1995 MusicMan StingRay 5 For Sale A Bass That Earned Its Retirement

This bass has been with me through a lot. Clubs, bigger stages, recording sessions. It always delivered. And now it’s looking for a new home.

The MusicMan StingRay 5, 1995. A five-string version of one of the most respected bass designs in history, from a year when Ernie Ball’s production quality was at a very high level. I’ve done a full review of this instrument on this blog — you can find it in the related posts below — so I won’t go into extensive detail here. But let me give you the honest player’s perspective.

I’ve played this bass in club environments — smaller, tighter sound, bass-heavy rooms where every note gets amplified and distortion shows up fast. It handled it perfectly. The B string stayed defined and clear even at volume levels where cheaper 5-strings turn into mud. That’s not common.

I’ve also played it on larger stages with full PA support, and the natural character of the pickup and preamp translates without needing a complicated EQ setup. Plug it in, do a basic line check, and it sits in the mix. That’s what you want from a working instrument.

The pickups sound great in this video — tight, punchy, with that characteristic StingRay presence in the mids. The humbucker in the 5-string version gives you a slightly different texture than the 4-string: a bit thicker in the low-mid, with a little more weight on the B string attack.

I’m selling this because my setup has changed and I want this bass to go to someone who will actually play it. It deserves to be used, not to sit in a case.

The 1995 MusicMan StingRay 5 is a five-string from a period when Ernie Ball had figured out the instrument. Early five-string StingRays in the late 80s and early 90s had some inconsistencies in neck construction and B string response. By 1995, those problems had been solved and the production quality had stabilized at a very high level.

This specific bass has been used in recording sessions and on stage. It has mileage on it, which means it has also been set up by working musicians who understood the instrument. A well-played bass is often a better-feeling instrument than a new one from the same line — the neck has stabilized, the frets have some wear that smooths out the playing feel, the electronics have been through enough hours to confirm they’re reliable.

The five-string StingRay EQ is useful across a wide range of styles. The high-mid boost is more aggressive on this era than on current production — it has a bark in the upper register that sits in live mixes without EQ assistance. For funk, R&B, and soul contexts especially, this is the tone you’ve heard on records without knowing what bass made it.

The bass is in good condition with normal playing wear. Contact for details, photos, and pricing. Serious inquiries only.

The StingRay 5 from this era has a specific character in the electronics that current production has evolved away from. The three-band EQ in mid-90s Stingrays had a high-mid boost frequency that sits differently than the current version — slightly more aggressive, slightly more present in the upper-mid range where bass cuts through a live mix. Players who hunt 90s Stingrays specifically are often chasing that particular frequency response.

The B string on a 1995 StingRay 5 is tighter than you might expect from a 34-inch scale five-string. Ernie Ball’s string selection and nut specifications from this period were well-considered. This is not a B string that sounds like it was added as an afterthought — it’s part of the instrument’s voice.

This instrument is being sold as-is with normal playing wear. Photos and full condition report available on request. Priced for a player who will actually use it, not store it.

This bass is ready to work. If you’re a serious player looking for a pro-level five-string with history and character, and you understand what a 1995 StingRay 5 represents, this is the instrument for you. Contact with any questions. I’ll answer honestly about condition, history, and anything else you need to make a good decision.

Shipping available. Local pickup preferred if you’re in the area — you should play the bass before committing anyway. That’s the right way to buy any instrument.

Priced to sell to a working bassist, not sitting in a collection. This is a playing instrument and that’s what it deserves. If you’re serious about five-string playing and want something with real character and proven reliability, reach out. Let’s talk.

The 1995 MusicMan StingRay 5 is one of the instruments I point to when players ask what professional-level means in practical terms. It’s not about price. It’s about the relationship between you and the instrument — the way it responds, the way it stays in tune, the way it shows up the same way every time you pick it up. This bass does all of that. It has for thirty years and it will keep doing it.