The Pino Palladino Signature StingRay Bass captures the iconic tone and feel of one of the most influential bass players of all time. Inspired by Pino's original 1979 fretless StingRay, this signature model is available in both fretted and fretless versions, each designed to deliver his unmistakable tone and playability.
It features a poplar body finished in '79 Burst, a dark-tinted maple neck with a thin rosewood fingerboard, and a unique asymmetrical neck carve that mirrors the shape of Pino’s original bass. The custom pickup, built to a late 70s recipe with shorter pole pieces, pairs perfectly with the preamp, voiced to replicate the warmth and character of Pino’s aged circuit. Brass saddles, a GraphTech NuBone nut, and artist series neck plates.
The fretted model is strung with Pino Signature Smoothie Flats for a rich, thumpy tone, while the fretless version features custom gauge Ernie Ball Slinky Nickel Wound strings for smooth, expressive slides. Each bass comes in a Mono Case for durability and protection.
HIGHLIGHTS
POPLAR BODY
The Pino Palladino Artist Series Bass features a poplar body with a ’79 burst gloss polyester finish
ROSEWOOD FRETBOARD
Dark-tinted hard rock maple neck with a thin rosewood fretted fingerboard
STRINGS THROUGH THE BODY BRIDGE
Featuring a vintage spec strings through the body bridge with solid brass saddles and adjustable mute pads
ACTIVE MICROPOWERED PREAMP
The 9- Volt 2-EQ preamp is a hand soldered circuit board with period correct components and CTS pots (500K treble pot rather than 1 Meg, just like Pino’s) voiced to replicate the tone of Pino’s aged preamp
VINTAGE STYLE ALNICO PICKUP
Custom humbucking pickup with 5/8th” alnico 5 magnets wound with original 42 gauge wire.
BULLET TRUSS ROD
The original pre-EB StingRay bullet truss rod adjustment ensures proper neck action.
3-BOLT NECKPLATE WITH MICRO-TILT ADJUSTMENT
The Pino Palladino 3-bolt artist series chrome-plated neck plate includes a micro-tilt adjustment, which allows for neck angle adjustments without the need for shims. Firm neck and neck pocket tolerances ensure a tight fit with no shifting.
ASYMMETRIC NECK
The back profile toward the bass side of the neck has a strong “V” shape. It softens to a rounder “C” profile near the treble side of the neck for a more accurate custom playing experience under the fingertips.
CUSTOM HAND SHAPED NUT
1.686" wide, the meticulously hand-shaped Graphtec Nubone nut duplicates Pino’s modification to enhance tone, volume, and harmonics.
Music Man Pino Palladino Signature StingRay Fretted Bass
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