Fretless Stingray 5 20th anniversary matching headstock lined fretboard...?

[Hellboy]

Hi all. I need to find a fretless Stingray 5 for upcoming tours starting in february. There is a new black one for sale here in Sweden but that is it. Small market and I, unfortunately, am not too fond of plain all black instruments. So if anyone of you´ve seen something similar to this description in any music stores you´ve visited recently, then please shout:

Stingray 5, lined fretless, one humbucker (or two. doesn´t really matter), matching headstock, translusent color (red in particular or any darker/warmer custom translucent colors). 20th anniversary if possible.

Sweden is such a small market and not many people are interested in fretless 5-string basses so there are pretty much none around in the entire country. And I´m abit picky when it comes to instruments so I´ve prepared myself that I might have to find what I look for abroad in this case. Anyone seen anything like what I´m looking for? Or does any of the EB folks on the forum knows if EB might have shipped anything similar out to a music store lately? Would appreciate any help. Sorry if I didn´t put this under a specific thread. I´m abit new around here so I´ve not learned yet how the moderators wants things around here. Great thanks.

Sincerely//Jan

 

[Hellboy]

I´ve searched the forum and just to clear one thing out before somenone jumpes at me. This has nothing to do about me trying to avoid taxes and that sort of things. I just try to find a bass and I´m in abit of a hurry. And there are no interesting fretless SR 5´s to be found in Sweden. I don´t have 6 months or more to order a bass thro a music store over here. Just to clear that out....

Sincerely//Jan

 

[WillPlay4Food]

Bass Central ( Bass Central ) has 2 lined fretless 20th SR5s, but they don't have matching headstocks and couldn't ship to Sweden. If you were to visit the US or had a US friend / relative you could probably end up with it though.

 

[Hellboy]

Bass Central ( Bass Central ) has 2 lined fretless 20th SR5s, but they don't have matching headstocks and couldn't ship to Sweden. If you were to visit the US or had a US friend / relative you could probably end up with it though.

Thank you. Looks great. I have plenty of friends in USA so that should not be a problem. What is the problem with shipping to Sweden? I don´t understand. I´ve shipped instruments back and forth lots of times. Is it simply that the owner of Bass Central used to be married to a swedish woman so he doesn´t like us northerners no more? A Peter Sellers kind of thing.....

//Jan

 

[Jimmyb]

Thank you. Looks great. I have plenty of friends in USA so that should not be a problem. What is the problem with shipping to Sweden? I don´t understand. I´ve shipped instruments back and forth lots of times. Is it simply that the owner of Bass Central used to be married to a swedish woman so he doesn´t like us northerners no more? A Peter Sellers kind of thing.....

//Jan

Hi Jan,

It's to do with the dealer agreement. Dealers aren't allowed to ship new guitars outside of their country, unless they're limited models more than 2 years past the point of release (not 100% sure if that's the exact ruling, but it's close I think).

It's designed to support the importers into other countries, who provide good customer service and representation of the company's products.

The other thing to remember is that your waranty won't be valid if you purchase from the US.

Hope this helps...

 

[Hellboy]

Hi Jan,

It's to do with the dealer agreement. Dealers aren't allowed to ship new guitars outside of their country, unless they're limited models more than 2 years past the point of release (not 100% sure if that's the exact ruling, but it's close I think).

It's designed to support the importers into other countries, who provide good customer service and representation of the company's products.

The other thing to remember is that your waranty won't be valid if you purchase from the US.

Hope this helps...

Oki. Thank you for clearing that out. Makes sense but at the same time, that might work if you live in Germany, France, Canada, Australia, England or any other country with a greater population than we have here in Sweden, Norway, Iceland or other small countries. I just got off the phone with the swedish importer and they said that it will take until spring before they have a 5-string fretless, if even then. I read somewhere that there are a greater amount of people playing guitar in USA then there are people living in the country of Sweden. I don´t think that we have much more than 2.000 bass-players here and most of them play 4-string basses. The number of bass-players that are interested in a 5-string fretless per year is very limited and this is the reason why importers can´t do a good job when it comes to this particular type of instrument. They have plenty of 4-string Stingray´s but, same thing there, all of them are fretted. And most of them are several years old since not many are sold each year. I make my living as a musician and I need tools and the swedish importer can´t provide me what I need so what can I do? I could buy a frettless 5-string of another brand but I don´t want that. I want a fretless 5-string Stingray and there are none here. So should I "bend the rules" and ask a friend to buy one in USA and ship it over? That is pretty much my only option if they won´t sell it directly to me and ship it to Sweden. The swedish importer did not seem to mind since they could not help me, and I know them rather well since I have worked in music stores on and off and other things, and I call them direct. They are indeed aware about the problem that working musicians have when it comes to this and other particular problems and they, at the same time, can´t do much about it since they can´t order 10 fretless 5-string basses cause it will most likely take them 5 years to sell them. It´s easier to get a hold of a Chapman Stick over here than a 5-string fretless Stingray. I could order one through the importer here in Sweden but it would take too long since I need it in february if not even earlier. Tough one.....

Sincerely//Jan

 

[mynan]

I don't know if it helps or not, but if I understand correctly the wait here in the US is also about 4-6 months if you can't find a dealer that has one with the options that you want.

 

[Hellboy]

I don't know if it helps or not, but if I understand correctly the wait here in the US is also about 4-6 months if you can't find a dealer that has one with the options that you want.

I could be perfectly happy with the single humbucker fretless Stingray Bass Central has. If they´re willing to sell it to me. It has everything I want except matching headstock. To find something similar with a matching headstock would be just perfect cause I really do like matching headstocks but it is not that important.

Sincerely//Jan

 

[Sonnyonbass]

Bass Central IS allowed to sell Limited stuff to Europe after having the basses for 2 years in stock. Maybe they have a limited model in fretless version for you?

Why is letting some1 else buy the bass in the US and then ship in to you "bending the rules" You did everything you could.
Just as long as it is a bass from the No1 Bass Company. I think it's allowed.

Hell. I just refuse to buy 1 over here because most of the music stores over here (and the people in it) are full of.... beeeeeeep.
I fly over to the US for a (far) better shopping experience and more choice.
My only regret is that I didn't buy more basses last time.
I still "need" that 20th ann. Stingray....! aaargh

So. Hop on a plane and choose you new axe!

 

[WillPlay4Food]

I could be perfectly happy with the single humbucker fretless Stingray Bass Central has. If they´re willing to sell it to me. It has everything I want except matching headstock. To find something similar with a matching headstock would be just perfect cause I really do like matching headstocks but it is not that important.

Sincerely//Jan

How expensive is it to fly to the US and buy it in person? US currency has been declining in value for a couple of years now...

 

[Hellboy]

How expensive is it to fly to the US and buy it in person? US currency has been declining in value for a couple of years now...

Flight ticket and hotel room would end up around 1200 us dollar I would guess. Flight ticket 850 us return ticket and accomodation. To ship the thing would most likely cost around 500 us. I could do that but time is another problem. Am abit too busy and just to fly back and forth to buy the thing would be no fun. Better to combine it with a small vaccation and stay a couple of weeks. I have friends in Florida so it would be easier and faster to ask them to help out. I´ve sent a e-mail to Bass Central. I´ll see if they respond before I decide what to do. Thanks.

//J

 

[MrMusashi]

freight these days is aproximately 300$, so you better work at an airline company if youre gonna get it cheaper than that

MrM

 

[Hellboy]

Oki. It seems like I have to give this bass up. I got a No from Bass Central. Twice actually. And I don´t have the time to fly over personally. I do have a fretless 5-string Wal but I don´t dare to take it out touring since they are not made no more and Pete "the Fish" Stevens is not doing well health wise. Might be that it won´t be possible to get new electronics and other spare parts for Wal basses ahead so I don´t dare to take it out. Will try to find a used fretless 5-string instead. There is a used Tobias on a swedish site. We´ll see what happens. Thanks all.

//Jan

P.S. Now who am I kidding.... I definately won´t get a Tobias. D.S.

 

[bovinehost]

Jan, keep an eye on the "For Sale" thread up above. (And eBay, of course.) Fretless fivers are not all that common here, either, but they do pop up used every now and then.

Jack

 

[scottbass71]

Thank you. Looks great. I have plenty of friends in USA so that should not be a problem

Hope I am not stepping on toes here but the only solution besides flying over is get your friend in the US to buy it and then ship it to you, the only thing the warranty will only be valid to the original owner so if there is any problems ( and there is never with EB) you will have to ship it back your friend in the US.

 

[Hellboy]

Jan, keep an eye on the "For Sale" thread up above. (And eBay, of course.) Fretless fivers are not all that common here, either, but they do pop up used every now and then.

Jack

I will keep an eye out. I´ve been in contact with the biggest music stores over here in Europe and none has any fretless 5-string Stingrays. Not even in England or Germany. I´ve not been in contact with any stores in France since my french is so lousy. Will see what happens ahead. Wouldn´t really want to get another brand. There are several Yamaha´s available here in Sweden. I actually had a sponsorship deal with Yamaha some 15 years ago and they make great instruments but they are no favorite of mine. I like the massive low end and the personallity that Stingrays have. There are a couple of regular production fretless 5-string Stingrays on eBay but I would rather like to get something that I really like. So perhaps it´s better to wait and see what happens.

//Jan

 

[Hellboy]

Hope I am not stepping on toes here but the only solution besides flying over is get your friend in the US to buy it and then ship it to you, the only thing the warranty will only be valid to the original owner so if there is any problems ( and there is never with EB) you will have to ship it back your friend in the US.

I´ve tried to get a hold of my Florida friends but they are on vaccation. They left for Europe last thursday. Hm..... Isn´t that a paradox? I called the store and it might be that they´ve sold the bass too. One of their old customers had called and it seems like he will buy it. Some lad from Arkansas. But I must say that Bass Central really does take dealer agreements seriously. Hats off for that. I´ve tried to find out if it would be possible to make an exeption since I just can´t find a similar bass on this side of the pond but it´s been a big NO ever since I asked them the first time. Nothing to discuss. So it´s good that they are trustworthy and live up to the regulations but still abit frustrating for someone like me. I will, when I´m dead, most likely be talked about as the one person who has done the most to get a hold of a specific bass in history!

//Jan

 

[WillPlay4Food]

When I mentioned them, I certainly wasn't doing it so you would try to get them to break their dealer agreement. I was letting you know in case you could make it to the US you would know where to go to find one.

 

[Hellboy]

When I mentioned them, I certainly wasn't doing it so you would try to get them to break their dealer agreement. I was letting you know in case you could make it to the US you would know where to go to find one.

Yes I know. Thanks. I wasn´t aware about this particular rule before starting this thread. And it´s not really like I´ve been giving them a hard time about this. I´ve asked and they´ve said NO refering to dealer agreements and then I asked what "dealer agreements" are and if there are exceptions so they´ve explained that they can perhaps sell this bass over phone/e-mail to a european customer two years after it was put on the market and this would be in january -09. But they have to ask for permisson first if they still have it at that time.

Since english is more or less my 3rd language and I´ve noticed that I can be abit hard to understand because of it, I hope that I´ve not made people think I´ve been harsh about this and that I´ve tried to make them break their rules and regulations. So just to clear things out. This is not the case. I´ve asked, they have said No and explained the situation. And I respect that. They won´t sell it to me and I applaude them for honouring the dealer agreements. That is what they should do and so they are. So all fine indeed.

//Jan