Music Man StingRay Basses

Music Man StingRay Basses are one of the most iconic bass guitars with an instantly recognisable design and sit among the most iconic bass guitars. The StingRay was an instant hit from its launch when it first released in 1976 and developed by Sterling Ball (son of Ernie Ball), Tom Walker (former Fender employee) and Leo Fender (pretty sure you've heard of this guy), the Music Man StingRay represents something a bit different from the other iconic electric basses of its day.

While ostensibly similar in appearance to certain other basses coming out of California, the Music Man StingRay bass guitars introduced an alternative look and feel from its contemporaries, such as the oval scratchplate, wider neck, and 3+1 tuner placement on the smaller headstock. Boasting a natural feel and an incredible tone thanks to its maple neck, impressive alnico magnet bass pickups with an active preamp with a multi band EQ and hardened steel bridge plate with adjustable mute pads.

Where the StingRay bass really stands apart though is the pickup and preamp. The StingRay's humbucker pickup gives a distinctly different starting tone from the classic paired single coils or individual split single coil seen in other basses. This was paired with a standard master volume control, and an innovative 2 band EQ in place of a master tone, powered with a 9v battery. This is what truly sets the StingRay apart, giving it a fantastic punchy, present tone with tons of low end and a crisp treble that helps cut through any mix.

The StingRay basses quickly found a home with a range of players, but particularly Rock, where that powerful, often aggressive tone drives the groove forward, and Funk players who found the big bottom and zingy top end lend themselves perfectly to slap style playing.

The StingRay has gone on to find a range of modern developments over the years including its equally famous 5 string version, paired humbuckers and a 3-band EQ, the newer StingRay Special with its 18v 3-Band EQ for even more headroom and tone shaping, and the fretless StingRay made famous by Pino Palladino on his tracks with artists like Paul Young and Gary Numan.

Other stand out StingRay players include Prog and session legend Tony Levin, Tim Commerford of Rage Against The Machine, Rory MacDonald of Runrig, Flea, Bernard Edwards of Chic and session, funk icon (and accidental hip hop bass icon) Louis Johnson and Bernard Edwards.

Why Should I Choose a Music Man StingRay Bass?

• Dependable build quality with solid roadworthy construction
• Timeless looks
• Active electronics for peak tweakability
• StingRay guitars are remarkably unmistakable
• Superbly comfortable playability
• Great for most styles of music
• Has that iconic humbucker/active eq tone that's completely unlike other electric bass sounds
• Available in a range of build levels, price ranges, with features like fretless fingerboards or the 5 string models