Among basses, the MUSIC MAN StingRay stands out as a true icon.
Its distinctive look—like the headstock shape and tuner layout, the body contours, and that characteristic pickguard—makes it instantly recognizable as a StingRay.
It’s also famous as a quintessential active bass with a single humbucking pickup, and its powerful sound is loved by bassists across all genres.
In this article, we’ll introduce a lineup of bassists who use—or have used—the uniquely characteristic StingRay.
Let’s dive in!
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Summary of bassists who use StingRay (1–10)
Stone Cold BushFlea（Red Hot Chili Peppers）
Known as Flea, meaning ‘flea,’ for the way he jumps around while playing bass, he is immensely famous as a member of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Although he no longer uses a StingRay, many people still associate Flea with that bass.
The basslines he spun from his StingRay, not only with slap but while trying out various stylistic approaches, were wonderfully on point.
Another One Bites the DustJohn Deacon（Queen）
He is the bassist of the rock band Queen, the youngest of the original members.
Though his character is low-key, he is known for his gentle personality and is said to have saved the band from the brink of breaking up multiple times.
In addition to his wonderfully melodic bass lines, he was also skilled with equipment and contributed to the band’s sound.
NumbPhoenix（Linkin Park）
Phoenix, the bassist of Linkin Park, has favored the StingRay since the band’s early days.
The hallmark of the StingRay is its powerful sound.
In a thunderous rock band, that tone is likely advantageous for holding its own against the guitars.
StompLouis Johnson（The Brothers Johnson）
He was active both as a member of The Brothers Johnson and as a session musician.
You can hear his playing on numerous hit albums from the 1970s and 1980s, including Michael Jackson’s Thriller.
Alongside Larry Graham, he is regarded as a pioneer of slap bass.
His powerful slap tone is something that truly shines on a StingRay.
Tony Levin（King Crimson）
Tony Levin, an American bassist born in 1946.
In addition to playing on John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s album Double Fantasy, he was also active in the 1980s as the bassist for King Crimson.
Tim Commerford（Rage Against the Machine）
Tim Commerford, known as the bassist for Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave, and Prophets of Rage.
That thick, overdriven tone is quintessential StingRay, isn’t it? In the early days of Rage he used a natural-finish StingRay, then went through Fender and Lakland before returning to the StingRay again.
2%NAOKI（10-FEET）
NAOKI, who handles bass and vocals for 10-FEET, a band with an overwhelming presence in the Japanese rock scene.
These days, basses like the Firebird and THLINES are his trademarks, but he used to play a black StingRay.
You can especially see it in music videos and live footage up through the early 2000s.
Even back then, many 10-FEET songs featured bass-driven riffs and sections akin to bass solos, and they were shaped by the StingRay’s powerful sound.