Music Man tried a cheaper "SUB" line of stripped-down instruments in the late 1990s and dropped it in 2006 once production costs made the pricing unworkable; Sterling by Music Man, launched in 2008 and licensed to Praxis Musical Instruments, replaced it with basses built overseas to a lower cost base while keeping Music Man's core specs. Guitars followed in 2009, aimed at bringing the StingRay and Cutlass shapes under $1,000 rather than the roughly triple that a US-built Ernie Ball Music Man instrument costs. It's since become the entry point plenty of players use before stepping up to the full Music Man range, including a run of genuinely affordable signature models. New Sterling releases and artist collaborations are what we cover most. Here's what we've written.
Go deep with the 2026 Sterling by Music Man StingRay Baritone in Toluca Lake Blue. Featuring a 27.5” scale, roasted maple neck, and locking tuners for elite low-end stability.
