Sterling By Music Man and Darkglass Electronics Launch DarkRay Bass
Two years ago, Ernie Ball Music Man and Darkglass Electronics teamed up to create the DarkRay, a new bass that combined the StingRay with a new Darkglass preamp featuring their Alpha-Omega circuits. Now the design has been added to the more budget-friendly Sterling by Music Man line.
The new SBMM DarkRay is built with a Nyatoh body, roasted maple neck, and ebony fretboard. It comes with a single Alnico humbuck, and true to its name, the DarkRay only comes in black.
Similar to the EBMM version, the new bass has the custom Darkglass 2-band active preamp with three modes: Clean (Preamp-only), Alpha (Distortion), and Omega (fuzz). An LED ring and 3-way selector help to give visual cues to the mode. Beyond that, it has volume, treble, and bass controls.
Check out the company’s demo featuring Matt Rubano:
The Sterling By Music Man DarkRay has a street prices of $1,399.
Sterling By Music Man DarkRay Bass Photos:
Sterling By Music Man DarkRay Bass Specs:
| Construction: | Bolt-on, 6 Bolts |
| Scale Length: | 34″ (86.4cm) |
| Body Wood: | Nyatoh |
| Body Color: | Black (BK) |
| Neck Wood: | Roasted Maple |
| Neck Radius: | 9.5″ (24cm) |
| Neck Width: | 1.69″ (43mm) at Nut, 2.44″ (62mm) at Last Fret |
| Fingerboard: | Ebony |
| Frets: | 21 Frets, Medium |
| Fret Markers: | White Dot Markers |
| Pickups: | H - 1 Alnico Humbucker |
| Controls: | Custom Darkglass 2-band Active Preamp with Two Distortion Circuits (Alpha and Omega); Vol, Gain, Blend, Treble, Bass |
| Switching: | 3-way Lever Distortion Selector; Preamp Only, Preamp + Alpha Distortion, Preamp + Omega Distortion |
| Tuning Machines: | Open Gear |
| Bridge: | Sterling by Music Man-Designed Bridge |
| Pickguard: | Black |
| Truss Rod: | Dual Action |
| Strings: | Ernie Ball 2834 Super Slinky |
| Gig Bag: | Deluxe Sterling by Music Man Bag |
In his time with No Treble, Kevin has met hundreds of amazing bassists and interviewed icons like Jack Casady, Victor Wooten, Les Claypool, Marcus Miller, and more. He's a gigging bassist performing jazz in Northern Virginia and bluegrass with The Plate Scrapers up and down the East Coast. Kevin appreciates all genres of music, from R&B to metal and everything in between. Connect with Kevin on Facebook and check his performance schedule on his website.
Looks cool – but how did we get to a point where the Sterling range is $1,400! and it’s £1,900. For the mid-range, that’s steep.