Quite true, but neither Ernie Ball the man nor and Ernie Ball Music Man the company had/have the same attitude, disingenuous goals and business model as CBS... One has built on a legacy and the other almost killed one.
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Does Anyone Still Play Music Man Basses
- Thread starter PleyswethSqwerl
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- ernie ball musciman
I just bought 2 Stingray Retro 70s basses after having been a P bass player exclusively for several years. I love them and the necks are amazing. The Retro revitalized my interest in the Stingray
View attachment bongo 5 body front.webpView attachment bongo 5 full back.webp
Yeah, I do play Ernie Ball basses, just not the ones you probably had in mind when you asked. I bought that used black 6 for a very fair price from GC's used ads and it is getting a lot of play time. I loved it so much that I bought the new Blood Orange 6 and then the Barolo purple 5 with the killer flame neck/ebony fingerboard came up on GC's used ads and I could not resist that one. The 5 weighs 7 pounds, 15.5 ounces! The 6's each weigh 10 pounds.
I do understand that some folks (previously including me) can't get past the unique look of the Bongo basses but after you play one for a few hours you just may get hooked like I am. The ergonomic design works well for me and the electronics are superior to most of what is on the market these days. I will admit I do not care for the tone and feel of the factory installed Slinky's and have D'Adarrio EXL's on my Bongo basses as well as on most of the other basses I own.
I applaud Sterling Ball and his family for keeping a business thriving in a very difficult market.
Yeah, I do play Ernie Ball basses, just not the ones you probably had in mind when you asked. I bought that used black 6 for a very fair price from GC's used ads and it is getting a lot of play time. I loved it so much that I bought the new Blood Orange 6 and then the Barolo purple 5 with the killer flame neck/ebony fingerboard came up on GC's used ads and I could not resist that one. The 5 weighs 7 pounds, 15.5 ounces! The 6's each weigh 10 pounds.
I do understand that some folks (previously including me) can't get past the unique look of the Bongo basses but after you play one for a few hours you just may get hooked like I am. The ergonomic design works well for me and the electronics are superior to most of what is on the market these days. I will admit I do not care for the tone and feel of the factory installed Slinky's and have D'Adarrio EXL's on my Bongo basses as well as on most of the other basses I own.
I applaud Sterling Ball and his family for keeping a business thriving in a very difficult market.
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I was lucky to find this "preferred dealer network" special Bongo in vintage tobacco burst, I don't like painted necks, never understood no natural bongos.....
4H configuration is my favorite, Alder body, I think the painted ones were Basswood.
Build code:
140: Model number (Bongo H)
AA: Color (Vintage Tobacco Burst)
M1: Figured Maple Neck / Fretboard
01: Black pickguard
CS: Shipped with a case
CR: Chrome Hardware
4H configuration is my favorite, Alder body, I think the painted ones were Basswood.
Build code:
140: Model number (Bongo H)
AA: Color (Vintage Tobacco Burst)
M1: Figured Maple Neck / Fretboard
01: Black pickguard
CS: Shipped with a case
CR: Chrome Hardware
Attachments
I just acquired a 2021 Stingray Classic V in a trade. I hadn't owned a Music Man since 1989, when I sold my '86 Stingray 5 - it was a great bass, but at that point I was in the young, impoverished musician mode of selling one bass to buy another. I had been jonesing for a MM for a few years, mostly due to hearing other folks play them in live contexts where they sounded great, so when a trade offer came up involving this one I couldn't pass it up.
So far I've used this one on a couple of gigs and for some recording, and it is killer - typically great workmanship, a very even low B string that sounds like it belongs with the other strings, and that undeniable Stingray midrange presence that cuts through anything. I'm a happy camper.
So far I've used this one on a couple of gigs and for some recording, and it is killer - typically great workmanship, a very even low B string that sounds like it belongs with the other strings, and that undeniable Stingray midrange presence that cuts through anything. I'm a happy camper.
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D
Should have held on to that one - super collectable...
...the StingRay 5 came out in 1987
My bad, I guess it was '87. I bought it from the Bass Centre in LA when they were still out in Calabasas. It was one of the very first ones shipped, in fact they had Tony Levin's orange one there to demo....the StingRay 5 came out in 1987
D
Nobody plays Stingrays anymore, they are banned because one killed Steve Irwin! 
To be fair, Ernie Ball gets it confused. They refer to the Stingray 5 being introduced in 1986 and 1987…on the same page!
Ernie Ball Music Man Electric Bass Buying Guide
The original Music Man StingRay electric bass guitar was nothing short of iconic. Flea, Pino Palladino, Tony Levin, and Cliff Williams are just some of the world-class bassists who’ve used the Stin…
blog.music-man.com
As far as I know they were always way less popular than P or J basses. On par with Rickenbackers probably. For a while in the 90s there was a lot of Warwick’s, Stingrays and other active basses here in Sweden but the Fenders never really went away. The active bass thing is rare now, whether Stingrays or others. Hofner’s or Mustangs are probably more common honestly.
At this point, P or J basses and their variants are just the sound of bass for most people.
At this point, P or J basses and their variants are just the sound of bass for most people.
I have a bunch of EBMM...I would buy more...but yeah...the price is close to the 3K mark now...when I bought mine...2003, 2010, even 2013.....I got a BONGO 6 for 1800 new...they are out of reach for the average everyday player.
Well, there is no shortage of dedicated fans of MM basses here. I think most of the thread starters here about Fender basses has roots in dissatisfaction. Those that like them aren’t posting. I’ll venture a guess most MM players have at least tried Fender basses first and like MM basses better and are not likely going to post negative comments because they bought a “better” product.
And to that point, it’s my understanding most MM basses are active and most Fenders are passive. And for some having that onboard EQ is a very useful tool especially with amps with limited tonal range and thereby consider this a better option. The other thing is the gain from MM basses is significantly higher than Fender basses..
As for who is playing what to be makes no difference in what brand of bass I play. And what Brand of bass do I play? Fender passive basses, but not because I saw a picture of a hero bassist. It’s because in over 50 years of being a bassist, I’ve never had anybody, no band mates, no sound engineers, or record producers ever suggest I play anything else.
But don’t take that as a dig against MM basses. I’ve played more than a few over the years and the are great basses. Being honest, I end up making them sound as close to a FB as possible. LOL
Don't have a full scale but their models (especially cheaper sterling) felt good in my hand. If was going to play FS would be one of theirs.
And not paying $2,500 for their shorty or sterling $1,500.
Too pricey for me. Need a budget sterling.
And not paying $2,500 for their shorty or sterling $1,500.
Too pricey for me. Need a budget sterling.
Well...
Do I own an EBMM bass? Yes, I do; the one that I've wanted since they first came out - a 4HH. I had to wait quite a while for it, though. I'm left handed, and they didn't start making left handed 4HH's until the end of 2019. So, mine is a 4HH Stingray Special. Is it my most favoritest, #1 "go-to" bass? No, it's not. That bass is one like the '68 Rick 4001 bass I learned to play on, in 1968 - a '73 4001. The EBMM is in rotation with 25 of the 27 basses I own. They come out, 3 at a time, to get played hard for a month. Then, those 3 get cleaned; put away; and 3 more take their place. The EBMM might played, in rotation, twice in 2025 - or, it might not...
As for other, "prominent" bassists playing these basses? TBH, I really don't give a Hoot in Hell whether they - or anybody else - plays one or not. And, I've never cared much about what other people play; ride; drive; wear; or anything else. Trying to make myself reasonably happy, has been hard enough without worrying about what other people thought or did. I own the basses I own, because I wanted them. And, I wanted them because I liked them. And, I still own them because I still like them. Next?
As for why they don't seem to be as prominent - to you - as they maybe once seemed to be? IMO, it's most likely because - as others have said - American EBMM's have gotten too pricey for the majority of potential buyers. Plus, being an active bass is a turn off for a good number of people; as is the tone that's inherent in having a pre-amp. It doesn't bother me all that much; but, there are kinds of music I like to play, which make me reach for a different bass. But, if my 4HH suits what I feel like playing at a given moment? If it's not already out, I'll probably get it out...
So... bottom line? I don't much give a Tinker's Damn who plays what - or why. I play the basses I want to play - and, sometimes I want to play my '20 EBMM 4HH Stingray Special - with Galli JF4505 Jazz Flats on it. So, that's what I do...
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I've had a Stingray Bass for 37 years but haven't used it in over a decade. Way back in 1987 I bought a new Musicman Stringray Bass from the Pied Piper Music Store in Huntington, West Virginia and it was my main bass for 12 years. In 2009 I started playing Precision-style basses because the Stringray's tone was too bright. After 15 years of sitting unused or loaned out to a friend, in September 2024 it was placed on consignment with Carter Vintage Guitars in Nashville. I hope someone enjoys it because its a fantastic instrument but no longer the one for me.
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Yep, and it's a Music Man Music Man. Sounded great this weekend.
Just picked up a used Bongo 5 a few days ago. I got a great deal on it, so maybe they are out of fashion, but I'l definitly be playing it!
Note: I'm in the UK so its a very different market from the US.
However I think someone nailed it earlier: a new MM is a chunk of money, and out of the range of most people. I just checked Thomann and a the cheapest Fender is £599. The cheapest MM is £2555. Second hand prices are lower on both, but that just means that there are are a lot of very affordable fender's out there, while second hand MM's are rare (around here) and still FAR MORE expensive than a used fender.
Of course "rock stars" don't pay list price, but Fender can support Endorsee's far better than MM can. Despite this, at least on guitar, the MM roster (at least on guitar) is about as impressive as I can imagine. Even after loosing EVH, they have Petrucci, Lukather, Morse, and Lee as their headlin players. I guess those guys are all older/out of fashion, and maybe even they're not household names (which might attract younger players) but their legacy is insane.
There's also the way their branding works: Fander have 4 'levels': Squier, Fender MIM, Fender USA, and Fender Customshop. So do MM: Sterling Sub, Sterling, MM, and MM BFR. They're probably broadly comparable (though arguably MM is slightly nicer?), but those shopping at teir two are choosing between a "Fender MIM", and a "Sterling", so even if Fender and MM were equally popular (and they're not) you'd still see a LOT more fenders.
Note: I'm in the UK so its a very different market from the US.
However I think someone nailed it earlier: a new MM is a chunk of money, and out of the range of most people. I just checked Thomann and a the cheapest Fender is £599. The cheapest MM is £2555. Second hand prices are lower on both, but that just means that there are are a lot of very affordable fender's out there, while second hand MM's are rare (around here) and still FAR MORE expensive than a used fender.
Of course "rock stars" don't pay list price, but Fender can support Endorsee's far better than MM can. Despite this, at least on guitar, the MM roster (at least on guitar) is about as impressive as I can imagine. Even after loosing EVH, they have Petrucci, Lukather, Morse, and Lee as their headlin players. I guess those guys are all older/out of fashion, and maybe even they're not household names (which might attract younger players) but their legacy is insane.
There's also the way their branding works: Fander have 4 'levels': Squier, Fender MIM, Fender USA, and Fender Customshop. So do MM: Sterling Sub, Sterling, MM, and MM BFR. They're probably broadly comparable (though arguably MM is slightly nicer?), but those shopping at teir two are choosing between a "Fender MIM", and a "Sterling", so even if Fender and MM were equally popular (and they're not) you'd still see a LOT more fenders.
