Cliff Williams’ 1976 Music Man StingRay

The Matt’s Guitar Shop collection doesn’t overlook legendary basses—and this Music Man StingRay is a true piece of history for all hard rock fans, especially those of AC/DC.

When Cliff Williams joined AC/DC in 1977, he played a Fender Precision—a bass that suited his powerful, efficient pick-playing style. Meanwhile, the California-based brand Music Man, founded by none other than Leo Fender, had just launched the StingRay bass. This model retained the simplicity of the Precision Bass while offering higher output and a sharper tone—perfect for the evolving sound of late ’70s rock production.

Cliff Williams permanently switched to the StingRay in 1979, during the tour following the release of Highway To Hell. A sunburst StingRay can be seen in the film Let There Be Rock, recorded in Paris in December 1979. The same bass appears again in 2011’s Live at the River Plate, and continued to be used through the Rock Or Bust World Tour, which wrapped up in 2016. Over those 37 years of loyal service, Cliff Williams only used five StingRays—this one is number 3. It’s safe to say that very few basses have shaken as many stadiums as this humble Music Man!