Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay

About the Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay

The StingRay came out in 1976 as one of the first production basses with an active preamp built in. Ernie Ball bought Music Man in 1984, so 1976 to 1984 basses are the pre-Ernie Ball era; Ernie Ball era basses are made in San Luis Obispo, California. As on the first ones, it has one large humbucker near the bridge, an oval pickguard, tuners three on top and one below, and a hardened steel bridge with adjustable string mutes, missing on some used basses. Most have a 34 inch scale and 21 frets on a maple neck with a maple or rosewood board, and many have an ash body.

On Ernie Ball era basses the neck is held by six bolts, the back of the neck has an oil and wax finish rather than lacquer, and a wheel at the body end adjusts the truss rod without removing the neck. Most have a three-band active EQ (volume, treble, mid, bass). Weighed four-string examples come in at about 8.6 to 9.6 lb (3.9 to 4.4 kg), and it comes in a Music Man hard case. The standard neck is wide; the SLO Special option slims it, with a 1 1/2 inch nut. The 40th Anniversary Old Smoothie copies prototype 26 with an alder body, a 7.5 inch radius, low narrow frets, a pickup with 10 pole pieces and a two-band preamp.

Replaced pickguards are common, and some have had the pickup or preamp swapped or the wiring changed to series. Finish cracks around the neck pocket turn up.

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Sellers are asking a median of €2,694 for the Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay today, 46% over the €1,850 it actually sells for (9 recorded sales, last 90 days; most sold between €1,700 and €1,900). The sale median is up 20% on the €1,546 of the 90 days before. There are 76 listings live right now across eBay Germany, eBay United States, Reverb, from €1,294 asking. Figures computed 18 October 2026 by Doirado from cross-platform listing data.