Watch It First
The SUB series is Sterling’s entry point into StingRay territory, and the Ray4 HH is the humbucker version — two pickups instead of the classic single H-1 you’d get on the standard Ray4.
That alone changes the whole personality of the bass. More output, more tonal range, a five-way switch instead of a simple on/off. It’s aimed squarely at players who want StingRay attitude but need more versatility than the classic one-pickup formula gives you.
Does adding a second humbucker actually make this a better bass, or just a different one? Let’s find out.
Build and Materials
Jabon body — a lightweight tonewood that’s become Sterling’s go-to on the SUB line, similar in feel to swamp ash but a bit more affordable to source. Maple bolt-on neck, jatoba fretboard.
Jatoba is worth a quick mention: it’s a dense hardwood, visually close to rosewood but harder and slightly brighter-sounding. You’ll see it a lot on budget basses these days as rosewood alternatives became necessary, and honestly most players can’t tell the difference blind.
Hardware
21 medium frets, 34″ scale, black hardware throughout, open-gear tuners, and Sterling’s own fixed bridge. Nothing fancy, nothing missing — it’s a sensible, well-executed parts spec for the price bracket.
Setup out of the box was decent but not perfect on the review unit — action was a touch higher than I’d want, a five-minute truss rod and saddle adjustment sorted it completely. Budget for that when it arrives; don’t assume factory setup is your final setup.
Playability and Feel
This is a genuinely comfortable neck. Medium C profile, 240mm fretboard radius (flatter than a lot of budget basses), and Sterling’s fret work is properly good here — no sharp edges, consistent height across the board.
Body is contoured StingRay-style, so it sits well against the body whether you’re standing or sitting. Compared to something like the Epiphone EB-3’s SG-style body, which some players find awkward while seated, this is a much easier bass to just pick up and play anywhere.
Weight and Balance
Jabon keeps this reasonably light for a full-size 34″ scale bass. No neck-dive issues, balances naturally on a strap. If you’ve struggled with heavier basses before — mahogany-bodied instruments in particular — this is a relief.
Tone and Sound
Two ceramic H-1 humbuckers and a 5-way selector switch: neck solo, neck+bridge series, both parallel, both single-coil-ish tapped mode, bridge solo. That’s a genuinely wide net of tones for one bass.
Neck pickup alone gives you that classic StingRay-adjacent thump, rounder and warmer than the standard single-pickup Ray4. Bridge alone is sharper, more aggressive — good for cutting through a busy mix or slapping. The middle positions are where this bass earns its keep, honestly; they give you tonal options a single-pickup StingRay just can’t match.
Active 2-band EQ (bass/treble, no mid control) gives you enough shaping without overcomplicating things. It’s not going to compete with something like a proper Warwick RockBass Streamer’s more aggressive voicing, but it covers a lot of ground for players who want one bass that does several jobs.
Who It’s For
Gigging bassists on a budget who need versatility more than a single signature tone. If your setlist jumps between genres — some funk, some rock, maybe a ballad — the 5-way switch actually earns its place rather than being a gimmick.
Also a solid pick if you’re coming from a passive bass and want to try active electronics without committing to a premium price tag. It’s a gentle, affordable introduction to onboard EQ.
Less ideal if you specifically want the classic single-H StingRay honk — the standard Ray4 (single pickup) actually nails that specific tone more purely. The HH version is deliberately more of a generalist.
Honest Niggles
The 5-way switch positions aren’t always intuitive at first — you’ll want the manual or a quick YouTube reference until you’ve memorized which click gives you which tone.
Stock setup needed adjustment on our unit, as mentioned. Not a dealbreaker but worth knowing going in, especially if you’re not comfortable doing basic setup work yourself and will need a tech visit.
And the jatoba board, while perfectly good, doesn’t have quite the same visual warmth as rosewood — a cosmetic nitpick more than a functional one, but some players do care.
Left-Field Comparison
Worth noting the SUB line also offers this same body in a left-handed configuration, and in a 5-string version if you need extended range — something a lot of budget bass lines skip entirely. Sterling clearly put real thought into covering different players’ needs across this range, not just churning out one spec in five colors.
If you’re deciding between the 4-string HH here and the 5-string SUB Ray5, the extra low B string is worth it only if you actually need it for your material — modern metal, some gospel and worship styles, certain jazz-fusion contexts. Otherwise the 4-string keeps things simpler and, frankly, easier to play fast.
Specs at a Glance
- Body: Jabon
- Neck: Bolt-on maple, 34″ scale
- Fretboard: Jatoba, 21 medium frets
- Pickups: 2x ceramic H-1 humbuckers
- Switching: 5-way selector
- Electronics: Active 2-band EQ, volume, treble, bass
- Hardware: Black, open-gear tuners, fixed bridge
How It Stacks Up
Against Sterling’s own single-pickup Ray4, this is the more versatile but less „purist” option. If you already know you want that one classic StingRay honk and nothing else, save some cash and get the cheaper single-H version instead.
Against the Schecter Stiletto Stealth-4, another do-it-all budget HH bass, the Sterling wins on brand pedigree and that StingRay body shape, while the Schecter leans more metal/modern in its default voicing. Both are strong picks depending on your genre lean.
And if you’re shopping short-scale instead for smaller hands or easier travel, this isn’t your bass at all — look at something like the Ibanez Mikro GSRM20 or a proper short-scale StingRay variant instead.
Amp Pairing
Because the electronics are active with real headroom, this bass plays nicely with pretty much any bass amp or interface — no complaints about weak output here, unlike some passive budget basses that need a hot preamp pedal to really come alive.
Final Verdict
The SUB Ray4 HH takes the accessible SUB-series formula and adds real tonal range on top. For gigging players who need one bass to cover multiple sounds, that’s a genuinely useful upgrade over the single-pickup version, not just a marketing tweak.
Is it perfect? No — the switch takes learning, the stock setup needed tweaking on our unit, and purists chasing one specific StingRay tone might prefer the simpler single-H model. But as an all-rounder at this price, it’s hard to beat.
If you play in more than one style, or you’re just not sure yet what your „sound” is going to be, this is the smarter buy of the two SUB Ray4 options. FYI, factor in a proper setup cost if you’re not doing it yourself — it’s worth the extra effort here.
