Sterling by Music Man Ray35 Blue Sparkle

The models produced under the Sterling by Music Man brand are faithful copies of the "adult" instruments that Music Man produces in the USA, but are available at a significantly more affordable price. Their components are precision-manufactured in Korea, carefully assembled in Indonesia, but final set-up and final inspection is done at Music Man's headquarters in California, USA. As a result, these instruments offer incredibly high quality for their price, surpassing much of their competition. If you like Music Man guitars or basses, but don't want to invest huge sums of money, or if you are simply looking for a quality instrument, this is certainly an interesting route to take.

The Ray35 is a model that is a copy of the legendary Music Man StingRay Bass. The StingRay was the first instrument to be created in the company's workshops, back in 1975, and it was officially introduced a year later. Design-wise, the instrument is reminiscent of Fender's Precision Bass, but it is a very innovative instrument that offers completely different possibilities. Currently, the StingRay is offered in 4- and 5-string versions. Like all Sterlings, it features high playing comfort, superior quality and great sound.

The body of this bass is made of solid swamp ash. The neck, which is bolted to the body with six screws, is made of maple wood. Its gauge is measured at the classic 864 mm, the width of the zero fret is 45 mm. The instrument is fitted with 21 frets.

On the instrument you will find one humbucker type pickup, namely Music Man Designed. The instrument has a three-band active preamp, where you can of course adjust the overall volume in addition to the bass, mids and treble.

The tuning machines on the headstock are placed in the traditional "Music Man way", i.e. 4 + 1. On the other side, the strings are anchored in a chrome-plated vintage Music Man Designed hardened steel headstock. Of course, the guitar has an adjustable neck brace that can be worked with without removing the strings or other hardware. Along with the instrument, you get a quality gig bag.

The Sterling by Music Man Ray35 is undoubtedly a quality instrument that combines the strengths of the Music Man models with a price that is affordable for the "common mortal". Whoever gets his hands on it will surely understand.