Grab This Classic Groove Machine!
Born in the ’70s, the Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay electric bass has become the go-to instrument for serious bassists cross-genre. Today’s StingRay Special has been updated with performance enhancements like stainless steel frets for long-term durability, even under the fingers of the most aggressive player. The powerful humbucking pickup has been redesigned for greater punch and extended frequency response, and the updated 18-volt preamp system supplies impressive headroom for a wide dynamic range. To help you get through long sessions and marathon live sets more comfortably, the body has been redesigned for maximum ergonomics, and lighter-weight tuning machines and hardware contribute about a pound of weight relief. It all adds up to a formidable electric bass guitar that honors its heritage while forging new sonic frontiers.
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Premium maple neck plays like a dream
When it comes to bass, there’s simply no substitute for a great neck. Ernie Ball Music Man put a ton of work into developing a neck that would provide the perfect balance of comfort, speed, and stability. For the StingRay Special, they spec’d premium figured roasted maple for the neck. The special roasting process removes moisture from the wood, strengthening it while reducing weight and making the neck more impervious to changes in temperature and humidity. You’ll appreciate this as the seasons roll around or if you gig far and wide! A 5-bolt contoured neck join supplies rock-solid tuning and vibration transfer to the body while providing you with easy access to the upper register of the instrument. The neck is topped by a fingerboard with 22 stainless steel frets that will stand up to the onslaught of roundwound strings, gig after gig. The fingerboard is buffed and dressed to perfection with rolled edges for a silky-smooth feel, with no fret ends to impede your dexterity.
Killer electronics for fat, punchy, versatile tone
From the very first time you plug in your Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay Special, you’ll appreciate the phenomenal low-end punch, aggressive midrange growl, and huge tonal versatility its advanced humbucking pickup serves up. Granted, this pickup’s massive neodymium magnet structure, stout pole pieces, and beefy windings supply a solid foundation for your tone. Still, it’s the StingRay Special’s 18-volt active preamp and 3-band EQ that really let you sculpt your sound while driving long cable runs and complex processing chains without a hint of noise. As a result, bassists in a broad spectrum of genres — progressive metal, jazz fusion, funk, classic rock, and more — have embraced and deployed the phenomenal tone this amazing instrument delivers.
Loaded with StingRay style, sound, and innovation
The StingRay Special, 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 has been heard in the capable hands of bass luminaries such as Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel, Liquid Tension Experiment), Bernard Edwards (Chic), John Deacon (Queen), Tom Hamilton (Aerosmith), Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers), and countless others. Mr. Levin is quick to point out the evergreen appeal of the StingRay: “The StingRay sounds like a rock bass to me ... I still have that first StingRay 5, which has a peach-colored finish, so I call it my Barbie bass. I use it on about 70 percent of the things I do, and my other StingRays on another 10 to 15 percent. The rest is either Stick or upright.” At Sweetwater, we can’t think of a more compelling endorsement!
Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay Special Features:
- Performance-built solidbody electric bass guitar
- Deeply contoured ash body
- Roasted maple bolt-on neck with C profile
- Rosewood, roasted maple, or ebony fingerboard, depending on finish
- 22 stainless steel frets
- Neodymium humbucking bridge pickup
- 18V preamp with 3-band EQ
- Vintage Music Man bridge/tailpiece
- Music Man lightweight tuning machines
- Easy-access truss rod adjustment wheel
- Included Mono case
- Quality crafted in the US
