Ernie Ball Music Man proudly celebrates 50 years of the iconic StingRay with the introduction of the all-new 50th Anniversary StingRay Bass, alongside the all-new DarkRay II, new StingRay Special bass finishes, the John Petrucci Signature Majesty Premium Select, Jason Richardson Artist Series Cutlass collection, the 30th Anniversary Axis guitar, and new finish options for the Custom Design Experience.
For five decades, the StingRay has set the benchmark for bold, forward-leaning bass tone. The Ernie Ball Music Man 50th Anniversary StingRay Special honors that legacy with two limited-edition finishes. Liquid Gold is hand-numbered and limited to 50 instruments worldwide, featuring a striking golden reflective pickguard for a truly exclusive presentation. Molten Gold, limited to 300 instruments, showcases a metallic gold finish on the body and
headstock—each with its own unique character. Both versions are paired with an ebony fretboard with gold face dot inlays and glow-in-the-dark side markers for effortless navigation on any stage. A roasted flame maple neck and poplar body deliver a fast, comfortable, and perfectly balanced feel, while gold hardware throughout, including a 50th Anniversary-stamped bridge, completes the look. Finished with a commemorative 50th Anniversary silkscreen on the back of the headstock, each bass ships in a deluxe hardshell case with a certificate of authenticity.
50th Anniversary StingRay 4 Features:
● Roasted figured maple neck
● Gold face dot Inlays with glow-in-the-dark side dots
● 50th Anniversary stamped bridge
● Certificate of authenticity
● Deluxe hardshell case
The 50th Anniversary StingRay 4 Special in Molten Gold will be available at all Ernie Ball Music Man retailers, and the Liquid Gold colorway will be available exclusively in the Ernie Ball Music Man Vault this spring.
The DarkRay™ II bass expands on the aggressive, modern foundation of the original DarkRay by adding fully integrated octave up and octave down effects for an even broader sonic palette. Featuring the same core specs players know and trust, the DarkRay II includes a master volume, bass and treble EQ, a distortion control with a push/push function to switch between two distinct distortion voices, and an octave control with a push/push function to select octave up or octave down. Both the distortion and octave knobs feature LED rings that illuminate when
engaged and change color to indicate the selected mode, providing instant visual feedback. A three-way switch selects the core tone, octave only (middle position), or octave combined with distortion (neck position), making it easy to move from tight, punchy bass tones to massive, harmonically rich textures. Available in Black, Showtime, Spectralite, and Mean Green Burst, the DarkRay II delivers uncompromising tone, cutting-edge functionality, and unmistakable Ernie Ball Music Man style.
The DarkRay II will be available this spring.
First introduced in 1976, the StingRay has been revered as one of the most iconic bass guitars in history. The flagship of the Music Man line, today's StingRay Special retains the same signature features that it had some forty years ago, including a solid roadworthy construction, iconic oval pickguard, 3+1 tuning key configurations, and the ever-popular Music Man humbucker, all of which combine to produce a look, feel, and sound that is remarkably unmistakable.
The StingRay Special will be available in 4 or 5-string in either H or HH pickup configurations.
The new StingRay Special finishes will be available this spring.
The John Petrucci Signature Majesty Premium Select delivers refined tone, precision, and versatility at the highest level—the culmination of years of touring and recording during which John Petrucci gravitated toward a mahogany neck-through body with alder wings and a thick maple top for added depth, sustain, and articulation. Features include a 24-fret ebony fingerboard with stainless steel frets, glow-in-the-dark side dots, DiMarzio Rainmaker and Dreamcatcher humbuckers, a piezo-equipped Music Man floating tremolo, stereo/mono outputs, and a 20+ dB onboard gain boost. Available in Carnelian Red, Ka'anapali Dream, Mystic Dream, Purple Nebula II, and Strawberry Moon.
The Majesty Premium Select will be available this spring.
Introducing the Jason Richardson Artist Series Cutlass HT 8-String, a bold evolution of the signature line and now available in three striking translucent finishes: Water Temple, Death Mountain, and Kokiri Forest. Designed for modern technical players, this multiscale powerhouse features a 25.5”–27” scale length—from the high E down to the low F#—providing exceptional clarity, tension, and articulation across the full extended range. An alder body with a buckeye burl top is paired with a roasted, figured maple neck and ebony fretboard, delivering a premium feel and outstanding stability. Outfitted with Jason Richardson HT humbuckers, the Cutlass HT 8-String offers crushing output, precise note definition, and dynamic tonal versatility. Additional pro-level features include 24 stainless steel frets, a hardtail bridge engineered for superior sustain and tuning stability, a push/ push volume knob for a 20+ dB boost, and coil-splitting via the push/push tone control. Engineered for players who demand peak performance and expressive range, this 8-String expands the sonic possibilities of the Jason Richardson platform like never before.
The new Jason Richardson Artist Series Cutlass colorways will be available this spring.
Introducing the 30th Anniversary Axis guitar. To mark 30 years of the Axis, we’re revisiting the translucent finishes that defined its 1996 debut—Translucent Gold, Black, Pink, Red, Blue, and Purple—applied to hand-stained quilt maple tops and paired with black, lightly sparkled backs that subtly echo each color. Each guitar features a figured maple neck with stainless steel frets, glow-in-the-dark side dots, the original asymmetrical neck carve, and the sought-after DiMarzio® custom-wound pickups that helped define the Axis feel and sound. Finished with a color-matched headstock face, a 30th Anniversary Axis logo on the back, and limited to 90 Gold, 60 Black, Pink, and Purple, and 30 Blue and Red instruments worldwide, every guitar ships with a certificate of authenticity and a deluxe Music Man® hardshell case.
The 30th Anniversary Axis Guitar will be available this spring. The Ernie Ball Music Man Custom Design Experience has expanded with 14 new finishes, offering even more ways for players to create their own custom StingRay bass. The Custom Design Experience is an online custom instrument configurator that allows customers to design and build their dream StingRay Special Bass guitar. Customers can choose from 4-string and 5-string models, right- and left-handed orientations, single- and double-humbucking pickups, finishes, necks, pickguards, hardware, tuning, case options, string gauges, and more. All Custom Design Experience instruments are built in the Ernie Ball Music Man San Luis Obispo, CA, facility and are shipped directly to the customer.
