2026 is shaping up to be an exciting year for Sterling by Music Man. This year’s NAMM Show sees the brand debuting a host of new instruments, with new additions across the Luke, StingRay and Cutlass lines – we’re talking new artist models, short-scale alternatives, and it’s even time to say hello to the brand’s first baritone guitar.
The StingRay line is getting the most love this year, with the StingRay Baritone coming as the brand’s boldest move yet. It comes as Sterling’s first baritone axe, boasting a 27.5″ scale, 24 frets, and B-standard tuning in a striking shade of Toluca Lake Blue.
The fresh StringRay Baritone also comes with a roasted maple neck, locking tuners and an HH pickup to round things off. It’ll cost you $849.99.
A smaller take on the StingRay has also been unveiled for bassists, with the lightweight StingRay Short Scale bass coming in at 30” scale. It’s a great option for anyone who can’t quite hack a full-scale StingRay without compromising on power, kitted out with passive electronics paired with a neodymium humbucker to maintain that strong punch.
There’s also a push-push volume boost and 3-way switch to help fine-tune your sound and adjust to your desired tonal character. The bass comes in Charging Green and sits at $749.99.
In terms of the Cutlass, the line gains two new additions this year. Both are pretty aesthetic-centric addition to the line, with the Cutlass Plus now available in Cashmere and Showtime – two new Ernie Ball Music Man signature styles. They’ll be available for $699.99.
There’s also a brand new finish for All That Remains’ Jason Richardson Artist Series Cutlass. The 7-string guitars serves as a must for metalheads, “designed to meet the technical demands” of the skilled axeman, focusing on a “hyper-ergonomic” feel to ensure even the fattest djenty chugs can be played with ease. That guitat is now available in Kokiri Forest green – and it’s also expanding to offer 6-string variants. A standard 7-string is priced at $999.99, with a 6-string option costing a slightly lower $949.99.
The Luke line is also earning a new addition, with its namesake, Toto’s Steve Lukather, working with Sterling to release the new Luke HSS. Yet again, the Luke HSS wears the iconic V neck profile and familiar Luke shape, but its also got a new HSS pickup alongside its 5-way selector, vintage tremolo and 12dB push-push volume boost. Available in Heritage Cherry Burst and Yucatan Blue, the Luke HSS is $849.99.
NAMM attendees also have the privilege of acquainting themselves with some unreleased guitars. While all of the aforementioned gear can be pre-ordered now, there’s two very special StingRay guitars at the event which wont be available until later in the year.
The first sneak peak on show at NAMM is the second edition of Cory Wong’s Artist Series Sting Ray. The StingRay II features locking tuners, an enlarged headstock and an oval-shaped pickguard reminiscent of the typical StingRay bass. That’s set to cost $749.99.
There’s also a SUB Series StingRay on show, which adds even more versatility to the SUB Series bass line. There’s a push-push volume boost to give that extra kick, alongside a 3-way switch to flick between parallel, and single-coil pickup configurations in an instant. The bass boasts a matching headstock and block inlays, resulting in a truly bold bit of kit. The SUB Series StingRay will be available in 4- and 5-string configurations, as well as coming in Seafoam Green or Vintage Sunburst finishes. – coming in 2026. The 4-string option will sit at $499.99, while the 5-string will be $549.99.
Except for the StingRay II and SUB Series StingRay, these new guitars can all be pre-ordered now. Head to Sterling By Music Man for more information.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source guitar.com ’
