Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay 3eq 1987

I’ve had four Stingrays from different eras in my collection recently. After letting my 1979 pre-Ernie Ball and my 1992 go, I’m now putting my 1987 Stingray 3EQ up for sale.

This is the very first year of production for the Music Man Stingray featuring the 3-band EQ preamp, which allows you to boost the mids in addition to the treble and bass.

This makes for a much wider tonal palette, with a significantly more aggressive and biting sound across the entire frequency spectrum compared to the 2EQ versions, which tend to sound more scooped and less full.

This is a bass that has truly lived a life and been played a lot. It shows plenty of battle scars, including scratches, finish chips and dings. However, the neck and its finish are absolutely stunning. The birdseye maple is simply gorgeous and contributes enormously to the overall mojo of this instrument.

It’s lightweight (just over 4kg, which is quite rare for a Stingray) and very well set up, with low action. The truss rod works perfectly, the mute foams were replaced around two years ago, the frets are in good condition (8/10), and the electronics work flawlessly.

The tone is absolutely fantastic: crunchy, biting, growling and roaring. Pure Stingray goodness, just the way we love it.

This bass is from my birth year, and that was actually the only reason I bought it in the first place. But it eventually turned into a genuine love affair.

Letting it go is heartbreaking, but I simply have too many basses at home. I’ve decided to keep my recently acquired Stingray 50th Anniversary Molten Gold instead, which is an absolute monster in terms of versatility and a true work of art aesthetically.

Feel free to ask any questions or make me trade offers. I’d prefer a straight sale as I have a Fodera project to fund, but I’m definitely open to a trade if something really catches my eye. Ideally, I’d be looking for a trade involving a less expensive bass with cash coming my way.

I can ship it without any problem in a well-padded and insured package, with insurance covering its full value.

I’ll include an old original-era flight case. It has definitely seen better days, but it will still provide effective protection during shipping.