Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay 5 Special HH 5-String Bass, Burnt Apple, Roasted Maple Neck And Fretboard, 9.2 Lbs.

This bass is a modern take on a classic, yet revolutionary design. After Leo Fender’s near-death experience which caused him to sell Fender to CBS, he went to work for Music Man and paired up with the late great, Mr. Thunder Thumbs himself, Louis Johnson. Together they came up with a bass that had a more pronounced hi-mid range and treble response. It needed to growl and cut through the mix in a way that a P-bass and a J simply could not. The result was an active bass with a ton of power under the hood. Used in everything from disco, funk, and R&B to rock, punk, metal, blues, and even country, the StingRay has some killer in-your-face tone that still manages to avoid stepping on anyone else’s toes. It has a tremendous resonance, incomparably tight lows and a punchy top end that’s a total knockout.The B-string is also very tight and punchy. Eventhough it’s a 34″ scale, it stays tight and responsive.

The roasted maple neck on the StingRay Specials is truly a joy to play on. It feels absolutely wonderful on your fretting hand and won’t get sticky or gunky no matter how long you rock out on this for. It’s like the kashmir of maple necks. This is one of those instruments that’s put together well enough to let you feel every little vibration of every note you play. The layout is easy to work with yet provides a wide variety of exceptional tones. This axe will make a killer companion on the road and in the studio.

The fretboard is made out of a beautiful slab of dark ebony and pairs extremely well with the roasted maple neck to add some brightness to the tone. The stainless steel frets on the fretboard add a touch of brightness to the sound as well as lasting virtually forever. This configuration emphasizes all of the amazing qualities of the StingRay for an instrument that just sounds and feels unbelievable.

The 2 pickup design adds even more versatility to the traditional StingRay. The 18V preamp has all of the headroom you could possibly ever need. The neodymium magnets on the new pickups provide some solid punch and higher output than the old alnico ones for better application for more modern tones. It’s all designed to give you control and sonic power right at your fingertips. The idea for the StingRay special is a simple one: What would the StingRay be like if it had been invented and designed today, for today’s music?

Ernie Ball Music Man has hit a home run with this redesign of the StingRay.

The first bass designed by Ernie Ball Music Man, the Stingray 5 was unveiled in 1987 and has been an industry standard for extended range basses ever since. With its powerful punchy sound, the added flexibility of additional pickups and a comfortably contoured body the StingRay5 satisfies even the most demanding of players.

REIMAGINED – REBUILT FROM THE GROUND UP
Optimized, modernized, yet so familiar, the new StingRay bass is tailor-made for today’s most discerning players.

5-BOLT SCULPTED NECK JOINT
The sculpted neck joint provides uninhibited access to all 22 stainless steel frets atop roasted maple necks.

REFINED BODY CONTOURS
Enhanced body contours are rounded for more comfort in any playing position while retaining that revered, iconic StingRay sound.

REVOICED – POWERFUL NEODYMIUM PICKUPS
The new and improved StingRay electronics feature powerful neodymium magnets, bringing you more output and a wider range of sounds.

NEW 18-VOLT PREAMP
A newly designed 18-volt 3-Band preamp for extra clean headroom lets you dial in everything from modern punch to classic, vintage tones.

REBORN – LIGHTWEIGHT PERFORMANCE
Weighing in at an average of only eight and a half pounds, the StingRay is lighter than ever but still packs its signature punch.

REENGINEERED HARDWARE
Re-engineered lightweight tuning machines create a more balanced neck while still providing ultra-reliable tuning stability.

Music Store Live is proud to be an authorized Premier Dealer for Ernie Ball Music Man. This StingRay Special 5 HH is 100% brand new and is being sold with a full manufacturer’s warranty. Photos are of the exact bass you’ll receive.

Our in-house guitar tech will inspect, test, set up, and clean all of our instruments on site prior to shipping. All of our instruments are guaranteed to be fully functional upon arrival.