After decades of laying down some of the most solid and dependable grooves in hard rock history, Cliff Williams, longtime bassist for the legendary Australian band AC/DC, finally received a well-deserved honor: his own signature bass.
Known for his rock-solid timing, unshakable groove, and no-frills playing style, Cliff has been holding down the low end for AC/DC since 1977. His approach to bass playing is a masterclass in discipline and musicality – never flashy, always serving the song.
Ernie Ball Music Man unveiled the Cliff Williams Signature StingRay Bass as a tribute to the instrument that has been by his side on stage and in the studio for decades. This bass is a faithful recreation of Cliff’s beloved 1979 StingRay and was officially released in November. True to his roots, it’s built for tone, reliability, and classic rock punch.
A True Collector’s Item
This isn’t a mass-produced model. The Cliff Williams Signature StingRay is limited to just 26 instruments worldwide, making it as rare as it is iconic. With a starting price of $7,000, it’s clearly aimed at serious collectors and fans of Cliff’s work with AC/DC.
The Cliff Williams Signature StingRay Bass features a 3-piece poplar body and a 34″ scale maple neck with a matching maple fingerboard, offering that classic bright and punchy StingRay feel. It comes in a beautifully aged nitrocellulose “Faded Burst” finish, aptly named Back in Burst, a clear nod to Back in Black.
The 7.5″ fingerboard radius and 21 frets give it a smooth, vintage-style playability. Schaller BM tuners keep things rock-solid and stable on the road. Under the hood, it packs a custom humbucking pickup with eight elongated Alnico magnets paired with a custom two-band active preamp. The controls are simple and effective: Volume, Treble, and Bass – everything you need to shape a tone that hits just as hard as AC/DC’s back catalog.
From the feel of the neck to the pickup voicing, everything has been fine-tuned to mirror Cliff’s original ’79 StingRay – right down to the wear-and-tear relic job that makes it look stage-worn and tour-ready.
Cliff’s Playing Style: Less Is More
Cliff made his first appearance with AC/DC on 1978’s Powerage, and he’s been a cornerstone of their sound ever since. While some bassists aim to impress with complex lines and technical flourishes, Cliff’s brilliance lies in his restraint.
As he once put it:
“I play the same thing in every song, for the most part… in AC/DC’s music, the song is more important than any individual’s bit in it.”
He’s always understood the core role of the bass in hard rock: locking in with the drums and letting the guitars soar. Most of the time, he plays with a pick, relying exclusively on downstrokes to get that punchy, relentless drive that cuts through AC/DC’s signature wall of sound.
Gear Through the Years
Although Cliff is best known for his Music Man basses, his early days with AC/DC saw him experimenting with a variety of instruments. In the iconic Let There Be Rock music video, he’s seen playing a Gibson Ripper. Over the years, he’s also wielded:
- Fender Precision Bass
- Fender Jazz bass
- Gibson Thunderbird
- Gibson EB-3
- Rickenbacker 4003
His classic tone has always been reinforced through Ampeg SVT-4PRO heads paired with SVT-810E speaker cabinets, a rig that delivers the thunderous, room-shaking presence that AC/DC fans know and love.
In 2020, AC/DC fans were thrilled to hear that several key members of the classic lineup – including Brian Johnson, Phil Rudd, and Cliff Williams – had rejoined the band. After years of uncertainty, the group confirmed they were back in action and teasing new music.
With the band hinting at potential tours and a new album (possibly the long-rumored Power Up follow-up), there’s hope we’ll soon see Cliff wielding his new signature StingRay on stage where it belongs.
Whether you’re a bassist looking for inspiration or a lifelong AC/DC fan, this signature model is more than just an instrument—it’s a tribute to a legacy built on keeping it simple, steady, and powerful.
Updated: 04/13/2025
