
A New Jersey native remembers Music Row’s early years and checks in on NYC’s current indie guitar-shop
Photo courtesy of R. Friedman, We Buy Guitars, LLC
I wanted to be anywhere but my hometown of Bloomfield, New Jersey, in the mid to late ’60s. Los Angeles would have been nice. London would have been better. Most of the bands I liked hailed from those cities.
A vintage shot of the original location of Manny’s Music. Credit: David Deranian/Digital Arts & Sciences |
After college, my new hangout in the Apple was 48th Street—“Music Row,” the nerve center of the musical instrument business in Manhattan. I can’t imagine how many hours I spent ogling the used and vintage guitars in the windows of Stuyvesant Music (aka “We Buy Guitars”), Alex Music, 48th Street Custom Guitars, Rudy’s Music Stop, Terminal Music, and, of course, the venerable Manny’s Music. It was your classic “kid in a candy store” scene. Like most young people, I had very little money to spend on guitars, so my time was mostly spent—you guessed it—pressing my nose against the glass.
Stan Jay of the famous Mandolin Brothers music shop in Staten Island remembers the scene very well.
“Silver & Horland had a very nice store near city hall and the Brooklyn Bridge, but they later moved to 48th Street and, within a few years, were gone. There was a guitar store named for and run by Noah Wolfe. Harry West—a private detective with an office on Park Place where J&R Music is now—had, in his apartment in the Bronx, one of the finest collections of acoustic instruments in the northeast. And Marc Silber, who later moved to California, had a shop in the Village. There were also buyers/sellers to whom musicians knew they could go to find special instruments. One of them was George Mell (née Melaga), who lived here in Staten Island. There was a fellow known as ‘Frank the Barber,’ who had his tonsorial parlor on 9th Avenue in Manhattan. Andy Statman purchased his famous blackface A2 snakehead Gibson mandolin from Frank.”
Debbie Harry of Blondie looks on as bassist Jimmy Destri (left) and guitarist Chris Stein (right) check out guitars at Stuyvesant Music in May of 1977. Credit: Bob Gruen
Flash forward to 2010, and things certainly have changed. We Buy Guitars on 48th closed years ago and then reopened a few years ago on Long Island. Terminal Music is gone. Alex Music is gone. 48th Street Custom Guitars is gone, and Manny’s, incredibly and unfortunately, closed last May after 75 years in business. Manny’s had been bought out by Sam Ash Music in 1999. Sam Ash told Premier Guitar in 2008 that the company purchased the store because it was having troubles, and they believed it was an institution that should be maintained. That closing was a real loss for New York’s musical community—not to mention the touring pros who frequented Manny’s regularly. I met jazz vibraphonist Lionel Hampton, blues legend John Mayall, famed producer and musician Todd Rundgren, and Barry Tashian, guitarist from’60s garage-rock band the Remains, at Manny’s.
Jay puts it rather succinctly: “The world-famous block known as ‘Music Row,’ is being gradually disassembled and dispersed so that more skyscrapers can be erected.”
This brings us to the subject of “big box” music stores. Those who know me—friends, acquaintances, and fellow musicians—know of my disdain for big-box music stores and my vociferous defense of independent music retailers everywhere. BBs certainly maintain a presence in New York City’s retail music establishment, and they have their place for the segment of the population to which they cater. But, I am pleased, even elated, to say that independent guitar shops, with their heightened selection and personalized customer service, are making a serious comeback in New York City—proving once and for all that big boxes are not taking over. Most NYC indie dealers are holding their own, and some are thriving and expanding, even in the present economic downturn.
MANHATTAN MAINSTAYS
Rudy’s Music Stop (rudysmusic.com) has occupied 169 West 48th Street since 1978. Owner/guitarist Rudy Pensa left his native Argentina with a dream to operate a music store in New York City. With a passion not only for electric instruments, but also for archtops and acoustics, Pensa is not only a player and businessman, but a builder as well. In 1982, he began making guitars that were sold in the shop, and in 1985 he began collaborating with luthier John Suhr to produce the PensaSuhr line of electrics.
Rudy’s specializes mostly in high-end instruments, as well boutique effects and amps. He also stocks numerous vintage and used guitars, amps, and basses. Rudy’s Amp Room and Repair Shop is located right around the corner at 723 7th Avenue, and his new SoHo store is at 461 Broome Street. Rudy’s prices are certainly not “bargain basement,” but there’s no denying the astounding selection of high-quality gear he sells.
Matt Umanov Guitars (umanovguitars.com) has been in Greenwich Village since 1969, but Umanov himself was doing repairs and restorations as early as 1965 before becoming a retailer. He stocks Fender, Gretsch, PRS, James Trussart, and Collings electrics, but his true love is acoustic guitars. “The need to pick up and play acoustic instruments will never go away,” he says, “it’s built into the human genome.” Umanov carries new Taylor, Martin, Guild, Collings, National, and Seagull flattops, plus used and vintage pieces. Umanov even recently collaborated with singer/songwriter Steve Earle on a signature Martin. Umanov claims it’s not hard maintaining a store in New York City, and as for the big box retailers, he commented, “Fortunately, our longevity, reputation, and location have made this not as big a problem as it is for some. We figured out how to deal with the economy last year and are doing nicely.”
30th Street Guitars (30thstreetguitars.com) has been serving the city since 1997. Owner Matt Brewster grew up working in a music store in Ossining, New York. A visit to his shop is like walking into electric guitar heaven. Used and vintage Gibsons and Fenders are everywhere, and there are lots of oddball electrics, too: Supros, Danelectros, Silvertones, Harmonys, sparkle-covered Italian kitsch, and ’60s Japanese “cheese,” such as Teiscos and Kingstons. But Brewster also builds his own Rust brand of relic’d, Fender-style solidbodies that are extremely playable and priced within reach of most guitarists. The bodies and necks are custom made for him, and he does all the relic work himself.
Flying in the face of convention, Brewster doesn’t advertise—and that includes in phone books. When questioned why he decided to start a guitar shop, he replies, “I started off playing guitar and fixing guitars, but I realized I wasn’t going to be a rock star. So after working at Ossining Music Center for over 10 years and spending about a year working for Brian Moore, one of the employees there approached me with the idea of opening a store. It’s tough to maintain a store like this with the high rent. The economy has impacted me, sales-wise, but it’s actually been good for repairs. We get a lot of international walk-in business. Brazil is a hot spot for guitar sales. Those customers tell other people and they’ll buy from us. And because we’re close to Madison Square Garden, we deal with guitar techs that come in. We work with a lot of big-name artists and I wouldn’t want to drop names, but I will say that Eric Clapton came in one day to try out guitars, because he knew he could try things out and be left alone. This is a place where everyone can be comfortable trying out guitars, amps and pedals. It should be fun!”
Cramped Quarters: The vibey entrance to Dan’s Chelsea Guitars and its eclectic collection of six-strings and memorabilia. Photo by Carianne Cianci
Dan’s Chelsea Guitars (chelseaguitars.com) is located on the ground floor of the world famous Chelsea Hotel at 220 West 23rd Street in a store not much bigger than the average Park Avenue walk-in closet. Packed into this tiny space is an extremely interesting collection of used and vintage guitars and amps of all types, as well as oddball memorabilia, vintage microphones, and other ephemera. The atmosphere is strictly “hole-in the-wall-dusty-chic,” but the staff is knowledgeable, friendly, and ready to satisfy customers with good equipment and prices to match.
First Flight Music (firstflightmusic.com) is a downtown shop that has been in operation since 1995. Owner Dan Wollock commented, “I’ve always been a part of the NYC music community, and I’ve always loved cool vintage guitars, so I put the two together.” Asked about the prospect of being a musical instrument merchant, he says, “It’s absolutely tough to maintain a retail store here. Space is expensive, and now there’s real competition. However, New Yorkers are pretty savvy and recognize something unique. Reputation is everything, so we just try and offer folks great deals and great service. Our amp repairs are fast and reliable. People come here knowing they’ll find something unique. Also, I’m fairly sure we have the biggest new and used parts selection around. Plus, we have a rock music school that goes beyond the typical guitar and bass lessons to include drums, keyboards, woodwind, and vocal instruction too.” And when queried about his specialty, Dan replies, “We change with the times. Right now, it’s what I call ‘proto’ guitars—the 1950s solidbodies by US makers like Kay, Harmony, Orpheum, and Airline, plus some of the Japanese Guyatone and Teisco models that play and sound amazing.”
Ludlow Guitars (ludlowguitars.com), at 164 Ludlow Street in the Lower East Side, has been in business since 1999. They specialize in new Gibson and Fender instruments, but carry an eclectic selection of new, used, and vintage guitars. They also claim to offer the best selection of pedals in NYC. According to co-owner Kaan Howell, “We’re here because New York is the greatest city in the world, although it certainly has been tough in the recent economic climate. But we have no reason to believe that New York City is any more difficult to do business in than any other region of the United States. It’s been tough going, but if we can survive this, and it seems that we will, then we will be able to survive anything.”
Howell also stresses that Ludlow is all about customer service. “We are a friendly local store where you can try anything and everything for as long as it takes to find what you are looking for. We are staffed by gigging musicians working on a non-commission basis, and who know the product inside and out and can provide solid advice so customers get what they need as opposed to what they might have thought they wanted.”
BROOKLYN BIG-HITTERS
In Brooklyn—“the garden spot of the world,” according to Art Carney’s character of Ed Norton on the old Honeymooners TV show—Rocky Schiano claims his Street Sounds shop (streetsoundsnyc.com) is the largest Gretsch guitar dealer in the USA, if not the world. Schiano started in the retail compact-disc business in 1988 and had three locations at one point, but when CDs started to die out in favor of digital downloading he made the switch to musical instruments, and decided to focus on Gretsch.
“I started by bringing in a few guitars, and sales started to rise as CD sales declined,” Schiano explains. “In 2005, I went to guitars only. I was open full-time, but as I no longer have a full-time store manager, I’m only open two days a week. I do about 90% of my business online.”
Street Sounds’ Rocky Schiano—New York City’s go-to Gretsch guy. Photo by Carianne Cianci
At any given time, Street Sounds has 200 to 300 Gretsches in stock. Scanning the store, one sees Gretsch boxes literally everywhere. Consequently, over the last couple of years Schiano has developed a sterling reputation as one of the go-to-guys for anything and everything Gretsch. However, Street Sounds also carries Guild acoustics and the entire Fender Musical Instrument Corporation line.
When asked how he started with Gretsch, Schiano says, “It was really by accident. I was handling mostly low-end guitars and decided to bring in the Jackson line, so the FMIC sales rep came in with all her catalogs. I noticed the Gretsch catalog and ordered two or three. I had always liked Gretsch guitars. It was hard to get up and running at first, but then Gretsch sales began to take off. I sold a lot of guitars to guys on gretschpages.com—people who are extremely passionate about Gretsch. I’ve built this business on word of mouth and reputation.”
Have the big boxes cut into Street Sounds’ business? Schiano smiles, “It’s so easy to kick their asses! I use them as a model of what not to do. We give customers great guitars at great prices, with outstanding service. We can always beat the prices the big boxes charge. The average Gretsch player has three or four, so we’ve been able to earn their repeat business by taking care of them. Gretsch sales comprise about 50% of my total business.”
“The people who run Gretsch are very passionate about what they do. Fred Gretsch personally took me down to where the old factory used to be here in Brooklyn. It was an amazing experience.”
Southside Guitars (southsideguitars.com) is owned and operated by brothers Ben and Sam Taylor, both lovers of what they call “wild and weird” electric guitars. Here, guitarists find oddball makes like Eko, Wandre, and Guyatone, as well as used and vintage guitars by Gibson, Fender, Martin, Epiphone,Rickenbacker, Danelectro, and others. Southside also sells Victoria, Vox, Gibson, and Fender amps, as well as Bill Nash guitars.
STILL KICKING IN QUEENS
The only dedicated guitar shop in Queens is The Music Zoo (themusiczoo.com), and it’s been there since 1994. Owner and NYC native Tommy Colletti taught guitar and had an extensive network of students and guitar-playing friends, so he naturally became a “guitar finder” for them. Eventually, he opened a shop that specializes in rarer guitars from the Fender and Gibson Custom Shops, Charvel, John Suhr, B.C. Rich (handmade US models), Godin, and Taylor. Music Zoo’s clientele ranges from rock stars to beginners.
According to manager Mark DiDonna, “The last 18 months have been very challenging and it has helped us to reassess how we do business. We have adjusted our business model, and our inventory reflects that. We only carry the most desirable brands. From what I can see, the worst of the economy is behind us, and our website has seen a tremendous uptick in recent months. We also get a lot of foot traffic being in New York City.” He adds, “Like other smaller shops, we are always available to the customer to answer questions and spend time finding them the right guitar.”
STATEN ISLAND STALWARTS
Mandolin Brothers (mandoweb.com) has been in business since 1971, and its owner, Stan Jay, is widely acknowledged as one of the world’s leading authorities on vintage stringed instruments—and their unassuming tan building in the suburbs has an inventory to match the reputation. It’s bursting with high-end acoustic and electric instruments of all sorts.
Jay had come to appreciate older guitars in 1964 after buying a used sunburst Gibson J-200. He and his original partner, “Hap” Kuffner, started the business seven years later when they bought the pieces of two rare banjos, which they reassembled and sold. With the profit, they bought and sold an old Martin, then borrowed $3000 “in a bold, capitalistic frenzy,” according to Jay. Then they rented a second-story walkup above a loan company.
“I’m not sure the term ‘vintage’ even existed in 1971. These were considered used or second- hand pieces until, gradually, musicians began realizing there was an unmistakable difference in sound, appearance, and playability between the old and new.” Jay continues, “It was a hobby that turned into an internationally known, niche-market business. First, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash came to visit, then Dave Van Ronk, then Mike Seeger and Joni Mitchell. Judy Collins bought a 1939 Martin D-28 herringbone from us. The market was growing and we quickly became one of its pioneers.”
But why Staten Island and not Manhattan?
“It sort of picked me. After graduating from Penn State, I came to Wagner College on Staten Island to complete a master’s degree and stayed on to pursue a doctorate in college teaching of English at Columbia University. Staten Island is a great place to live. More suburban than urban, it has the largest per-capita area of parkland in New York City, and it is a borough of single-family homes, many of which—at least on the North Shore—are old Victorians. People ask me why we aren’t located in Manhattan. Let me respond by saying that the opening statement that greets visitors when they walk in is, ‘You can play every instrument in the place and ask us up to one million questions.’ The interaction with each customer is harmonious and haimish—a Yiddish term that translates as ‘a homelike atmosphere, unpretentious, warm, cozy, and relaxed.’”
Like most music retailers, Jay has had to adjust his business model to adapt to economic realities.
“During this great economic meltdown we realized there was a strong product passage in the direction of lower-priced pieces, so we started stocking Epiphone, more affordable Martins, the truly astonishing Guild GAD series guitars made in China, Gold Tone mandolins, banjos and resonator guitars, and the new Fender American Special series electrics with their street price of $799. We shifted our product mix to reflect the acquisition patterns of a cautious customer base that’s less prone to impulse purchasing. The economy has caused us to rethink not only our product mix, but our advertising and our use of the internet.”
“Throw in the towel? Fuggedaboutit!” If there’s one thing that all of the Big Apple entrepreneurs mentioned here have in common, it’s that particularly infectious brand of savvy New Yawk determination, mixed with a bit of an attitude that makes one believe they’re in the retail game for keeps. Here’s hoping they succeed in their efforts to preserve independent music stores in New York City.
Vox’s Valvenergy Tone Sculptor
Two new pedals from the Valvenergy series use a Nutube valve to generate unique dynamics and tone ranges that can be used to radical ends.
When tracking in a studio or DAW, you’re likely to use compression and EQ on most things. Many enduringly amazing and powerful records were made using little else. And though many musicians regard both effects as a bit unglamorous and utilitarian, EQs and comps are as capable of radical sounds as more overtly “weird” effects—particularly when they are used in tandem.
I spent a day workshopping ideas in my studio using just the Vox Valvenergy Smooth Impact compressor and Tone Sculptor EQ, and a dash of amp tremolo and reverb to taste. In the process, I produced more arresting sounds than I had heard from my guitars in many days. There were radical direct-to-desk-style Jimmy Page/Beatles distortion tones, sun-sized, cosmic electric 12-string, Bakersfield twang that could burn through crude, and many other sweet and nasty colors. Most decent EQ and compressor combinations can achieve variations on all those themes. But the Smooth Impact and Tone Sculptor also reveal interesting personalities in unexpected places.
The individuality and energy in the Vox Valvenergy pedals is attributable, in part, to the Nutube vacuum tube used in the circuit. Though it looks little like a vacuum tube as most guitarists know them, the thin, wafer-like Nutube is, in fact, a real vacuum tube like those used in fluorescent displays. Fluorescent display tubes have limitations. A maximum operating voltage of around 40 volts means they aren’t useful for bigger power tube applications like a 6L6, which has an operating voltage of about 400 volts. But it can work quite well as a preamp tube in concert with an op amp power section, which is how the Nutube is used in the new Valvenergy pedals, as well as older Vox products like the Vox MV50 and Superbeetle amps.
Valvenergy Tone Sculptor
When you think about “cinematic” effects, you likely imagine big reverb or modulation sounds that create a vivid picture and feeling of space or motion. But narrow, hyper-focused EQ profiles can evoke very different and equally powerful images. Radical EQ settings can add aggression, claustrophobic intimacy, and stark, explosive dark-and-light contrasts more evocative of Hitchcock’s Psycho than Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner.
Any of these moods can be summoned from the Valvenergy Tone Sculptor. Six sliders cut or boost 10 dB frequency bands spanning 100 Hz to 5.6 kHz. A seventh slider cuts or boosts the master output by 12 dB. This platter of options might not sound like much. But you can use these seven controls together to very specific ends.
“Radical EQ settings can add aggression, near-claustrophobic intimacy, and stark, explosive dark-and-light contrasts.”
For example, bumping the high-midrange and the master output produces narrow cocked-wah-like filter sounds with enough push to produce extra amp overdrive—effectively turning the Tone Sculptor into a buzzy, almost fuzz-like filter effect. But unlike a wah, you can carefully scoop high end or add a spoonful of bass to blunt harsh frequencies or give the tone a bit more weight. You can also broaden the palette of an amp/guitar pairing. I matched a particularly trebly Jazzmaster bridge pickup with a very hot and toppy Vox AC15-flavored amp for this test—a recipe that can be spiky on the best days. But with the Tone Sculptor in the line, I could utilize the same sharp, fuzzy, and filtered Mick Ronson wah tones while shaving some of the most piercing frequencies.
EQ pedals exist on many points along the cost spectrum. And at $219, the Tone Sculptor lives on the high side of the affordable range. Does it offer something less expensive models can’t deliver? Well, for one thing, I found it relatively quiet, which is nice whether you’re shaping toppy high-contrast effects or performing more surgical adjustments. And the sliders feel nuanced and nicely tapered rather than like a dull axe with a few basic frequency notches. But in many situations I also liked the color imparted by the circuit—generated, presumably, by the Nutube. “Color,” in audio terms, is a broad and subjective thing, and one should not necessarily expect the warm, tube-y glow of a vintage tube Pultec. Still, the Tone Sculptor has many forgiving, flattering qualities—typical of studio EQs—that enable fine tuning and experimentation with more radical and creative applications of the effect.
Valvenergy Smooth Impact
As with the Tone Sculptor, the Smooth Impact’s use of Nutube engenders certain expectations. It’s easy to surmise that because Smooth Impact has a vacuum tube in the circuit that it will behave like a little Teletronix LA-2A leveling amplifier. That’s a big ask for a $219 stompbox. On the other hand, the Smooth Impact exhibits some appealing characteristics of studio tube compression. At lower compression levels, it works well as a thickening agent—adding mass without much additional noise. And at higher compression levels it can sound snappy, crisp, and tight without feeling like you’ve bled every trace of overtone from your signal.
The Smooth Impact’s controls aren’t totally atypical. But because it lacks some familiar features like variable attack and release, yet is more complicated than a 1-knob DynaComp, you have to trust your ear to navigate interactions among the controls. The most unfamiliar of these is the 3-way vintage/natural/sag toggle. The first two are defined by preset attack and release settings: Vintage is slow attack and long release, and natural is the opposite. The sag mode’s compression is more like what you get from tube saturation, and it’s useful for adding thickness and complexity to a thin amp tone at modest compression levels.
Though the vintage and natural modes certainly have a different feel, they don’t always sound worlds apart. And like the sag mode, the thing they have in common is the way they enrich lifeless amp output at low to medium compression, with a bit of grind from the tube gain and a little extra makeup gain from the output. At the most aggressive settings, the tube gain can get a little crispy. And really crushing the compression can flatline your tone without adding much in the way of extra sustain. These are limitations common to many compressors with similar features. But unless I was chasing very ultra-snappy Prince and Nile Rodgers fast-funk caricatures, I enjoyed the Smooth Impact most in its in-between ranges, where mass, mild, harmonious drive, and low noise showcase the pedal’s sometimes studio-like personality.
Darkglass Electronics unveils ANAGRAM, a flagship bass platform designed to redefine tone, flexibility, and performance. The pedal’s extraordinarily deep feature set includes multiple effects and modeling, an on-board looper and tuner.
Best of all, ANAGRAM brings together these creative tools in a streamlined, rugged format that’s designed for ease of use. Onstage and in the studio, bassists can quickly access and fine-tune their sound via the ANAGRAM interface:
- 7-inch high-brightness touchscreen for clear and intuitive control.
- Three footswitches for live performance control.
- Six high-resolution endless rotary knobs for precise parameter adjustments.
- Flexible input and output configuration.
With ultra-low latency, extensive customization, and seamless integration into the Darkglass ecosystem, it supports both studio precision and stage performance. Combining 15 years of innovation with cutting-edge processing power, ANAGRAM offers a purpose-built solution for bassists seeking unparalleled sound-shaping capabilities.
Anagram
Powered by a state-of-the-art hexacore processor and 32-bit/48kHz audio processing,ANAGRAM delivers ultra-low latency, pristine clarity, and studio-grade sound. Its intuitive blocks-based architecture lets players create signal chains in series (12 blocks) or parallel (24blocks) using a high-resolution touch display. ANAGRAM features three control modes—Preset,Scene, and Stomp—for instant switching, parameter adjustments, and traditional pedalboard-style operation. With a curated collection of distinct preamps, 50+ customizable effects, a looper, tuner, and user-generated IR support, ANAGRAM delivers unmatched creative flexibility.Seamless integration with the Darkglass Suite allows for expanded control and functionality. Additionally, Neural Amp Modeler (NAM) integration provides access to thousands
of high-quality amp and effect models, expanding tonal possibilities from analog warmth to futuristic textures.
"Anagram represents the culmination of years of research and development," says Marcos Barilatti, Managing Director of Darkglass Electronics. "We set out to create a product that not only pushes the boundaries of bass tone but also inspires musicians to explore new sonic territories."
Housed in a rugged anodized aluminum chassis, ANAGRAM is road-ready, compact, and powered via 9V or USB-C (PD). With flagship features at a compelling price, ANAGRAM represents the new standard for bassists seeking a modern platform for their performance.
Street $1199.99 USD
Alongside Nicolas Jaar’s electronics, Harrington creates epic sagas of sound with a team of fine-tuned pedalboards.
Guitarist Dave Harrington concedes that while there are a few mile markers in the music that he and musician Nicolas Jaar create as Darkside, improvisation has been the rule from day one. The experimental electronic trio’s latest record, Nothing, which released in February on Matador, was the first to feature new percussionist Tlacael Esparza.
Taking the record on tour this year, Darkside stopped in at Nashville’s Brooklyn Bowl, where Harrington broke down his complex signal chains for PG’s Chris Kies.
Brought to you by D’Addario.
Express Yourself
Harrington bought this mid-2000s Gibson SG at 30th Street Guitars in New York, a shop he used to visit as a kid. The headstock had already been broken and repaired, and Harrington switched the neck pickup to a Seymour Duncan model used by Derek Trucks. Harrington runs it with D’Addario NYXL .010s, which he prefers for their stretch and stability.
The standout feature is a round knob installed by his tech behind the bridge, which operates like an expression pedal for the Line 6 DL4. Harrington has extras on hand in case one breaks.
Triple Threat
Harrington’s backline setup in Nashville included two Fender Twin Reverbs and one Fender Hot Rod DeVille. He likes the reissue Fender amps for their reliability and clean headroom. Each amp handles an individual signal, including loops that Harrington creates and plays over; with each amp handling just one signal rather than one handling all loops and live playing, there’s less loss of definition and competition for frequency space.
Dave Harrington’s Pedalboards
Harrington says he never gives up on a pedal, which could explain why he’s got so many. You’re going to have to tune in to the full Rundown to get the proper scoop on how Harrington conducts his three-section orchestra of stomps, but at his feet, he runs a board with a Chase Bliss Habit, Mu-Tron Micro-Tron IV, Eventide PitchFactor, Eventide H90, Hologram Microcosm, Hologram Chroma Console, Walrus Monument, Chase Bliss Thermae, Chase Bliss Brothers AM, JHS NOTAKLÖN, two HexeFX reVOLVERs, and an Amped Innovations JJJ Special Harmonics Extender. A Strymon Ojai provides power.
At hip-level sits a board with a ZVEX Mastotron, Electro-Harmonix Cathedral, EHX Pitch Fork, Xotic EP Booster, two EHX 45000 multi-track looping recorders, Walrus Slöer, Expedition Electronics 60 Second Deluxe, and another Hologram Microcosm. A Live Wire Solutions ABY Box and MXR DC Brick are among the utility tools on deck.
Under that board rest Harrington’s beloved Line 6 DL4—his desert-island, must-have pedal—along with a controller for the EHX 45000, Boss FV-50H volume pedal, Dunlop expression pedal, Boss RT-20, a Radial ProD2, and another MXR DC Brick.
Well-designed pickups. Extremely comfortable contours. Smooth, playable neck.
Middle position could use a bit more mids. Price could scare off some.
$2,999
Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay II
A surprise 6-string collaboration with Cory Wong moves effortlessly between ’70s George Benson and Blink-182 tones.
Announced at the 2025 NAMM show, Cory Wong’s new collaboration with Ernie Ball Music Man scratched an itch—namely, the itch for a humbucker-loaded guitar that could appease Wong’s rock-and-R&B alter ego and serve as complement to his signature Fender Strat. Inspiration came from no further than a bandmate’s namesake instrument. Vulfpeck bassist Joe Dart has a line of signature model EBMM basses, one of which uses the classic StingRay bass body profile. So, when Wong went looking for something distinctive, he wondered if EBMM could create a 6-string guitar using the classic StingRay bass body and headstock profile.
Double the Fun
Wong is, by his own admission, a single-coil devotee. That’s where the core of his sound lives and it feels like home to him. However, Wong is as inspired by classic Earth, Wind & Fire tones and the pop-punk of the early ’90s as he is by Prince and the Minneapolis funk that he grew up with. The StingRay II is a guitar that can cover all those bases.
Ernie Ball has a history of designing fast-feeling, comfortable necks. And I can’t remember ever struggling to move around an EBMM fretboard. The roasted maple C-shaped neck here is slightly thicker in profile than I expected, but still very comfortable. (I must also mention that the back of the neck has a dazzling, almost holographic look to the grain that morphs in the light). By any measure, the StingRay II’s curves seemed designed for comfort and speed. Now, let’s talk about those pickups.Hot or Not?
A few years ago EBMM introduced a line of HT (heat-treated) pickups. The pickups are built with technology the company used to develop their Cobalt and M-Series strings. A fair amount of the process is shrouded in secrecy and must be taken on faith, but EBMM says treating elements of the pickup with heat increases clarity and dynamic response.
To find out for myself, I plugged the StingRay II into a Fender Vibroverb, Mesa/Boogie Mark VII, and a Neural DSP Quad Cortex (Wong’s preferred live rig). Right away, it was easy to hear the tight low end and warm highs. Often, I feel like the low end from neck humbuckers can feel too loose or lack definition. Neither was the case here. The HT pickup is beautifully balanced with a bounce that’s rich with ES-335 vibes. Clean tones are punchy and bright—especially with the Vibroverb—and dirty tones have more room for air. Individual notes were clear and articulate, too.
Any guitar associated with Wong needs a strong middle-position or combined pickup tone, and the StingRay II delivers. I never felt any significant signal loss in the blended signal from the two humbuckers, even if I could use a bit more midrange presence in the voicing. The midrange gap is nothing an EQ or Tube Screamer couldn’t fix, though. And not surprisingly, very Strat-like sounds were easy to achieve for having less midrange bump.
Knowing Wong’s love for ’90s alt-rock, I expected the bridge pickup to have real bite, and it does, demonstrating exceptional dynamic range and exceptional high-end response that never approached shrill. Nearly every type of distortion and overdrive I threw at it sounded great, but especially anything with a scooped-mid flavor and plenty of low end.
The Verdict
By any measure, the StingRay II is a top-notch, professional instrument. The fit and finish are immaculate and the feel of the neck makes me wonder if EBMM stashes some kind of secret sandpaper, because I don’t think I’ve ever felt a smoother, more playable neck. Kudos are also due to EBMM and Wong for finding an instrument that can move between ’70s George Benson tones and the hammering power chords of ’90s Blink-182. Admittedly, the nearly $3K price could give some players pause, but considering the overall quality of the instrument, it’s not out of line. Wong’s involvement and search for distinct sounds makes the StingRay II more than a tired redux of a classic model—an admirable accomplishment considering EBMM’s long and storied history.