❌SOLD❌ Ernie Ball Music Man Stingray 5 Bass Honeyburst, 2004

Introduced in 1987, the Stingray 5 bass was the first new bass offered following Ernie Ball’s purchase of Music Man, and has consistently had a solid following. This model is based on the Music Man Stingray bass introduced in 1976 and partly designed by Leo Fender, with input from Sterling Ball. When first introduced, it was quickly adopted by players like Tony Levin and others who frequently needed lower C or B notes, but without sacrificing the tone of higher pitches. The active controls include volume, treble, mid and bass and are powered by a standard 9v battery, quickly accessed on the back.

Featuring an Ash body and Maple neck, the Stingray 5 single pickup model seen here in Honeyburst finish dates to February 11th, 2004 and was built at Ernie Ball’s facility in San Luis Obispo, California. This bass is in overall good condition with a few minor finish marks and light fret wear.
The original hard shell case is included.

Ernie Ball Music Man’s take on the Stingray 5 Bass:

“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 StingRay 5 satisfies even the most demanding of players.”

From 2018 Guitar World article on the Stingray bass, here’s Tony Levin on his experience with the Stingray 5:

“During the Eighties I realized I needed a low C or low B more often,” Levin says. “I tried a bunch of different five-string basses, but I found the low E string didn’t sound as big or fat as I wanted it to, and I rely on that low E string a lot. The low B string sounded big and fat, but the E didn’t. When Music Man came out with the StingRay 5, they sent me one to try out. I was skeptical at first, but lo and behold the E string had the punch I wanted. I could play blues in E on the five-string and still feel very good about the way it sounded. 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.
“The StingRay sounds like a rock bass to me,” Levin elaborates. “Almost all of what I do is rock of some sort, whether it’s progressive or soft rock. It has punch. To my ears and my sensibilities as a bass player, the StingRay just has that. You don’t have to work to get that. When you’re thrown into new musical situations, it’s great to have a bass that sounds great by itself. If it’s not right, it’s usually because it needs something else like my upright or Stick. The StingRay sounds like the bass you want to have when you’re playing rock.”