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MYSTERIOUS: Music man - What They Never Told You

“It was like, ‘Here’s what we need.’ They said, ‘But you have to use Fender parts.’ I said, ‘Alright, I’ll see you guys later’”: Steve Morse on why his ill-fated Fender signature guitar never got off the ground

Before partnering with Ernie Ball Music Man for his now-iconic signature, Morse was courted by Fender – but the project didn’t get far

Guitar World

“I’m not an amp snob. I’m gonna give everything a try. Some of the oddest guitars and amps I have are ones I’ve used on my favorite songs”: Joe Perry gives us a decade-by-decade guide to the amps behind his Aerosmith tone

Is Joe Perry a Marshall guy, Fender guy, boutique guy, pedal amp guy? Answer: he’s all of the above

Guitar World

“It was like, ‘Congratulations, you just bought Leo Fender’s company. Now you gotta learn how to make guitars’”: The origins of Ernie Ball Music Man – and how it all started with a bass

The StingRay was worked on by Sterling Ball, Leo Fender and others, initially under the Music Man brand name

Guitar World

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NAMM 2026: The best new things in bass from the biggest music instrument event of the year

From Aguilar to Ashdown and beyond, here’s a look at the new gear that had bassists abuzz at this year’s NAMM show

Guitar World

“Can do everything the Strat doesn’t do”: Sterling by Music Man rolls out a more affordable version of Cory Wong’s signature StingRay II – plus the brand’s first-ever baritone

Cory Wong's Music Man StingRay II launched at last year's NAMM, and, just one year later, we're getting a Sterling by Music Man version that's a fraction of the original's price...

Guitar World

“Designed to meet the technical demands of Jason Richardson”: Sterling by Music Man offers scaled-back, but equally versatile, versions of the former All That Remains guitarist's signature Cutlass

Some minor tonewood and pickup tweaks help reduce the cost, but there’s still shredability aplenty, alongside push-push controls for coil splits and volume boosting

Guitar World

“Some Squier guitars have more flash, panache and personality than many standard Fender guitars”: Why the stigma of budget electric guitars has disappeared over the past 25 years

As Squier and Epiphone have upped the quality, expanding their range, so too have the likes of PRS, ESP, Jackson and more, narrowing the gap between beginner and “serious” instrument

Guitar World

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"When I got my first signature, I was probably too young. I was really excited, but I also felt maybe a little bit of imposter syndrome – I don't know if I'm a real guitar player": Benji Madden on the gear that made him, and his forthcoming signature Suhr

The Good Charlotte guitarist lifts the lid on the secrets of his tone, the multi-effects unit that he thinks is a “game-changer,” and why he was “too young” for his first signature model

Guitar World

“Scoring especially highly for its superb ergonomics”: Sterling By Music Man Kaizen 7 review

Progressive guitar icon Tosin Abasi's dramatic Music Man custom seven-string, re-imagined for those with lighter wallets

Guitar World

“I said to my tour manager, ‘I need 350 bucks,’ which he wasn’t happy about. That bass changed my career”: In 1981, Pino Palladino bought a fretless StingRay that altered the course of his musical life – now it’s been recreated as a signature model

In 1981, Pino Palladino bought a fretless StingRay that altered the course of his musical life – now it’s been recreated as a signature model

Guitar World

“It’s built to reflect how I play”: Ryan “Fluff” Bruce’s Sterling by Music Man signature is finally here – and it’s more than $2k cheaper than the premium model

Fishman Fluence humbuckers make way for “do-it-all” Seymour Duncans, but otherwise, it’s a faithful recreation of the YouTuber’s Swiss Army riff machine

Guitar World

“I love my Strat; I’m a Strat guy through and through, but I just needed a guitar with humbuckers”: Cory Wong on the making of his signature StingRay and how Vulfpeck just, y’know, made an album during a show

The funkmeister guitarist is back with a whirlwind of new recording projects in his wake, and a fresh new signature guitar by his side

Guitar World

“Every time I put one of these guitars on it’s just a reminder of the relationship with my friends”: Ernie Ball Music Man shakes up Steve Lukather’s L4 signature series with new pickup options, finishes and a BFR HSS dream machine

But if these high-end electrics are a bit out of your price range, Sterling By Music Man has you covered with its $649 Lukather signature model in all-new finishes

MusicRadar

“Any bass guitar for under $250 with this sort of pedigree…how can you go wrong?”: Sterling By Music Man Intro Series StingRay Ray2 review

As a budget-friendly version of the US-made original, can this wallet-friendly StingRay really do the business?

Guitar World

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Guitar World

“I've been a Strat guy my whole life, but this instrument is going to give me options to expand my color palette”: Cory Wong teams up with Ernie Ball Music Man on a StingRay bass-inspired electric guitar – while still keeping ties with Fender

The StingRay II and StingRay II Deluxe offer a six-string twist on the iconic bass design – with Cory Wong-flavored specs

Guitar World

“The highly anticipated Sterling version has arrived – now with a standard scale”: Sterling by Music Man serves up an affordable take on Tosin Abasi’s Kaizen, plus Rabea Massaad and Fluff signature guitars

The wait for mid-priced versions of some of Ernie Ball Music Man’s most innovative signature models is now over –although not without some significant tweaks...

Guitar World

“Blends style and performance, and modern features with classic appeal”: Sterling by Music Man brings six high-end builds to affordable price ranges – covering guitars and basses

From the EVH-rooted Axis and the Cutlass, to a collaborative Darkglass bass, the Ernie Ball-owned firm is serving up cut-price versions of fan favorites

Guitar World

“A highly responsive and expressive solidbody electric that delivers world-class tones”: Ernie Ball Music Man Axis review

Once upon a time, it was Eddie Van Halen's signature model. Now, it's simply one of the best high-performance electrics money can buy, and perhaps it's time it should be recognized as a true modern classic

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MusicRadar

“A collection designed to offer exceptional quality and player-friendly features at an accessible price”: Sterling By Music Man unveils entry-level Intro Series, offering a Cutlass for $199 and a StingRay for $249

And you've got four sweet finish options on each model... How’s that for beginners’ luck?

Guitar World

“We are looking at getting this up and running as soon as possible. I am very, very excited”: Rabea Massaad confirms an affordable Sterling by Music Man version of his refined signature Sabre is officially on the way

The guitarist has revealed a scaled-back signature is in the works, and it might arrive in time for NAMM 2025

Guitar World

“One piece of rock and roll history that has remained absent for three decades”: Eddie Van Halen’s long-lost Canada flag Music Man has been unseen for 30 years – now it’s going up for auction

The guitar was custom-painted for a special Canada Day concert in 1993, and its whereabouts for the past three decades remain a mystery

Guitar World

“A sophisticated piece of hardware made for the working pro but priced for the serious amateur enthusiast”: Sterling By Music Man Ray34 (PSK) bass review

The Music Man people are at it again, offering a classic instrument that leans heavily on their tried-and-true heritage, but with a modern attitude.

Guitar World

“A vintage-inspired instrument that drips with 1970s tone and a superb feel”: Ernie Ball Music Man brings old-school style to a premium modern platform with the Retro ‘70s StingRay

The original ‘70s StingRay bass was championed by countless low-end legends. Now it’s been revived as a new vintage classic that boasts era-correct specs and impeccable playability

Guitar World

“Strat connoisseurs should find that the pickups deliver the tonal qualities of their dreams”: Ernie Ball Music Man Luke 4 SSS review

The EBMM x Steve Lukather collab celebrates a landmark anniversary with a triple-single coil model that is ridiculously effective and well put together

Guitar World

“It’s like an artifact from an ancient technological civilization”: Tosin Abasi and Music Man unveil two new eye-catching finishes for the Kaizen and tease some “exciting and progressive” updates in the near future

Demoing the new model at NAMM 2024, Abasi praised Music Man’s desire to push the envelope with the guitar’s design, adding that he’s “never seen anything like” its new distressed metallic finish

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