Big Poppa Presents Volume 1

[Dargin]

Big Poppa has asked me to post this picture for you enjoyment. From time to time I will post photos of one one off's, prototypes, and other things we find amusing.

Here is a photo of a pre-Ernie Ball Music Man Stingray. The serial number is B001026. From what I hear this bass was one that BP beta tested for Leo back in the day. He calls it "number 26". Notice the pole pieces! Big Poppa has much more information about this bass than I do, so sit tight and he may inform us.

 

[midopa]

Rod! Get out your pen and pencil! Troves of info to be had! Very, very groovy, Ball family!


.... The BetaRay.

 

[philthygeezer]

*Salutes headstock*

 

[skabassist13]

thats awesome. those pole pieces are trippy. what color is that?

 

[element]

That PUP is looking very busy

 

[bovinehost]

Holy Grail Alert.

Thanks, Scott. Any stories from the Boss? I'd love to hear more about this bass.

 

[Dargin]

Yeah, my dad will post about it soon. I just heard some fascinating stories.......
FYI: This thing sounds FAT. Old School Thump.

 

[Mobay45]

Too cool. I like the P bass vibe to the p'up the way each string has two pole pieces on either side of it. Verrry interesting.

 

[Morrow]

WOW. That is one interesting piece of history. Holy Grail indeed. The Alpha Stingray.

 

[Jazzbassman23]

Is it me or does that just appear to be a five string pickup on a four string bass.

 

[Big Poppa]

Here is a rambling story. When I was just getting out of high school I would go up to Fullerton and beta test for Leo. My godfather Tom Walker was pretty impressed that I hooked up Eric Clapton with Music Man amps while still in High School, so he hooked me up with Leo. Leo was a secret partner of Music Man because when he sold fender to CBS in 1965 he signed a ten year non compete clause so he couldn't actively compete with Fender until the ten years was up.

A couple of things that people dont know; Leo did not design the Music Man preamps in the instruments and did not design any of the Music Man amps Tommy Walker did. Don't listen to anyone else I was there.

You could not make an instrument bright enough for Leo as he was hard of hearing. He would plug in a stingray guitar and have me play this horribly bright guitar and sit make and say "that's like honey". Most of Leo's design was centered around the bridge with the Music man stuff. He would make you put a phillips head screw driver on the stainless rollers and have you put your ear bone on the other end of the
screwdriver and feel the vibrations

Most of the beta tests involved me and Tommy Walker and Leo and some old local country players. The extra fret on the Stingray was added by Dennis Kovarik a Detroit bass player that had relocated to LA and we were friends and I got him involved .I also got Freebo, Bonnie Raitt's old bass player involved and he has a sub 20 serial number Sting Ray. He wanted to be able to hit a high E on the G so thats why that fret was added. Since much of Leo's work was unplugged I had to convince him that pole pieces were affecting the string vibration and that the pick up and preamp were so hot that they would override the input of most amps. I have I think number 3 somewhere, but number 26's pickup was hand made for me by Leo and is the only one ever made. Leo called it "Old Smoothie". This was my main bass for a long time. The finish is a very bad goopy polyester sunburst.

Dargin could you post a close up of the pickup?

 

[cgworkman]

THAT is very nice.

 

[Mobay45]

It sounds as if you have a lot of good stories to tell. Has BP or GP Magazine ever interviewed you? And if not, why not? That one story was some very interesting reading for me.

 

[Big Poppa]

Clarification

Dennis Kovarik added the extra fret not Freebe. Tom Walker was one of the founders and president of Music Man. Leo retained CLF research and that's who made the instruments for Music Man. Tommy Walker was one of the greatest men ever to grace the planet. He was one of the first Fender reps and signed my dad as an artist in 51 and opened him as a dealer in 53

 

[Chet the Jet]

It sounds as if you have a lot of good stories to tell. Has BP or GP Magazine ever interviewed you? And if not, why not? That one story was some very interesting reading for me.

I find this very interesting as well.

Thanks for coming on and chattin it up Big Poppa.

 

[prickly_pete]

It looks like a SR5 pickup. Very cool information, thanks!

 

[Moondog]

Very cool
Thanks BP!!

 

[bassmonkeee]

This thread is quite possibly the single finest reason for the internet to exist. This thread and porn, anyway.

If you guys ever start a cult, I'll buy whatever brand of sneakers you tell me to.

 

[tkarter]

Just signing up for this one. I do beleive I have read the utmost truth on the Internet dealing with the electric bass.

tk

 

[TSanders]

WOW. This may be the best thread ever.