NBD '88 StingRay with some questions

[88StingRay]

Good morning. I'm a long time StingRay fan who just added number 7 to my MM family...She's a 1988 4- string in Trans Teal....just got it yesterday....sounds and plays magnificent but I do have some questions...the neck dates to Dec.'86, body date is Jan '87 but serial on bridge is 25212. Is it possible to have an '88 StingRay with earlier bidyband neck dates like that. Also the waterside decal seems to be an earlier one...circa 85..so wondering if the bass left tye factory like this or has some editing been done to the bass...thanks in advance for your knowledge and input...

 

[mynan]

I think it might be an '87, not an '88 according to this site.

Serial Number Database

www.music-man.com

 

[88StingRay]

Ah...yes you are right....thanks mynan...it was sold to me as an '88 so that's good info...so bass is an '87 Ray with what appears an incorrect waterslide decal...are there any instances where a neck may have left the factory with an earlier decal? ..the neck appears have the original.finish and decals looks original, does not appear newer...and in addition, no San Luis Obisipo decal on back of headstock...

 

[mynan]

Ah...yes you are right....thanks mynan...it was sold to me as an '88 so that's good info...so bass is an '87 Ray with what appears an incorrect waterslide decal...are there any instances where a neck may have left the factory with an earlier decal? ..the neck appears have the original.finish and decals looks original, does not appear newer...and in addition, no San Luis Obisipo decal on back of headstock...

Sorry, I don't know much about decals, but there are a lot of people on this forum that are more knowledgeable than me. Hopefully someone will respond sooner than later.

 

[Rod Trussbroken]

Welcome to the Forum.

In relation to your headstock logo, "ERNIE BALL" should appear above "MUSIC MAN". See the pic below. The neck is dated 10 Sept 1985 (about 15 months before yours).

The early Sabre Basses had a logo the same as yours before the "ERNIE BALL" was finally added to it. But I've never seen the same logo on a Sting Ray without the "Ernie Ball"..

 

[88StingRay]

Thanks for posting that pic Rob...yes, it's a mystery why no "Ernie Ball" in my logo...if someone replaced an original waterslide with this one, they did a damn good job...and no decal on rear of head stock either...sort of looks like a neck that had been manufactured before 86 then forgotten and then found in 86 and stamped appropriately?...it's a really nice neck...slim profile, not too much fretware, and really beautiful piece of rosewood to boot...bass weighs 9.6lbs so nice weight...except for some buckle rash,in really nice condition for the age...

 

[Rod Trussbroken]

The rear decal "Made in SLO..." wasn't applied to the rear of the Sting Ray headstocks until late 1987, nearly a year after your neck was made.

 

[88StingRay]

Ok...good info...thanks again....also, would the original pickgaurd have been clear plexi? The black guard presently on is from WD....

 

[Rod Trussbroken]

Ok...good info...thanks again....also, would the original pickgaurd have been clear plexi? The black guard presently on is from WD....

.
Pretty sure it was Black.

 

[mynan]

I just noticed that the description on the SN site says "Maple". Assuming it means maple fretboard, that's probably not the original neck.

 

[88StingRay]

Another good catch mynan, it does indeed. Yet the neck has teal color transfer from the body....well maybe somebody had two teal basses and swapped necks?..or maybe not the original bridge...If neck, body and bridge are period correct, sans the serial # i.d. by E.B., is it correct vintage or not? I paid a bit to get the bass and am on the fence about returning it...Plays and sounds great so leaning toward keeping it ....might as well post some preamp pics...thanks everyone for your input...

 

[Rod Trussbroken]

.
It appears to be a 1986 preamp which would be correct for a very early 1987 body. The Black marker pen writing near the output jack may read "OK" or give a date or just the initials of the person who assembled/inspected it.

 

[88StingRay]

Thanks for verification Rob, I've decided to keep the bass....she's a stellar replacement for an identical bass I had to give up 13 years ago. I use your website often so thanks for that too...have an excellent weekend...

 

[liverbird]

Thought this bass looked familiar; it was discussed on Talkbass earlier this year, post #4735 onwards:

Music Man StingRay Club | PART FIVE

Nice! And you still have all the mute hardware as well, should you choose to freshen them up and use them! Nice mojo. Beautiful neck. "If This Bass...

www.talkbass.com

Similar questions being asked about the decal. It would be the correct decal if it had the 'Ernie Ball' bit above 'Music Man'. This might be a wild guess but could it be possible a previous owner removed that bit? Maybe get the microscope out for evidence...

Preamp looks like the one on my February 1987 StingRay. The date code on the volume pot (under the black) on mine is 8341. Can't tell for certain from your pic but it looks like so is yours.

As for a possible neck swap... That's certainly a possibility. I once had a 1989 Blueburst StingRay with a rosewood board that according to the database should have been maple. I managed to track down the original owner who assured me it already had a rosewood board when he bought it from new. Someone from EBMM Customer Service told me it wasn't uncommon in those days for a dealer or distributor to swap necks for a customer.

Also, the database back then wasn't always entirely accurate apparently. Looking at the finish that has transferred form the neck pocket onto the neck heel, it seems to match and I can't see traces of another finish/colour. (Well, if there was a neck swap it could have come from another Teal bass, of course.)

Interestingly the bass has a clear guard on the Talkbass photos. Seeing it has the typical cracks around the screw holes - the original clear guards were very thin - I think there's a good chance this was the original guard. Did it come with the bass when you bought it?

 

[liverbird]

.
It appears to be a 1986 preamp which would be correct for a very early 1987 body. The Black marker pen writing near the output jack may read "OK" or give a date or just the initials of the person who assembled/inspected it.

Here is the preamp from my February 1987 Trans Red. Neck and body are both dated December 1986.

The writing looks like 'OK B' perhaps?

 

[Rod Trussbroken]

Thought this bass looked familiar; it was discussed on Talkbass earlier this year, post #4735 onwards:

Music Man StingRay Club | PART FIVE

Nice! And you still have all the mute hardware as well, should you choose to freshen them up and use them! Nice mojo. Beautiful neck. "If This Bass...

www.talkbass.com

Similar questions being asked about the decal. It would be the correct decal if it had the 'Ernie Ball' bit above 'Music Man'. This might be a wild guess but could it be possible a previous owner removed that bit? Maybe get the microscope out for evidence...

Preamp looks like the one on my February 1987 StingRay. The date code on the volume pot (under the black) on mine is 8341. Can't tell for certain from your pic but it looks like so is yours.

As for a possible neck swap... That's certainly a possibility. I once had a 1989 Blueburst StingRay with a rosewood board that according to the database should have been maple. I managed to track down the original owner who assured me it already had a rosewood board when he bought it from new. Someone from EBMM Customer Service told me it wasn't uncommon in those days for a dealer or distributor to swap necks for a customer.

Also, the database back then wasn't always entirely accurate apparently. Looking at the finish that has transferred form the neck pocket onto the neck heel, it seems to match and I can't see traces of another finish/colour. (Well, if there was a neck swap it could have come from another Teal bass, of course.)

Interestingly the bass has a clear guard on the Talkbass photos. Seeing it has the typical cracks around the screw holes - the original clear guards were very thin - I think there's a good chance this was the original guard. Did it come with the bass when you bought it?

.
Hi Oliver. I was only just looking at preamp pics and also a few you sent some time ago.

Thanks for the link. I remember the absence of "Ernie Ball" on the headstock logo had led me to believe the Bass was a very early Ray

The logo must have either been interfered with or replaced.

 

[88StingRay]

Thanks for the link livebird...very interesting reading...No, I do not have the clear pickguard...if anybody has one they'd like to sell, I'm interested...and interesting picture of the 87 preamp with similar markings...Thanks Rod....
.

.

 

[88StingRay]

Ok, mystery solved...inspected the headstock with a flashlight and readers...yep, somebody rubbed out the E.B. portion of the decal...dang it...so need your opinions on removing the present decal and installing a correct one...thanks....

 

[liverbird]

Ok, mystery solved...inspected the headstock with a flashlight and readers...yep, somebody rubbed out the E.B. portion of the decal...dang it...so need your opinions on removing the present decal and installing a correct one...thanks....

I wouldn't replace it. Better to keep what's original. It's unfortunate that someone made that mod but preserving what's left of the original will always be preferable to putting on an aftermarket decal!

 

[88StingRay]

Gotcha...thanks livebird...