At $399, it’s pretty hard to beat the 5-string SUB StingRay RAY5 bass. I got mine about a month ago and it’s been my go-to bass for home recording, and just messing around with new riff ideas in general.
The Specs
The SUB StingRay RAY5 comes in your choice of Chopper Blue, Black, and Walnut Satin finishes. The Chopper Blue version (the one I’m reviewing today) has a Jabon wood body, while the Black and Walnut Satin finishes have a Basswood body. The only other color-related difference is the fretboard – the Chopper Blue and Black basses have a Hard Maple fretboard, while the Walnut Satin version has a Jatoba fretboard.
Other than that, the SUB StingRay RAY5 offers a 34″ scale, 12″ radius Hard Maple neck, 22 frets, and a an active Ceramic Humbucker controlled by an on-board 2-band preamp. The SUB StingRay RAY5 is available here.
My Experience
Right out of the box, three things jumped out at me about the SUB StingRay RAY5. First – the low B string had a usable tension to it. You could pluck that low B with some pretty serious force and it didn’t feel floppy or like you had to rein it in – it was solid.
Even better, you could really make out the low B and all the lower-than-E notes. A quick little bit of riffing plugged into a Positive Grid practice amp revealed that even through a smaller speaker, those low notes were notes – not mud. It’s probably worth mentioning as well that the tuners hold the tuning, no problem (this is important because I pick pretty hard).
Second – the string spacing. The SUB StingRay RAY5‘s strings are close enough together that you can mute all five with your left hand no problem, but spacious enough that it doesn’t feel like you’re playing a giant guitar.
And third – the neck was insanely comfortable. Again, for $399 I’m really not sure you can beat this. It’s got heft, but it doesn’t feel like you’re trying to fret a plank of wood either.
Alright, so the SUB StingRay RAY5 is comfortable. The body contour feels great, the neck is smooth, the string spacing is nice… but how does it sound? The SUB comes loaded with a single (classic) active H–1 Ceramic Humbucker in the bridge and it’s… not bad?
My only real complaint about the SUB StingRay RAY5‘s tone is that it does feel a little uneven. While the higher register strings have a nice bite to them, the low B and E strings felt a little dull in comparison. Not enough that someone listening would point it out, but I did find it a little difficult to get a nasty bite out of the low strings. Still, this hasn’t stopped me from playing it quite a bit.
So WHO Is This Bass For?
A few people, really. The SUB StingRay RAY5 isn’t just a great beginner bass (it really is though) – it’s also the perfect backup or second whip for the gigging bassist with a “thoroughbred” EBMM Stingray or anything else. Because if you break a string onstage, the last thing you want is to have to play something that’s a totally different universe from your main.
It’s also a great choice for anyone who wants to get out there and gig, but doesn’t really wanna bring out the big guns to the local dive. As in, if this thing gets some beer on it by some drunk dumbass, you’re not gonna contemplate jumping off the roof of the bar later.
The SUB StingRay RAY5 is also a pretty solid workhorse for recording. Personally, I’ve been putting it through the paces for some punk material and it’s been giving me all the sounds I want with minimal fuss.
Conclusions
If you’re looking for a really solid budget-friendly 5-string, I’d say put the SUB StingRay RAY5 at the top of your list to check out. Even with my thoughts on the tone, it’s just a pickup – I’ll probably switch it out sometime in the future and keep going with this bass, because it’s incredibly comfortable and I’m not about to give it up over something silly like the stock pickup being just alright.
