My Pile of Guitars & Basses

The Musicman Basses can be briefly categorised as a Musicman Pre Ernie a ball and Ernie Ball.

Over the years a variety of models has been produced but none of these is as well known and iconic as the Musicman Stingray. The Stingray model is one of a small handful of iconic basses that would inarguably be on our bass wall poster. Considering its origins, that shouldn’t be surprising. A decade after selling Fender to CBS in 1965, Leo Fender, the father of bass designs like the Fender Precision and Jazz, had a major input in the design and conception of the Music Man StingRay Bass. Along with co-designers Tom Walker and Sterling Ball, he created the Stingray. Released first in 1976, the Stingray Bass had options not seen before on a factory produced guitar, like the active 9-volt battery-powered preamp with 2-band EQ. It also has a mega sized single hum-bucking pickup near the bridge giving it a punchy trebly sound, the 3+1 headstock, and a roundish pick-guard also referred to as the “toilet seat.” This bass despite its similarities to the Fender P, plays quite differently and users of the Stingray will know why.

Musicman Bass guitars have received world wide acclaim and when they came on the scene in the late 1970’s they were quickly becoming the bass of choice by the late punk and new romantics scene, The basses were great guitars, had active circuits and were ideal for percussive play.

Some examples in the collection are listed below: