Awesomely Amazing Left Handed Music Man Guitars & Basses 2023

Last Updated on December 28, 2023 by Chris

Left Handed Music Man Guitars

One of my favorite guitar players, John Petrucci, is known for playing Music Man guitars. I’ve always been amazed by the skill and precision of his playing and naturally, if you like certain guitarists, you tend to look at which guitars they play.

Petrucci has played numerous guitars over the years and for a few years now he has had his own Music Man signature guitars. So I thought I’d see if there are any left handed Music Man guitars available.

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Ever since hearing Petrucci’s guitar playing on the album Train of Thought by his band Dream Theater, I’ve been into his music and have wanted to get a left handed Music Man guitar, but they’re very high-end hand-crafted instruments, so they’re way out of my price range for the moment!

Right now, the nearest I’ll get to owning a left handed Ernie Ball Music Man guitar, is if I buy some Ernie Ball guitar strings!

Also, there haven’t exactly been too many of them, but then as lefty guitarists, we’re kind of used to not having so much choice!

Other famous guitarists who use left handed Music Man guitars include Omar Rodríguez-López of The Mars Volta and At the Drive-In, and solo guitar instrumentalist Joe Gareri; famous bassists using left handed Music Man bass guitars include Ron DeChant of Starset.

If you’d like, you can go straight to the Music Man guitar range.
Or go to the Music Man bass guitar range.

Anyway, let’s crack on…

Who Are Music Man Guitars?

Music Man is part of the Ernie Ball Corporation and was founded in 1974 when they first produced the “Sixty Five” amplifier with the help of one Leo Fender.

It was during this time, during the ’70s, that Sterling Ball, son of Ernie Ball, played an important role in designing and developing the iconic StingRay bass guitar.

Sterling purchased the company in 1984 and was later joined by his sons Scott and Brian, going on to build a team of dedicated professionals building the highest level of hand-crafted instruments.

They have since become one of the most highly regarded guitar manufacturers adhering to strict quality standards, innovative design, and fine craftsmanship.

Shop for left handed Music Man guitars and basses at Adirondak Guitar NOW!

What Do I Think of Music Man Guitars?

Since John Petrucci plays them, and the fact that they cost an arm and a leg, they are very desirable guitars. I love the look and sound of Petrucci’s Majesty guitars, as well as many of the others, and because of this I really want one!

That’s all there is to it!

Looking at Music Man’s other guitars, you can’t help but notice that some of their guitars are quite unusually shaped and I definitely think that’s a good thing.

Most other companies build guitars that look pretty similar to classic shapes such as the Fender Stratocaster or Gibson Les Paul, but Music Man has some unique-looking guitars, such as the fretless Bongo bass, or the Mariposa guitar.

Different Types of Music Man Guitars

Music Man has several guitar ranges and models. Let’s take a look below:

Electric Guitars

• Kaizen Collection – Collaboration between Ernie Ball Music Man and Tosi Abasi (Animals As Leaders).
• John Petrucci Collection – Signature Series of the Dream Theater guitarist, each available in 6 or 7-string configurations.
• Steve Lukather Collection – Signature Series of the Toto founding member and highly regarded session musician.
• Sabre – Music Man’s cutting edge, ultra-modern electric guitar with a classic double-cutaway design.
• Cutlass Collection – Brand new premium versions inspired by the original 1970s Music Man designs.
• Stingray Collection – Premium versions inspired by the original 1970s Music Man designs.
• Jason Richardson – 6 & 7-string models for the virtuoso guitarist with All That Remains.
• Axis Collection – Music Man’s straightforward hard-rocking electric series.
• St. Vincent Collection – Signature guitar range for the singer-songwriter and ex-Polyphonic Spree guitarist.
• Valentine Collection – Signature guitar series of James Valentine, guitarist with Maroon 5.
• Mariposa – Designed in collaboration with world-renowned Mars Volta and At the Drive-In composer & guitarist Omar Rodríguez-López.
• Steve Morse Collection – Signature Series of the Deep Purple and Dixie Dregs guitarist.
• Albert Lee Collection – Signature Series of the Grammy Award-winning British guitarist.
• Silhouette Collection – Guitar Series for Ernie Ball Music Man’s first production guitar.
• Dustin Kensrue – Artist Series guitar collaboration with acclaimed singer-songwriter and guitarist of Thrice.
• Stephen Egerton – Artist Series guitar collaboration with the guitarist of iconic punk rock band Descendents.
• BFR – The Ball Family Reserve are examples of the highest craftsmanship from Music Man, using only the finest figured tonewoods available. Usually offered in limited production runs and sometimes one-offs; these instruments are of the highest quality possible.

Bass Guitars

• StingRay 35th Anniversary – 35th Anniversary edition of the timeless Ernie Ball Music Man design.
• StingRay Special Collection – First introduced in 1976, the StingRay is the flagship of the Music Man bass guitar line.
• Shortscale StingRay – The 30” scale StingRay allows for easier playability and is known for its big, warm tone.
• DarkRay – Designed in collaboration with Darkglass Electronics, these basses include specially designed 2-band EQ preamps, unlocking a wide range of sonic capabilities.
• Joe Dart Collection – Artist Series Signature bass for the bassist with renowned funk band Vulfpeck.
• John Myung – Artist Series 6-string Bongo bass guitar designed in collaboration with the Dream Theater bassist.
• Tim Commerford – Artist Series StingRay Signature bass for Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave legend.
• Bongo Collection – Music Man’s Bongo bass guitar is designed with super-modern tech and playability in mind.
• John Myung – Artist Series 6-string Signature Bongo bass for the Dream Theater bass guitarist.
• Mike Herrera – The MXPX frontman and bassist’s custom-designed StingRay bass.
• Sterling Collection – Music Man’s Sterling basses are known for their smaller body and neck profile, while still providing a big sound.
• Cliff Williams – The Cliff Williams Icon Series StingRay Bass is very limited edition of only 26 available worldwide!

If Music Man guitars are too expensive for you, they also have their more affordable Sterling line. The Sterling by Music Man line is still designed by the same dedicated guitar masters that make the American instruments but are manufactured in the Far East.

Left Handed Music Man Electric Guitars

Of all the electric guitar models available, there is just one left handed Music Man guitar.

Mariposa

Designed with Mars Volta and At the Drive-In lefty guitarist Omar Rodríguez-López.

• STRINGS: 6
• BODY: Okoume
• BODY FINISH: High gloss polyester – Sahara Sunset, Galaxy Pearl, Imperial White, and Dorado Green
• SCALE: 25.5″ (648 mm)
• NECK: Select roasted maple with 5 bolt, sculpted neck joint
• NECK FINISH: Gunstock oil and hand-rubbed special wax blend
• FINGERBOARD: Ebony with Atlante Block inlays
• RADIUS: 10″ (254 mm)
• NUT WIDTH: 1 5/8″ (41.3 mm)
• FRETS: 22 High profile, medium width
• TUNERS: Schaller M6-IND locking (Gold / Chrome)
• BRIDGE: Music Man Modern tremolo with chevron cover and vintage bent steel saddles
• NECK PICKUP: Music Man custom wound humbucker with gold/chrome covers
• BRIDGE PICKUP: Music Man custom wound humbucker with gold/chrome covers
• CONTROLS: 500kohm volume for each pickup, 3-way toggle pickup selector

Check price/availability at:

Left Handed Music Man Acoustic Guitars

Since Music Man don’t make acoustic guitars, there are no left handed Music Man acoustic guitars available.

Left Handed Music Man Basses

Of all the bass guitar models available, there are currently two left handed Music Man bass guitars.

Sterling 4 Bass

The Sterling 4 basses are known for their slightly smaller body and neck profile, while still providing a nice big sound.

• STRINGS: 4
• BODY: Select Hardwoods
• BODY FINISH: High gloss polyester – Scarlet Red and Vintage Blue Pearl
• SCALE: 34″ (864 mm)
• NECK: Bolt-on Select roasted maple with sculpted neck joint
• NECK FINISH: Gunstock oil and hand-rubbed special wax blend
• FINGERBOARD: Rosewood with dot inlays
• RADIUS: 11″ (279 mm)
• NUT WIDTH: 1 1/2″ (38.1 mm)
• FRETS: 22 High profile, wide stainless steel
• TUNERS: Schaller BM, with tapered string posts
• BRIDGE: Music Man chrome plated, hardened steel bridge plate with stainless steel saddles
• PICKUPS: Music Man humbucker with ceramic magnets and hum canceling phantom coil; Optional – Dual Humbucking with ceramic magnets
• CONTROLS: 3-band active preamp (vol, treble, mid, bass), 3-way lever pickup selector (Single Pickup version); 5-way lever pickup selector (Dual Pickup version)

Check price/availability at:

StingRay Special H Bass

Left handed version of Music Man’s flagship bass guitar line, first introduced in 1976.

• STRINGS: 4
• BODY: Select Hardwoods
• BODY FINISH: High gloss polyester – Burnt Amber, Black
• SCALE: 34″ (864 mm)
• NECK: Bolt-on Select roasted maple
• NECK FINISH: Gunstock oil and hand-rubbed special wax blend
• FINGERBOARD: Roasted maple with dot inlays
• RADIUS: 11″ (279 mm)
• NUT WIDTH: 1 11/16″ (42.86 mm)
• FRETS: 22 High profile, wide stainless steel
• TUNERS: Custom Music Man, lightweight with tapered string posts and ergonomic clover design
• BRIDGE: Vintage Music Man top loaded chrome plated, steel bridge plate with vintage nickel plated steel saddles
• PICKUP: Single Humbucking with Neodymium magnets
• CONTROLS: 3-band active preamp with 18 volts of headroom (vol, treble, mid, bass)

Check price/availability at:

StingRay Special HH Bass

Left handed version of Music Man’s flagship bass guitar line, first introduced in 1976.

• STRINGS: 4
• BODY: Select Hardwoods
• BODY FINISH: High gloss polyester – Burnt Amber, Black
• SCALE: 34″ (864 mm)
• NECK: Bolt-on Select roasted maple
• NECK FINISH: Gunstock oil and hand-rubbed special wax blend
• FINGERBOARD: Roasted maple with dot inlays
• RADIUS: 11″ (279 mm)
• NUT WIDTH: 1 11/16″ (42.86 mm)
• FRETS: 22 High profile, wide stainless steel
• TUNERS: Custom Music Man, lightweight with tapered string posts and ergonomic clover design
• BRIDGE: Vintage Music Man top loaded chrome plated, steel bridge plate with vintage nickel plated steel saddles
• PICKUPS: Dual Humbucking with Neodymium magnets
• CONTROLS: 3-band active preamp with 18 volts of headroom (vol, treble, mid, bass), 5-way lever pickup selector

Check price/availability at:

Final Thoughts

After excitedly looking for left handed Music Man guitars, specifically the Majesty (once I knew that was John Petrucci’s signature model), I was disappointed to find that no left handed versions existed. I think it’s a beautiful-looking guitar with plenty of features, but alas, not available to lefties!

Once I’d gotten over the lack of left handed Music Man Majesty guitars, I was surprised to find that Music Man had once provided more left handed versions of their guitars than I had expected. At the time of writing though, sadly there is only one model available; the Mariposa.

Also at the time of writing, there are three different left handed Music Man basses; I was pleasantly surprised to find this, as that’s more than the number of electric guitar models.

Even though Ernie Ball Music Man offers these lefty instruments, it seems very hard to find any of them available online. Hopefully they will build more of them soon!

What are your thoughts on Music Man guitars? Do you have one? Or have you played one? Are they worth the thousands of dollars that they cost? Let me know below!

Image credits: music-man.com