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dave64o

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 27, 2007
Messages
62
Location
Marlton, NJ USA
From the top:
- 2019 Stingray Special 5HH in Vintage Tobacco Burst and aftermarket tortoise shell pickguard (I still have the original white)
- 2011 Big Al 5SSS in Metallic Red
- 2007 Stingray 5HH in Honeyburst (my FAVORITE Musicman finish!)

My first Musicman was a 2006 Vintage Sunburst Stingray 5HH, which I loved and helped shape my appreciation for Musicman basses. But it was pretty heavy, about 11 pounds, and when I found the Honeyburst, which was an even prettier finish to me and also only 9.5 pounds I sold the Sunburst to buy the Honeyburst. That Honeyburst was my clear #1 bass for a lot of years - until I got my Special. They then became my co #1's, similar enough to love them both but different enough to make it worth keeping both. Then, about a year ago, the Big Al practically fell into my lap and I had bought it immediately before I had time to think about it. Glad I did. I'm still blown away by the versatility and by the quality of that versatility - there's not a bad tone in it.

They are my three co-number 1 basses and get the large majority of my gig time. I can't pick a #1 from them so I'm happy to let them share that designation. If I had to pick a favorite, it's always the one I'm playing at that time.

I'm incredibly happy with these, but I sometimes sort of GAS for a Stingray Classic 5 and a Bongo 5HH or 5HS (if I could find an HS ...). It would also be interesting to add a Sterling 5 as well, but my Honeyburst is from the era when the Stingray 5's had the preamp and the ceramic pickups from the Sterling 5, so I kind of already have one.




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Laker

Member
Joined
Nov 11, 2007
Messages
11
Location
Wisconsin
I’ve been playing this old girl for around 35 years now. Presently have Rotosound flats on it after using the standard Rotosounds for around 30 years. My only complaint is it’s a tad on the heavy side.
I checked her serial number with EB and found a birth date of January 24, 1989.

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Johno_85

Member
Joined
Oct 9, 2020
Messages
11
2011 Stingray Classic.
Hell of a mess when I first got her, previous owner clearly didn’t look after it.

Somebody put a shim in the neck pocket, causing a ski jump, there was a dip in the middle of the neck, and it had started to twist near the headstock.

After taking it to my tech, putting in brand-new stainless steel frets and sorting out all the kinks, it sounds and plays absolutely wonderful!

Also 3-D printed a thumb rest, it’s nice to have that little bit of diversity moving your hand round.
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The Swedish Owl

Well-known member
Joined
May 14, 2007
Messages
51
Location
Lund, Sweden
I just got home with this lovely Bongo 6. Fantastic sounding and playing bass. Best B-string I’ve ever had on a 34”. Basically mint condition. Fresh Dunlop Super Brights on it. Serial number lookup says it was built July 1st, 2015.

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Joined
Mar 9, 2024
Messages
11
Location
Olympia
Hi again!
A lot had has happened since my last picture.. I ended up not loving the relic-ed guitarandbassbuilds body with my SUB5 neck so I swapped it with the definished neck on my blue SUB5 then build a new body out of reclamed old growth sugar pine (the grain is like a acoustic guitar top) and put in a bird strand mm2.5 pickup with a bobs fun stuff preamp, the blue SUB5 also has a mm2.5 pickup.

CLF research was posting stuff on instagram taking old prototype MM stingray bodys and putting a G&L 5 string neck and electronics and I was like.. I have a G&L neck.. and a stingray body…

A month or so ago.. I got a Sterling Sub neck and body in bedbathandbeyond green with no plan.. when looking at the frets on the neck they did not look seated probably, there was a visible line on all of them so.. I pulled them all out, they came out very easily, there was sawdust in the slots.. anyway.. I did a proper fretless conversion and did over 10 coats of hot stuff ca glue on the fingerboard. I got a PROPER stingray 5 bridge (I’m happy at least Sterling is making a traditional-ish musicman bridge) a you guessed it nordstand mm2.5 pickup and a bobs fun stuff peamp, strung it with cobalt flats. I’d say end result is one of the best fretlesses I’ve ever played! And the black hardware helps make the color look cool

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