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Sterling By Music Man StingRay RAYSS4 Electric Bass Guitar - Toluca Lake Blue

Short-scale Electric Bass with Nyatoh Body, Maple Neck, Maple Fingerboard, and 1 Humbucking Pickup - Toluca Lake Blue
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Item ID: RaySS4TLB
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Sterling By Music Man StingRay RAYSS4 Electric Bass Guitar - Toluca Lake Blue
Price:$749 and 99 cents
Special Financing - Ends Aug 2, 2026. $21/month with 36 month financing*

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Sterling By Music Man StingRay RAYSS4 Electric Bass Guitar - Toluca Lake Blue
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Price:$749 and 99 cents
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The StingRay’s Short-scale Cousin

The StingRay RAYSS4 offers colossal tone and a slinky playing feel — all at a great price point. This short-scale bass has a 30-inch scale length for a more accessible feel. A first for the StingRay, the shorter scale length shrinks the distance between the frets while simultaneously lessening string tension. The StingRay RAYSS4 has a nyatoh body loaded with a neodymium humbucker for thunderous, powerful lows. Meanwhile, a 3-way rotary switch offers you an all-you-can-eat buffet of tonal options. With its comfortable playing feel and unmistakable tone, the StingRay RAYSS4 short-scale bass is a worthy addition to any bass player’s collection.

Why should I get a short-scale bass?

Whether you’re a guitar player looking for a first bass or an experienced player looking for a new bass to add to the collection, a short-scale bass, like the StingRay RAYSS4, may just fit the bill. Short-scale basses are smaller than their long-scale brethren, leading to greater comfort. Plus, since the scale length is shorter (30 inches in this case), there’s less distance between frets — a great option for players with small hands. A shorter scale length also means there’s less tension on the strings, making the strings much easier to fret. Of course, since the StingRay RAYSS4 is a short-scale bass, you’ll be treated to a slightly darker tone with a focused low-end thump every time you plug in.

A wealth of tonal options

The StingRay RAYSS4 comes equipped with an ultra-versatile electronics package that offers tons of tones to explore. This bass is loaded with a single neodymium humbucker in the bridge. Its neodymium magnet provides huge tones with enough output to punch through any mix. Pair the pickup’s power with a 3-way rotary switch, and you’ll unlock both coils in parallel, true single, and series modes. And with its push-push volume boost, the StingRay RAYSS4 delivers the right tone for any situation.

Sterling by Music Man: accessible, affordable, classic-inspired instruments

Sterling by Music Man strives to bring player-favorite Ernie Ball Music Man instruments to the table at a convenient price point. To add to the pot, Sterling also mixes in a collection of different colors, tones, and controls, allowing you to find your own unique voice. With careful consideration and using strict specifications, each Sterling instrument is designed by state-of-the-art engineers and constructed to guarantee Music Man quality. Sweetwater musicians undoubtedly love the classics, and thanks to Sterling by Music Man, a collection of renowned Ernie Ball models is available to a wider range of hands.

Sterling by Music Man StingRay RAYSS4 Features:

  • Compact body size provides a comfortable playing feel
  • Nyatoh body contributes a balanced tone
  • Short-scale hard maple neck provides a softened string feel
  • Neodymium humbucking pickup delivers powerful, punchy tones
  • 3-way rotary switch provides parallel, true single, and series operation
  • Push-push volume boost for extra tonal tenacity

Why Buy Your Guitar from Sweetwater?

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Tech Specs

  • Number of Strings: 4
  • Body Shape: StingRay RaySS4
  • Body Material: Nyatoh
  • Color: Toluca Lake Blue
  • Body Finish: Gloss
  • Neck Material: Roasted Maple
  • Neck Joint: 6-way Bolt-on
  • Radius: 9.5"
  • Fingerboard Material: Rosewood
  • Fingerboard Inlay: White Dots
  • Number of Frets: 22, Medium
  • Scale Length: 30"
  • Nut Width: 1.5"
  • Nut Material: Polyphenylene Sulfide
  • Bridge/Tailpiece: Sterling by Music Man-Designed Bridge
  • Tuners: Open Gear
  • Bridge Pickup: Sterling by Music Man-Designed Neodymium Humbucker
  • Controls: 1 x volume, 1 x tone
  • Switching: 3-way rotary switch (series/parallel/coil-split)
  • Strings: Ernie Ball 2852 Regular Slinky Short Scale, .045-.105
  • Case/Gig Bag: Sold Separately
  • Manufacturer Part Number: ST-RAYSS4-TLB-R2

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Reviews

So many features!
Parallel/single/humbucking switch for the pickup gives three distinct sounds
Very responsive/lotsa kick
Sound cuts right thru the mix. Really does.
Roasted maple neck
Rosewood fingerboard!
Not neck heavy (at least mine isn't)
Extremely bright bass gives you full spectrum sound with tone knob.
Satin poly neck
Gloss poly body
Such a nice bass.
Ernie Ball cobalt short scale flats sound tremendous on it.
Amazing Short Scale Bass
The moment I plugged it in and started playing it felt like an old friend. Smooth, fast neck. The pickups are really good. Instantly one of the best guitar buys I've ever made.

I'm a novice and by no stretch a great player. I bought this bass as a growing tool. Jumping ahead of myself I ordered a Fender Jazz Bass to learn on. That's a great bass but finger gymnastics of the big frets on the longer neck were a bit much for me.

This sterling by Musicman short scale is an excellent bass at the price point it's at. I highly recommend it.
Music background: Novice
Solid Bass and superb quality control.
Plays great, looks great, is great.
Great Bass!

I've been playing the RAYSS for 9 months, and it is my favorite bass ever. It arrived from Sweetwater set up perfectly, and I added flat round strings ($) that give it the best tone (IMO). The neck feel and balance are great, and the rotary switch gives a wide range of tones. The only thing I would suggest is that they include a card showing which positions on the rotary switch are series and parallel. Highly recommended!

Outstanding Short Scale
I have been a Sterling By Musicman fan for years now. I have owned several basses and all of them felt premium and sounded fantastic. I've been looking for a short scale so it was natural to give this bass a try.
Points are out of 5
1. Fit and Finish: 4.8 Slight deduction for sticky push volume knob, but it's fine now. Tuners are good. Bridge excellent. Neck is outstanding. Fret board smooth and even. Frets are smooth, level, no buzz. Paint is incredible. Pearloid pick guard is really nice looking.
2. Electronics: 5. Passive Neodymium pickup has clarity and punch. Sounds like a Stingray. Single coil option doesn't hum much at all. Way better than a jazz bass and almost unnoticeable on this bass.
3. Balance and feel: 5. It's smaller all around from the bass body to the neck to the headstock. But it feels really solid and is well balanced. Not uncomfortable to play and my fingers adapted to it quickly.
All in all, a really well built bass with a pro feel. It's no musicman, but it's all the bass a semi pro/ weekend warrior would ever want. I recommend this highly. The sound is every bit as good as a Ray 34 and the ability to switch from Series to Parallel or Single coil is really a beautiful thing. Well Done Sterling!!! Another home run for me.
Music background: Worship Keyboard and Bass