All user reviews for the Music Man StingRay 4

The Ernie Ball Music Man Stringray bass guitar was made in the USA. It has 22 frets and a single humbucker pick up. It has tone and volume controls to control each part of the pick up. I'm not sure what the neck is made out of, but it has a great feel to it.

UTILIZATION

The Stringray is easy to play as the neck has a great feel to it. The shape is cool looking and while it is somewhat heavy, not too much more heavy than any bass out there. The inherent sound is unique and is easy to get a nice sound out of it.

SOUNDS

The Ernie Ball MusicMan Stringray is great for all types of music, but works best in rock and punk, in my opinion. It has a twangy sound to it that makes for a unique blend. It has a few tone control knobs so you can dial in your own tone, which definitely comes in handy. I have used overdrive with this bass and have found that you can get some really cool and interesting sounds with the inherent sound of this and a bit of drive. Overall, the Stringray has a great sound that is unique and interesting.

OVERALL OPINION

I've been using the Ernie Ball Music Man Stingray bass for about two years and I have found it to be unique in both tone and look, making for a great bass guitar. The price is reasonable as it is a high end bass. I can't say this is better than a Fender bass, but would encourage those interested in a top end bass guitar to try this as well as some of the other basses on the market, as it is all about personal preference. For the price, this is a great bass guitar with its own style.

(Originally written by chevaliernoir/translated from Audiofanzine FR)


Maple neck, rosewood or maple fingerboard.

I don't know how it influences the sound but maple fingerboards get dirty very fast.

Standard machine heads (not sealed lubricated).

It has a 3-band EQ (on the more recent versions). The battery access is great because you don't need any tools.

No balance control since the instrument has a single pickup. The pickup is very close to the bridge so you have a lot of space for your right hand.

I give it an average mark because of the single pickup and the old-school machine heads, but the instrument is very sturdy. It's also very heavy. The manufacturing quality is very good and it will certainly last a long time.

UTILIZATION

Very pleasant neck.

I'm used to playing with my thumb resting on the pickup edge. But since the pickup is very close to the bridge, I have to rest my thumb on the lowest-sounding string. It's not much of a problem if you 're already used to playing like this. I found it annoying and couldn't get used to it.

The instrument is very heavy... like its sound.

SOUNDS

It's certainly its weakest point.

Perhaps you'll love it. The sound is very special and it reminds me of a Musicman. It's perfect for a rock band. The bass sound is very present but it doesn't overshadow other instruments. The attack is very good and the powerful low-mids are perfect.

The problem is that the bass can only produce this kind of sound. It's not versatile at all. Even with the EQ you cannot really alter the sound much.

OVERALL OPINION

As an object I give it a 10.

The neck feels great (although the maple fingerboard gets dirty quickly).

The instrument is too heavy for my taste and doesn't have a thumb rest.

It's not versatile at all.

As a summary, I can understand that some musicians consider it the perfect bass but it's not for me (I will keep my 5-string Warwick and I will sell the Musicman).