Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay Bass

2005 4 string fretted stingray. Ash body, maple neck, rosewood fretboard. Active 3band eq and humbucking pickup. Excellent, tight music man tuners. made in usa

The Stingray is the Les Paul of electric basses. Big fat gnarly sounds that can also be tight and amazingly detailed depending upon your set up and eq settings.I play hard rock, blues, funky jazz, this bass sounds excellent for all of it. The eq really allows you to dial in any particular sound. There is nothing that I dislike about the sound of this bass.

Factory set up was really ****** and the strings were bad(replaced them with ghs boomers which i really like). Other than spending some time re setting it up this is really a quality instrument. The Stingray in comparison makes the fender basses(even the american ones) feel chinze and lifeless.

The bass overall feels really solid. I had one problem with a seized up saddle when redoing the intonation which turned into a big pain in the *** but other than that I feel like this bass is as solid and dependable as a stringed instrument can get. Great easy access truss rod adjustment.

Contacted Ernie Ball when I had the saddle problem and they were very helpful and easy to deal with. They sent out the part the same day and it showed up within a couple of day. I think the warranty is just one year.

I'd been playing guitar for 10+ years and bought this bass a couple of years ago on a whim because it was on sale. When I bought it I A/B'd it with an American Deluxe p bass which also had an active eq set up and the stingray was heavier, darker, more aggressive but with as much subtlety as the p bass. I've gotten now to where this is the one instrument that I want to play all the time. It seems like it always sounds good no matter what kind of mood i'm in. I recently decided i needed a second bass and went out and played all the fender stuff and then realized I have the one and only bass I need.

2007 Stingray 4-string fretted bass. Natural finish ash body and maple fingerboard. The body is a one-piece body, which is very rare. 3-band-eq. Looks great and balances very well.

One piece of advice: the Guitar Center $1399 price includes a case. I didn't want the case, so I got it for $1299.

I think this bass is definitely made better than earlier models, and here's why:

-Amazing finish - I have bumped this bass really hard and not yet even made the smallest dent in the finish. It is beautiful, shiny and tough. I had owned two Stingrays from the 80's. One had a horrid finish that was gummy, and the other was flaking off little by little.

-3-band eq - I have read (and used to believe) that the 2-band eq had more punch. Judging from the sound of this bass, the 3-band eq is at least as punchy, if not more so. I love the sound.

-Oil-finished neck - didnt' think that I would like this feature, but now I love it! Now it's a pain in the rear to play my other basses with their neck finish.

-Neck truss rod is very easily adjustable. The bass is user-friendly for setups

-Special nut with micro-adjusted tunings so the strings sound super-in-tune. Don't know the theory behind it, but it seems to help.

The overall feel is more solid and high-end than any vintage Stingray I have encountered. Compared to an American Fender, the extra 200 you would spend on this bass is worth it.

Didn't like the Ernie Ball Slinky strings that came with it. I liked the bass even more when I installed GHS bass boomers.

Bass setup at the factory was low, no relief to the neck at all. Thankfully, all that was needed was a tiny twist to the truss rod. The pickup was adjusted great. One small request would be that they could round the edges of the fingerboard a little more. No big deal though.

This bass sounds great on gigs. As the weather changed from summer to winter, I made an adjustment to the truss rod, and everything was fine. The instrument seems totally dependable. Rock solid axe.

Never dealt with Ernie Ball company.

I was really thrilled when I played this bass at a store, and realized how great the new Stingrays are. I was planning on buying a '70's stingray that are so in demand, but they are so expensive. Besides, I really think this bass is better. I can't find any faults with it. I chose this one because of the bright maple fretboard, which sounds great for slapping. Also, it looks just like Louis Johnson's bass, except for a few moderf features. i've been playing 18 years, and I have a Fender Jazz, Fender Precision, and Sadowsky Metro 5-string. Right now, I feel like I'll be using this Stingray a lot more than the others.

2004 Black with black shell pickgaurd, rosewood board fretted, matching headstock. SWEET!!! This is the third one I've owned, and I must say this one has all the mojo! Mojo for me is when you hear those sparklin', sizzlin' highs. Before I even try a bass (any bass), I like to give it a quick slap on the fret board to see if it has any sizzle. I like to hear this unamplified, then I'll plug it in, if those highs ain't there, you can't add them, but if they is there, you can always take em' out with EQ.

The first one I had was a little dead, 2001 Black Sparkle, maple with matching headstock. The second one had about the same mojo as this one, 1993 Vintage Sunburst, rosewood, beautiful birdseye neck, but a little boring on the body, must have been alder, not much grain.

I seriously considered a Sterling but I love the classic looks and durable feel of the Stingray, but I gotta say the strings feel really far apart and I appreciate the smooth feel of the Sterling. This bass is made to be played hard and I'm a little bit of a soft player, so there is a little bit of a mis-match here.

I also own two Warwicks, a Streamer LX5 and a Thumb 4 Neck-Thru. This bass is pretty basic in comparison, but I like that. I wanted a bass that could be my main workhorse bass......for my 6 gigs a year, OK OK, I'm a gear freak!!!!

I'm in two bands. Both are fairly loud, one is a RnB, soul band. We play older Mowtown stuff, with a mix of some current and older rock. The other band is current heavy pop rock with a sprinkle of classic rock, I'm also the lead singer in this band.

I don't know if I can describe how it suits the music. I think if you give something enough time, you just get used to it. Overall I don't have to tweak the sound much. Occasionlly if I want a little more balls, I'll adjust the bass just a smidge. Otherwise, I pretty much leave the EQ flat and rely on the basic sound. Because I'm singing leads and running the sound system, I don't have a lot of time to fiddle with it.

Due to some problems with PA set up and the demands of the band and issues with being the lead singer, I have completely ditched my Amp and dedicated bass speakers. I now run entirely through the PA and I gotta tell you I've never been able to hear myself so clearly. I highly recomend this set up. Instead of spending a bunch of cash on bass amps etc, spend it on PA gear.

Of coarse this means you may need more foot pedals. Here is my set up:
Bass(es) > A/B switcher > Boss Pedal Tuner > Boss Limiter > Boss GEB7 EQ > MXR EQ > SansAmp Bass Driver > Mixer XLR in.

I use the Warwick 5 string for drop tuned songs so I have the Boss EQ set up for the Warwick and I use the MXR for the Stingray. I use the SansAmp for a DI and very rarely have it on. I think these things suck the life out of your bass and make everything sound like a Pbass through and Ampeg.

Simply Beautiful. Nothing to fault on this. The neck woods are pretty plain, but the glossy black finish on the headstock and body, and the smooth neck make this unit a pleasure to play.

I always try to be really careful with my stuff, but I'm letting go of this and frankly I don't care much if I scratch it. I payed good money for this and I just wanna play it and not get all freaky worried about it. I've smacked this bass a few times, but there is hardly a mark on it.

It is a musical instrument and could be damaged any time, but there is nothing about it that feels delicate.

Never dealt with them. Registered on-line and didn't get the strings, oh-well I got some with the last one I had. Everything I have heard about them has been great. I'm not worried.

I've been playing Bass for about 4 years. I grew up playing drums and played guitar for about 20 years before bass but I love playing bass, I feel totally at home.

If this bass were lost or stolen I would definately replace it, but I might consider the Sterling again.

I've had the privelage of owning and playing some really good basses. I like this one mostley for it's utility. It just does what you need.

I traded a USA Precision Bass and a speaker cabinet plus $100 for this bass. It's black with a white pickguard - simple yet classy. It has a 21 fret bolt-on maple neck and a 3 band active EQ. I also got a hardshell case with it, very nice. That's about it and that's all you need. Oh ya, I forgot about the pop-up battery compartment. I love this feature!

BEEFY! The sound is what it is. "The Music Man Sound" is unique only to this bass and no other company has copied it quite right. "Punchy" is probably the best adjective to use, though "tight" and "focused" would also work. I play a bunch of different styles from jazz to rock to latin. This bass can fit into all situations with a minor tweak of the EQ and change of right hand position. I'm using an SWR SM-500 head and two Acme Low B1 cabinets. I'm getting a smoking audiophile clarity that cuts through really well. I play with fingers only, but know you can get a very sharp attack with a pick for punk and other fast stuff.

The finnish is perfect with no ripples or "orange skin" bubbles that you see on lesser basses. I love the natural feel to the neck, it really lets your thumb glide around. The neck was a little dirty due to people playing it, but a little wood cleaner did the trick. The action was a bit high for me, but every bass I've ever played in a store was too high. I just adjusted a few things and it was perfect.

I've known many people who swear by these. Some people like Tony Levin have had them for 30 years without any problems. If I can guage by that I'd say they are very tough. The bridge and tuners are top notch and the 6 bolt neck joint has no movement. I installed Dunlop Straplocks to keep it from falling off during a show.

I've been playing for 15 years and it's been a dream of mine to have one of these. That dream has come true and I can now die in peace. I have four basses in total and this is my only fretted bass, so it's kind of my "I wanna be a slacker tonight" bass and will get quite a bit of play time. My main bass will always be my Warrior Studio 6 string fretless (absolutely sweet bass), but I think I will enjoy this as a sonic deviation of the MM from time to time. Music Man is a great US made bass and will always be a common fixture on the band stand, MTV, in the studio and in our hearts. Solid bass, solid value, 10 out of 10 here.

I bought my Music-Man StingRay Bass in 1979. According to the factory, it was made in 1977. It has active electronics, with the original 2-eq tone controls, maple neck and solid ash body. The neck reminds of the older fender Telecaster bass. It has three- bolt neck, with the original Music Man huge alnico pick-up. It has 'string-through' body, and there is a brass plate under the bridge, and a brass nut (weird, but cool).
You have to 'string' from the back of the bass. (great for tone and sustain)
It came with a hardshell Music Man bass case.

This bass has a monstrous tone. I run a recording studio, and it is the main studio bass. It is perfect for 'slapping', has the 'growl and grind' through an old Metaltronics (Lee Jackson tube bass pre-amp). The two-band eq. is more than versatile for a variety of sounds...Fender, Ricky, Gibson,,et.
Live, I play it in a funky blues r&b band, and I some jam with some 'metal' dudes. This baby delivers all the time.

Great right out of the factory. I use GHS Super Steels, light gauge, low action...(good for Chapman stick simulation)..

This bass has played rock/funk sessions in the UK, has played 'roots reggae' in Jamaica, and countless live rock shows in Canada. No worries here, mate.

I once wrote to Music Man (Leo Fender) to get info on all my Music-Man collections, (I also own Music Man guitars and amps). They were prompt, courteous, and gave detailed information, and schematics that I requested and at no charge at all. With the technical information, I was able to 'customise' the Sting Ray, by replacing the original pick-up with a Bartolini (4 extra sounds) at the bridge position, and Bartolini (Precision split pick-up near the neck) for a two-output monster bass.
This bass is a hybrid monster. This bass ALWAYS WORKS. No repairs needed, ever.

Been playing for over 30 years.
This bass has everything I ever wanted in a bass.
If lost or stolen, I would find another (Leo Fender) Music-Man Sting Ray, other wise, I have to settle for the Ernie Ball version (that's cool too, in a different way).
I traded a Fender Jazz Bass for the Sting-Ray, and never regretted the decision.

Don't know what year it was made. Manufactured in the USA, 24 frets, 4 strings, big fat Ernie Ball Humbucker, active electronics...you know the drill. Does everything it should nothing it shouldn't.

I've always loved the sound the MM Stingrays have. They're perfect for rock and roll, funk, and whatever else you want to try with it. The active pre-amp lets you adjust the sound however you want. I play this bass through an Ashdown MAG 2x10 combo with a 1x15 extension cab. The only word to describe the sound is massive.

I bought this bass used, it came from Michigan to Colorado. I was surprised at how well it played after the trip to lower humidity, no warping at all. After a set of new strings, a few tweaks of the intonation, and lowering the action a bit, it plays great. I haven't had to mess with it at all since.

This bass is a tank, I would feel confident playing without a backup even though I do have a backup for it. The hardware is in good shape, only thing I've noticed is the treble pot is a bit hard to find the middle on. The bridge is great, afterall its what they based the Badass series on.

Haven't Needed them

I bought a Stingray because I wanted something that would work for the band I'm in now and for the duture. The Stingray is the bass everyone thinks of for Rock and Funk. I've had this thing for almost 2 months without a problem. Its simple to get the sound you want out of it quickly which is how I like it, overall a good bass.

2 band active , one alnico humbucker, ash+birdseye mapple, top notch hardware except the "easy-battery" compartiment that could be chromed metal and easy yet. Pots could be centerpointed

Well, I recently discovered that I can sound vintage with this bass: in fact several reviews or contacts with ernie ball made me understand that the sound is kinda passive when the pots are set in the center. Quite surprisingly, I find the sound much fatter this way, cause one other thing I discovered after years of tone quest is that mids (especially lowmids) are the key of my tone, maybe yours: you cut thru in a musical/powerful way, and you have a power reserve-anyway, I only push the active as an effect by now. Great for slap, but same thing: bass 6 treble 4, or I have to use my ebs multicomp to get rid of that harshness

It is absolutely stunning! Some cheap guitars have quilt tops, individual string bridges and so on, but the real quality isn't here. Construction reaches perfection. Look inside the control cavity and you'll understand what I mean.

cf supra

I never, never part. If it was lost or stolen, I would be really sad, then I would buy another.

2001 model. 5 string sunburst finish, maple neck, pearloid white pickguard, stock preamp and pickup, 4 knob - bass, treble, mid, volume.

Too brassy on some settings. Overall good sound. Noisey with high treble settings. Use with a Harke amp.

has small bubbles in the finish between pickguard and knobs. Only noticed it after two years. Bubbles broke and finish is marred. After 6 months of playing I noticed the single coil setting volume was intermittent. Pulled the pickguard off and found the problem. One of the wires had a cold solder joint into a printed circuitboard via hole. Upon further examination I noticed that the via hole was way too large for the gauge of wire they were using so it didn't make a solid fit in the hole. I resoldered the connection. Bad design on Ernieball's part. Except for that, the bass plays great. Has great action and really thunders thru subs.

Is reliable now that i've fixed it.

Been playing 8 years. The bass as it was designed is a great bass. This bass as Ernieball manufacturers it, is not worth the price you pay for it. I will probably change out the preamp in the future to a bart or a seymour.

2 band EQ maybe 6years old
beautiful natural birdseye mapple neck-fretboard
sometimes wish I have a neck pickup and active/passive switch, for vintager tones (?)and slightly thinner neck but you never have everything in one axe and this one is very versatile in its (her) way, and I find it so much beautiful than jazz basses (+ much lower action than deluxe JB's I owned)...
I love it, I need it, I bleed (on) it (not often)
I even wrote a novella 'bout it

As I said, it's versatile, because it's a "vintage-modern" instrument, with character, but billies or 60-70 rockers (I'm in a 70's grooverock band) may not find it vintage enough; the sound is agressive or it can be very fundamental and dark, but it hasn't the softness (warmth) of a passive instrument in itself. nevertheless, I can get a really cool vintage tone with the tube-modelings of my BassPodXT, or tweaking the tube gain of my svt3pro to zero. I also turn down the treble a little cause it can cut glass, but I found out I didn't want (and my playing is really far from perfect, so I don't wish to highlight it so much, especially when you folks know singers and guitarists are superegoed enough). SO, In fact, the holy grail is this with a tube amp (but the V4BH is only 100watts and the Svt is so expensive and heavy...), anyway with the pod it's really cool (Irecommend the xt)
For those who like modern tones, everyone knows it's perfect.
choose your amp well

it's perfect (action, fretwork, lacquer...)
maybe the sterling is easier to play for the small-handed,
but it looks better, and I love the feel of this neck

Is there something to say?

very helpful, always answered my mails, that sometimes were nevrotic.

Expensive, but I don't care, I'm really happy with it, and Cedric of Broc'n roll (Nimes, France)is happy too I've found my love in the end (maybe I had 20 high-end basses, Vigier, Fenders, Zons, Pedullas, wwcks, Tobias, Status, Schacks, and so on, within the 2years before I met it.) If it was lost or stolen, I would sing "child in time" way better than Gillan did in Japan.

3 band eq ernie ball 4-string musicman. the pickup is good, bridge is heavy, neck joint is attached with 6 bolts and is very steady. swamp ash body, maple neck.

i bought this expecting something to blow me out of the water, and instead i got a bass that i can get great sounds out of but that isn't even really heads and above my old peavey. it's very bright, and a tad bit trebbly, but it's cool. sounds great with distortion. i mean, i'm not dissappointed: it's a great bass, and it's my first really nice instrument, but i was expecting something to blow my mediocre bass out of the water, and i guess there's really not that much of a difference between really high-end stuff and average ($400-$500 stuff). oh yeah, and it makes noise. i might need to check some of the solder joints, which looks like it'll be hard considering the setup of the electronics cavity

mine was used, but it has a nice setup. i'm not a big fan of the neck radius on this, but it's a credit to the people who set it up that playing this wasn't irritating

i seriously doubt anything would actually happen to the hardware of this instrument. the neck joint has 6 bolts, for christsakes.

but... i worry about the hum when the treble is higher coming out of this. it has a battery, too, so i wouldn't gig without a backup.

bought it used

it's a nice bass. i definitely won't get rid of it.

I purchased my StingRay new in 2000 from Metro Music in Montgomery, Alabama. Due to wanting one for several years, I had tried several examples from all eras of production. Comparing newer ones to the older models, the bridge has no string mutes, and battery compartment is a more modern, pop-out design, rather than having to remove screws. Also, the newer six-bolt neck joint is VERY cool. I don't trust any three-bolt neck joints anymore. I also like the three-band EQ over the two-band, for obvious reasons. Mine came in bright white with matching headstock, white pearloid pickguard, and maple fingerboard. It will blind you under Par 64's! I always get compliments for it's tone and looks, and anyone thats ever played it is very impressed with the action and the neck's satin finish.

Like I said earlier, I tried both old and new StingRays before I purchased one. The older ones, sounded good. They sounded like a bass should. Very tight and punchy. But, they also sounded... old. When I decided on a StingRay, I was thinking of the more full, bright, "all-across-the-spectrum" sounds I had heard on albums like Tool's "Undertow", Dave Larue on Steve Morse's "Stressfest", and the variety of sounds Flea gets on every RHCP album. I'm not sure what era these artist used StingRays from, but the eight or nine different ones I had tried that were made between the 70's-80's just didn't have the same crispness I was hearing. In fact, they had more of a "hot Jazz Bass" tone than a modern Hi-Fi sound. You may prefer this, but I needed a break from the Fender sound from all of the vintage Jazz and P-Basses I have spent nearly 20 years wrestling with. When plugged into my SVT head and two 4x10 Ampeg cabinets, it could peel flesh. When Leo designed this bass, MUST have had an SVT for a reference amp during pickup and electronics development, because this combination can achieve smiles from audiences, drummers, producers, and jealous Fender players.

The best all-around. It was ready to go from the store, literally. We had the store owner deliver my bass, and the guitarist's new Paul Reed Smith 22 Custom to the gig. We left the store that day feeling like we both had found our perfect instruments, and by the second set that night, decided we couldn't leave town without them! That was one impulse I've never regretted.

Other than the frets wearing out, it will last forever.

No opinion.

My second bass is a Tobias fretless four-string made in Burbank, Ca. Together, they are all I need. What one can't do, the other can. I can get tones from jazz, country, rock, metal, reggae, and funk from the StingRay, and the Tobias crosses over these styles as well with a warmer, smoother tone.

1994 Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay, made in USA
21 frets, 4 string, 3-band EQ onboard, stock humbucking pickup
On-board EQ offers treble, mid, and bass with center detent for flat on each. Pickups are active with a 9V battery.
Body is Swamp Ash, with Bird's Eye Maple neck and Rosewood fretboard.
Finish is natural, with black pickguard. Bridge is stock, and the tuners are basic Schallers - solid, but nothing special.

I bought this bass brand new from Veneman's Music Emporium in December of '94. Veneman's was nice and easy to deal with. I knew the relative quality prior to buying. All in all, this has been a real workhorse of a bass. It still sounds as good as it did the day I received it. However, I don't believe this is so much to Ernie Ball's credit as it is to Leo Fender's original design. One thing I think Ernie Ball should do is re-think they way they make their 4 string stock pickups. Maybe it hasn't dawned on any of them (???) to make them consistent with the smooth-edged 5 string pickups. Not that they would listen to me, of course. :) I'll get to that later.

It is very quiet! Great for funk, rock, metal, country, jazz, you name it. The tonal options are pretty broad for a bass like this. I find the bass to be bright enough to do anything with, but for recording, a good DI interface is needed (i.e. Sansamp, etc). Otherwise it can lose definition in the lows, I've noticed. But for live, it's great.

The bass was set up perfectly when I received it; shipped with all strings loosened (thank you, Venemans). No flaws whatsoever that I could see, but I believe it was Venemans who did a QC check for me to make sure it was flawless. I remember them going through a few of them for me and finding one that was perfect. Not every StingRay I've seen from that time period is flawless. But every nick and ding that's in mine has come from me, at one time or another.

This bass holds up better than anything else I've ever used. It seems to be more versatile than a P-bass and more punchy than a J-bass, both of which I also play on occasion. The hardware is solid. Finish is also very durable. Stock strap buttons are solid, but I replaced them with locking pins almost immediately. In the last 9 years, I've only found that periodic neck adjustments (usually with a change of seasons) are necessary, but they are never more than minor adjustments.

One thing that irritates me about this bass, however, is the fact that the pickup magnets (alnicos) are installed in the pickups on a StingRay 4 than they are on a StingRay 5. My point: these magnets have a smoothed out side, and a rough side. For some STUPID reason, Ernie Ball puts the rough side of these magnets on the string side, and the smooth ones on the bottom. On the 5 string model, they put the smooth side out. I've had to file mine down because if you dig in at all, you'll tear your fingertips up. I certainly have. I find this to be a flaw/inconsistency in the manufacturing. I'm also considering replacing the (stupid) stock pickup with a Seymour Duncan Basslines model, but haven't yet.

Frankly, I wouldn't know if they're friendly or not. By now I really couldn't care less. I realized about 8 years ago that I'm really very much on my own with this bass. Some companies (like Ernie Ball) will give people the run-around or kick them over to someone who doesn't know what's going on, just because they don't want the hassle of having to talk to a customer. I've found it impossible to get anyone's attention at Ernie Ball. I've tried off and on for the last 9 years to talk to someone there. It makes me frustrated with them - they seem to believe that it's 'cool' not to be *too accessible* to their customers (unless they have an endorsement, of course). Let's put it this way -- I'd endorse the product itself, but NOT the manufacturer - Leo Fender designed this bass any way, not Ernie Ball's people. Actually, Ernie Ball's people could stand to make a few more actual "improvements," but who am I? Just one guy who's not an endorser, not enough to pay any attention to. It seems to me that Ernie Ball took a good existing design and made some marginal improvements (the wheel truss rod adjustment is a good idea as opposed to the old bullet style) but I wouldn't say they necessarily re-invented the wheel or anything with this bass. Because this model was made in '94, they still used all metal parts (such as the battery compartment cover on the back. The more modern StingRays I've seen have plastic parts on them. The only plastic on my '94 is the pickguard and the pickup cover, and that's it. I doubt I would buy one of the more modern versions, mostly because cheap plastic parts don't impress me much - I see it as a way of cutting corners cost-wise.

I have no idea on the warranty. In fact, I never really knew much about that. Veneman's is no longer. I guess there really IS no warranty on this one any more.

I've been playing bass for about 15 years. I play my Music Man, then a fretless J-bass, and a fretted P-bass, in that order. I play mostly through an Ampeg SVT810E cabinet and an AMpeg SVT III Pro head, with an ADA MB-1 preamp.

I *wish* that I'd done a little more research about Ernie Ball's customer service practices prior to buying; it WOULD have influenced my decision. Frankly, I've gotten better "customer service" out of the sleaziest of auto-mechanics.

However, I am very attached to this bass. It's the closest thing to one of the original Music Mans. If it were stolen or lost, I'd hunt down the person that did it and make them pay dearly. I would then probably look for an older model to replace it. I am not impressed with any of Ernie Ball's newer models, which feature a lot of plastic parts. Yuck.

I love the mass of the bass -- it resonates beautifully, but with mass comes weight. I've had to see a chiropractor for about 4 years now. Having all of that weight on one shoulder can cause problems after a while.

I've also found that if you do a lot of slapping & popping, your frets will eventually ding up. Mine certainly have. Not too badly, but the frets are just standard jumbos. Ernie Ball strings are flimsy and lose their tone very quickly on this bass. DR Strings sound better but are the worst about dinging up the frets due to their more dense mass. Roto-Sound strings sound awesome but they will tear up frets and fingertips faster than any other string I've ever used. Oddly enough, the Elixirs with the Gore-Tex coating actually sound really good on this bass.

Regarding fret replacement, I've tried to contact Warwick (no luck there, either) regarding their custom allow fret wire (to have a luthier replace the frets in my neck, since Ernie Ball won't answer any of my inquiries), but have had no success. I would probably buy a Warwick used, but brand new? No thanks. I can't consciously patronize any company that doesn't communicate with the people out there. Sorry!

I realize that I'm just one customer, but the money I paid was quite real nonetheless - it was mostly the benefits of Leo Fender's original design that make my Music Man a good bass. All in all, it was money well-spent because the bass has always held up for me. I would definitely change the way Ernie Ball's people think about their stock pickup manufacturing procedures. It seems like this is a (retarded) oversight on their part. Putting the sharp, rough edge on the outside and the smooth edges of the magnets on the inside? What were they thinking? I don't think they were.

Stngray 4 natural ash, birdseye mapple neck and fingerboard 2 band eq the most beautiful bass i've ever seen

sounds really great

no pb having a very low action except you should not attack too much unless you want it very matallic/harsh A dream to play Finish is perfect
the only thing is the neck is a bit too unstable about weather changes -just oiled, and maybe the very birdseye is a bit tenderwood (my previous EB never had this little problem), anyway the truss setting is very easy, but I wish it had carbon reinforcement

It will last forever

very friendly

I'm thinking about a high-end 5 (a zon legacy maybe)but never I will sell the stingray

This is a pretty standard '92 3-band EQ stingray in black with a black pickguard and maple neck, complete with one massive MM pickup. This bass is solid!

Many people complain about how the Stingray only has "one sound," however, I have been able to coax a variety of different sounds from this bass. I play jazz/funk, rock, hardcore, and praise music, and I have been able to get great sounds for all of them. The slap sound is killer, picking is rock solid, and I can get a really warm fingerstyle sound. The sustain on this is ridiculous, and in the studio, I have had many comments by the engineers on the long sustain, as well as the Amazing tone that you can get. There is absolutely no hum (especially with the active preamp). In my opinion, an incredibly versatile bass.

This bass was very well set up, and the materials used are quality, very good workmanship all around.

This bass is built like a TANK!!! I have toured with it for 2 years, and it's the only bass I've needed. I have never used a backup, and doubt that I will need to. This bass has survived a drop onto a concrete floor, with barely a scratch, as well as many other situations that would have damaged a lesser bass.

Only dealt with them once about the setup and they sent me a free set of strings too!

This Bass is amazing! I'd recommend it to anyone who needs a dependable, versatile bass, whether they have been playing for 30 yrs. or 6 mos.!!! Go Buy one!

4-string Stingray bass, built in 2002, purchased new from Drum City-Guitar Land in Wheatridge, Co (great store - check out their website - Thanks, Jason!). Bass has the optional 3-band e.q., and came with a molded hardshell case, polishing cloth, neck strap, and cool Stingray T-shirt. Maple neck w/rosewood fingerboard, and rare red sparkle finish (not red pearl or candy apple red, but red metalflake!). I believe the body is made of ash, based on the tone & weight of this particular instrument. The truss rod is adjustible without having to remove any covers - a cool feature. Also, the pre-amp battery is contained in a quick-release housing, another handy time saving device.

I play original and cover hard rock & heavy metal, and the Stingray excells at this type of music. The overall tone is very rich and full, with sparkling highs, very deep lows, and a tight & punchy midrange. I use the Stingray for almost all of our songs, and my Fender Jazz Bass on the remainder (the Jazz sounds better for the Rush covers). The electronics are quiet & effective, covering a broad spectrum of sounds both live and in the studio.

The factory set-up required only minor tweaks, and the fit and finish were flawless. The color is red sparkle - a stunning finish I have never seen on any other MusicMan instrument. The stock pickguard was black pearl, but the friendly people at Drum City-Guitar Land swapped it out for a white pearl pickguard for me, free of charge. The look reminds me of a hot-rodded car, with the sparkle finish set off by the gleaming chrome hardware & rich white pearl pickguard.

This thing is built like a tank - very solid, well-finished, and definitely ready to take on the rigors of the road. It should last well past armageddon! The hardware is high quality, but the strap buttons are too small, and should be replaced with Schaller straplocks or something similar. Also, it would be nice if the bridge allowed the option of stringing through the body as well as through the top. I always bring 2 basses to gigs, but I would not hesitate to bring this bass without a back-up.

I recieved a free set of strings just for registering my bass (nice!), and the company responds quickly to questions submitted via e-mail. 1-year standard warranty.

I have been playing for over 20 years, and I own a Fender Jazz, a Fender P-bass, a Rickenbacker 4003, and a custom-built NEO fish bass. My bass rig consists of an EBS HD-350 head, pumping through an EBS 4x10" cab and an Electrovoice 15" cab. This combination is rather effective for any style of music. If the bass was ever lost or stolen, I would be devistated - it is my pride & joy, and I seriously doubt I would ever be able to find another one finished in the fabulous red sparkle like mine - especially at the killer price that I paid. I would love to have the optional piezo bridge and matching finished peghead, but I have no regrets whatsoever with my purchase. Best instrument I have ever owned, and I have owned more than 80 basses over the past 22 years. If I could give a higher overall rating than 10, I would!

Mine is a early 90's late eighties stingray(with the rubber string mutes) made in San Lupis California, 21 frets, one humbucker, 3 EQ active preamp, with an awesome vintage sunburst finish. I'm pretty sure the tuners are Schaller. The neck is held on by 6 bolts and seems to be put on very well. The neck is maple with a maple fret board. There is a very nice flamed pattern on mine. The truss rod system is very easy to use it would seem but the neck hasn't needed adjusting. It came with a hard shell case. I would of like a string through bridge like the pre-ernie ball one's and a piezo in the bridge but we always get what we want.

I haven't had this bass for to long so I'm not sure on all of it's tonal options but I know one thing this bass is great for slaping. I found that I could also get a nice jazz sound from it. It does hum a little when the treble is all the way up but that might be from the battery or my crap amp. This bass has a great punchy sound thats good for funk, fuunk-rock but it can be somewhat versitle. I liked how this bass had better sustain than my other instruments.

I can't speak for the action from the factory beacuse I bought mine used and Chad at BassNW set it up for me before I bought it. I have played factory set up one's in sam ash and G.C. and the had decent set ups. Again mine was used so the I have no idea how the pickup was orginally. The fret job on this bass is wonderful and there are no flaws that are from the factory except the faliure to find out how to keep the pole pieces of the pickup from rusting.

This bass should last a nuclear holocost. There are only minor scratches in an other wise perfect finish. The strap buttons are to small though and should be replaced by strap locks or larger buttons.I am to parinoid to ever do a gig with out a back up no matter what the bass. Shit happens.

Never dealt with but I'll give them a ten since they are sending me some free strings.

I love this bass, it has a great look, great sound, and a great feel. I was considering a Ric and a G&L ASAT or L-2000 but when I found this I decided to just buy and I'm not sorry at all. This is a great bass that sounds great. My favorite thing about this bass is it's punchy tone. If lost or stolen I might save up for a modulus flea or a G&L but I'd be ver sad. This an awesome bass with awesome features and only one problem that pisses me off... those stupid rusty pole pieces. Oh well I guess I replace it with a bartolli pickup. Other wise 10 out of 10.

I have the one called manta is you scroll down a bit. This is really a follow up on it.

Ok, my stingray had the polepieces on the pickup and they started to rust. It really pissed me off. Now, im a fan of Flea(although the new cd "by the way" SUX!)so i looked at the modulus fb4 flea bass. It has a similar pickup, a bartolini. So i looked all over the place for a bartolini mmx. I finially found one at www.bassnw.com and for $110 i got it shipped here. Then for another $25 i got it put in. Oh my god. Its soooooo freakn cool. Its sounds so much better and its all black and smooth.

So if you have the same problem ,the bartolini MMX is a great fix.

great fixer!

My bass isn't a Stingray but a Sterling. Same features as the stingray except that it as a choice of pickup position and that the width of its neck is a little smaller, perfect for great playability. It is a four strings model bought in 2001 for 1500 $ Can. The now usual Musicman active pickups with the bass, mid and treb controls also controlling the active/passive pickups. It is pearl blue with a rosewood finger board and a maple neck... quite a picture. Black oval not symetric pickguard which is another distinction with the Stingray model.

Wanna play the funkiest line ever.....you got it!
Wanna play a smooth melodic jazz line........ you got it!
Wanna play a big heavy metal beat...you got it!!
Just play with the three controlls to fine tune tour sound, and change the pickup configuration to change the atmosphere. The most versatile bass I ever played on. Great studio sound and great live sound with a good amp!

The finish was great ehen I bought it. It took me 3 months to decide to adjust the height of the pickups to make my high notes clearer. It was incredible after a first tune up.

No problems yet!

Never had to try them!

I've played on an old Gibson, on a crappy Squier and my amp is a basic Fender BXR 100. This bass is the best buy for this kind of budget and I checked out a lot of basses before bying it!

OK, so mine is not an Ernie Ball musicman. It's a Leo Fender Musicman, the real deal. Made in the US in '76. It's black, 21 frets, big ol' slab body, string through, three bolt neck, active hum pickup, volume bass and treble controls, Ash body, solid maple neck, p-bass style spacing. So not anything sepcial, but it sounds better than any ernie ball you could ever put together.

I play everything because I like to work, and it works for pretty much anything. I prefer a jazz bass for slap sounds, but it's still famous for it's tone. I use it through a demeter vtbp-201, mackie power amp, and eden 210xlt. It sounds like the beautiful bass it is, the tone is a legend. The bass is great especially for studio work when I know I'll want it's sound, for a live gig it's good to have another bass with more versatility. The sound is phenomenal, and the reason why people buy original musicmans. When the bass is unplugged it sounds rich and the body resonates wonderfully, the same with it plugged in. The only complaints would be that the treble boost is a little much, and the pickup hums alot.

Everything is cool in this category. The bass plays great, if you like the feel of the neck. The action has only been adjusted once in almost thirty years. Some of the fret kerfs could use some buffing, but lets not be too picky.

Never has a more solid bass been made, with the exception of a '61 jazz or an old p-bass. It had taken hundreds of gigs and never had a problem, never used a backup. The finish is still on just fine, and like i said, the neck has only been adjusted once in 30 years, you don't get more solid than that. Rock solid? I'd say more like a big ol' ball of titanium solid.

No warrenty, the company has been bought out and produces crap now. I've dealt with the company when looking for a replacement part and the man i talked to did not even know that they carried it.

I've been playing for over 8 years now, and have had this bass for half of that time. I own an Fbass bn-5, and a '61 jazz, besides the musicman and it's my favorite. If it were stolen I would go berserk, it is a part of my sound, and you can't find them for cheap anymore, but i would buy another, i'm thinking of getting another anyways. I love this bass for it's wonderful tone and feel. there is a reason that there have been hundreds of copies of these basses. When i bought it i compared it to the new ernie balls, and they are just poorly made and sound awful compared to the original. If you can pick one up on ebay or something, do yourself the biggest favor to your sound you could ever do and get one.

My Name is Dave Jeffrey, i'd like too add i own over 70 Music Man Stingray basses, 67 are Ernie Balls, There's not a production bass on the Market that'll come close to these Basses. Ernie Ball has did an amazing job with these Basses. Quality Control is without a doubt a 10. I'd also like to thank Dudley Gimple one of the main reasons Music Man Is where Their at today. Dudley you are a Genius. Thankyou Dudley,Derek Brooks,Greg Timmons And the man himself (Biff) Sterling Ball.

Nothing sounds like a MUSIC MAN!

the very best finishes ever.

Throw your warranty in the Garbage, you'll never need to use it.

First off they never break down, second you'll never use the warranty.

ERNIE BALL MUSIC MAN BASSES HAVE WORKED GREAT IN MY 30 YEARS OF BASS PLAYING, OWNING A TOTAL OF OVER 150 BASSES, YOU'LL NEVER SEE ME LIVE WITHOUT A STINGRAY BASS.
THANKS FOR GIVING ME THE TIME TO SHARE SOME REAL HONESTY ABOUT A COMPANY WHO DESERVES MORE THEN THE INDUSTRY WILL ALLOW.

2001 right in the US. 21 Frets I think. 5 control knobs, with active preamp...

The sound...Listen to flea on Blood sugar sex majik...You can hear all kinds of tones through his Music man...very ballsy, thump in you funkin face...Suits pretty much anystyle...But again, listen to Blood sugar sex majik...He slap, finger plucks, uses a pick....Great bass...

Leo Fender created a beatiful looking bass as well...

No problems...Very dependable....Dropped it a few times...Shitty strap...Thing is like a rock.

Didn't need to consult with them...no problems.

Been playin' fo 6 years, I have a Geddy Lee jazz Bass and and ol 1972 SVT Original....Sounds like gods voice through that thing...Actually sounds like god pretty pissed off....Great bass.....If It were stolen..Immediately I would find the person who stole and give them a beat down...Can't afford to just go get another

This is a 1996 Stingray, it's got the single pickup, active 3 band preamp, 4 strings, neat looking pickguard, and super strap pegs. The bridge, I believe, is bulletproof. It doesn't have the string mutes that the older ones have, but it's fairly versatile.

This bass, by itself, sounds perfect. It is THE bass sound as far as I'm concerned. It has the growl of a jazz bass, the thump of a p-bass, and has high end that sounds like a swordfight when you use a pick.
HOWEVER: I, personally, do NOT think that this sounds good with a band. Yes, it does cut through, but only one frequency cuts through and you can't really do much with it within that. For me, all I can here are mids and you can't really hear the highs (they are so high that what you do hear isn't very musical). The lows are so low that you can barely hear them without the mids to boost them. You can get a pretty good swept mid sound (bass full, high full, mids all the way down) if you have the mids up fairly high on the amplifier, but then there's not much you can do with that. And this swept mid sound isn't a very musical one - if you're looking for death metal, that would be it. If you're looking for a jazz bass sound in live playing but with alot more punch, this would be it. It just sounds like pure growl, which I like for some things, but the people I play with (and I) like to switch around to a lot of other sounds, which I could get in the store and in my room, but that just don't show up when the tone is masked by other players.

The action is alright, but no matter what, I always get fret noise. Even with the strings not-so-low down, I get fret noise and can't get a good note (with a pick). fingerstyle is great, but then again, it's a pain to try to play anywhere other than over the pickup. the finish is great, very nice. Oh and the bass is pretty darn heavy.

I hear that these last, and I got this used after about 5 years of use, so I can tell you that it's held together wonderfully. aside from some chips in the back from where the previous owner apparently tried to murder it with an axe, it's very solid.

N/A

It's a good bass if you like midrange, or extreme high and low end (slappers like that kind of stuff I hear), but it's just not for me. I've had one other nice bass that I got for $500 on a clearance sale, and it was more versatile with a band than this one (it was a Fender American Hot-Rodded P-Bass). I liked it, but once I heard and eventually tried a stingray, I thought that that was the sound for me, which it was. But the sound I heard and the sound I heard with other instruments just wasn't the same. The preamp had a variety of sounds on it's own, but they were voiced in such a way that they didn't show up in my situation. I guess there's no way to know till you try it.
PS: the guys at guitar center boston were great. they put up with me trying it over and over and over and over again, and they were friendly and helpful and I will feel HORRIBLE bringing this back after putting them through hell for me to get it)

2001 4 string StingRay Bass. Three color vintage sunburst with matching headstock and maple fretboard. Came with black egg shaped pickguard which I replaced with a clear pickguard from WD. I didn't want to hide the beautiful finish. Plastic hardshell case included. Single humbucker with 3-ba