Ernie Ball Sterling

Made in Apr 1998, bought secondhand (fifth-hand?!?) from local music store, with case. I needn't have worried about a thing, I had considered shelling out for a new one, but the build quality is second to none and this bass is fabulous, made to last and to look good after 50 years! Carbon blue with black pickguard, ash body, maple fretboard, superb.

Rock and rock/blues, finger style some slap, some songs played with pick, through a Hartke 3500 with a 4x10 or a 1x15 if I don't have the strength for the 4x10. No effects needed, bright, and there's a great 'growl' that will cut through the most ham-fisted over distorted guitarist, very quiet electronics, love the fast effortless neck, superb for stage use, the light weight makes 2-hour plus gigs a breeze. No real dislikes, the only thing I am adapting to is how much less demanding to play this bass is compared to a Fender Jazz.

No flaws after 10 years, superb build and finish, fabulous buy secondhand.

Great for live playing, stays in tune and can be played 'hard' with no detriment. Excellent hardware and pickup, with a durable lacquered finish, no worries. I had to cheek some Dunlop Straplocks out of the shop so I could use my straps, a straight fit. Adjusting the truss is a breeze and should need touching once you have settled on a favourite set of strings. I am using this bass without a back-up!

Friendly after care dept. at Ernie Ball, only ever needed them to date an old Stingray in the last 15 years, though. Can't be bad.

35 years on the road has taught me to choose a bass well! Check for dead spots (99.9999% of Fenders, Ps and Js, have these), MusicMan have very few issues in this dept. I would definitely buy another Sterling if I needed to, and I would buy a used one again in a flash. Love the light weight and smallish physical dimensions of this bass, compared to my Fender Jazz, my MM Stingray 5 and my Warwick Thumb 5, it is so comfortable to play! It would be nice to be able to switch out the active electronics in case you needed to, but a battery change is so quick and easy without tools, that this is not really necessary, the active sound is superb. Try one, you'll love it!

Purchased in 2006 but it had been hanging on a dealer's wall for a while so its an 05. Left-handed black body/maple neck and fingerboard - I would have prefered Rosewood but, as an 'off the shelf' left-handed Sterling is almost non-existent in the UK, you take what you can get!
Smaller body than Stingray, slimmer J-style neck, more tone options - I was playing a Stingray but short fingers made it a struggle. This bass is a joy to play and beats any Fender J.

Like: pick-up selector options giving three distinct sounds, distinctive Musicman tone.
Dislike: lacks the 'grunt' of a Stingray.
I play a mixture of rock/blues/folk at pub gigs either through a pre-amp/DI (John East STMP-01, an outboard version of his J-Pro) or an Ampeg B1-RE and a 12" cab. I usually take off 1/4 mid and treble and add 1/4 bass - otherwise it can sound a bit light and jangly.
Plenty of control in the bass - superb EQ - so it can be tweaked for most situations.

Factory setting action is a bit high for me but there is a bit of a juggling act to lower it without getting buzz - the truss rod 'wheel' makes this fine-tuning fairly straightforward. No need to do anything with the bridge or pickup settings.
Finish is superb and I love the oiled neck - every Fender I have ever played has had quality control issues (badly cut nut, dreadful set-up, poor neck fit - and that was just two of them!) - it really is a play it straight out of the box bass.

A joy to play live (due to light weight and neck 'feel'), reliable, quiet electronics, good battery life, tough solid finish.
Fitted Scaller strap-locks - pity these are not standard although the supplied buttons are pretty solid.
So far totally releiable and fairly resistant to temperature changes etc. Truss rod needs the odd tweak if its been stored for a while.
Always gig without a backup - nothing's failed so far!

Superb customer care - useful website and FAQ section and real people answering email enquires promptly and efficiently. Ermie Ball/Musicman really seem to be interested in the people who use their instruments - such a change from Fender.

I've only been playing for a couple of years, so the Sterling was a major investment for a novice - but worth every penny. My only regret is that I purchased a Stingray first - wonderful sound but I just couldn't do it justice.
If it disappeared i would just have to wait while Musicman built me another.
This bass is in a genuine high-end instrument - up there with Rickenbacker and Warwick - and the build quality shines through. Try this against a Deluxe, active, Fender J - similar price but no contest.

Purchased in February 2006. I assume it was made in 2005. 4 string, 3 band EQ and coil selector. Thinner body then the stingray models and thinner neck as well. I'd call this the jazz bass of musicmans if the ray is the P. Mines blue with a black pickguard, rosewood fretboard. Everyone knows the features of a sterling, so on to the next. You couldnt ask for more features.

I play punk and ska. Punk with a pick, ska with fingers. The sound is MONSTROUS. It has a real throaty growl. I always used a MIM Jazz bass for my growly sounds, but never again. As far as a variety of sounds, this thing lacks. However, for what I use it for, it is amazing. If youre buying a sterling or stingray, you're buying it for that stingray sound.

No flaws at all on this thing. Great condition. The action is a tad high but I like it that way. Finish is amazing.

I have only had this bass several days. Its been to rehearsal twice. It feels more solid then my fenders and i'd fight my way through hell with those.

have no experience with ernie ball. i have heard theyre great, however.

I was never really impressed by many of the "higher end" instruments. I had a mexican made fender Pbass and Jbass and i loved both of them. I never thought i'd venture into the 1000+ bass range. American made fenders arent worth the money, in my opinion. HOWEVER, this thing is a monster. I have no regrets and I think the fenders will spend more time at home now. Awesome bass!

2003 Ernie Ball Musicman Sterling 4-string, Pearl Blue with matching headstock, maple fingerboard, hard case included

Controls: active 3-band EQ, pickup selector for series/parallel/single coil

It is much more versatile than other single pickup basses.

I play mainly rock music (blues-rock, pop-rock, funk-rock, rock-n-roll, country-rock) and this bass has THE tone. The tone is tight and punchy like the bridge pickup on a Jazz bass but also full and round like a P-bass. It is quiet and equally at home on stage or in the studio.

I have owned lots of basses (Fender, Rickenbacker, Yahmaha, Guild, Ibanez) but this one has the best tone. No effects processing required. I just use a direct box to the mixing board and I'm set. The pickup selector coupled with the 3-band EQ gives it a lot of versatility while still retaining its distinctive tone. Works great when playing along with distorted guitar tones. It is not Hi-Fi sounding though. If you need the super-scooped, Hi-Fi tone of a Ken Smith bass then the Sterling is not for you. However, for my needs it is perfect.

The set-up on this bass was better than any other bass I have owned. The action was great, the electronics cavity was properly shielded from the factory (a first!), the neck has a nice oil finish that is super smooth. The quality is on par with a Lakland. I could give you a long list of flaws on the Fenders I've owned, but this bass was done right. I'm very impressed.

Built like a tank. I gig often with no backup.

I had a problem with a latch on the case once. I took it to the dealer and they swapped it, no questions asked. They said it was very unusual for Ernie Ball products to have problems.

I've been playing for over 15 years and if this bass were lost or stolen I would definitely buy another one. In fact, I may buy another one anyway. I really like this bass.

1999 sterling
Nothing else mathers. This is a singing bassguitar

BASS like it should be. Ernie Ball deserves a statue. Play it and you don't want anything else in my opinion

Set up well in yhe factory, but put the action a little lower. This is a personal favorite.
Finish is great.

No problems since I bought it

I only think it's a pitty you cannot play it passive.
Otherwise this is a great Bassguitar. Thank you Music Man

This model is brand new 2006.I had a Sterling in 2001 and was not disappointed.This model made in U.S.A.Has 22 frets 4 string.Controls are Vol.Treb,Mid,Bass.3 way switch for different tones.Active electronics.Has a fast thin neck.Came w/a beautifull case.

I play in A Rod Stewart trib. band,a soul band and Classic Rock band as well as Church band.I play through a Hartke 3500 head and Hartke 4X10 xl cab.For effects I use Boss octive ped,Boss dist. and Boss enhancer.It has that classic Musicman sound.

I needed to tighten the neck a little after which the action was great.Pickups were adjusted well.

I put strap locks on mine.It would be great if they came w/the Bass.It is an active Bass so I bring a Backup Bass to the gigs.A great feature would be a toggle switch for active or Passive.

Manufactured 2001. Rosewood fretboard, carbon blue, black pickguard. 9V active volume/treble/mid/bass, 3-way pickup selector series/single-coil/parallel, 22 frets, unfinished maple neck, blah blah blah. This is the only bass I've ever wanted in a solid color because the first Sterling I played was a carbon blue back in probably '93. Finally purchased one 10 years later.

If you don't like that Music Man sound, you won't like this bass. That being said, I love it. Nothing cuts through a band like that trademark boingy tone, while still maintaining a massive bottom end. Pickup selector switch gives you a few options, and the EQ is really hot so you can get a decent variety of tones. Personally I run it with the mids and treble slightly cut, bass boosted halfway, and the pickup on parallel. Sometimes switch to single coil for higher register runs.

Fingerstyle sounds great, but the slap tone is the best. I don't even bother slapping on other basses anymore, seriously.

Setup from the factory was good, even if this had sat on the shelf at Sam Ash for a long time and got pretty grimey. I didn't adjust anything for about a year and then it only needed a few minor things. Other than dirt buildup on the neck (unfinished) and a loose knob on the pickup selector, there is nothing wrong with this bass. I have yet to play a better feeling bass than this, the neck is an absolute joy and I have it the action set up pretty low that only buzzes if played especially hard.

It's about 4 years old now and after a thorough cleaning, it looks better than new. The only gripe I have is the battery connectors (copper plate) aren't the best in the world. On rare occasion I have to flick the plastic battery holster to remind it that "yes, you are supposed to make sound." I'll likely have to replace this eventually but I think it's a $10 part so it doens't really bother me.

Batteries last FOREVER. I play this bass between 5 and 10 hours per week, and I change the battery maybe once a year.

Haven't dealt with them.

Been playing for over 13 years. Other basses are a mid-90's Tobias Growler 5-string and a '96 Fender American Standard P. The Sterling is my #1 bass probably 80% of the time.

Current rig is an SWR 350x head and SWR Goliath III (4x10) cab.

Mine is a 2001 one I believe. It's a 4 string bass with a 3 band active EQ. It came in a really nice Transparent Teal color, it's amazing looking.

I use this bass mainly for rock and roll, and it's tone is incredible. Once I upgrade my gear, it will really do this bass justice. For now (because my gear isn't too hot, it's a yorkville 4 10 cab with an 80's Randall head)I am running it through my friend's gear, it's an AIMS All Tube Bass Head running through an Ampeg Classic 8 10. Because of the switch, it makes it extremely easy to find all different types of tone.

Since I got this bass off of ebay, I can't comment on the factory's action but when I got it it was nice and and low and sounded great. The finish is flawless, A really beautiful bass. The neck feels great, nice and fast.

I think that this bass will withstand whatever shows I decide to play with it. Got a big show coming up so we'll see how it handles it. I replaced the strap buttons with straplocks, just needed the extra comfort that it won't fall and make me a very sad man.

Never dealt with Ernie Ball, but I've heard great things.

This is a huge step up from the bass I had before, haha, A Squier P Bass. I don't think I could handle losing this bass, it's a part of me now. I'd completely refer this bass to anyone who is looking to upgrade their set up.