Dating a Pre Ernie Ball 4-String Stringray Bass

[hak55]

Guys, please help me. I have a Pre-Ernie Ball Stringray Bass and I am not sure what year it was made. Someone suggested that I unbolt the guitar and the year of manufacture can be found printed there on the body side but I don't want to do that. The photos are shown below. The serial number is
B 013163 and found on the bridge plate. Please help. Thank you.

 

[Grand Wazoo]

Not sure what to think, but your body and your neck don't match, the body may well be a pre-EB one but the neck certainly is Ernie Ball, the logos on the headstock and the one on the back seem to confirm it.

If you check Rod Trussbroken's website here: SERIALS Pre-EB - Musicmanbass.org, Music Man, Musicman, Music Man Bass, Musicman Bass, Music Man Guitar

You will see that your serial number places your bass in the 1976/77 era. Perhaps you could pm Rod Trussbroken for more details on your bass Ernie Ball Forums - View Profile: Rod Trussbroken

good luck

 

[mmbassplayer]

Hak... a few issues that i see pointing towards your insrrument not being a Pre-EB. Bridge is not old style with mutes, transition was 94-95ish?? Plastic battery box, 4 band eq, six bolt neck, and the wheel truss rod are all important factors in dating your instrument. Try posting in the Serial number thread and see it Customer Service can help out. JOSH

 

[Rod Trussbroken]

My guess is that you have an Ernie Ball Ray c.1996. You'll find you've added an extra digit to the serial number. Around that time they had "B" serials with only five digits (not 6 digits as found on the Pre-EB Rays).

 

[Elad_E]

my '95 still has the MM logo but my '00 has EBMM engraved on it's neck plate and I see the change didnt concur with the transition to the small bridge.
so, what year was the neck plate changed from the old MM logo to the EBMM logo?

 

[Rod Trussbroken]

my '95 still has the MM logo but my '00 has EBMM engraved on it's neck plate and I see the change didnt concur with the transition to the small bridge.
so, what year was the neck plate changed from the old MM logo to the EBMM logo?

1998...you have to watch BP and Crew...trickey guys

EDIT:

Perhaps to help the original poster and also "Elad"...the "E" serial was also introduced with the new neck plate in 1998. At the same time, the serial went from the bridge to the neck plate.

 

[oli@bass]

Well, aside from what Gav already pointed out, the headstock says "Ernie Ball" loud and clear, doesn't it?

 

[MrMusashi]

3 band eq, 6 bolt neck, plastic battery compartment and the new bridge without mutes on... there cant be any doubt that this is a "newer" bass..

if you wonder when its made you can post the serial in this thread:
http://www.ernieball.com/forums/music-man-basses/1254-music-man-serial-number-database.html
it might take a few days before you get the response, i guess they take a batch now and then when they have lunchbreak or something similar

hth!

MrM

 

[hak55]

Sorry, the S/No. is B 03163 and not as otherwise stated. Thank you.

 

[Rod Trussbroken]

BTW...Nice Bass!

My guesstimation is 1996

Go to serial thread:

http://www.ernieball.com/forums/music-man-basses/1254-music-man-serial-number-database.html