Sterling SUB StingRay Ray5HH

About the Sterling SUB StingRay Ray5HH

Built on a 34-inch scale with a Jabon or basswood body (depending on run) and a hard maple neck bolted on with a 6-bolt joint, the Ray5HH pairs a 22-fret fingerboard (Jatoba or hard maple, 12-inch radius) with two ceramic Sterling by Music Man humbuckers in the bridge and middle positions. A 5-way selector switch feeds into a 9V active preamp with 2-band EQ, giving a wide spread of tonal combinations from a single pickup configuration. As the first dual-humbucker version in the Ray5 line, it's positioned as an accessible entry into StingRay HH tones for players who want that sound on a 5-string without the cost of the US-built original. It's offered in several finishes including Stealth Black, Cobra Blue, Ruby Red Burst Satin, Lake Blue Metallic and Olive.

Where to buy

• Reverb Sterling SUB Series StingRay 5-String HH Bass - Hard Maple - Cobra Blue 492 EUR Best price View details
• Reverb Sterling SUB Series StingRay 5-String HH Bass - Hard Maple - Cobra Blue 492 EUR View details
• Reverb Sterling SUB Series StingRay 5-String HH Bass - Hard Maple - Cobra Blue 492 EUR View details
• Reverb Sterling SUB Series StingRay 5-String HH Bass - Hard Maple - Cobra Blue 492 EUR View details
• Reverb Sterling SUB Series StingRay 5-String HH Bass - Jatoba - Stealth Black 499 EUR View details
• Reverb Sterling SUB Series StingRay 5-String HH Bass - Jatoba - Stealth Black 499 EUR View details
• Reverb Sterling SUB Series StingRay 5-String HH Bass - Jatoba - Stealth Black 499 EUR View details
• Reverb SUB Sterling by MusicMan Bass StingRay 5 HH, RAY5HH-RRB, Ruby Red Burst Satin, 5-string bass 500 EUR View details
• Reverb Sterling SUB Series StingRay 5-String HH Bass - Jatoba - Ruby Red Burst Satin 534 EUR View details
• Reverb Sterling SUB Series StingRay 5-String HH Bass - Jatoba - Ruby Red Burst Satin 534 EUR View details
• Reverb Sterling SUB Series StingRay 5-String HH Bass - Jatoba - Ruby Red Burst Satin 534 EUR View details
• Reverb Sterling SUB Series StingRay 5-String HH Bass - Jatoba - Ruby Red Burst Satin 534 EUR View details
• Reverb Sterling by Music Man SUB Bass StingRay RAY5HH Cobra Blue - 5-string bass 858 EUR View details

No platform selected – pick at least one above.

Some links below are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Source: https://reverb.com/item/90386178-sterling-ray5hh-sub-series-stingray-5-hh-bass-ruby-red-burst-satin

Sound character of the Sterling SUB StingRay Ray5HH

The dual ceramic humbuckers and 5-way switch deliver a wide spread of StingRay-flavored tones with clear, articulate highs and mids, though the low B and E strings read as comparatively dull next to the livelier upper register - a gap several owners close with a simple string upgrade.

What owners of the Sterling SUB StingRay Ray5HH say

Feedback is strongly positive overall, with customer ratings clustering at 5 out of 5 stars and reviewers specifically praising how well it reproduces the genuine Music Man tone at a fraction of the original's price. The one consistent gripe - a slightly dull low B and E compared to the livelier upper strings - gets acknowledged rather than glossed over, but it's treated as a minor, fixable issue rather than a reason to look elsewhere, with several owners reporting that a string upgrade alone closes most of the gap. The overall picture is of a bass that genuinely punches above its price bracket rather than one that merely looks the part.

Playability & handling of the Sterling SUB StingRay Ray5HH

A detailed review calls the neck "insanely comfortable" with excellent string spacing, and reports that the low B string carries solid tension without feeling floppy - a common weak point on budget 5-strings - while tuning stability holds up even under aggressive playing. The low end comes through clear rather than muddy, and the upper strings respond quickly, though the same reviewer flags the low B and E strings as sounding a touch dull next to the livelier upper register, missing some of the bite they wanted from the bottom end. That's framed as a pickup-level limitation rather than a dealbreaker - the reviewer specifically says they'd rather upgrade the pickup than give up on the bass. One other recurring owner note: the factory strings are frequently described as noisy, with a swap to a better set reported to transform the instrument's overall sound.

Recommended accessories & strings for the Sterling SUB StingRay Ray5HH

No case or gig bag is consistently mentioned as included across listings. The one upgrade worth planning for from day one is the strings - factory strings are a recurring complaint, and a quality replacement set is widely reported to noticeably improve the overall tone.

Technical data for the Sterling SUB StingRay Ray5HH

Price history for the Sterling SUB StingRay Ray5HH

Cheapest seen: 492 EUR  ·  Most expensive seen: 858 EUR

The history of the Sterling SUB StingRay Ray5HH

The Sterling SUB StingRay Ray5HH pairs five-string range with a dual-humbucker layout, part of the original SUB-branded Indonesian-made budget StingRay range.

About Sterling as a manufacturer

The original StingRay bass debuted in 1976, co-designed by Leo Fender together with Tom Walker and Forrest White, with beta testing input from Sterling Ball - it was the first mass-produced bass guitar with an onboard active EQ, paired with a distinctive 3+1 headstock and a single Music Man humbucker. Fender had left his namesake company in 1972 and co-founded what became Music Man, taking over as president in 1975 right as a 10-year non-compete clause from the Fender/CBS sale expired. The "Sterling" name itself goes back further than this budget line: it honored Sterling Ball, Ernie Ball's son and later head of Ernie Ball/Music Man, when a dedicated "Music Man Sterling" bass carried his name in 1993. The current Sterling by Music Man brand launched at the 2009 Winter NAMM Show as a mid-price alternative engineered alongside Ernie Ball Music Man's own team but built in Indonesia - the Ray5HH is a direct product of that strategy, bringing the StingRay's defining active-EQ formula to a fraction of the US-made price.