Hi All:
I looked at and bought an earlier Stingray today. The seller indicated to me he bought it new in '84-ish. He says it is all original and has been enjoying pampered care by him all it's life. Mostly sleeping in its case in a closet. The B0217XX serial indicates it was built in 1983 according to the database. Ditto for the neck pocket information.
The bass plays well and all functions are 100%.
I have cosmetic questions. I think the bass has been refinished. The neck is maple. It has a high gloss finish on the front and back. The gloss is on the heel under the neck except for a small stripe where a stick was attached. There are penciled initials on the heel also in one area which are under the gloss. The gloss finish material is also heavy in the area of the truss rod to the point that it is actually coated onto the truss rod. The rod turns fine and there's no evidence of it cracking in that area or anywhere else. Does this sound consistent with this era neck? A photo below shows what I'm talking about.
The body is a translucent red color. I'm not sure what to make of the finish. It appears to have alot of orange peel. At the same time, it shows some checking like an old nitro finish might do. Were the finishes pretty bad back in those days? Also - there's an omission in the finish under the pickup as if a tool was used to hold the body during the staining process. Has anybody ever seen this?
One other thing that is bothering me. The body does not look like it's made of ash. It appears to be alder. I always thought stingray basses were made of ash exclusively. It's not a very pretty piece of wood to have been selected as a trans finish.
In all, I'm happy with the bass. I didn't pay a premium for a collectible stingray. I bought based on playability and the seller was cool about everything. My instincts are telling me that there may be some deception with regards to what I was told regarding the original finish. I specifically asked if it had been refinished and I received an emphatic "NO!". All else about this base lines up with the seller's story including the corduroy G&G tolex case that came with it.
To those who know - please share your advice on what I should make of this finish. I appreciate any insight and information.
Thanks,
Bob
I looked at and bought an earlier Stingray today. The seller indicated to me he bought it new in '84-ish. He says it is all original and has been enjoying pampered care by him all it's life. Mostly sleeping in its case in a closet. The B0217XX serial indicates it was built in 1983 according to the database. Ditto for the neck pocket information.
The bass plays well and all functions are 100%.
I have cosmetic questions. I think the bass has been refinished. The neck is maple. It has a high gloss finish on the front and back. The gloss is on the heel under the neck except for a small stripe where a stick was attached. There are penciled initials on the heel also in one area which are under the gloss. The gloss finish material is also heavy in the area of the truss rod to the point that it is actually coated onto the truss rod. The rod turns fine and there's no evidence of it cracking in that area or anywhere else. Does this sound consistent with this era neck? A photo below shows what I'm talking about.
The body is a translucent red color. I'm not sure what to make of the finish. It appears to have alot of orange peel. At the same time, it shows some checking like an old nitro finish might do. Were the finishes pretty bad back in those days? Also - there's an omission in the finish under the pickup as if a tool was used to hold the body during the staining process. Has anybody ever seen this?
One other thing that is bothering me. The body does not look like it's made of ash. It appears to be alder. I always thought stingray basses were made of ash exclusively. It's not a very pretty piece of wood to have been selected as a trans finish.
In all, I'm happy with the bass. I didn't pay a premium for a collectible stingray. I bought based on playability and the seller was cool about everything. My instincts are telling me that there may be some deception with regards to what I was told regarding the original finish. I specifically asked if it had been refinished and I received an emphatic "NO!". All else about this base lines up with the seller's story including the corduroy G&G tolex case that came with it.
To those who know - please share your advice on what I should make of this finish. I appreciate any insight and information.
Thanks,
Bob
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