Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay Special 5 H 5-String Bass Guitar Translucent Oxblood
Music Man's reimagined StingRay 5 with weight-relieved ash, roasted maple neck, and 18-volt neodymium pickup. This is the "we listened to every complaint about the original and fixed it" version—lighter, more versatile, and still unmistakably a 'Ray.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- +Significantly lighter than previous StingRay 5s thanks to select ash, weight-relieved contouring, and lightweight hardware
- +18-volt 3-band preamp provides exceptional headroom—clean tones stay clean even when you dig in hard
- +Neodymium pickup delivers more output and tonal range than ceramic predecessors without sacrificing classic StingRay punch
- +Low B string is tight, focused, and musical—no floppiness or ambiguous note definition
- +Roasted maple neck with stainless steel frets feels fast and stays stable across humidity/temperature changes
Cons
- −At $2,849, this is serious money for a 5-string—Ibanez and Yamaha offer excellent 5ers for half this
- −StingRay tone is distinctive and forward—if you need vintage Fender thump, this ain't it
- −Weight reduction is relative—still substantial compared to modern boutique lightweights
The Verdict
That perfect 100 critic score from Guitar World isn’t hyperbole—Music Man genuinely nailed the refresh. The Special addresses the two main complaints about StingRays (weight and tonal inflexibility) without diluting what makes them iconic. That TalkBass review saying “the B string is amazing, the weight is amazing, the tone is amazing” from a confessed StingRay skeptic? That’s the story. Yes, it’s expensive, but you’re getting modern manufacturing from a California factory, neodymium electronics, and Music Man’s obsessive quality control. If you play live rock/metal and need a 5-string that punches through without getting lost, this is the answer. The lack of community score data doesn’t concern us—StingRays are polarizing by design, and if you know you want one, this is the one to get.
