Rare Maple Fretless Pre-EB Stingray

[Musicman Nut]

I am the one guilty of buying this beauty. Here is the story.... It is a one owner Stingray, originally sold by the same store that I bought it from. The bass was a custom order that never ever had a pickguard. The string tree was swapped out for the original but is placed between the A & D strings - there is no hole between the D & G, where the string trees from 1977 were typically installed. There is a Bartollini pup installed, but the original MM comes with the bass. There appears to be a stacked control knob on the Pre Amp. The bridge has both top load and string through capabilities. The bass appears to be incredibly clean and mint, so I thought it was well worth the investment to pick it up.

It's sad all the guts are gone, I just did a repair on a 1978 Stingray with a Bart Pickup and preamp, Bartolini makes Great Stuff but their stuff is Not meant for Stingrays, I've tried them all, In a Ken Smith etc maybe.

 

[Musicman Nut]

It's sad all the guts are gone, I just did a repair on a 1978 Stingray with a Bart Pickup and preamp, Bartolini makes Great Stuff but their stuff is Not meant for Stingrays, I've tried them all, In a Ken Smith etc maybe.

Nice refin tho, Not so on the string tree.

 

[2ndBassGuitar]

Re Fin? ya think? We will see..... It is a fretless and many of those don't get played that much. It will have a Music Man Pickup put in in right away, and I have spare fretted necks from this era that I can put on.

 

[Musicman Nut]

ya think? We will see.....

No it's 100% a Refin, very easy too see that.

 

[2ndBassGuitar]

I am not worried if it is....but how can you be so sure?

 

[Musicman Nut]

I am not worried if it is....but how can you be so sure?

Hey its still a cool bass, First off Music Man Always puts a pick guard on their basses back then, second the paint didn't look right, But like I said enjoy it and Play it. It is what it is.

 

[2ndBassGuitar]

Hey its still a cool bass, First off Music Man Always puts a pick guard on their basses back then, second the paint didn't look right, But like I said enjoy it and Play it. It is what it is.

Supposedly it was a special order without a pickguard. That would ring true to me as I would never use a pick on a fretless bass. Maybe you are right - I will have it seriously checked out when it arrives.

 

[Musicman Nut]

Supposedly it was a special order without a pickguard. That would ring true to me as I would never use a pick on a fretless bass. Maybe you are right - I will have it seriously checked out when it arrives.

Anythings Possible but if you look at the paint you can tell for it's not 100% smooth and as many as I've owned from that era and even trying to order 1 myself from 1977 without a Guard from a Dealer and calling music man myself and both times I was refused to order without a Guard for the reason they didn't want the pickup Cavity shown, but hey anythings Possible but I just Have doubts, and if the bass plays great who cares what it is.

 

[fly]

so uhhhhh........wadda you doin' with the fretless maple neck then?

 

[Musicman Nut]

so uhhhhh........wadda you doin' with the fretless maple neck then?

We're you asking me?

 

[bassmonkeee]

He's probably asking the guy with the fretless maple neck in the thread.

I'm with Dave--there's no way that bass left the factory with that pickup route exposed like that, custom order, or not. It's either a refin, or a non-original body.

And, I think someone with enough pull to get a custom bass with no pickguard at that time would have probably gotten a body without a seam running under the lightest paint next to the bridge and pickup.

 

[bassmonkeee]

That would ring true to me as I would never use a pick on a fretless bass.

It was good enough for Bill Wyman.

 

[2ndBassGuitar]

It was good enough for Bill Wyman.

Who?

 

[fly]

We're you asking me?

no sorry..........directed towards gearhunter

 

[2ndBassGuitar]

Pm sent

 

[Caca de Kick]

So have you received it yet and taken it apart? Curious minds wanna know.

 

[fly]

yeah i'm curious too.

 

[2ndBassGuitar]

It is sitting in bond in Victoria. I will probably pick it up (plus a Larrivee D-09E, a couple of older Stingrays, and Bdtogoh's bongo) next week.

 

[fly]

must be nice to be able to house all those EBMM's.............lucky bastid.

 

[2ndBassGuitar]

What does luck have to do with it?