Come to the Dark Side — with Sterling!
Run a groove through the DarkRay 5 if you dare! This Sterling By Music Man DarkRay 5 bass guitar earns its moniker from the Custom Darkglass 2-band active preamp integrated in its nyatoh body. Combined with its abyssal finish, blackened hardware, proprietary humbucker, and light-consuming ebony fingerboard, you’re sure to feel the rumble with this one. The Darkglass preamp also boasts two distinctive circuits tailor-made for ferocious distortion. This beast of darkness is tamed by a comfortably contoured body plus a roasted maple neck that provides agile comfort while grooving to the beat. To those craving a bass guitar with a shadowy side, Sweetwater bassists say the Sterling DarkRay 5 is calling your name!
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Custom Darkglass electronics with built-in distortion
Beyond its sleek suboceanic look, the DarkRay 5 takes its brooding name from a custom Darkglass 2-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. Plus, onboard volume, gain, blend, treble, and bass knobs make dialed-in tones easy to nail using this super-versatile bass.
Engineered to perform at its peak
Like its Ernie Ball DarkRay 5 forebear, the Sterling By Music Man DarkRay 5 flaunts a roasted maple neck tailored for smooth runs and fast grooves. A silky-smooth ebony fingerboard caps this neck, offering up a 12-inch radius and 22 medium frets ready for any challenge. Add bolt-on neck with six attachment points, and you’ve created a well-fitted sonic instrument with superior sonics and tons of personality.
Loaded with StingRay style, sound, and innovation
The DarkRay 5, 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. This Sterling By Music Man version of a coveted axe brings you the same qualities of the upper-end DarkRays but in an accessible package — bringing the darkness of the DarkRay 5 to more hands than ever before. Armed with a fat and punchy humbucker, 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 5 is the latest spin on this renowned bass formula, and it’s a truly unique instrument you won’t want to miss!
Sterling By Music Man DarkRay 5 Features:
- 5-string bass guitar designed to delve into extended-range depths with a built-in Darkglass distortion circuit and an abyssal aesthetic
- Comfortable nyatoh body with classic StingRay body shape
- Roasted maple neck for fretting comfort
- Silky-smooth ebony fingerboard with 22 frets
- Packed with a Sterling by Music Man-designed humbucker
- Custom Darkglass 2-band preamp with built-in Alpha and Omega distortion circuits churns out devastating tones
- Controls: 3-way preamp selector, 2-band EQ, pickup gain, volume, and blend
- Black-plated steel hardware for a bold look
- Easy-access truss rod adjustment wheel
