“This is the bass I’ve wanted to make for years”: Sterling by Music Man releases signature bass with two dummy knobs that do absolutely nothing for MxPx bassist Mike Herrera

MxPx punk bass icon Mike Herrera has been honored with an all-new Sterling by Music Man signature build – and it's headlined by the fact it has two control knobs that do absolutely nothing.

Herrera has injected what the firm calls his “relentlessly DIY spirit” into this Artist Series StingRay Bass, and it’s an instrument stripped down to the raw essentials. It comes three years after a Ernie Ball Music Man signature run was limited to just 10 models.

A jabon body joins a hard maple neck and 21-fret fingerboard. Hardware includes a fixed bridge, a single passive ceramic humbucker for “punchy tone and road-tested reliability,” and open gear tuners.

The bass has one volume knob for functionality, and two dummy knobs that pay homage to Herrera's minimalist wiring preference without impacting the aesthetic heritage of the StingRay. It's punk, but it's also respectful of a widely adored instrument.

Its Orange Creamsicle finish also nods to the bass's early hue, with a color-matched headstock and a graphic pickguard that references the band’s Pokinatcha LP to complete its look.

“The result,” Ernie Ball says, “is a punk rock workhorse built for players who value simplicity, style, and stage-ready performance.”

“This is the bass I’ve wanted to make for years,” says Herrera. “After playing a StingRay for over two decades, I know exactly what I need from it. This Sterling bass sounds exactly like a StingRay should, with a look and color that’s instantly recognizable in a crowd.”

This being a Sterling by Music Man, the Mike Herrera Artist Series StingRay Bass costs just $449.99.

Head to Sterling by Music Man for more.

Herrera previously told Bass Player that his music career has been full of valuable lessons.

The drop follows the long-awaited Sterling version of Rabea Massaad’s signature Sabre guitar. The British virtuoso signed with Ernie Ball in 2023, and his well-spec'd Music Man Sabre launched at NAMM 2024.