NAMM 2018 is here and we’re kicking off the week with an announcement of all 2018 Ernie Ball Music Man instruments launching throughout the year. Make sure to follow along on the Ernie Ball Music Man blog and social media this week as a destination for everything NAMM. We’ll be sharing recaps, special artist news, and possibly even some live footage at the show. If you haven’t already, make sure to sign up for our newsletter for exclusive updates from Ernie Ball Music Man.
Ernie Ball Music Man 2018 Products
2018 StingRay Guitar
The 2018 Stingray RS features a new roasted figured maple neck with Ebony, Rosewood or Maple fingerboard (fingerboard option depends on body color). The Stingray’s sound is big and bold when needed but smooth as glass if desired – thanks to the perfectly voiced custom pickups. 3-way switch accesses versatile coil combinations while oversized 4 over 2 headstock with straight string pull provide superior tuning stability. The flawless craftsmanship throughout the Stingray makes a perfect culmination of old-world aesthetics and styling with modern design and playability. Available August worldwide.
2018 Cutlass
The 2018 Cutlass features a brand new figured roasted neck with rosewood or maple fingerboard (fingerboard option depends on body color). The Cutlass retains all original specifications including vintage spec electronics, a super smooth modern tremolo system, and lightweight alder body. Oversized 4 over 2 headstock with straight string pull provide superior tuning stability and flawless craftsmanship throughout, makes the Cutlass a perfect culmination of old-world aesthetics and styling with modern design and playability. Available August worldwide.
2018 Cutlass HSS
The 2018 Cutlass HSS features a new roasted figured maple neck with ebony, rosewood or maple fingerboard (fingerboard option depends on body color). HSS model retains all of the familiar elements of the original Cutlass including an alder body, super smooth modern tremolo and oversized 4 over 2 headstock. The bridge pickup in the HSS is a custom wound Music Man ceramic humbucker with a vintage sound that compliments the single coils yet has plenty of crunchy rhythms and biting lead tones. Available August worldwide.
2018 Luke III
The Luke III features an alder body, hard rock roasted maple neck with East Indian rosewood fingerboard. The LIII is powered by Dimarzio transitions passive humbuckers and custom voiced single coil pickups. Smooth action Ernie Ball Music Man floating vintage tremolo, 5-way pickup selector and 15db adjustable active boost give the Luke III a variety of tonal combinations suitable for any musical style. Now offered in Firemist Purple and Buttercream with black hardware. Available May 1st worldwide.
2018 Luke III BFR
The Luke III Ball Family Reserve signature edition is an instrument of superior tone and versatility. Featuring a mahogany tone block, on-board 15db adjustable boost, beautifully figured A+++ maple top and roasted birdseye maple neck. New for 2018, the Luke III BFR is now available in an exclusive Boysenberry finish. Available May 1st worldwide.
2018 Valentine
The Ernie Ball Music Man “Valentine” signature guitar features a slab ash body, two Ernie Ball Music Man designed pickups (1-humbucker/1-single coil), with oil and wax rubbed figured roasted maple neck. New for 2018, the Ernie Ball Music Man Valentine will feature 3 exciting new finishes: Saturn Gold, Husker Red, and Toluca Lake Blue. An optional Ernie Ball Music Man super smooth modern tremolo is also offered with vintage bent steel saddles. Available May 1st worldwide.
2018 JP15
The JP15 features a lightweight African mahogany body with a figured maple top. Roasted figured maple neck and fingerboard add just the right amount of snap and brightness while providing more stability in ever changing climates. The JP 15 is powered by twin custom Dimarzio Illuminator pickups, piezo bridge system and onboard 20db gain boost. Available in 6 or 7 string with Ernie Ball Music Man JP tremolo, 3-way toggle pickup selector, and Music Man hardshell case. Now available in a translucent matte black finish. Available May 1st worldwide.
2018 JP 6 & 7
From John Petrucci’s signature line comes the JP. Featuring premium tone woods with non-chambered body provide for a more focused sound while the sculpted lower horn allows more access to higher frets. Most notably, the JP neck has been streamlined to a symmetric, extra slim profile featuring a flatter 15″ radius with medium jumbo stainless steel frets. The JP guitar is also equipped with Dimarzio Crunchlab and Liqifire pickups, Piezo bridge, and Ernie Ball Music Man synchronized floating tremolo. New for 2018 the JP will be offered in 4 exciting new colors, Stealth Black, Pearl Redburst, Firemist Purple, and Mystic Dream. Available May 1st worldwide.
2018 Albert Lee HH
The Albert Lee HH is an updated variant of the original Albert Lee model. Sharing the same modern retro aesthetics, the HH model comprises a lightweight African mahogany body, rosewood neck, and fingerboard giving the Albert Lee HH its signature rich warmth. Dual custom wound DiMarzio humbuckers and 5-way switch deliver a full range of tonal options, from full on humbucker thickness to a chimey clean single coil bite. New for 2018, the Ernie Ball Music Man Albert Lee HH will feature 2 exciting new finishes in Powder Blue and Charcoal Frost. Available May 1st worldwide.
2018 St. Vincent HH
New for 2018, the St. Vincent signature model will now be available in an Ernie Ball Music Man designed dual humbucking pickup configuration. The new St. Vincent HH package features lightweight African mahogany body, roasted figured maple neck with ebony or rosewood fingerboard (depending on color), black or chrome hardware, matching pickup covers, and 5-way switch. Available in 4 finishes: Charcoal Sparkle, Blue Dawn, Stealth Black, and Sea Breeze. Available June 1st worldwide.
2018 St. Vincent HHH
The 2018 St. Vincent signature guitar features an African mahogany body, Ernie Ball Music Man tremolo, and new roasted figured maple neck with rosewood or ebony fretboard. The standard electronics package includes 5-way pick up selector and 3 custom DiMarzio mini humbuckers. The color options for 2018 include Stealth Black, Polaris White, Tobacco Burst and St. Vincent Blue. Available June 1st worldwide.
2018 StingRay 5 Bass
For 2018, the StingRay 5 has been reimagined with new features and appointments that provide a new level of playing comfort while retaining that revered iconic StingRay 5 sound. Featured revisions include an enhanced contour that is rounded for more comfort in any playing position, a sculpted neck joint for uninhibited upper fret access to all 22 stainless steel frets, and lightweight aluminum hardware providing a lighter more balanced instrument. The new and improved StingRay electronics feature more powerful neodymium magnets for increased output and a new 18-volt preamp for extra clean headroom without clipping. Solid roadworthy construction, elegant pickguard, 4+1 tuning key configuration, and the ever popular Ernie Ball Music Man humbucking pickup, all of which combined produce a look, feel and sound that is remarkably unmistakable. Available July 4th for North America.
2018 StingRay 4 Bass
For 2018, the StingRay 4 has been reimagined with new features and appointments that provide a new level of playing comfort while retaining that revered iconic StingRay sound. Featured revisions include an enhanced contour that is rounded for more comfort in any playing position, a sculpted neck joint for uninhibited upper fret access to all 22 stainless steel frets, and lightweight aluminum hardware providing a lighter, more balanced instrument. The new and improved StingRay electronics feature powerful neodymium magnets for higher output and a new 18-volt 3-Band preamp for extra clean headroom without clipping. Solid roadworthy construction, elegant oval pickguard, 3+1 tuning key configuration, and the ever popular Music Man humbucker, all together produce a look, feel and sound that is remarkably unmistakable. Available July 4th for North America.
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Still no new lefties..😞
Can you guys add ‘roasted maple’ as an option for all of your instruments?
Stingray 5 string update … but still no 19mm bridge string spacing ??? In the end no matter what comes from scraping the barrel with no one miss…’BIG DEAL’ !!
Question about Albert Lee’s Model in Powder Blue – will it be available with tremolo or only with hardtail bridge?
Hi Jacob,
We appreciate your interest in Ernie Ball Music Man. The Albert Lee will be available in both Charcoal Frost and Powder Blue with and without a tremolo. Thank you!
Question about St. Vincent guitars – will there also be the new colours (particularly polar white) available in the Sterling by Music Man St. Vincent more affordable range?
Hi Christopher,
We appreciate your interest in Ernie Ball Music Man. As of right now, there are no immediate plans for the new St. Vincent colors on the Sterling by Music Man line. Thank you!
they have a sterling version thats 600 w different configurations. i dont know which colors. there are new 2018 HH colors i saw them at namm they look sick. the regular one will still be that price though lol
Hi Guys, You know I have 3 HH’s with Trem, someone on instagram from you guys was mentioning the hype about new colors etc. I have been trying to no end to get somebody there at head office to offer a HH with a Trem with a MAPLE neck! You offer it with the regular HH..You have to make us by the single coil whole guitar to switch it to any others as the all have rosewood necks. I am ready to buy custom a olympic white with a sugar maple neck WITHOUT any rosewood.. Why is after 3 years I am obligated as a loyal customer forced to buy a single coil Albert Lee? Can you not just sell me a maple neck? Nice is sugar maple..are you drooling :)). Come one Music Man make me the first to have one and tell me how much ok? Thanks! GUITARRAY.
Question about the Stingray RS Guitars: Can you please tell me what the Body Color/FingerBoard options will be? I am deciding on whether I should buy the December 2017 BFR Stingray or one of the new 2018 guitars. Thanks!
I have owned a Stingray 5 HH for 9 years now but the older I get the harder it is to get through a gig with this bass because of the weight, it’s just over 11 lbs! What is the approximate weight reduction for the 2018 Stingray 5 models? I’ve been looking around for a lighter 5 string but really don’t want to give up playing my Stingray 5. The changes you’ve made to the 2018 models seems like it would make them a winning option if the weight reduction is significant enough and the tone/feel are the truly the same, or at least close.
You mentioned “lightweight” in describing the 2018 Stingray 5, how much lighter? I’ve had back issues this past year, but would really like to get a Stingray 5 fretless – the weight is holding it back for me right now. I need something 9lbs and under.
Hi EBMM, I saw a 2018 Stingray from your NAMM photos in a really nice green colour. Will there be other models of guitar and bass available in this colour as well? Also, for the availability dates, are those the dates that we are able to order from dealers, or is that only when production starts? Thanks, Daniel
That darker maple on the neck looks sooooooo good. I can’t wait to get one.
Are the neck through Stingray models being discontinued, or are the revamped Stingrays going to be made available in a neck through model later on?
No new Steve Morse model? I noticed on youtube that he was playing a guitar in a diffrent color thats not currently available. Will this be available at some point in the future. Finally can you tell me why theres no Steve Morse model in the Sterling line. I’m surprised at that since he’s been a musicman player for 30 years.
Question on Stingray 4 – Please let us know the weight range for this Bass. Thank you.
Can I come down to SLO to pick up one of the 2018s on release date? I don’t know if you give tours, but I’d like to make a day of it and not have to have to buy my new guitar off the wall at the local guitar megastore.
I’ve been trying to find more info, but in all the videos from NAMM/elsewhere, are the 2018 Stingray basses only available in single and dual humbucker configs? No more HS?
Also is the SLO neck still going to be available or has that been phased out?
Question about 2018 Cutlass- what colors will it be available in?
It seems like it is very hard to find an Armada right now…are they being discontinued or will there be a 2018 model?
So the through neck model of the 2018 stingray will not have the changes made to the bolted neck version?
Hello,
Will the new lightweight tuners be available for purchase to upgrade a pre-2018 bass ?
Regards
Which basses will you offer in lefty in 2018? Thank you.