Dating hardware

[Fauhde]

Hi, I purchased a bass awhile ago that’s a custom build with parts that are all high quality and obviously cost someone a fair bit at one point.
The story I got with it is a guy had two stingrays and wanted modulus necks on them after the cutlass style but also wanted a fancier top than musicman produced at the time so he contacted Roger Giffin a boutique builder who at the time was still based in the UK. (His stamps in the neck pocket)
He had two bodies built and imported the necks himself from Modulus, then donated all the hardware from his stingrays to produce a fretted and a fretless.
The guy I bought it from has gigged it hard for 30 years and it shows in the Mojo.
I’m trying to date the hardware as it doesn’t register with the MM serial checker.
Roger giffin was at that site from 1980 - 1988 and it has a 3 band EQ (1987 introduced?)
Serial is B022379 which from other records would suggest earlier than 1987.

 

[Rod Trussbroken]

.
If the serial B022379 is on the bridge then the bridge itself came from a Sting Ray Bass. The B022xxx serials (with their related top load bridges) were used from 1982-1983 during the Pre-Ernie Ball (Pre-EB) Music Man period and also from 1984-1986 during the Ernie Ball (EB) period. The bridge on your Bass was originally a top-load (it has three screws at rear) so it can be from either period. However its been modified and drilled so the strings can be loaded through the body. The body itself (which you say is not original) has four string-through ferrules at the rear. These would have come from a Pre-EB Bass. The neck plate is Music Man. If it's marked "Made IN USA" then it's Pre-EB and, if not, then it's an EB plate. 3EQ preamps were introduced in 1987.

 

[Fauhde]

Thanks for that