Music Man Sting Ray 1

[Pizzaface]

Hello!


Im new on this forum, but i have been reading a lot in here for a long time.

The serial number is : G002225. Anyway to find out the age of it?
The sad thing is that the preamp are broken. Anyone know if it´s possible to replace it (it burned up) ? I have owned it for almost 16 years here in Sweden. But it still play we and sound great whit all electronics bypassed.

Regards: Pizzaface

 

[John C]

Wow, nice Leo-era Music Man.

If I'm remembering correctly the Leo-era MM guitars were made from say 1976 until 1981; seems like only the basses carried on after 1981 until the original company went bankrupt in early 1984. That being the case I don't know where you could get info on repairing or replacing the old preamp.

In either case Ernie Ball didn't get all the old production records on the guitars and basses when they bought the company in 1984; they just got the design information and put the Sting Ray and Sabre basses back into production. All current guitars are 100% EBMM designs.

Here is the Music Man story in a nutshell. The company that became Music Man was founded by Tom Walker and Forrest White. They went to their old friend Leo Fender for some consulting on setting up the company circa 1973, and Leo became a "hidden, silent partner" in the firm until his non-compete with CBS expired in 1975 (he was prohibited from doing anything but consulting as part of the sale of Fender to CBS at the end of 1964). Leo also owned a company called "CLF Research" - the "CLF" stood for "Clarence Leo Fender". While Leo was one of 3 shareholders in Music Man he was the sole owner of CLF Research.

Through CLF Research he designed and manufactured the Music Man basses and guitars - CLF Research then sold them to Music Man as an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) and Music Man sold them to the retailers. Music Man (the company) owned the factory that manufactured the amps.

This worked well for all parties until Fender had a falling out with Walker and White; he pulled out of their partnership as owners of Music Man in 1979 but his CLF Research company continued to build the guitars and basses under their contract. Leo hooked up with another old employee, George Fullerton, to form G&L Guitars - using the same personnel and facility as CLF Research, so in 1980 they were making both lines of guitars in the same factory.

There is a lot of disputed information as to the cause (White tells one story, Fullerton another) but by sometime in 1981 the contract for CLF Research to make Music Man instruments was terminated. Leo "retired" the CLF Research name and his facility in Fullerton carried on under the G&L Guitars name.

You might be able to find out schematics and other information on your old Sting Ray guitar from the G&L forum - guitarsbyleo.com - since some of the members over there also have an interest in the Leo-era Music Mans.

 

[Pizzaface]

Thank you for that interessting information, i will look after and see if i can find any information about my guitars electronics. I might take it to my local guitar shop and ask them to put in a mordern preamp kit or something.
I have found this a few weeks ago. I post it here someone in here might need it.

 

[XDBdrum]

my friend, your stingray and mine are brothers. yours is G002225, mine is G002222, what i a coincedince i found this page.

i sort-of adopted this guitar from my father, and am truely glad i have. all throughout my younger childhood days, this guitar has been around the house, and never thought much of it, until lately, when i realized that it's REALLY rare, and have been coveting it since. i'm really interested in learning more about this guitar