I stumbled on one these 2 hours ago for $1500. Absolutely mint. So of course I had to. I love it. Thanks for providing this video, because I had no idea what the darkray was about. Cheers
Hey Butch here, Wow! Two 5-claw reviews in less than three months! Music man is very innovative, they don't become complacent. Like the Stingray special you reviewed a couple of weeks ago, they are always looking to improve. For a gigging bass player playing across many genres, the DarkRay would be bass to cover them all, and without a massive pedal board! Super nice bass, thanks for the review!
I love that bass! I really liked how you showed the different ways to use the effects. Most other reviews have all been maxed out it seems with no EQ adjustments. Great job!
I got a Darkray 5 about a month after they came out. It doesn’t eat batteries any more than a normal Special does. I do use the onboard OD a lot but more so for a slight drive versus wide open. I’ve owned a lot of Rays and it’s my fav by a long shot.
Glad you finally played all around the world Im happy I wasn’t the only who thought that, I’ve always been interested in these hope darkray makes a jazz plate someday, maybe even loaded strat bodies
I think Musicman makes great stuff. However, I still don’t get Darkglass. I love dirty tones but prefer dirty amp tones to pedals. I’m just not a fan of their distortion character. However, it’s great to hear that so many others have their needs met with this bass.
I know it's not going to happen, but what I would buy is a full "element" preamp inside of a bass, with bluetooth of course. Because I can't get rid of my pedalboard when I don't have a comp and a filter effect onboard... these are more important to me than the distortion tbh.
I am loving this bass! Also loving the bass balance with and without a strap section as I have a screwed up left side of my body, so weight and balance of a bass matters a lot!
Idea. Instead of putting strap around neck, just hang strap on right shoulder. I've also seen someone mount bass on a mic stand. I suffered very bad left shoulder impingement for 3 years. My checkout of my friend's Thunder Bird lasted seconds .
There are guitar/bass stands that hold the bass at playing height and allow you to play standing without having to strap the instrument on yourself. Idk what they are called specifically but I've seen them used live a few times live
You we’re definitely having a great time here lol I have a couple DG pedals but if they had a all black 5 Reid take it I was told about these a year before they were released and I forgot about them then when I seen them get released I thought it was really cool to see
I love the idea of it, but with no adjustability for the distortion I just don't see the point. I dial in my darkglass pedals much less fuzzy and more cutting and punchy, the EQ is a very important part of that
The pre-amp would have been more or less perfect if they didn't just make the distortion circuit a simple wet/dry blend, but rather a clean lows/distorted highs blend. I feel like this is a mistake many bass distortion pedal builders make. Darkglass have the clean lows/distorted highs blend in their pedals, so I don't understand why they didn't include it in this pre-amp.
I’m not sure the on-board effects can be a valid option versus a pedal board, especially in a live situation in which we likely need to switch around different configurations while still using our hands for playing. Just my 2 cents 😊
I agree. The OB effects sound awesome, but they really only work in very specific situations. I'll stick with my StingRay Special 4H along with my Darkglass and other pedals. However, If you don't already own a StingRay then, sure, this is a killer bass!
Really cool sounding bass although I would struggle to find much use for that Alpha/Omega circuit with most of the stuff I am playing now. That bass screams for a 5th low B string imo. with that circut. Throw "Pinky" into the comparison mix video. She is my favorite Ray of yours so far. I would prefer the double humbucker and the 3 band eq over the darkglass preamp. And by the way, a 5 string in that version too!
This bass is absolutely gorgeous!!!!!! 😍But I would really prefer the Darkglass Tone Capsule built in instead of the Alpha / Omega. And 5th string (with at least 18mm spacing) of course 😆
The biggest takeaway from this bass as well as the DIY darkray is that I should use a Ray4HH next time for the added cavity space! The DIY darkray was so frustrating because of how tight the cavity was
Love my black DarkRay. The Darkglass pre sounds great and the Alpha-Omega od/fuzz circuit rocks. You have to tweak it right, but it's definitely a worthy addition to the EBMM Stingray family.
Thank you so much for this. I know I asked for it on TB, but you did justice on this review. I have the 5h and its a keeper. If you really think about value, the best comparison is this vs a special with a dg head. I compared it to a recording I did with my last set up and this bass is king over it. Everything at my fingers whether then having to go for my pedal board or head unit. This is an awesome instrument once you learn how to use the preamp.
A really fantastic sounding 'Ray. I'm a Darkglass amp user, and I love their amps, but I personally don't see the point of having an on board distortion preamp when you can just step on a pedal (or better yet, one of their pedals). But after watching this, I could see this being fun. :)
You should do a review on the Tagima TBM 4, it’s a stingray style with a 3 band eq and I think it’s in expensive too and it doesn’t sound bad either. Plus it could be a good modding platform as well
Have you don the meteora? I havent seen it. I already bought the aerodyne on your recommendation(and thanks i love it) but Id love to see that one. I was gunning for that initially
Sounds awesome but irks my simplistic side. I agree with a few other comments here im old. It does still have that signature MM sound which I'll take any day over 99% of other pickups
I really liked the sounds you got out of this…was considering a Dingwall for a future purchase but this bass sounds so good and I loved the Darkglass crunch
I’ve always been a little indifferent to Stingrays. I get that they were an innovative design when they first came out and they’ve excelled in pretty much every context they’ve been put in and they do feel amazing to play, but their tone never did much for me. That being said, this Darkray sounds so good and so mean. I love it. And it looks so good in that finish with the ebony fretboard and roasted maple neck.
Yeah I'm starting to turn around on these... I've known them as the "toilet seat" bass for my entire life but now they're starting to look pretty nice to me heh
Excellent Bass, love the OD switch, and multiple tone selection. Definitely save the money for the real deal, not the Sterling series, though those are ok in the upper end models. Made in USA is always better in my experience...
It takes 2 batteries, so better than you might think. You can play for a little less than 2 hours a days for about two years according to the forum on the Ernie ball website.
Awesome video as always, Lobster! Question for ya (and the community): for a guy new to the "stingray" humbucker/sound, what model would you suggest for that signature sound? Can a G&L humbucker model produce the same tone? Stingray noob, not bass noob lol
You gave this a 5 claw rating but your Valenti got 4? A Stingray special paired with a DG A/O pedal is different how? Anyway, include your "Mint o ray" in the upcoming comparison
It's different to a pedal and is very well balanced when you switch the fuzz in and out. As long as you like the fuzz tone as it comes without too much tweaking. I thought even the clean mode sounds better than a stock MM
Beautiful bass but I don't quite understand why someone might buy this over a normal Stingray + a Darkglass preamp pedal. It's probably cheaper and allows you to get that Darkglass sound on all your basses. It does look great though so I get why people would buy it for that alone.
How does one become the lobster? Did he just walk into cost plus and find his signature crustacean appendages? Or was he pinched by a cursed lobster, who now host his former human hand?
Well, they're different, right? But now you've got three different OD/distortion sounds, and the ability to daisy chain either of the Darkglass sounds with the Ampeg. MOAR DISTORTION 😆
@@JeffSmithbureau13 Essentially a hum bucker into a Ampeg pf50t is what lowendlobster should experience first. Experience 'hands on' with a real tube amplifier pushed into overdrive.
@@JeffSmithbureau13 even in the 50's distortion circuits where placed in bass guitars and guitars. It never stuck. Because it didn't make it into recordings. It sucks. According to recording technicians.
Gimmicky to me. You may eliminate one pedal maybe on a bass pedalboard. Maybe if you only have one overdrive/distortion as your pedalboard, with this bass maybe you’ll eliminate that. My bass pedalboard is small (3 pedals) so this bass won’t eliminate a pedalboard for me. I’d prefer they use the extra selector and space in the cavity to do some pickup switching options, and return that all-important mid eq. Interesting but will probably be ultimately be seen as a curiosity. I’m glad EBMM experimented and tried something different, but it doesn’t move the needle to a better or more useful Stingray for most of us, I suspect. I suspect people will buy this as much for its visuals and pretty finish and matching headstock as anything related to Darkray. I’d give it maybe “4 claws” max because of the goodness of the instrument having nothing to do with Dark ray, and certainly not “5 claws” because of the missing mid eq that was sacrificed or left off this instrument.
Remember when these first came out, I saw a demo of one on a RUclips channel. It's something I couldn't wrap my head around? I hope this isn't the future of bass? My regular Stingray Ray34 in firemist silver is all I need. With the Hartke HD75 combo, I have more knobs, switches and sliders than I know what to do with already? If for some unknown reason I'd want even more drive, isn't a pedal gonna do the same thing? Can't get into those tones.
I've been hoping you would review these but I need you to like it a little bit less lol. I want one of these so bad and now even more, if that's possible 😬
![Darkglass x Music Man!!! - Ernie Ball Music Man DarkRay! [Demo]](/img/1.gif)
I stumbled on one these 2 hours ago for $1500. Absolutely mint. So of course I had to. I love it. Thanks for providing this video, because I had no idea what the darkray was about. Cheers
What a steal! Enjoy!
What color ?
Please don't throw anything at me, but I think that's my favorite Music Man!
The PHAAAAAAAAAAANTOM of the Darkray is there...inside yoooooour mind!
Hey Butch here, Wow! Two 5-claw reviews in less than three months! Music man is very innovative, they don't become complacent. Like the Stingray special you reviewed a couple of weeks ago, they are always looking to improve. For a gigging bass player playing across many genres, the DarkRay would be bass to cover them all, and without a massive pedal board! Super nice bass, thanks for the review!
I always worry that your lobster claw won't change back to a hand. Does this concern anyone else?
One time, it turned into a massive roasted marshmallow. Didn't it?
I love that bass! I really liked how you showed the different ways to use the effects. Most other reviews have all been maxed out it seems with no EQ adjustments. Great job!
This is some of your finest playing, that bass sounds gnarly with the effects!
Thanks Lobster, I have been waiting for this one and it did not disappoint.
I got one in black and its really good. Love it.
I got a Darkray 5 about a month after they came out. It doesn’t eat batteries any more than a normal Special does. I do use the onboard OD a lot but more so for a slight drive versus wide open. I’ve owned a lot of Rays and it’s my fav by a long shot.
Glad you finally played all around the world Im happy I wasn’t the only who thought that, I’ve always been interested in these hope darkray makes a jazz plate someday, maybe even loaded strat bodies
Five claws! You convinced me...
THAT PHANTOM SOLO WAS SO EXTRA AND SOUNDED SO COOLL😍. big goth points🦇
Nightwish is extremely underrated these days tho... People are missing out on a genius that is Tuomas Holopainen...
I can tell from a way you were jaming, you are in love . Nice piece
I think Musicman makes great stuff. However, I still don’t get Darkglass. I love dirty tones but prefer dirty amp tones to pedals. I’m just not a fan of their distortion character. However, it’s great to hear that so many others have their needs met with this bass.
EBMM and Darkglass turning Lobster into a metalhead! \m/
very nice demo. if you can please also create content about how you EQ your amp with your stingrays, that will great. keep it up!!!
Lobster having 5 claws of fun! Wow enjoy and good review!
Love the tee-shirt! The Bass is nice too
Lobster with the solo + bass faces.. F yesssss
Phantom of the darkray was dope man, loving that distortion tone!
Nice, Very nice. Thx for the review Lobster.
I know it's not going to happen, but what I would buy is a full "element" preamp inside of a bass, with bluetooth of course. Because I can't get rid of my pedalboard when I don't have a comp and a filter effect onboard... these are more important to me than the distortion tbh.
Our bassist just got one of these, a black one...what a great sounding bass!
I am loving this bass! Also loving the bass balance with and without a strap section as I have a screwed up left side of my body, so weight and balance of a bass matters a lot!
Idea. Instead of putting strap around neck, just hang strap on right shoulder.
I've also seen someone mount bass on a mic stand.
I suffered very bad left shoulder impingement for 3 years.
My checkout of my friend's Thunder Bird lasted seconds .
There are guitar/bass stands that hold the bass at playing height and allow you to play standing without having to strap the instrument on yourself.
Idk what they are called specifically but I've seen them used live a few times live
I think this is my favorite sounding bass on this channel. Totally deserves 5/5
I wish my stingray had a cliff burton switch
Oh! I forgot to mention I heard a little riff of Rush What You're Doing! Cool!
Hehe yep I butchered it a bit but I am a biiiig Rush fan
You we’re definitely having a great time here lol I have a couple DG pedals but if they had a all black 5 Reid take it I was told about these a year before they were released and I forgot about them then when I seen them get released I thought it was really cool to see
I love the idea of it, but with no adjustability for the distortion I just don't see the point. I dial in my darkglass pedals much less fuzzy and more cutting and punchy, the EQ is a very important part of that
This is one of the best sounding stingray model near the original one (pre EB) . Darkglass, moreover, is a great bass equipement producer .
The pre-amp would have been more or less perfect if they didn't just make the distortion circuit a simple wet/dry blend, but rather a clean lows/distorted highs blend. I feel like this is a mistake many bass distortion pedal builders make. Darkglass have the clean lows/distorted highs blend in their pedals, so I don't understand why they didn't include it in this pre-amp.
I think it just automatically does this. You can hear the clean low end of the notes with the fizzy distortion on top.
I’m not sure the on-board effects can be a valid option versus a pedal board, especially in a live situation in which we likely need to switch around different configurations while still using our hands for playing. Just my 2 cents 😊
I agree. The OB effects sound awesome, but they really only work in very specific situations. I'll stick with my StingRay Special 4H along with my Darkglass and other pedals. However, If you don't already own a StingRay then, sure, this is a killer bass!
Really cool sounding bass although I would struggle to find much use for that Alpha/Omega circuit with most of the stuff I am playing now. That bass screams for a 5th low B string imo. with that circut. Throw "Pinky" into the comparison mix video. She is my favorite Ray of yours so far. I would prefer the double humbucker and the 3 band eq over the darkglass preamp. And by the way, a 5 string in that version too!
This bass is absolutely gorgeous!!!!!! 😍But I would really prefer the Darkglass Tone Capsule built in instead of the Alpha / Omega. And 5th string (with at least 18mm spacing) of course 😆
The red circuit had the best slap sound I've ever heard!
Oh, now someone make a Stingray with a built-in Sans-Amp!
Ernie Ball SansRay!
I wish this bass was mine. It's awesome. Great video.
I believe this is my first time hearing distortion/overdriven tone on your channel😆
What a great sounding bass.
I did not expect to see hype man Steve Ballmer today, but I'm not disappointed.
These are some of the best faces you've made so far in your videos.
Did this give you any new ideas for improving your DIY Darkray?
The biggest takeaway from this bass as well as the DIY darkray is that I should use a Ray4HH next time for the added cavity space! The DIY darkray was so frustrating because of how tight the cavity was
Love my black DarkRay. The Darkglass pre sounds great and the Alpha-Omega od/fuzz circuit rocks. You have to tweak it right, but it's definitely a worthy addition to the EBMM Stingray family.
Keep up the great work
Thank you so much for this. I know I asked for it on TB, but you did justice on this review. I have the 5h and its a keeper. If you really think about value, the best comparison is this vs a special with a dg head. I compared it to a recording I did with my last set up and this bass is king over it. Everything at my fingers whether then having to go for my pedal board or head unit. This is an awesome instrument once you learn how to use the preamp.
A really fantastic sounding 'Ray. I'm a Darkglass amp user, and I love their amps, but I personally don't see the point of having an on board distortion preamp when you can just step on a pedal (or better yet, one of their pedals). But after watching this, I could see this being fun. :)
Phantom.... love it.
You should do a review on the Tagima TBM 4, it’s a stingray style with a 3 band eq and I think it’s in expensive too and it doesn’t sound bad either. Plus it could be a good modding platform as well
Dang Lobster, you were enjoying that Darkglass capsule!😎
I have to admit I rarely ever play distorted bass so probably overkill for me... I have pedals already too.
@LowEndLobster, what are your thoughts on the new Michael Kelly Pinnacle Bass?
Great bass. Just wish the headstock either matched the body or was black. 👍
...... If I was a professional bass player and not a beginner all over again THIS bass really has my EYES!
Have you don the meteora? I havent seen it. I already bought the aerodyne on your recommendation(and thanks i love it) but Id love to see that one. I was gunning for that initially
Having played one, I would like one. But the five is £3500 in the UK
I really loved the "doom" sound in both alpha and omega settings.
Sounds awesome but irks my simplistic side. I agree with a few other comments here im old. It does still have that signature MM sound which I'll take any day over 99% of other pickups
Love the random Phantom solo 😂
Great job Lob! Have you had a chance to review the 35 th anniversary stingray 5 special?
I really liked the sounds you got out of this…was considering a Dingwall for a future purchase but this bass sounds so good and I loved the Darkglass crunch
I’ve always been a little indifferent to Stingrays. I get that they were an innovative design when they first came out and they’ve excelled in pretty much every context they’ve been put in and they do feel amazing to play, but their tone never did much for me. That being said, this Darkray sounds so good and so mean. I love it. And it looks so good in that finish with the ebony fretboard and roasted maple neck.
Yeah I'm starting to turn around on these... I've known them as the "toilet seat" bass for my entire life but now they're starting to look pretty nice to me heh
Dammit! Why did I have to watch this? Now I need one too!
Nice bass! Built for Phantom.
Sorry I did not catch it in the video, what's the closest to the neck knob used for?
That OD looks fun af 🤣🤣
Excellent Bass, love the OD switch, and multiple tone selection. Definitely save the money for the real deal, not the Sterling series, though those are ok in the upper end models. Made in USA is always better in my experience...
Ebony boards rule. Need to add a Stingray to my collection at some point. Thanks for the video and Rachmaninoff. Cheers from Florida 🥂
Super cool!
Look at Low End Lobster playing Larry Graham😁
You're the only one to mention Larry! I loooooooove his version of Phantom
The only problem with this is that I like Darkglass drives to be last on my board 😭
Thanks Rob
Sounds too cool 😎
Thanks
This would be great for those times bringing a pedalboard isn't ideal, plus practicing with headphones.
what a wonderful bass! do you know about the batteries life span in this bass? this circuit and led probably consume a lot of power
It takes 2 batteries, so better than you might think. You can play for a little less than 2 hours a days for about two years according to the forum on the Ernie ball website.
Awesome video as always, Lobster! Question for ya (and the community): for a guy new to the "stingray" humbucker/sound, what model would you suggest for that signature sound? Can a G&L humbucker model produce the same tone? Stingray noob, not bass noob lol
Merci la langouste pour cette super vidéo!
Je préfère la stingray Special.
The clean slap tone sounds like the Seinfeld theme’s slap tone, even though that’s a keyboard, not an actual bass.
Today you went from Lowendlobster to ROCK LOBSTER
You gave this a 5 claw rating but your Valenti got 4? A Stingray special paired with a DG A/O pedal is different how?
Anyway, include your "Mint o ray" in the upcoming comparison
It's different to a pedal and is very well balanced when you switch the fuzz in and out. As long as you like the fuzz tone as it comes without too much tweaking. I thought even the clean mode sounds better than a stock MM
Never thought I'd hear Rush's "What You're Doin'" and Andrew Lloyd Weber's theme from Phantom of the Opera in the same video.
What other basses have received 5 claws?
That thing sounds incredible!
How come I've never caught a lobster that can play any instruments that fucking well?
Beautiful bass but I don't quite understand why someone might buy this over a normal Stingray + a Darkglass preamp pedal. It's probably cheaper and allows you to get that Darkglass sound on all your basses. It does look great though so I get why people would buy it for that alone.
How does one become the lobster? Did he just walk into cost plus and find his signature crustacean appendages? Or was he pinched by a cursed lobster, who now host his former human hand?
...But how well does it balance without a strap while you're standing?*
*To anyone reading this is a joke. Please do not do this.
LOL
The gain circuit in your new Ampeg rocket is better. It is based on flip top pedal. The dark glass too. But it ain't right there.
Well, they're different, right? But now you've got three different OD/distortion sounds, and the ability to daisy chain either of the Darkglass sounds with the Ampeg. MOAR DISTORTION 😆
@@JeffSmithbureau13 Essentially a hum bucker into a Ampeg pf50t is what lowendlobster should experience first.
Experience 'hands on' with a real tube amplifier pushed into overdrive.
Do you know what a Minimoog is all about? It's about the drift between oscillators. That's why a digital circuit can hardly replicate it.
@@JeffSmithbureau13 even in the 50's distortion circuits where placed in bass guitars and guitars. It never stuck. Because it didn't make it into recordings.
It sucks. According to recording technicians.
@@FransvandenBergeMuziekschuur That's because in the 50s and 60s they didn't have the technology to make that not suck
1 real unic piece of quality she come with her own nature a beast or a lady you choose !🙂👍
You have a lot of basses dude
Didn't realize how expensive these things have gotten. Almost 3k for a music man? Sheesh
Come to the Darkside❤
I prefer the old ones.
Gimmicky to me. You may eliminate one pedal maybe on a bass pedalboard. Maybe if you only have one overdrive/distortion as your pedalboard, with this bass maybe you’ll eliminate that.
My bass pedalboard is small (3 pedals) so this bass won’t eliminate a pedalboard for me.
I’d prefer they use the extra selector and space in the cavity to do some pickup switching options, and return that all-important mid eq.
Interesting but will probably be ultimately be seen as a curiosity. I’m glad EBMM experimented and tried something different, but it doesn’t move the needle to a better or more useful Stingray for most of us, I suspect. I suspect people will buy this as much for its visuals and pretty finish and matching headstock as anything related to Darkray.
I’d give it maybe “4 claws” max because of the goodness of the instrument having nothing to do with Dark ray, and certainly not “5 claws” because of the missing mid eq that was sacrificed or left off this instrument.
Remember when these first came out, I saw a demo of one on a RUclips channel. It's something I couldn't wrap my head around? I hope this isn't the future of bass? My regular Stingray Ray34 in firemist silver is all I need. With the Hartke HD75 combo, I have more knobs, switches and sliders than I know what to do with already? If for some unknown reason I'd want even more drive, isn't a pedal gonna do the same thing? Can't get into those tones.
So this is the bass that the Funky Phantom would play.
I've been hoping you would review these but I need you to like it a little bit less lol. I want one of these so bad and now even more, if that's possible 😬
This is soo cooooooooool
7:25 Rachmaninoff's prelude in C# minor. Don't you dare think you can slip a quote like that by me!
Is this a keeper? Or ….
if only stingrays didn't have neck stability problems with humidity changes, this would be a perfect bass... :(