Sterling Hero Image
Sterling Logo

Renowned for its slightly smaller body and neck profile, the Sterling 4 string bass boasts a big sound. 9 volt active 3 band EQ preamp, 3 position pickup selector switch and a ceramic humbucker with hum canceling phantom coil come standard on the Sterling, allowing this bass to cut through any mix. Optional additional pickups in the neck position only add to the versatility of this innovative bass.

Sterling Logo

CUSTOM OPTIONS

Color Configuration

Powder Blue

Firemist Purple

Firemist Gold

Black

White

Natural Gloss

Vintage Sunburst

Stealth Black

Your Custom Options:

Model:
Color:
Neck:
Pickguard:
Hardware:

Build Code
000-00-00-00
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Sterling Highlights

Sterling Slide
Sterling Slide
Sterling Slide
Sterling Slide
Sterling Slide
Sterling Slide
Sterling Highlight
Ceramic humbucking pickup
Sterling Highlight
3 band EQ active preamp
Sterling Highlight
Compensated nut

Hear Joe Dart Demo The Sterling 4HH

The Sterling 4 bass features a slightly smaller body with a big sound that can cut through any mix.

Watch Molly Pauken's Sterling Review

Molly Pauken demonstrates how she loves her Music Man Sterling bass guitar.

MAKING A
MUSIC MAN

From concepts to final set-up,
learn how we craft your instrument

CONCEPT

What can the guitar be? Every new Ernie Ball Music Man concept represents our quest to answer to this question, guided by our design team's pursuit of perfection and molded by the demands for performance from our artists. Starting from the ground up is never easy, but we believe innovation means never being satisfied with the status quo.

Design

Every Ernie Ball Music Man guitar has been meticulously designed and crafted with the utmost attention to every detail. With each new model, our world-class team of designers and engineers delivers the best playing experience possible.

Millwork

Our wood mill employs the perfect balance of machine-driven precision and the personal touch of an experienced handcraftsmen. High-quality wood is sculpted into beautiful instruments.

Big Bird

Big Bird is a recently-added member of the Ernie Ball Music Man robot family, feeding the wood raw materials into the computer-controlled cutting and drilling machine with automated precision.

Fretting

All frets are hand-applied to exact specifications, ensuring each guitar or bass has the playability you'd expect from Ernie Ball Music Man.

Sanding

Ernie Ball Music Man necks and bodies are hand-sanded multiple times, creating flawless finishes and maximum playability.

Paint

Three layers of high-gloss polyurethane are applied to each color-coated instrument body, producing a luxurious state-of-the-art finish.

Buffing/Ursula

We use state-of-the-art technology like Ursula, our beloved buffing robot. Automation ensures a high-quality and cost-effective product, every time.

Electronics

Each instrument is hand-soldered using the latest technology in our San Luis Obispo factory.

Setup

When you purchase an Ernie Ball Music Man guitar or bass, it has already been personally tested and tuned by one of our experienced setup technicians, ensuring you can play right out of the box.

Specifications, Schematics & More

Specifications Sterling
Model Sterling
Size 12-1/2" wide, 1-5/8" thick, 43-7/8" long (31.8 cm wide, 4.1 cm thick, 111.4 cm long)
Weight 9 lbs, 0 oz (4.08 kg) - varies slightly
Body Wood Ash
Body Finish High gloss polyester
Bridge Standard - Music Man® chrome plated, hardened steel bridge plate with stainless steel saddles (Stealth Black finish features matte black hardware)
Scale Length 34" (86.4 cm)
Neck Radius 11" (27.9 cm)
Headstock Size Only 7-5/8" (19.4 cm) long
Frets 22 - High profile, wide
Neck Width 1-1/2" (38.1 mm) at nut, 2-1/2" (63.5 mm) at last fret
Neck Wood Select maple neck
Fingerboard Fretted - maple or rosewood; Fretless - Pau Ferro with or without inlaid fretlines; Stealth Black - Ebony
Neck Finish Gunstock oil and hand-rubbed special wax blend (Ultra-light satin polyurethane finish for Stealth Black)
Neck Colors Standard - Natural; Optional - Matching painted headstock
Tuning Machines Schaller BM, with tapered string posts
Truss Rod Adjustable - no component or string removal
Neck Attachment 5 bolts - perfect alignment with no shifting; Sculpted neck joint allows smooth access to higher frets
Electronic Shielding Graphite acrylic resin coated body cavity and aluminum lined control cover
Controls Single Pickup, 3-band active preamp; vol, treble, mid, bass; Dual Pickup, 3-band active preamp; vol, treble, mid, bass
Switching Single Pickup - 3-way lever pickup selector; Dual Pickup - 5-way lever pickup selector
Pickups Standard - Music Man® humbucking with ceramic magnets and hum canceling phantom coil; Optional - Dual Humbucking with ceramic magnets; Optional - Humbucking/Single coil with ceramic magnets
Left Handed Yes
Strings 45w-65w-80w-100w (Super Slinky Bass #2834)

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Specifications Sterling
Model Sterling
Order 0
Size 12-1/2" wide, 1-5/8" thick, 43-7/8" long (31.8 cm wide, 4.1 cm thick, 111.4 cm long)
Weight 9 lbs, 0 oz (4.08 kg) - varies slightly
Body Wood Ash
Body Finish High gloss polyester
Body Colors
Body Bindings
Bridge Standard - Music Man® chrome plated, hardened steel bridge plate with stainless steel saddles (Stealth Black finish features matte black hardware)
Pickguard
Scale Length 34" (86.4 cm)
Neck Radius 11" (27.9 cm)
Headstock Size Only 7-5/8" (19.4 cm) long
Frets 22 - High profile, wide
Neck Width 1-1/2" (38.1 mm) at nut, 2-1/2" (63.5 mm) at last fret
Neck Wood Select maple neck
Fingerboard Fretted - maple or rosewood; Fretless - Pau Ferro with or without inlaid fretlines; Stealth Black - Ebony
Fret Markers
Neck Finish Gunstock oil and hand-rubbed special wax blend (Ultra-light satin polyurethane finish for Stealth Black)
Neck Colors Standard - Natural; Optional - Matching painted headstock
Neck Binding
Tuning Machines Schaller BM, with tapered string posts
Truss Rod Adjustable - no component or string removal
Neck Attachment 5 bolts - perfect alignment with no shifting; Sculpted neck joint allows smooth access to higher frets
Electronic Shielding Graphite acrylic resin coated body cavity and aluminum lined control cover
Controls Single Pickup, 3-band active preamp; vol, treble, mid, bass; Dual Pickup, 3-band active preamp; vol, treble, mid, bass
Switching Single Pickup - 3-way lever pickup selector; Dual Pickup - 5-way lever pickup selector
Pickups Standard - Music Man® humbucking with ceramic magnets and hum canceling phantom coil; Optional - Dual Humbucking with ceramic magnets; Optional - Humbucking/Single coil with ceramic magnets
Left Handed Yes
Strings 45w-65w-80w-100w (Super Slinky Bass #2834)

Register your Instrument

Why register?

Thanks for choosing Ernie Ball Music Man. By registering your instrument within the initial 12 month warranty period you are entitled to an additional 3 months of warranty coverage. That is 15 total months of factory warranty protection from the initial purchase date.


Registering your instrument, whether or not it is covered under warranty, also provides a record that you owned that particular instrument. In the unfortunate instance that the instrument is lost, stolen or destroyed we can provide you with the serial number if needed.

You have successfully registered your Music Man Instrument.<br /> A confirmation email has been sent to:

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