Sterling by Music Man has laid down a serious statement of intent in the market by debuting its all-new Intro Series of and – which weigh in with some absurdly low prices. The Ernie Ball Music Man (EBMM) offshoot has always been known for its affordable builds, but the Intro models take things to a whole new level, ushering in Cutlass guitars for $199 and StingRay basses for $249. A range of Sterling instruments that start from just shy of the $200 mark? If ever a new guitar drop screamed ‘instant fan favorite’, this would be it.
Sure, there may be some guitars out there that can compete at even these ultra-humble budgetary levels, but what those competitors don’t have is the official Sterling by Music Man logo on the headstock, the backing of such an established company – or the silhouettes of some of EBMM’s most desired instruments. They’re also spec’d rather nicely. For the Cutlass, an HSS configuration comprising ceramic pickups looks to offer increased utility, while a vintage Fulcrum tremolo system, 22 frets, die cast tuners and a dual action truss rod can all be found in the hardware.
Build-wise, there’s a standard poplar body, a 25.5” scale length, a hard maple neck with either a 12”-radius maple or Purple Heart fretboard (depending on the chosen finish), and a control layout comprising master volume and tone controls, and a five-way switch. Nothing out of the ordinary for beginner guitars, there.
Black, Canvas White, Sunrise Orange and Electric .