Music Man DarkRay II Adds Built-In Octave Effects to the Darkglass-Powered StingRay
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Music Man StingRay, which Ernie Ball is celebrating with a limited edition in gold. It also marks five years since they introduced the DarkRay, a StingRay model featuring built-in Darkglass Electronics. Now, the company has expanded on the collaboration with the DarkRay II.
The DarkRay II builds upon the bass, which already had two distortion voices onboard, with fully integrated octave up and octave down effects.
“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,” they explain. “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.” Furthermore, a three-way switch toggles between the core tone, octave only, or octave plus distortion.
Watch A.J. Braman’s rundown from NAMM 2026:
The Ernie Ball Music Man DarkRay II will be shipping in late April in four colors: Black, Showtime, Spectralite, and Mean Green Burst. The price point is TBA.
Ernie Ball Music Man DarkRay II Photos:
Ernie Ball Music Man DarkRay II 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) and Octave Up/Down; Vol, Gain, Blend, Treble, Bass |
| Switching: | 3-way Lever Selector; Preamp Only, Preamp + Octave, Octave + 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 |
| Orientation: | Right Hand |
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.
Please reissue the Stingray 4 and 5 HS (Humbucker+Single) models under the EB and Sterling brands.