What Colour is this? or EBMM Bass Finishes Guide

[rizzo9247]

I needed a house bass for the jam room and this Craig's List offering came up in the $350 range, so I grabbed it.

I don't know much about this fire engine red finish, but at that price, I wouldn't care if it was vomit-coloured.

[Sonar]

I don't know much about this fire engine red finish, but at that price, I wouldn't care if it was vomit-coloured.

Hey! It was hard work locating a seller with a reasonable sales price in these hard economic times.
Really nice guy that bought it new at Veneman Music in Springfield in the early '90s. Just bought a house and seemingly this plain red bass guitar didn't fit with the wife's decorating plans.

Besides...it was COVERED in unsightly fingerprint smudges.




So...if no one has a name for this RED, can I be like a discoverer of old and name it something like: "RED Which None Dare Speak It's Name"?

Or do you think this might be a little wordy for those 'lil touch-up bottles of paint?

[mynan]

Newbie Question:

...only plain old red get's the Rodney Dangerfield treatment it appears.


I see some talk of "Fire Engine Red", but what's all that about? How isn't FER not just a red Stingray? Is it something other than just plain solid red? How unusual can a red bass guitar be?


Is all this FER chatter an inside joke at the expense of owners of the humble red Stingray sans metalflake translucent burst upgrades?

Do a google image search for "red" and see what you get...all different shades/variations of red. That's why the descriptive is necessary.

[Sonar]

Do a google image search for "red" and see what you get...all different shades/variations of red. That's why the descriptive is necessary.

I actually did this and saw all manner of red...but nothing solid.

I found mention of (or photos of):
Burnt Apple
Candy Red
Candy Apple Red
Crimson Red Transparent
Metallic Red
Radiance Red (appears slightly metallic)
Red Hot
Red Sunburst
Trans Red
Translucent Red
AND, my favorite, Venetian Red Burst


I certainly didn't come up with a color "name" or "descriptive" for mine as a solid red in this Google text and/or image search...

...so I'm growing fond of calling it -- "Just Plain Old Solid RED, dammit".

[Rod Trussbroken]

I'm fairly sure there was a "Fire Engine Red". The sample I saw was from around the 2001 period. If you post the serial number Dan will be able to check.

[Sonar]

I'm fairly sure there was a "Fire Engine Red". The sample I saw was from around the 2001 period. If you post the serial number Dan will be able to check.

This "Just Plain Old Solid RED, Dammit"® Stingray bass might be a couple of years older than what I thought.

Serial number is in the 280XX range.

So maybe it's more like 1989 according to the database I just noticed.

It will be apart later today for setup and string replacement -- so I'll keep an eye out for any confirming dates.

[mynan]

This "Just Plain Old Solid RED, Dammit"® Stingray bass might be a couple of years older than what I thought.

Serial number is in the 280XX range.

So maybe it's more like 1989 according to the database I just noticed.

It will be apart later today for setup and string replacement -- so I'll keep an eye out for any confirming dates.

Easy there, Beavis...like Rod said, post the exact serial# in the "serial number database" thread and 5stringer should be able to look it up and tell you exactly what color it is.

[5Stringer]

You are probably referring to Candy Red. Both were solid, but Fire Engine Red had an orange tint to it and was discontinued before 2002.

Dan

[Sonar]

You are probably referring to Candy Red. Both were solid, but Fire Engine Red had an orange tint to it and was discontinued before 2002.

Dan

Did EB Music Man put out TWO different colors -- one called "Candy Red" and one called "Candy Apple Red"?

I ask because I keep seeing pictures of Candy Apple Red guitars referred to as "Candy Red" all around this forum.


My guitar (Serial #28020) is not Candy Apple Red.


So...thinking my guitar is well before 2002 (by probably 13 years) AND it is not Candy Apple Red, am I left with Fire Engine Red?

I ask because every time I open the case, bells and sirens go off in my head. Wouldn't this be a strong indicator?

[5Stringer]

Sonar, there has never been a Candy Apple Red, that name started somewhere outside the pristine walls of EBMM and seems to have a life of its own out there. The two are one and the same color.

Candy Red was first available on the StingRay bass in 1999, when we sort of "opened up the floodgates" and allowed nearly any finish that made sense to offer on most instruments. Prior to that it was only available on the Silhouette Special guitar from 1996-99.

Regarding your StingRay, you are correct that it does not have Candy Red (as it didn't exist yet). Your bass, which was built on 4/27/89, had an unnamed finish that we only offered for a short time, it didn't even have its own color code but was instead grouped as a "Special", which tells us next to nothing I'm afraid .... the records from that far back are not very descriptive.

Hope that makes it a tad bit clearer!

Dan

[Sonar]

Sonar, there has never been a Candy Apple Red, that name started somewhere outside the pristine walls of EBMM and seems to have a life of its own out there. The two are one and the same color.

Candy Red was first available on the StingRay bass in 1999, when we sort of "opened up the floodgates" and allowed nearly any finish that made sense to offer on most instruments. Prior to that it was only available on the Silhouette Special guitar from 1996-99.

Thanks Dan....very interesting. I asked about the difference because "Candy Apple Red" is the way it's listed in the selections found in the first post of this thread.

Regarding your StingRay, you are correct that it does not have Candy Red (as it didn't exist yet). Your bass, which was built on 4/27/89, had an unnamed finish that we only offered for a short time, it didn't even have its own color code but was instead grouped as a "Special", which tells us next to nothing I'm afraid .... the records from that far back are not very descriptive.

Question: If my bass WAS "Fire Engine Red", would it have appeared in your records as such OR would it have been grouped as "Special" as you mention?

This question has taken on a life of it's own simply because the first post in this thread mentions wanting a photo of a "Fire Engine Red" EB Music Man.

I can tell you that my bass is a generic solid red color...rather like any red Fender Squire you'd see hanging on a music store wall...no metallic qualities. Lighter than Fender/GM Dakota Red yet not as pink as Fender/Ford Fiesta Red. It's so plain looking that it makes the whole evolving "rare or special color" question kinda amusing to me.

So...with the information you have, can we absolutely rule out my bass being "Fire Engine Red"?

Hope that makes it a tad bit clearer!

Dan

Thanks again! I truly appreciate your time providing this help. I'm obviously new to this forum and can't thank you enought for your help extended to this newbie!

[5Stringer]

Yes we can. Fire Engine Red, as an official color, was ONLY offered for about a year - and that year was 1999. And yes, it would have clearly stated in our records as such.

And there you have it!

Dan

[rkingly]

Hi,
Newbie here hoping to find out the color of this 89/90 EBSR.
Several years ago I vaguely recall the neck pocket stating
"Morning Glow" but the memory doesn't always work properly.
I looked through this thread & wow, I'm blown away by all the
gorgeous basses.
My bass looks a little like some of the other blue's on this list,
but nothing exactly like mine.
Solid Color, no grain showing through & no burst.
Just Smurf Blue.

Thanks ladies & gents.
rkingly

[5Stringer]

rkingly, this looks like a limited run we did a long time back. What is the serial number of the bass?

Dan

[rkingly]

28341 Thanks Dan for the fast response!