Music Man StingRay Bass

I have an American made Music Man Stingray, 4 string, 21 fret, 34" scale , HH bass. It has 1 volume knob and treb/mid/bass knobs with a p point pickup selector knob. It has a hardwood body and one piece bolt-on maple P-neck with all chrome hardware. Mine came with a hard case but not all do.

I play a lot of contemporary Christian (Hillsong) and old gospel and the versatility of the bass is amazing. The pickup selector is like an automatic genre switch, going from punchy rock to smooth jazz with a finger flick. The Humbucker-only setup doesn't always work for very subtle playing, even when softly playing the music director will give me the "calm down" look.

Bought this from a shop that set it up so not sure about factory set up but the pickups sound great. This is a very well built bass, solid and flaw free, nothing loose or messed up and the metallic blue is absolutely dazzling.

All I ever do is play live, this bass never shows signs of quiting. It has a few scratches but only visible on close inspection, mostly belt buckle stuff. I had to make several Jedi grade catches before I put on strap locks. I've never adjusted the rod but I probably need to, the strings require tuning frequently but not much at a time.

never needed 'em

I've been playing for nearly 2 years, same time I bought this bass. I would buy this bass again in less than a second, right after I quit crying over losing it. I absolutely love the versatility and playability but it's a little too heavy sometimes. The bass totally awesome overall, every one who sees it is stunned and those who hear it more so.

My Stingray is a 2007 Left handed 4 String 3EQ model with a Maple 1 piece neck and fretboard.
The Bass itself is loaded with one of the best active circuits I have ever come across and the range of tones available is just incredible. The Bass itself comes in a very high quality hardcase with a cleaning kit and all paperwork.
Mine was a special order and when it arrived it was inside plastic wrap, in the hardcase, in plastic, in a box!
They ship these things solid!

The range of sounds from this bass are just incredible. Pretty much any tone i could want is at the twist of a knob. I run it through a Mark Bass LM250 and a Mark Bass CL108 8x10 cab. I do find that without my Ashdown compressor pedal the high end can get a bit out of control and loose but that is personal more than anything, i play with a very low booming sound and i like to keep the highs out, for many people that high end might be a great thing.

The bass was perfectly set up when it arrived, however! It was specially ordered and i did request it set up for 1 step down tuning which wasnt dont and I had to have a new set up when it arrived anyway.
However for the few days i played it in regular it was brilliant, the frets are all perfect and no finish problems at all.
One issue i have noticed and that 2 friends who play Stingrays have also had is that the controls do seem loose and need regular tightening and for a bass costing over ??1700 that seems a bit poor.

I have gigged this bass pretty often and its never failed on me yet. The battery lasts a heck of a long time and the hardware is built to survive a nuclear blast!
I always carry my trusty Fender P in case of an issue but other than for a quick pre gig tune the Fender hasnt had to leave its case all the time i have been using it.
If you do gig this without a backup DO carry a spare battery because you never know!

Never dealt with them past ordering, and then i spoke to the dealer who forwarded everything on.
I will say however that no matter what country you are in when you register your instrument you get a free set of Ernie Ball Strings. Thats the first time i have ever had an instrument where the freebie for registering was available to the UK.

Realistically this is the best bass I believe you can get for the money.
If you prefer the feel of a Warwick or a Ricky or a Sandberg etc no review is going to convince you the Stingray is better but if like me you want something with a huge range of tones, great playability, classic looks and built to last I honestly cant think of a better bass.
The ordering process is brilliantly simple even for a picky person like me (I wanted the scratchplate changed, also the strings on it replaced and a few other bits and they didnt even charge extra)
My Fender P is always a backup and its a great bass but for the time being my Stingray wins out
And of course every kid just learning bass who see's yours will turn green with envy!

I have the standard just like all the other Stingrays.

The sound is perfect. If you have been playing bass for awhile and are looking for a phat, smooth sound, this is the one for you. I suggest using it with a bassman combo amp, but w/e. I think its perfect for slap with a compressor in the amp or a pedal.

I got mine used and it still holding up pretty good. I have it for one year, but the guy before said he used it for five.

This is where you might have a problem. You have no way to tell if your battery is going to run out in 30 mins or not. I have had this problem with other basses and it isnt a big deal as long as you use a new battery every gig, just in case or take battery out and usee passive pickups (dont do that...).

Overall this is the best i will ever own so what can i say? It's a stingray. Even the pros use it.

MIA 2008
Sequoia Gold Limited Edition HH Stingray w/ all gold hardware
21 Frets
Volume, Treb, Mid boost, Bass and a five way pickup selector.
MM pickups
Runs on a single 9v
Size: 13-1/2" wide, 1-5/8" thick, 44-7/8" long (34.3 cm wide, 4.1 cm thick, 114.0 cm long)
Weight: 9 lbs, 5 oz
Body Wood: Ash
Neck: Maple
Fingerboard: Rosewood
Tuners: Schaller

I play Pop rock, Blues, and P&W. This bass has a huge heads up on the original MM. The second Humbucker adds tones that you could never obtain with just one. You can get from Fat reggae tones to gritty growling rock your face off tones.
The pickup selector switch adds amazing options as well. You can run the pickups in series or parallel.
The back position gives you the entire bridge pickup.
The second position is the two outer coils on both pups.
The middle position is both pups.
The third position is the two inner coils.
The fifth position is the neck pup.

I factory setup was decent. I took it to a local guitar tech and he really brought out the "feel" it is supposed to have.

The finish on this bass is just plain sexy. PERFECTION, the sequoia gold is a mocha brown color with a light gold sparkle mixed in. Matched with the gold plated hardware it is hard to beat the beauty of this bass.

Don't be distracted by the beauty of this bass, because this thing is a work horse. She will take a beating and keep on thumping.
The finish seems sturdy just needs the normal TLC that every $1000+ should get.

never had to use it

I have been playing for over 14yrs. I would buy this bass again in a second if it was stolen.

March/April 1977 stingray bass, sunburst, original except brass nut, re-fret and treble pot.
Still has it's mutes and case

I've played this bass since 1982 in a wide variety of styles from quiet dinner jazz to heavy pub rock, it covers everything. It's best suited to funk and disco obviously yet can be coaxed to sound warm and sweet at will, or even p-bass like enough for motown etc.
I'm using SWR 350 and Aguilar AG500 heads (the SWR being warmer/less aggressive) and Mesa-boogie and SWR speakers. I've also played this bass through many other amps and the tone and big output is always unmistakable MM. This bass is great live and in the studio where it's pre-amp output records well straight into the desk, clean and warm. The only complaint - it's heavy, 3 gigs in a day and you'll feel it.

The bass was 5 years old when I bought it so unsure. I adjust the neck at least twice a year due to climate, all hardware adjusts well after 31 years except I've never found a perfectly fitting allen key for the truss rod so I risk burring it with a smaller one when adjusting.
The finish and fit were impeccable, though easily worn paint and neck laquer probably made it age quicker cosmetically, I don't mind the worn look. It has fallen over a few times but breaking it would be hard.

I guess I've covered this. It's done thousands of gigs and apart from frets, will never wear out. I use it without backup locally. The battery lasts about a year on mine (epoxy covered pre-amp) but when it starts to die it's all over in the space of a couple of songs. CARRY A SPARE BATTERY

Don't know if it applies to CLF stingrays and have never needed it

I've been playing since 1979.
I have a '63 jazz, '64 and '65 precisions (64 modified with alembic p/u's), a Status 5, fretless Ibanez and recently bought a MM SUB bass off ebay for my son's 14th, sounds and feels like the '77 for hundreds less than I paid back in '82.
When I first heard and picked up my bass teachers stingray in 1980, I fell in love. I always wanted a sunburst p bass as a kid but ended up buying the stingray, If I were parted from my '77 I would never get over it - it has become part of me

Mine is a 1979 and I bought it new. It is sunburst and came with an all maple neck which was replaced in the mid to late 80's after the truss rod no longer worked. Was actually a benefit because John Buscarino of the famous Buscarino jazz guitars was actually making electric guitars and basses at the time before he started his high end jazz boxes. He put an a beautiful bubinga neck with ebony fretboard and medium jumbo frets, all for $200! And that included the labor!!! Everyone else has detailed the features and mine is no different and it is totally unmodified with the exception of the neck.

I love this bass and when I find myself putting in the case for extended periods of time (because it is pretty heavy) and then go back to it, I really appreciate how well it plays and sounds. I play alt rock, classic and current rock, country and blues. When I first bought it I was playing through an Acoustic amp with a huge 1-18" folded horn cabinet. Later I bought a MusicMan Sixty-five amp with 1-15" bottom that I still own and I use a small Polytone amp for practice. Also have a Carvin amp that I do not remember the model that has 2-12" speakers. I don't usually use effects with it but I do have an MXR Envelope Filter that I messed with a few times.

I really don't remember the original factory set-up but after it had the new neck put on it was set-up great! If I ever decide to get serious about 6-string guitar and have the money I would love to have a Buscarino Jazz Guitar. I believe that there were no issues with this bass when I bought it.

As previously mentioned, the truss rod broke or at least it could no longer be adjusted so I have to rate this category a little lower. In all fairness to MusicMan, I do not know if the truss rod was a manufacturing defect or the fault of the tech but I now know how fortunate I was to get turned on to Nova Guitars that John owned at the time so that I was able to have one heck of a neck made and installed. I never take more than 1 bass to a gig, and yes I have broken a string or 2 but not often enough to lug 2 or more basses around. No other complaints.

Never dealt with them.

I started playing in 1970. I mentioned my amps in the sound category. I have 2 Ibanez basses, 1 is a copy of an G*bs*n EB-3, the other I use for practice because it is lighter than this Sting Ray, and also a Guild acoustic bass. My MusicMan is da bomb. If it were lost or stolen I don't know what I would buy. Maybe a Fender Precision or Jazz because to get an exact replacement of this MM would be cost prohibitive. Who knows. I love the action and sound. I hate the weight. I would recommend this bass to anyone who is looking for a quality instrument but I have not played the newer ones so I have no opinion on that.

4 string stingray. fretted.

Mine is Black. I think this means it has an alder body.
do the white one's have ash? anyone know? i know they're a little bit more money... maybe just not as many white made, or more expensive finish.

anyways, i've had active basses with ash bodies before and i really didn't notice that much of a difference in tone once i dialed in my amp to the particular axe. this one does have a maple fretboard, however, and i do notice an overall vibe and color in the tone from any maple board bass.

the neck is unfinished, which i love (i have a Ric with a typical finished neck - in black - and while i love the ric for its own vibe, the stingray's neck makes funky grooves feel more natural).

body style is typical fender doublecut. pickup is the FAT humbucker we all know and love.

tuners are nice and heavy typical Made-in-USA bass tuners.

hardware i believe to be chrome. love the bridge. really heavy stuff... unlike typical fender bridges (except for the ones with the Badass II bridge). fenders usually have string-thru-body, but still... a heavy bridge just makes it feel so much more "bass-like." i think the Ric's have the nicest... then stingray.

i give it a solid 9 because it has exactly what is needed for what it wants to do. i love the layout of a Ric or Les Paul. 2 pickups. 2 volume pots. 2 tone pots. and a ric is for playing melodic flowing lines. the stingray likes to be aggresive and cut into the mix as hard as possible, and for this it has the right p/u configuration... and the nice active electronics with bass/mid/treble boost. perfect.

the stingray has the stingray sound, yes, just like a Ric has that "it" factor where you hear one and just kinda know (if your ears are good). however, i do think it's more than a one-trick kind of thing. Gibson Eb-0's or the newer SG basses ARE one-trick axes. they rumble and grind in a low, passive sort of way. some thing a p-bass is in the same boat, but i have to disagree.

just like a pbass, i find the stingray to be quite versatile. i have an ampeg svt-450h (solid state, but a SUPERB amp when cranked - it growls just like a svt-classic but weighs half as much), a Trace ah500x, and an Ashdown 500 evo II... and through each amp the stingray has its own unique feel.

the ampeg gives it that grinding, in your face, ac/dc, rock n roll (or punk) sound. like meat and potatoes, everybody enjoys it at one time or another... and yes, in an ampeg it really does just do one thing... tear your face off.

through the Trace is another story. the trace has an 11-band EQ (a good one!!) so i can really dial in certain frequencies and "trick" myself into thinking it's a passive motown thumper, or a burpy jaco fusion sound. but there is no doubt, it is more in your face than say the geddy lee jass bass i also have and tried to run through it and A/B the two (the geddy also has hot pickups for a bass, but no active electronics).

and through the ashdown it personifies (to me) the sound of a bass. ashdown color and slight drive with typical "in your face" stingray grind. and while not as tweakable as the Trace, the ashdown and 3EQ on the stingray DO allow me to get some nice tones. from Reggae Dub tones, to Bright JJ Burnell tones, to grinding Korn-like bumps. it really can do lots and LOTS of different styles if your gear is ready for it, however, as stated it will always sound like a stingray... just like a ric will always have a ric characteristic to it.

if i had to pick just one amp with this bass, it'd be the trace, hand's down. i just love the versatility and slight vintage factor of the two together. the ampeg is awesome... but as i have evolved as a bassist i can't make due with just the one meat and potatoes sound anymore. i love the ashdown head. honestly, however, i do feel it colors your tone more (like the ampeg, but in it's own way) and i just find the trace to be more fun to play with to get different tones.

i got mine INSIDE a store, not from online, and so i want to touch on this. i too have ordered guitars and basses from the internet. and some of them came perfefct. while others required A LOT of setup by a Luthier. however, this one i played in the store and it was PERFECT for me. action, finish, smell, haha, everything!!

but in the store i also picked up a natural colored stingray with a rosewood fretboard and the setup was AWFUL. bow in the neck. SUPER high action. the wood looked rather sloppy. i know it was a natural bass... but still, it wasn't as nice as the one i went home with.

so my 2-cents are to only talk about overall workmanship of the bass. these companies put out a lot more axes these days and so it's natural for a few sloppy setups to get out the door. even my Ric came from the factory with action so high i felt like i had to jump on it to play it.

and as far as workmanship goes on this bass (or the Ric) i can't say enough about it... when you pick one up it just makes you FEEL like a bassist again. so much more so than a P or J bass. even a warwick. i'm not badmouthing them... but they seem a little pretentious to me. all those higher end shops. Music Man and Ric seem to just keep it simple, yet do it perfectly. i love em.

so far so good!!
standard warranty for 1 year or whatever (just against finish flaws).
but i mean, it's a guitar, not much that can go wrong with it if you're not a dumb***.

don't know.

i'd give this bass a 10. i have been playing for about 6 years and owned several basses on my search for one that fit me. j and p basses will always have a place in my heart. but for know i think i'll be set with my 1 stingray and my 1 4003 Ric until i go to the grave.
the stingray just does funk and rock so well that it's almost impossible to put down. i can't shred as fast on the stingray as on the ric, but when i pick up the stingray usually it's for a good reason - i want to slap the **** out of something... and this bass is built like a russian tank.

I own a mid-to-late 70s Leo Fender Music-Man StingRay 4-string Bass. The body is made of ash and the neck is maple. It came with the single Hum-bucking pick-up (near the bridge), and only 2-tone controls, i.e. treble and bass. Anyone familiar with Leo's basses will recognise tne mark of the 'genius'. It features a 'string-thru' body, and I am quite sure the bridge is sitting on some kind of metal plate. The tuners are probably Grovers, but surprisingly, the neck reminds of a Fender Telecaster Bass (like the one Sting plays). It came with a hard-shell case, all the 'little tools' and a beautiful colour booklet/manual of how to set it up.

This bass sound amazing, in the studio and live. In the early 80s, I had it 'modded' by adding the Bartolini MM replacement pick-up (with coil taps) in the bridge position. It gave me the dual sound of Music-Man and Steinberger (in the tap position). I love the sound so much, I added another P-Bass style Bartolini near the neck, coming out of its own separate out-put. This is a monster dual-pickup, dual-output bass that is at home in any style of music. To round off the mods, I had a 'brass-nut' installed. Connected to an amp via an A/B box, the tonal variety is so vast, it is mind-boggling.

The set-up from the factory was flawless. Everything worked the way they are supposed to.

This bass has played sessions in the UK, Europe, North America...and this includes 'funk, r&b, reggae, ska, blues, hard-rock, metal and even 'industrial' type music. It still has the original hard-ware, a few dings on the body (adds character), and the typical 'I've been everywhere, and done it all ' look, that deserves respect. It is the only bass I own, meaning, no back-ups.

As this bass is over 30 years old, I am quite sure I'm on my own for repairs, etc. However, I've heard good things about Ernie Balls good product support.

Been playing for-ever. What the heck, am I that old?. Actually I started playing when I was quite young. I used to own Fender Precisions, Jazzes, Rickys and so on. This monster kick all their butts. I even tried one of the Warwicks (nice bass too), but it got its butt kicked too.
This 'modded' machine is 'the bass' as far as I am concerned. I loved the new Ernie Ball Sting-Rays too. As a matter of fact, four bass-players, who are also friends tried my 70s Sting Ray, and ended buying the EB versions (it is the closest relative).

I went for the StingRay HH (new out), black body and pick guard with maple neck and fretboard.

The variety of sounds from the HH is amazing!

Came with the MusicMan case, rag, and information about the pickup selection.

I play through a Trace Elliott AH300 Series 6 Head and a custom 15" cab.

I like the variety of sounds that I can get from having the 5 different pick up selections. Also with the 3 band EQ, the variety of sound is just endless.

Plugged straight into a desk, this bass is clean and clear. I am experimenting with strings as you notice cheap strings with this bass.

The thing I like about it, is that it's pure, it's just a damn good bass, no real technology in it, just damn good the way it is.

Action was perfect from when I got it - although it was set up by Trevor Durrant Guitars prior to sale, as they do with all their guitars.

If this was a car, it would go round the clock...it's solid.

Send off your warrenty and get free strings!

This bass has everything:
>it sounds amazing on stage and in the studio
>you can play and record any style
>it looks GREAT
>you don't need a backup bass, this won't fail.

All the features have been listed before, mine is a 4-string with an ash body and maple neck/fretboard (very beautiful wood grain). My previous bass was a Jazz, so the neck was kind of fat at first, but it is easy to get used to. Came with a nice case.

Personally, I love the sound. It suits my style, which is very diverse, I'll go from Tool to Red Hot Chili Peppers to Led Zeppelin to Rush... it's been put through its paces, and always turns out favorably. I play it through a Trace Elliot head, Hartke 4.5 XL, and Hartke 215 XL. I never play with a pick, and it sounds great whether slapped, plucked, tapped, etc. Fairly bright sounding, especially with the GHS's I string it with. As mentioned above, my style is pretty diverse, and it sounds great no matter what I'm playing. Hasn't been gigged yet, but I can't imagine it would perform any differently.

Another strong point on the bass. It was set up perfectly. The finish is stunning, the ash body, coupled with a maple fretboard and tortoishell pickguard, is beautiful. Action was perfect, I got it from Corner Music in Nashville (great people... if you live around Nashville and haven't been, I highly reccomend them) and they set it up to my liking upon purchase. No flaws on the body or neck, or inside the control cavity. Truly an immaculate bass.

I have no doubt it will withstand live playing, I baby my basses. I basically stand still while playing live (think Entwistle), so unless some freak accident occurs nothing should happen to it. Hardware and finish seem extremely durable. Truss rod has not yet had to be adjusted, and I replaced the strap buttons with Dunlops (personal choice, the original strap buttons held the strap pretty well, but with a $1,300 bass, I don't want to take any chances.) Would not gig without a backup, not because I don't trust the bass, but because it is stupid not to.

Haven't had to deal with them, and I seriously doubt I'll ever have to.

I've only been playing for 3 years, but I know a good bass when I play one, and I am very determined in my playing, I practice 2-3 hours daily. I also own a Fender Jazz, and the aforementioned amp/cabs. If it was stolen, I would be pissed, as it took forever to save up the money, but I would probably buy another one and hope I come across another one this good. Originally intended to buy a Warwick Corvette (which will probably be my next bass, but I'm still content with the Stingray for now). Chose this over other basses because I simply loved the tone and the feel of the neck. This bass is highly reccommended