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Hi matski,

Thanks for info, much appreciated. No probs with delay...my computer crashed and only got back on line 9.30 pm last night.

Can you post info about your Basses again along with dates? our previous contact on this forum seems to have dissappeared!!!

cheers.

(PS you have a private message).
 
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No worries!

My StingRay is black, with a black scratchplate (do you call them scratchplates or pickguards in Oz?), with a varnished maple neck with a brass nut. It's from 1981, so it has the 3-bolt neck, with a slightly curved triangle shaped metal neck plate. The neck also has quite a 'flat' profile. The battery cover on the back of the body is also metal and screw-on. It has 2-band EQ. Everything on the StingRay is original, apart from the scratchplate: when I bought it second hand back in 1984 the scratchplate was missing. I had a luthier friend of mine make me a new one, but it wasn't exactly perfect. Later on I bought a brand-new Ernie Ball StingRay as a live backup, but never really liked it compared to my old StingRay (the sound wasn't quite the same - not as warm as the '81, and the neck didn't feel quite as nice). Anyways, I swapped the scratchplates over, then sold the Ernie Ball! As I said before I don't know the exact build date, but have been told it's a 1981 model.

The Cutlass I is also black, with a black scratchplate. The graphite neck has abrass nut and is fixed on with 4 screws, with an oblong metal neck plate. This neck is more like the new StingRays, with a little more curve on the backside than my StingRay. The fret marker dots are pearl, and one is missing from the 12th fret. The battery cover is also metal and screw-on. It also has 2-band EQ. Everything on the Cutlass is completely original, right down to the tarnished tuners!

If I get my **** together I might sort out a couple of digital pix for you...

In case you didn't already know, I'm English (not Dutch - I came to Holland for work 6 years ago). I bought both of these guitars in London: I picked up the StingRay for £500 in a (now non-existent) shop called Soho Soundhouse in central London back in 1984, at the tender age of 16! The Cutlass was also bought second-hand in 1988 for £1000 (quite a lot of money really, but I just HAD to have it!), in a shop called the Bass Centre which used to be in Wapping in East London. This place has also closed down now.

Just in case you're interested I also own 2 more basses: an Aria SB-something (not sure of the exact model - but it looks the same as the SB-1000, except it was a special edition Black & Gold version), which I upgraded with a Bartolini MusicMan style humbucker pickup and Bartolini active system. My other bass is a Tacoma Olympia acoustic/electric.

The amp setup I have is an Ampeg SVT-III Pro head and the monster 8 x 10" speaker cabinet.

How's that? Enough information for you?

:D
Cheers,
Mat
 
Ok matski,

URL address for pic of my 79 Ray, below. Purchased new in 1979. Had it in storage for about 18 years. B010851. Neck date 9th Jan 1979. NO BODY DATE!...only the initials "SJ" written in pencil. That's why I'm particularly interested in your Ray...I think you said previously that it had neither a neck nor body date....Is that correct???....can you confirm!!! (or am I confusing it with your Cutlass?). Yours, and mine, are the only ones I've heard of/seen that are missing vital date info. Do you have any markings at all in the neck pocket and on the neck? I'm collecting as much info as I can about Pre EB serial numbers and dates...Leo Fender obviously didn't hand this info over to Ernie Ball. If you want stats, let me know.

RE your Cutlass. Brass nut is standard, is it???...learn something every day! You gave a neck and body date last time but, as I said above, that thread is missing for some reason. (I've done a search and can't find it!!!). Can you give me those dates again please. Not many made during their 1983 production year...perhaps only 600...very rare Bass, that's why I'm interested with serial numbers, neck and body dates of these models.

Your Basses sound good...would love to see pics.

Yep, in Australia we call them "scratch plates"...and not "pick guards".


http://a6.cpimg.com/image/06/94/15297286-c9d4-02000180-.jpg


Cheers for now.

(R.I.P. Maurice of Brothers Gibb).
 
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Hello again,

You're right, there's no information on my StingRay: both the neck and the pocket have no date stamp or signatures at all. I'm afraid my StingRay hasn't been kept in storage - I've been using it as my main bass since forever!

The Cutlass has a date stamp of Sep 15 1983 on the pocket and the neck has Sep 14 1983 written on it with some sort of marker pen. I'm presuming the brass nut is standard on this one, I haven't changed it. If there were only 600 made in this year, it is a bit of a rarity - when I bought it the guy in the shop reckoned that there were only ever 12 Cutlasses imported in the UK in total. You can never really trust a salesman though, eh? To be honest the only other 2 I ever saw in the UK were on TV, and were used by the bassplayer from Frankie Goes To Hollywood, and the bassplayer from Killing Joke!

The link to your pic didn't work for me...

my email address is: [email protected]

Cheers,
Mat
 
Tell you what,

This "Club Photo" picture host is nothing but.....

Instructions they give....Ha....I'm not a rocket scientist....I'm a bass player!

Ok buddy, I'll send via email.

Info much appreciated.
 
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Mat,

Perhaps the link may work now:

15297286-c9d4-02000180-.jpg


Cheers.
 
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