“A sophisticated piece of hardware made for the working pro but priced for the serious amateur enthusiast”: Sterling By Music Man Ray34 (PSK) bass review

The Music Man people are at it again, offering a classic instrument that leans heavily on their tried-and-true heritage, but with a modern attitude. The Ray34 is based on the renowned Music Man StingRay. Well actually, it is a StingRay. Released in the mid ‘70s, the original StingRay Bass was an immediate hit because it had the low-end thump of Leo’s mighty P Bass, plus the upper-mid articulation that players and producers were after for the emerging funk and fusion styles. 

For rock, funk and fusion, the StingRay had a richer bass that the P Bass and rounder midrange and treble than either the J Bass or the Rickenbacker 4001. Just as the Fender’s P Bass was a game changer upon its release in 1951, and again in 1957 with its slit humbucker, the StingRay made the bass sound suddenly high fidelity, with its large humbucker and clever active EQ. 

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