NAMM 2025: Sterling by Music Man has introduced its 2025 lineup, featuring three budget-pleasant models of premium Music Man electric guitars and basses.
Known for their premium craftsmanship, Music Man instruments typically come with hefty price tags. However, similar to brands like Epiphone and Squier, Sterling by Music Man captures the essence of high-end guitars while reducing some of the more expensive features, ensuring a commendable quality at a more accessible price point.
The price variations within this six-model collection—comprising three electric guitars and three basses—are important, often costing about 25-30% less than their Music Man counterparts, making them an attractive option for musicians on a budget.
Electric Guitars
Leading the charge is the Stingray Plus, priced at $599.99.This model boasts a roasted maple neck, P-90 pickups, and a built-in volume boost. It comes in striking Seafoam Green and Black finishes, with the headstock color matching the body.
Constructed with poplar bodies to emulate the classic alder body of its namesake, the Stingray Plus features a roasted maple fingerboard for the Black version and a rosewood fingerboard for the Seafoam Green variant, adorned with pearloid block inlays across its 22 frets.
Additional features include a vintage tremolo system with a whammy bar, locking tuners, and a dual-action truss rod.
Next up is the Axis, retailing at $649.00, which “merges style with functionality.” It features a roasted maple neck and fretboard,a quilted maple top,and a matching headstock,available in Yucatan Blue or Lava Burst.
Hardware options include a double-locking tremolo, dual Alnico 2 humbuckers, and a single volume control paired with a three-way switch for a simplified setup.
Designed for an “intuitive playing experience,” it combines “modern features with timeless aesthetics,” featuring 22 narrow frets and black dot markers instead of block inlays.
Completing the electric guitar lineup is the Sub Series Cutlass, priced at $349.99, which has recently been customized by Jason Richardson as his signature model.
This model features a “vintage-inspired refresh,” with upgraded Alnico pickups—a humbucker at the bridge and single coils in the middle and neck positions—alongside a stained hard maple neck.
Once again, poplar serves as the economical body wood.This model features a Fulcrum tremolo with a whammy bar, a five-way pickup selector, and controls for Volume and Tone.
Its 22-fret board is crafted from hard maple for the daphne Blue models and laurel for the Olympic White and Sherwood Green options, all adorned with dot markers.
Described as “ideal for any genre,” Sterling emphasizes that it’s “a classic design,now with even more enhancements.”
bass Guitars
For bass enthusiasts, the beloved Bongo has made its way into the more affordable segment, “retaining the modern design that players appreciate.”
featuring a 24-fret roasted maple neck and rosewood fingerboard, the Bongo is crafted from a “sleekly contoured” Indonesian mahogany body with a 34″ scale length.
It boasts an HH pickup configuration with ceramic pickups, enhanced by a two-band active preamp and a Pickup Blend Control knob, topped off with a Sterling by Music Man-designed bridge and open gear tuners.
The four-string model is priced at $699.99, while the five-string version is available for $779.99, both offered in Firemist Purple Satin and Stealth Black finishes.
The Sterling SB14, priced at $649.99, adopts a straightforward design. It features a soft maple body,hard maple neck,and a 22-fret rosewood fretboard,with a single Alnico V passive humbucker at the bridge,one volume knob,and one tone knob,along with open gear tuners and a proprietary bridge.
It captures “the vintage look and feel of the original Music Man Sterling model while emphasizing the classic charm and playability of a passive bass,” and is available in a limited-edition Blue Pearl finish.
The intriguing Darkray is exclusively available as a five-string model, featuring a design inspired by the StingRay, developed in collaboration with bass tone experts Darkglass Electronics.
This model is equipped with a custom Darkglass two-band active preamp, offering three distinct modes: Clean (preamp only), Alpha (distortion), and omega (fuzz). A color-coded LED ring allows players to switch between modes, complemented by a three-way selector.
The Darkray features a nyatoh body, commonly used in ibanez guitars, paired with a roasted maple neck and an ebony fingerboard, complete with 22 frets and white dot markers.The SBMM bridge secures the strings, and it is indeed available in an all-black finish for a sleek look.
For complete specifications, visit Sterling by Music Man.
