Ernie Ball StingRay 5 HH

2008 San Luis Obispo, CA USA-22 High profile wide frets-3-band active preamp; vol, treble, mid, bass with center detents-Music Man Dual Humbucking pickups with alnico pole pieces-Ash body with High gloss polyester trans orange finish-Select Maple neck with gunstock oil and hand-rubbed special wax blend finish and matching painted headstock-Maple fingerboard-34" scale length-Music Man?? chrome plated, hardened steel bridge plate with stainless steel saddles-Schaller BM tuning machines with tapered string posts-Electronically shielded with graphite acrylic resin coated body cavity and aluminum-lined White pearloid pickguard-Neck perfectly aligned with 6 bolts and fully adjustable truss rod-10 pounds-Ernie Ball Music Man hardshell case, keys and polishing cloth included.

Like the previous reviewer stated...This is simply THE bass! The Stingray 5 HH can do it all. This particular bass is the 45th that I've purchased. I've tried and owned many brands. I have plenty of Fenders, and Rickenbackers and Hofners including a G&L which I'm happy with. But this is just another animal completely! This bass sounds alive. I play it through an Ampeg Portabass 800 with an SVT 410HLF cab and it is slamming! With the 2 pickups and the 5-way switching this versatile baby sounds rich, full, dark, warm, or bouncy and bright. Every sound a solid-body electric bass can make is in here except for the fretless mwahh. The B string is very tight and articulate. I've only used it live so far but I'm sure it would do very well in the studio. What's not to like?

I bought this bass online so I don't know if the set-up is from the factory or the store but it was perfect when I got it. The action was low but not too low that it caused fret buzz and the pickups were at the perfect height. I found no flaws on this instrument. In fact, I wish all my basses had the same silky smooth finish on the back of their necks as this Stingray has.

This bass is built like a tank. I'm sure it can withstand the heaviest of use and abuse on the road. The hardware and the finish exude quality. The strap buttons are solid and I replaced those with Ernie Ball strap locks with matching Ernie Ball strap. I already have used it without a backup and will continue to do so. The only fear I have is the battery dying in the middle of a song. That's the one feature my G&L has over this; the ability to switch to passive electronics if need be. I know it's minor and I usually carry an extra 9 volt with me but I will deduct 1 for that quibble.

I've never dealt with Ernie Ball. The warranty is 1 year and I doubt I'll need it.

I've been playing bass since Dec. 1983 and I've since purchased 45 basses. I've sold a bunch, some I miss, some I don't. I now own 19 basses. I bought my first Stingray back in 1999. It was a teal 4-string which I liked but I didn't love and I sold it. I knew that someday I would again own a Music Man bass and 10 years later, after lots of looking, and testing and thinking I chose this California orange Stingray 5 from the #1 Music Man dealer in the US, Bass Central in Florida. I sold my entire vinyl record collection to buy this bass and I've no regrets. If it were lost or stolen I would cry a river while I hunted down the vermin. I love the color, the matching headstock, the pearloid pickguard, the 2 massive pickups, the 5-way switching, and the slick finish on the back of the neck. It'd be nice to have the option to switch over to passive but no biggie. I'm proud to own this quality American bass made by the fine Ernie Ball company having it's roots in the 70's by a genius named Clarence Leo Fender. (Sterling Ball too!)

2008 American made
21 frets
5 string
Ash or Maple body, I'm not sure.
3 band active EQ and a volume control
HH pickup configuration
MusicMan Ceramic Pickups
One Piece maple neck with maple fingerboard
Cherry burst finish yellow orange red with a black with white pinstripe 3 ply pickguard
MusicMan cast metal bridge
Schaller tuners, I think
I think it is a 34 and 1/2 inch scale which is uncommon for a 5 string.
Ernie Ball MusicMan Hardshell Case, Keys and polishing cloth Included.

This is THE bass for Rock.
This is THE bass for R and B.
This is THE bass for Disco/Funk.
This is THE bass for Pop Music.
This is THE bass for Reggae
This is THE bass for Jazz
This is simply...THE bass.
I was strictly a Stand-Up player for many years. I have owned several electric basses over the years but in order to get work I have had to resort to playing electric bass. I started playing lots of electric bass lately. I needed something versatile. There was no limit to what I could spend on an instrument, and this is the instrument that I bought. I played many other brands:
Alembic, Yamaha, Ibanez, Schecter, Spector, Traben, Rickenbacker, Warwick, Danelectro, Gibson, Fender(ugh), Human, Modulus, you name it. This is the bass for me. I had to try about 80 Stingray 5's before I settled on one. Some of the Ernie Ball basses that I played, particularly the ones at GuitarCenter were not set up so well. I also didn't care for the sound of the Stingrays with the rosewood neck. also the Piezo bridge didn't impress me much. Perhaps if I were in the market for another fretless I would have gone for that option. My advice is to try as many as you can before settling on one. each one is unique and different. The recently discontinued S.U.B bass is worth looking at if you can find one. I was pretty impressed with it, but the body lacks the beveled contour of the Stingray, and they all come with rosewood fingerboards to my knowledge. This bass, like most stingrays has that Basketball Bouncing sound when it is slapped and popped. This is the sound I was looking for, but I wanted a bass that could do more than that. This is why I opted for the 5 HH model. The 5 way switch opens up a whole new world of tone compared to the single pickup stingray 5. Unlike lots of other 5 strings that I played, the low B is actually functional and the pickups handle the frequency well. As does my amp. I play through an ancient GK 400B, not a 400RB RB. This is a 400B, from 1975. I have it plugged in to a cheap Hartke 4x10 cabinet and it is more than enough power for big stage shows; almost too much power for small clubs. The EQ has a halfway point notch built in to the pots so you can EQ it flat. I keep mine like this, and when my guitar player turns up, I just crank the EQ and blow his butt away. There is nothing that I can say that I dislike except for the fact that I don't own a few more Stingrays.

Like I said, try lots of Stingrays before you settle on one, don't order one from the factory, after all, custom colors are just paint and nobody can 'hear' paint. Don't buy one on Ebay unless the seller is close and you can try it out. I tried sever 2007-2008 models that had a G string that was too close to the edge of the neck. somebody at the factory is either not paying attention or drinking on the job. When I first bought mine, I was afraid that my bass had a similar problem. The music shop offered to put a new nut on it, but after I played it for a while, adjusted the string height and had the neck adjusted, the problem went away. The sticker price usually has almost nothing to do with the quality and features of Ernie Ball MusicMan basses. I played a $500 S.U.B. 5 that was passive that played and sounded beter than a $2100 active Stingray 5. I almost bought it, but I didn't like the rosewood fingerboard. The rosewood, in my experience limits the 'springy' sound of these instruments. My bass is HH and I adjusted the neck pickup so that it is level with the pickguard. This gives me a nifty volume cut and moves the pickup out of the way for slapping. It doesn't get in the way much, but it is a factor. But if you slap, rest assured that you can adjust it so that it is not in your way. It also doubles as a thumb/finger rest. One other thing, I did have to adjust the neck a couple of times during the Monsoon Season here in Tucson, AZ. But the guys at my favorite music shop, not only gave me a smokin' deal on this bass, but they also gave me a few set-ups for free. I now do the set-ups myself, it is ridiculously easy to do on this bass.

I have played four gigs with this bass so far. Everything about it is a dream. It photographs really well. It is not too heavy. The strap buttons are big and keep my matching Ernie Ball strap secure. I used it for some studio work and I didn't even need to bring my amp. I just plugged it in direct and the sound through the headphones was crystal clear. The finish is like the finish on a bowling ball. It is solid. The only other bass that I bring with me is my Schecter Hellcat Baritone Guitar tuned E to E. I do want to get a S.U.B. 4 or 5 string as a backup though, but only because I need an excuse to buy another Ernie Ball bass.

I never talked to anyone at Ernie Ball but they sure do have a cool website, and I'd love to tour the factory some day. I was told by several guitar shops that it is a pain in the butt to order custom basses from their factory and the wait is long but it can be done. They were probably just trying to make a quick sale though.

I have been a musician for 16 years. Bass was my second instrument. I play 17 instruments, most of them stringed. I would have liked to try the HH with a Piezo bridge, but I don't think I would have got much use out of it. I have a Piezo on my Parker Fly and I almost never play that instrument. If this bass were stolen or lost I would be upset. This is a very expensive, quality instrument. I own close to 30 guitars, several electric basses and none of them are as well built as this. I didn't like the color at first, but it has grown on me. I didn't hate it but I was interested in trans green or trans gold for a finish, but, like I said, you can't hear paint. I tried other basses in all different price ranges. The only other bass that even comes close is the Gibson Ripper but it only has 4 strings and Gibson stopped making them in the '80s. The new Gibson basses are crap. Why are they still making the SG bass? They should start making the Victory and the Grabber and the Ripper. Those things would sell like crazy. This bass was expensive, not as expensive as some of those crappy new Warwicks. But it was expensive. It astounds me that so many bass players buy Fenders. I guess it IS preference but I only played one Fender that I liked. The Marcus Miller 5 String Jazz bass. If you like Fender basses, try that one out. Try some vintage basses too, they may surprise you. I like the Peavey T-40 for a 4 string vintage bass. Historically, Fender bass guys don't like the Ernie Ball basses. I have heard of lots of guys trading trading their Stingrays for Fenders. The difference between a Fender and an Ernie Ball is like night and day. They are very different. I recommend that you first try both and determine which way you are leaning before you buy.
I could have spent more money and been less happy but I didn't think I could have spent less money and been more happy. fortunately, Ernie Ball does have some quality instruments in a variety of price ranges. It is a shame that they discontinued the S.U.B. Series, I thought it was a great value.

2006 model, made in San Luis Obispo, California USA.
21 frets, 5 strings.
Active(9v), Volume, Bass ,Mid , Treble and 5 way switch.
2 Music Man massive humbuckers
Ash Body, Maple Neck with rosewood fretboard.
Top Load bridge
Music Man Tuners

Considering neck pickup with coils 1 & 2 (#1 near neck) and
bridge pickup with coils 3 & 4 (#4 near bridge), the switch has the following configurations :

1 - Bridge pickup only ;
2 - Coils 1 & 4 ;
3 - All 4 coils !
4 - Coils 2 & 3;
5 - Neck pickup only.

Suitable for any music style. Could get almost all kind of sound.
I've used with Gk 400 RB & Roland DB 500.

Not noisy. Could sound full & round, powerful or crispy and agressive.

The 3 position (all coils) has a great , powerful, fat, round , rich sound. Great for slap or fingerstyle. Not a Classic StingRay sound.

The position 4 has a strong sound, remeber a Fender Precision to me.

You could only achieve the classic StingRay sound when using only the bridge pickup.

I think it is useful for both studio & stage.

Likes : Everyhing. Great finish. Superb nut. Great neck feeling.
Dislikes : The high price (but it worths).

This bass sounds HUGE. I have a Fender Jazz (Geddy Lee model) and it seems to be a lady when compared to it.

Action : Not so low, but it was ok to me. Confortable. It has space for popping and strong playing. I had only to adjust string intonation.

Pickups : Seems ok to me. Did not adjust them.

Flaws : None found !

I think it is a reliable bass. Built like a tank. I'll replace the strap buttons for straplocks.

I will have a backup battery with me because it is an active bass.

Never used.

Fantastic. It seems to be expensive, but it worths every cent.

It is a bass for the rest of my life.