Question for EBMM Staff/Sterling Ball - is this a Sterling Prototype?

[moanjam]

i saw this sterling on ebay a few months back (and unfortunately didn't get my final bid in on time) and was wondering if this is a prototype that was made before official production of the sterlings? as you can see there is no 'sterling' designation on the headstock so i was assuming it's a proto.

any info would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Eggman]

Search around - this one has been talked about here before.

 

[moanjam]

Search around - this one has been talked about here before.

i saw a pic too but i couldn't find the original thread - does anyone know where it is?

 

[Colin]

has it been resprayed?

 

[midopa]

Yeah that is indeed a prototype. Confirmed by Dan in the Serials thread I bleeb. The owner is a member of this forum!

Edit: It was Dan not Kevin. My bad

 

[Big Poppa]

are you sure?

 

[phatduckk]

i know the first sterling (or one of the first) was pink and had an SSS pup configuration.

i dunno if ive seen this one before

 

[KennethB]

Maybe kasimka's bass?:

http://www.ernieball.com/forums/music-man-basses/24624-hello.html

and:

http://www.ernieball.com/forums/music-man-basses/23369-ebay-ernie-ball-bass-legit.html

 

[midopa]

mmmm Now I'm not sure!
Oh, it was Dan in the Serials thread my bad.

Here's a convo between Kasimka and Dan in the Serials thread:

Just for history. I already know DOB of my bass, but still haven't got it home EBMM Sterling preseries #37523 was born 8/06/93.

But there is one thing I forgot to ask Dan: what is the exact name of color of this bass? It seems to be teal, but not so sure... Dan, please help me again if you can!

This was referencing the Sterling shown above. Here's a link to eBay as well: eBay: Ernie Ball MusicMan Bass Guitar + Case, Extra Strings (item 320100775968 end time Apr-12-07 14:44:04 PDT)

kasimka, this one is interesting. Yes the production date is 6 August 1993 (for you folks in the "down under' region). But the color in our database lists it as "Special". The color is a prototype, one that we never went forward with, sort of a predecessor to Pearl Teal, but with more blue. In fact, the entire bass is really a prototype, this being the year the Sterling was first introduced. Information is a bit sketchy here. This was originally sold to an EBMM employee, so you never know... there's probably a story here somewhere ....

Dan

So I guess it's not exactly a prototype. The color was or something. bah I dunno.

<- stoopit

 

[Big Poppa]

Im thinking that that was not sold to an employee we dont sell proto's unless there was some funny biz

 

[kasimka]

hi! it's my bass now... moanjam, what did you want to know about it?
to BP: so can you give me any ideas about what the bass it is? The only information about thais bass is that i've got from Dan...
Also, everything seems to be original in this instrument, espetially sound everything looks like on photos of preSterling at Gav's website. I'd be very appreciated if someone could tell me a lil' bit more about the history of the bass.

 

[kasimka]

sorry if anything's wrong with my english... abcence of practice makes it toooo bad

 

[moanjam]

hi kasimka - i wanted to know, is the neck spacing a Jazz-Bass spacing or Stingray spacing? also, what type of body wood was used?

 

[moanjam]

also, is the headstock the size of a sterling or stingray?

 

[kasimka]

heheh... sorry, moanjam, I have no MM's here to compare... But I can surely tell you that the neck is very similar to JB's. Very thin. No ideas about headstock. Looks really small. If you give me size of StingRay headstock, I can compare.
About body wood - who knows?? Even EBMM people don't know it. It can be poplar or ash. It's much heavier than any alder body.

 

[kasimka]

I found the info about headstock sizes... My bass' headstock is 18,5 cm (about 7,5 inches) long.