered the Sterling I'm a guitar player and can't wait to finally own and play a short scale. I'm now glad I didn't buy a Fender Mustang PJ bass the Sterling MM sounds better, feels better and I think it seems more versatile. Thank you

They are now offering a Sterling version in classic sunburst. I just bought one based off of your review. Thanks Lobster.

Would like to see the sterling vs Sire short scale

Thank you! Been waiting for this review! Specifically the Sterling SS. Its seems like a great package. I am a Fender/Squier guy and not a huge fan of pre-amps. This little passive fellow is so neat, I would trade my Squier Jag in a second for the Sterling SS. Great review!

Got my sterling stingray yesterday, put flat wounds on it and it sounds absolutely killer.

Always thought of these as the quintessential punk, indie or gazey bass. Super cool

I’m watching this to hear what this sounds like in your room to try and appreciate the Sire shorty but I just fell in love with my Sterling shorty again

It's the Sterling by Music Man (SbMM) for me despite not having the ultra quality hardware of the US made Ernie Ball. I think SbMM is a bargain at this price ($550) - and for me the quality value of it's range of sound adds on at least another 250bucks especially if I was CEO ($800) - but who am I to be a bass marketeer? Haha. Great video LowEndLobster, always fun, entertaining, great analysis, and a beautiful cat too, thanks!

I can sleep well with your riffs but thats your style buddy .thanks god you slap from time to time both of them sounds real good

Everything here is wrong - they are passive, short scale but somehow they sound great and retain the vibe. Magic

Lobster, Thanks for doing this comparison review. I am anxious to see what modifications you have in store for the daphne blue Sterling short scale since I have the exact same bass. I didn't realize you could purchase those wonderful light weight aluminum tuners from Musicman. I hate the tuners on my short scale Sterling. On two of them the tops are loose and wiggle. That in itself would be a nice upgrade. Just as you, I also do not particularly like the boost knob. Someone told me the normal position is out and it is really a cut switch not a boost. To me it sounds a bit cleaner when pushed in. I hear a bit of a mild bass boost that can muddy up the sound some when in the out position. To me the MM short scale sounded better than the Sterling but not by an aweful lot, at least not on the tiny speakers of my tablet. I know, I should really be using headphones. With the upgrades you have in mind perhaps you can narrow the gap. But as you know it's not just all about the sound. For one thing, the knobs as you mentioned if they are like the ones on my Stingray Special have a quality feel to them, turn like velvet as opposed to the cheaper feeling ones on my Sterling shorty. The MM version feels much better in your hands I am certain. I can actually feel a difference between the two basses just the way my guitar cable fits into the jack when I plug it in. The one on the StingRay Special glides in like butter. I am looking forward to your 4H vs 4HH on your StingRay Specials in parallel position comparison to put an end to the debate on whether or not they sound exactly the same or if by the addition of another pickup in the 4HH version it gives the 4H an edge in focus, sustain or whatever in parallel mode. Hopefully this is something in your near future plans. Great job and thanks again for all of these wonderful videos that you do for all of us bass people.

Fine, I need one NOW. I've been delaying the purchase of a short scale for too long. If it wasn't for the cost, I'd go for the USA version... It sparkles!

The main difference I notice is that the Ernie Ball is tuned about a 1/4 step flat compared to the Sterling! :D But seriously, that Sterling sounds pretty nice. About 20 years ago I owned a Stingray 5 (back when the USA models were the only ones available). Ended up selling it when I decided to shift gears musically a bit. (Used the money to buy *both* a MIJ Fender Jaguar Bass and a MIM Strat… both of which I have also since sold!) I do kind of regret selling the Stingray because it was an amazing instrument, but it was SO DAMN HEAVY. I have to admit I am tempted by this short scale Sterling. Sounds great and I love the color!

Thank you, Mr. Lobster, for another great review. You said "short scale", but you never actually indicated what the scale length was. But I'll go find out. I too am fond of USA made guitars, though I now have a few that were made elsewhere. But I didn't quite hear the value of the price difference between these two! By the way, I ordered the Ibanez TMB605 and what arrived? A TMB505. Would have preferred the Ash body, but the Okoume feels and sounds pretty good.

I have the white Sterling SS and love the hell out of it!

Thank you for the reviews and comparison. All the best.

From this end, when you push that boost, there's a evident boost in volume and maybe a tad of clarity using my headphones. At least that's the way it recorded for this vid:) I'm waiting for this bass to come in about 2 wks. Olympic White with RW. Thanks for the review.

I just ordered the Sterling SS to see how much easier it will play than my standard StingRay. Loved this review!

The sterling series has grown on me lately. I think the one I’d go for would be the 34HH in that same sweet daphne blue

Very cool little basses!

i have no idea who this man is but i love him already

If I'm not mistaken the Sterling uses the exact same neodymium pickup as the EBMM which is very unusual and maybe even a first. It's probably the main reason it sounds nearly indistinguishable from its much more expensive cousin. The EMBB still would be my first choice because of better tuners, fretwork, neck feel, compensated nut, build quality, color options, a hard case included and lastly resale value. I do own the daphne blue Sterling though at least for now.

I hear bassists play Music Man basses and I think, "Hey, that sounds killer." Then I play a Music Man bass and I think, "That sounds AWEFUL." I cannot seem to get these to sound good in my hands.

I love short scale basses!!! I would love a stinger short scale!!. Thats rely cool they went with the neo PU on sterling

Absolutely Right on!!!! Great Job! I'm so excited I'm going to watch and listen again to the differences.. You are an excellent player. Your mastery of repetitive playing allows us to really hear the tonal differences. There is so much more tone. I am lucky to say I purchased an 2020 EBMM Short Scale Bass, Starry Night and I cannot wait for it to arrive So maybe I'll just keep playing your piece until it arrives in a couple days! I excited to see how many different places I will be able to play the short scale bass! I think the tones of the USA model has more warmth in general the Sterling is very punchy sounding to me in general in a totally good way. They are both great instruments. OK so Cancel the ham an ba humbucker to you too! Jake

Mmmmm dem shorties! Love that sparkle finish

I just bought the Sterling SS to learn on!

Dang it lobster! I'm already waiting on USA sting ray! Now I gotta get that sterling cause that color is amazing!

Great review! Sterling by Music Man put together an awesome short scale bass. The U.S. short scale is gorgeous though. My goodness.

The Sterling sounds better to me, looks like great value.

Has anyone located Drop-In Replacement Tuners for this Bass? That's the only true weakness of this bass. Keep up the amazing reviews lobster. Enjoying your channel. Liked the live-clip of you performing.

Please do an EBMM Stingray short scale vs an EBMM Stingray Special full scale comparison.

Holy crap!!!!!! I have never been so freakin confused. There are to many different stingray models!!!! I think I’m going to havre to take some sterling classes to keep up. I don’t yet know why, but I’m not a fan of short scale basses. Thank you for sharing , Cheers You are awesome

Thanks!

I bought the Sterling Short scale in Daphne Blue. Absolutely love it!! I would have maybe got the American but they were long gone.

Earlier last year, a friend of mine picked up one of the sparkle short-scales. While it was not a bad instrument, we both agreed that it didn't blow us away, especially considering the price and compared to the normal full-scale Stingrays. He had also picked up one of the new MIM Mustangs around the same time and it had way more mojo. He ended up returning the Stingray.

Sterling SS sound more close to standard Ray than EBSS. Meanwhile there are Notable hum on EBSS in both single coil and parallel mode. The volume push feature are great match with both single coil and parallel mode which match output volume to series mode (without volume push engage. ) The volume push also add some ball/meaty to parralle mode while slapping. The E string sound bit muffler on EBSS to my ear.

"Next to me is......Bebe". Great shorties indeed. I like the Sterling in blue. But it needs a tort guard.

To me the sterling was thinner. It sounded a little more like an active stingray because of it. The USA sounds more like you’d expect from a short scale passive stingray. A little more thump. Of course the feel and finish are great. As I have one I can say it’s really small compared to a full scale stingray. Especially so compared to the old smoothie. It’s a beautiful instrument. Now have you seen the ads? Ibanez released a short scale 1005 and 1005ms. Curious as to how those compare to the full scale. Perhaps that’s what was in the Christmas case? 🤔 Try to fake us out with the music man case, eh?

Really awesome bass, not that behind is big brother

I like my necks like I like my coffee. Dark and roasted.

Thanks for doing this review! Very thorough and great sound quality. My only criticism is that the American stingray is tuned lower and sounded “thuddier” to my ears , while the SBS tuned higher sounded brighter to me. I’m guessing the strings were the same? Overall well done and great energy!

The USA version definitely sounds better and has that Stingray growl and punch. The Sterling captures 95% of that sound but for under 1/4 of the price, which makes it exceptional value. Ideally I'd own both... I would tour with the Sterling since that 5% difference won't be noticeable at most gigs and it won't sting as much if stolen. The USA model I'd keep for recording as the it has the true Stingray tone...

Great review, many thanks! I really appreciate your methodical approach in your videos, of stepping through all of the settings. I've watched tons of reviews of these Stingray short scales and one common thread is I hear much less difference than expected in tone between 100%, 50%, and 0% when plucking with fingers, particularly on the Sterling. Also less than expected differences between parallel, single coil, and series in many vids, including this one. The differences stand out better when slapping, where more transients/harmonics are present. Does it sound that way to you there in your room? The tone control on my 78 Fender Musicmaster short scale (with added bridge J pup), played for going on 40 years, seemingly gives more variety across its range despite the limitations of its stock six pole covered Strat pickup. I also own a MM USA Stingray, but would consider a switch to a short scale Stingray if it would better approximate the wide range of tones. I want to be excited about these short scale Stingrays and will go try one soon to hear how they sound in person. The 5 screw neck attachment on the USA model looks just like my early/mid 90s MM USA Sterling model. Wonder if that short neck would fit on the USA Sterling body, hmmm... now that would be sweet indeed. Keep up the great work!

:::nerd time::: I have a 2019 EBMM short ray and opened the control plate not long after I got it to look at what was going on in there. This was back when the marketing materials were calling the push/push pot a "bass boost," and my local retailer got one in before they had finalized the marketing to "volume boost." With the admission that I have not tried to diagram the circuit... For the boost portion of the circuit, there's a 150k resistor (labeled RBST) that gets switched in by that pot, and a cap right next to it (labeled CBST). I assume the BST portion of the labeling just means boost, and the R and C are for resistor and capacitor respectively. It could be that the cap is there for controlling noise from the switch operating, or it could be wired in as a treble bleed across the resistor. Either way, the switch slams the 150k resistor inline, cutting volume by the same method that the volume knob itself does. If the cap is there as a treble bleed, they've already tried to address the change in tone from modifying the resistance value of the component network. For the tone and switching half of the board, there are three caps near the tone pot lead. One is actually labeled tone cap, and then there are two other caps right next to it that I would guess are there to suppress noise when using the coil select switch. This board is labeled REV: 1, so it is entirely possible they changed it for the 2020 short ray, and I have no idea if they would use the same board for the SBMM that they do for the EBMM, though I would expect the circuit design to be identical. I also assume a similar/the same board is in the current BFR passive StingRay Special, as they've said it's the same electronics as the short-scale instrument. moved down to help with info: Great comparison as always... I love the pale blue finishes on basses with maple necks. The first short scale bass I got was a Fender Offset Mustang PJ in the sonic blue finish. I have long wished that they sold them with maple boards, since Fender's sonic blue is considerably more pale than the SBMM daphne.

Great review,. I 'd buy the American, worth the extra bucks for all of the better quality materials. Would like to see you review Fender JMJ Mustang and American Performer Mustangs. I have both, like both, prefer the JMJ, it has a great vibe, mojo!

Also on a side note. When do we see the Christmas bass. Christmas has past lol lets go lol

I wish the SBMM had a reduced size chrome control plate. It appears they reused the full size plate. The EBMM has a plate scaled down that looks much more appropriate.

Hearing both of these basses back to back has further convinced me that the biggest difference between the Sterling and USA models is the preamps.

Other people are saying when the volume is pressed down it's a volume cut and when the knob is raised it's full

Subscribed! You have amazing videos keep the good work!

I gotta get a short sterling. That's for the review lobster!

Now THAT'S how you do a comparison! Too bad they were slightly tuned differently. As for the S by MM...all I can say is that it growls and sounds like a SR! Unless there's a huge diff in playability (straightness of neck for low action w/out buzz and nut width) or fit / finish, then who in their right mind would buy the MIA one?

Nice job! I’ve had several MMs and Sterlings. Recently bought a MM HH but I don’t like it as much as the single pickup models. I thought it would give me everything that the single pickup does plus more, but that’s not true. Anyway, I’ve been thinking about short scale now because of arthritis in my fingers. Might have to get me one of these.

well, if i could afford the USA one, I would go for that...beefier tone, however, I just ordered the Daphne Blue and am stoked. cant wait!

I was waiting and looking forward to this video. I loved, thank's Lobster, and the sterling for me have better sound and the price it´s very different ;)

Hmmm, I'm wondering if you can swap the short neck for a standard neck that's on a regular 34" sterling stingray? I know that it would defeat the purpose of a short scale but maybe it can work :)). Awesome review btw.

I love those Basses!

I like the Sterling sound better.

Hey Lobster great review. If I didn't hear the USA MM in comparison I would be happy with the Sterling, it sounded fine in all settings. But the USA MM was little more articulate overall. Also you seemed to enjoy playing it more. I don't recall any mention of the differences in the necks overall feel. Are they the same in regards to radius and width and profile? Like you said you get what you pay for. Thanks again.

parallel 7:44 single 8:54 series 9:49

Hey lobster man, I just got my sterling short scale delivered today and maaaan how nice are short scale bass’s to play?!, I was just wondering if you could enlighten me as to where series, parallel and single are on the controls switch? Sounds like middle position is single coil to me but I’m not sure about the other two 😂. Thanks brother

They both sounds great, but the USA model is a bit smoother to my ear, especially with the tone rolled off. I wonder if they use the same values in the caps?

Hi Lobster! As always, great content and your review covers all bas(s)es 😉 Similar to this one, your Ray34 review includes a comparison to USA Stingray - which helped me a ton in pulling the trigger on a Seafoam Green Sparkle (which I believe is one of your favorite colors as well ☺️). And I’m thinking of ordering a short scale Stingray and keeping the one a I like more. One question is, forgetting about the scale difference, if you were to choose between a Stingray SS (neodymium) and a Ray34 (alnico), which one would be your pick soundwise in terms of approximating the classic USA Stingray tone? Thank you very much!

And don't forget to hancel the cam! Fine pickin'.

To my ears, these are pretty damn close. Can’t beat the fit and finish on that USA though!

Hmmm, are my ears old or are these 2 basses sound realy the same? I can see quite plainly the differane in build quality. The sub is nice, while the USA one is very nice! I love the roasted neck and metal flake paint!

Hipshot UltraLite tuners should be standard on that bass. You have to compete in the business world.

I returned my Sterling because even though the price was nice, the quality, the fit and finish, etc. were very poor. From sharp edges on the frets to control knobs loose (one was completely missing!)-how does any retailer ship out an instrument with not only a knob loose in the box, but one completely missing?

What is it with short scale basses all of the sudden? I just bought the U5 from Sire, to see what is so appealing. I have small hands, so playing a regular bass has always been a bit challenging, have to use my pinkie a lot! Anyway, great review as always.Just started plunking around with the U5, and it's kind of fun. However, there is something about the way short scale basses look that is just strange to me. They don't look well proportioned somehow? Anyway, keep up the good work!

That volume switch is most likely series-parallel.

Can really hear the rosewood vs. maple fretboard. Think it's not lower tuning, but maybe so . . . .

Lobster I really like having a long scale bass as it is what I am used to and it makes more sense to me with string length. The Sire short scale "looks" the best to me for people who want short scale. Does the short scale bass feel odd to you?

My main question is not how it compares to the mustang but how it compares to the older Squier vintage modified jaguar short scale… Thoughts? Killer playing by the way!

Love the channel. I've got a bit of an odd question - out of this (sterling short scale) and the headless ibanez short scale, which is more comfortable (and which is lighter)? I unfortunately don't have the capacity to go out and try both basses.