Help! Hello everybody!!! I Need some help!!!

[eltastiere]

Hi,
my name is Maurizio and few weeks ago I bought a MM stingray.
I choose it among 5 others Musicman...it was the best one.
It had the better sound...and was also cheaper, because it was older than the others.

I am satisfied with it, but I have some questions for you.

The bass should be a 1996 Stingray. I say "it should be" because I didn't find the serial
number. I think that some parts have been changed, during the years. Not sure if
the bridge or the neckplate. (..the bridge has a "strange " hole, as you will see)

I'm posting a link to some pictures of the bass.

Maurizio non più in Francia: Musicman

Could you help me to understand what has been changed?..
Please leave comments about this, or anything else you notice.

Cheers in advance

 

[cellkirk74]

The hole looks strange indeed, but the rest looks good to me. The hole is where the serial might have been.
Maybe it was removed. Was the seller a store?

 

[Smallmouth_Bass]

If there is a serial number on the bridge, it would be on the other side of the saddles. At least that is the way one of mine is (towards the pickguard).

I agree though, that hole on the bridge is strange and not something I have seen before. Everything else looks good!

 

[MadMatt]

Looks very nice! Congrats.

Check out this site: BRIDGES - Musicmanbass.org, Music Man, Musicman, Music Man Bass, Musicman Bass, Music Man Guitar

Since the neck stamp says its a 1996 there should be a Serial Number where the hole is. I will not speculate any further.

-Matt

 

[Basspro]

It all looks right to me, of course with the exception of the hole. it's the correct downsized bridge for that year, and the serial number would have been stamped on the bridge where it has been cut out.

 

[mynan]

Hmmm...why would anyone want to remove the serial number?

 

[melvin7822]

I'd hate to state the obvious, but perhaps it was stolen...

 

[bovinehost]

That's definitely where the serial number used to be, there where that hole is.

 

[Basspro]

@Melvin i think Matt and I were leaning that way, we just didn't come out and say it. Not too many other reasons why to take off a serial number. Oops... did i say that out loud?

 

[five7]

Bad kharma, I would take it back.

 

[eltastiere]

Thanks to everyone for the answers!!

..Maybe I am too ingenouos...but I didn't think to that possibility!!!
(to the possibility that the bass was stolen)

I bought it from a store that I can rely on!...

I am happy to know that, except the hole, everything looks good.
The sound is really really cool! I never thought about a Stingray,
but when I tried it in the store I fell immediately in love with it!

What do you reccomend me to do, now?...maybe to ask to the store some
explanation about the bass??...


cheers

 

[bovinehost]

I think you just have to say, "Well, my bass has a hole where the serial number once was" and move on, especially if you bought it from a reputable store. Just love it for what it does.

 

[Big Poppa]

Try not to think about the guy who used to own it. Dont even waste time on second guessing how the past owner would have played that line....Don t ask the bass the next morning how you did compared to its first relationship.

Ok I'm joking but there is nothing you can do but I believe this to be a stolen instrument....a reputable store should know something is off is the serial number has been removed or they arenot familiar with Music Man

 

[eltastiere]

hahaha!! Thanks, Big Poppa!!

I didn't check well, before buying the bass!..so it is my fault.

But...YES....definitely the store is not used with Music Man. Next week I'll go back
to the shop and I'll ask something about it...

Next Time I'll be more careful.. but I was (and still am) too excited with this bass.
Great great great sound!

 

[fly]

re-thought my answer and agree with five 7,it should be returned.

 

[five7]

Stolen is stolen! That bass looks to be stolen from a fellow bass player. I have had instruments stolen from me in the past and I would have nothing to do with something I believe has been stolen. Like I said, BAD KHARMA!!! I would return it to the store and report them to the police.

 

[bovinehost]

He says he'll check with the store which I think is a good thing to do. It's very hard to say what happened to that bass and when. Could have been stolen, altered, returned to the owner who then sold it, etc etc etc.

But yeah, I think talking to the store is a good idea.

 

[syciprider]

Maybe the previous owner was an ex forumite who hated BP real bad.

 

[five7]

What would that have to do with altering a bass bridge. If you don't like BP or musicman, sell it and move on.

 

[cellkirk74]

hahaha!! Thanks, Big Poppa!!

I didn't check well, before buying the bass!..so it is my fault.

But...YES....definitely the store is not used with Music Man. Next week I'll go back
to the shop and I'll ask something about it...

Next Time I'll be more careful.. but I was (and still am) too excited with this bass.
Great great great sound!

I think a good idea would be to start a thread about that bass in your local bass forum if there is something like that, inform about the store you got it from and check back with them.

If they have no proper explanation for the hole, make sure they will give your money back if the former owner wants to get it back. I agree with five 7 on the bad karma. I would not want it. (Think of Jason Lee ;-))