Ernie Ball Music Man BFR Short Scale Stingray Bass Guitar, Bombshell Black
Player's Perspective
Music Store Live is proud to offer up this Ball Family Reserve StingRay shortscale Bombshell bass. I've always been a fan of black and tortoiseshell together. This takes it a step further with tortoiseshell block inlays and fretboard binding (faux tortoiseshell, of course).
Fans of short-scale basses, REJOICE! Music Man has taken the beloved StingRay and shortened it up!
Some people like the feel of a short-scale bass because it can be a little easier to play. Others love it for the extra round and thumpy low end. But either way, it's safe to say that having this option in their offerings is going to make people very excited. It certainly got us giddy. And when the basses arrived, they did not disappoint.
This will definitely have some nice sonic variations over a standard StingRay. Along with the inherent tonal differences that come with making a bass short-scaled, this one is also all passive! So it certainly lends itself even more to that big, round, and woolly bass sound. But just because it's a passive bass doesn't mean that Music Man didn't throw a couple of goodies under the hood for you to play with. The volume knob is push/push and gives you a gain boost for when you want a more aggressive tone. Following the passive tone knob is a rotary pickup mode selector. So you can dial in a single-coil sound, run the magnets in parallel, or get all of the bottom end you could ever want by running it in series.
The construction, of course, is fantastic. The fretwork is immaculate and right out of the box the action was already nice and low. The bass is lightweight (less than 8 lbs!), easy to play, and overall, just an absolute powerhouse. The gang at Ernie Ball hit it out of the park with this design.
Manufacturer's Description
The Ernie Ball Music Man short-scale StingRay bass offers a big thumpy round sound in a convenient smaller package. A 30” scale allows for easier playability due to the shorter spacing between the frets. The Ernie Ball Music Man humbucking pickup, equipped with higher output neodymium magnets, has been specially designed for the short scale bass, providing its signature warm tone. Electronics package includes a 3-way rotary switch featuring parallel, true single-coil, and series modes. Like its big brother the Stingray Special, the short scale bass comes standard with a modern classic bridge, 22 stainless steel frets, and new lightweight Music Man tuning machines with a finer gear ratio.
Specifications
Body
- Model: BFR Short Scale StingRay Bass
- Color: Bombshell
- Body Wood: Ash
- Body Finish: High Gloss Polyester
- Pickguard: Tortoiseshell
Neck
- Construction: Bolt-On
- Fretboard: Flame Maple
- Fretboard Binding: Shell
- Fretboard Inlays: Tortoiseshell
- Neck Wood: Flame Maple
- Neck Finish: Gunstock Oil and Hand-Rubbed Special Wax Blend (satin)
- Scale Length: 30"
- Fretboard Radius: 11"
- Nut: 1 1/2" Compensated
- Frets: 22, High Profile, Wide Stainless Steel
- Headstock: Gloss Black
Electronics
- Pickups: Music Man Neodymium Humbucker
- Controls: Volume (push/push for gain boost), Tone, 3-Way Rotary Knob
Hardware
- Bridge: Vintage Music Man Top Load
- Tuners: Custom Music Man Lightweight
Miscellaneous
- Case: Music Man Molded Hardshell
- Serial #: F89487
- Instrument Weight: 6.6 lbs.
Overall Condition
Music Store Live is proud to be an authorized dealer for Ernie Ball. This Short Scale StingRay is 100% brand new and is being sold with a full manufacturer's warranty. Photos are of the exact bass you'll receive.
Our in-house guitar tech will inspect, test, set up, and clean all of our instruments on site prior to shipping. All of our instruments are guaranteed to be fully functional upon arrival.
Music Store Live is one of Ernie Ball Music Man's top independent dealers and is a part of the Ernie Ball Premier Dealer Network. If you still haven't found what you're looking for, we are more than happy to help you custom order your next Music Man instrument. Our gear experts can help guide you in purchasing the guitar or bass of your dreams. Call or message us for details!