Plunge into the Darkness with the DarkRay Bass
When bass players at Sweetwater first saw the Ernie Ball Music Man DarkRay bass, they could tell this was a beautiful nightmare of an instrument. Decked out with a shadowy finish, blacked-out steel hardware, and a light-consuming ebony fingerboard, the DarkRay appears as if it emerged from the farthest depths of the Mariana Trench. Buried in its select hardwood body is a custom Darkglass active preamp with built-in Alpha and Omega distortion circuits. Each circuit packs a distinct but equally devasting growl, while Blend and Gain controls let you tame the distortion or push it to the limit. Moreover, color-coded illumination on the control plate makes switching between cleans and distortions a breeze, even on dark stages. If you yearn for a bass guitar with a bit of a mean streak, then plunge into the darkness with the DarkRay from Ernie Ball Music Man.
Custom Darkglass electronics with built-in distortion
Beyond its sleek suboceanic look, the DarkRay takes its brooding name from a custom Darkglass 3-band active preamp that features two distinct built-in distortion circuits — Alpha or Omega — which take your tone from clean to crunchy to full-on heavy metal fury with the flick of a switch! A color-shifting LED on the gain knob glows menacingly when the distortion is engaged, either blue or red, depending on which circuit you choose. Moreover, players can still relish the warm girth and punchy attack of clean StingRay tones or even blend those cleans into either distortion circuit. Volume, gain, blend, treble, and bass knobs make it easy to further dial in your tone.
Premium maple neck plays like a dream
Ernie Ball Music Man put a ton of work into developing a neck that would provide you with the perfect balance of comfort, speed, and stability. The DarkRay’s premium roasted maple neck is smoky, ultra-stable, and polished with a blend of special wax and gunstock oil, so it feels amazing to play and behold. Capping the roasted maple is an ebony fretboard with a smooth, fast feel and extra sonic attack. Plus, with its 5-point attachment, this bolt-on neck delivers stability that easily surpasses most set necks.
Loaded with StingRay style, sound, and innovation
The DarkRay, like the rest of Ernie Ball Music Man's StingRay bass lineup, claims roots that run back to the 1970s, when Ernie Ball Music Man was founded. Armed with fat and punchy humbuckers, active electronics, and a delightfully chunky neck, it's no wonder the StingRay became a standard for such bass players as Guy Pratt, Cliff Williams, and Flea. The DarkRay is the latest spin on this renowned bass formula.
Ernie Ball Music Man DarkRay Bass Guitar Features:
- Unique Emerald Iris finish is only available at Sweetwater
- A performance-built bass any serious player can appreciate
- 22 stainless steel frets provide exceptionally long fret life and excellent tone
- Single active humbucking pickup with neodymium magnets for hot output
- Custom Darkglass preamp with built-in Alpha and Omega distortion circuits churns out devastating tones
- Color-coded preamp LED signals which circuit is engaged
- 2-band EQ, pickup gain, volume, and blend controls facilitate classic StingRay cleans, crushing distortions, and everything in between
- Contoured hardwood body and premium roasted maple neck deliver amazing comfort and sustain
- Easy-access truss rod adjustment wheel
