Sterling by Music Man STERLING RAY34NT W/BAG 4STR BASS NAT  

I purchased this product a couple of weekends ago from a local guitar store and I am extremely (and I mean EXTREMELY..) satisfied.  The value for the money is excellent. First, the heavily-padded gig bag is very nice.  Good quality considering it is only a gig bag. The bass sounds excellent - and, like another reviewer - I believe it sounds better than the 'authentic' (MIA) MusicMan.  The finish (honey burst) is absolutely stunning.  The bass is built like a tank and plays very nice.  It has a lot of 'snap' and 'zing' to the sound and also has a good bottom end. It goes to show you that you do not need to spend a small fortune to buy a quality instrument these days.  Very (very...) happy.

I've been playing guitar for over 15 years.  I've been a semi-professional musician for 8 of those.  Last year I started playing in a power trio and needed a bass.  I had played bass sparsely through the years but this was the first time I'd be playing it as my main instrument. I set about buying a bass that I liked and felt right in my hands.  I set a budget of about $1500 and went into the city to fact find.  From about 11am to about 7pm I played basses at various music stores.  I played every Fender, Warwick, Yamaha, everything I could that wasn't obviously a metal bass.  At the end of the day it was between this one and the Music Man version the Stingray.  The difference in price was a grand.  In all honesty there were some benefits to the Stingray over this model, the neck felt a little faster, and as the guy below said it was lighter.  But the differences really didn't add up to $1000.  In fact if the difference had been $300 I probably still would have went with this Sterling. There is attention to detail on this bass that one just doesn't expect in the under $1000 range of instruments.  The setup is flawless, the fret work is solid, clean, and smooth as can be.  The finish looks great and after gigging heavy with it for almost a year it holds up amazingly well without losing any of it luster.  The amount of sound combinations you can get out of the single hum-bucker and three knob EQ is amazing.  The tone is right on par with the more expensive musicman.  I play a very wide variety of music and there is not one that I've felt this bass lack flavor in.  From R&B, Jazz, Pop, Funk, Hip-hop, Blues, Rock, Grunge, and New Wave it has consistently outperformed any other bass I've played. If I needed a second bass or a backup for this bass I would simply buy the same bass in a different color.

I bought this bass to compliment my vintage Music Man Stingray for live performances.  I didn't realize how great it was going to be.  I plays and sounds just as good as the vintage Stingray at a fraction of the cost.  It's also extremely easy to intonate and set-up with adjustments located at the bottom of the neck. Pros:  Sounds amazing, looks amazing, and it's just a great bass for the cost. Cons:  Quite a bit heavier than a Stingray and the neck isn't as smooth. Overall: For the price, you won't find a better bass that sounds and looks this good.  It's not a perfect replacement for a true Stingray, but it's damn close!