Ernie Ball Music Man DarkRay II Adds Polyphonic Octave Effects to Its Darkglass Arsenal
Ernie Ball Music Man has introduced the DarkRay II Bass, which expands on the original DarkRay by including fully integrated, polyphonic octave-up and octave-down effects. The new model also retains the active two-band preamp and two built-in distortion voices by Darkglass Electronics.
“The new octave section is fully polyphonic, tracking chords, intervals and multiple strings at once with fast, seamless response,” the company explains. “A push/push function on the octave control selects one octave up or one octave down, while the same knob doubles as a wet/dry blend for anything from a touch of sub underneath the core tone to a fully saturated octave. 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 lets you quickly toggle modes from clean core tone, octave only, or octave combined with distortion. The preamp runs on two 9-volt batteries, and EBMM ships them with Ernie Ball rechargeable batteries.
The DarkRay II features an ash body and comes in four colors: Black, Showtime, Spectralite, and Mean Green Burst. Its roasted maple neck has a “C” profile, and the ebony fretboard has 22 stainless steel frets.
Watch Josh Paul demonstrate the bass’s capabilities in this launch video:
The Ernie Ball Music Man DarkRay II is available now for $3,299.
Ernie Ball Music Man DarkRay II Photos:
Ernie Ball Music Man DarkRay II Specs:
| Scale: | 34″ |
| Body: | Ash |
| Neck: | Roasted Maple |
| Neck Shape: | ″C″ |
| Fingerboard: | Ebony |
| Fingerboard Radius: | 11″ |
| Frets: | 22 Stainless Steel |
| Inlays: | White Dot |
| Pickups: | Single Humbucking with Neodymium Magnets |
| Electronics: | 2-band Preamp with Octave and Distortion |
| Controls: | Volume, Gain (push to toggle between Alpha and Omega), Octave (push to toggle between octave up and octave down), Treble, Bass |
| Bridge: | Vintage Music Man® top loaded Black plated, steel bridge plate with vintage Black plated steel saddles |
| Tuners: | Custom Music Man, lightweight with tapered string posts and ergonomic clover design |
| Finish: | Black, Showtime, Spectralite, and Mean Green Burst |
| Orientation: | Right-Hand Only |
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.
