Sterling by Music Man
Latest Sterling by Music Man guitar news, new electric and acoustic guitars, signature models, artist collaborations, and releases tracked by Guitar Radar.
Guitar Radar follows Sterling by Music Man through 1 story and 1 product release, covering new gear, launches and company news as they happen. Most of it sits under gear. The most recent story, from Sep 25, 2026, is “Sterling and Cory Wong put the StingRay II guitar into production at $749”. The newest product in the releases catalog is the Sterling by Music Man StingRay II.
About Sterling by Music Man
Sterling by Music Man is the more affordable line of Ernie Ball Music Man, launched in 2008. It offers versions of Music Man designs such as the StingRay bass and the Cutlass guitar at prices within reach of players at all levels, and it is generally built overseas, mainly in Indonesia, in cooperation with Music Man's engineering team and with quality control in Los Angeles.
The parent company has a long history: Music Man was started in the early 1970s by former Fender employees Forrest White and Tom Walker with Leo Fender, was near bankruptcy by 1984, and was bought by Ernie Ball on March 7, 1984. Ernie Ball's son Sterling Ball, who took over the family firm in the 1970s, had earlier helped beta-test early Music Man models.
Sterling also offers signature instruments for John Petrucci, Steve Lukather, Jason Richardson and Jared Dines, as well as designs such as the Majesty, Valentine and St. Vincent. Guitar Radar follows new Sterling releases and signature models.
Sources: Guitar Guitar: Sterling by Music Man · Guitar Guitar: A brief history of Music Man · Andertons: Sterling by Music Man
