swapping necks

[ou7shined]

I'm a bit of maple fretboard fan but my 'ray has a rosewood fb (original but mint condish '98). If I found someone willing to swap, would it....

a - be sacrilegious to swap the original neck for say one that might be newer?
b - devalue it in any way by not having the original neck?

 

[maddog]

devalue, yes.

sacrilegious, its your bass.

 

[ou7shined]

Cheers MD.

Is the $ diff between a 'ray with it's original neck and one without substantial?

I could easily live with this neck but I'm more comfortable with maple.

 

[Basscake]

Is it the original neck?
As it appears in your signature the rosewood fb neck that you are currently using isn't original to that instrument either. So I'd say it makes no difference.

And devaluation would only be a matter of importance if you are planing to sell the ray. Do you?

And lets face it:
Bolt on instruments where mainly invented for 2 reasons back then:
First: Lower production cost's
Second: Interchangeable parts if something should go wrong in the lifetime of a instrument.

I'd say do it.
It's nothing holy about a instrument.
With collectors items maybe but not with instruments.

Just watch out for those matching headstocks!
A 3tone-Sunburst body with a dargiedelight headstock may be a bit... well... unique ;-)

 

[Caca de Kick]

Is the $ diff between a 'ray with it's original neck and one without substantial?

Well if you didn't say anything, 99.9% of the public wouldn't have known. You told us, so we know now, but if you sold it tomorrow I doubt anyone would care.
And besides, if you're going to keep the bass because you love it, then what would it matter...it is still a StingRay neck form the same period.

 

[Aussie Mark]

I can't see how making this change would devalue the instrument, unless

1. the new neck has a painted headstock in a different colour to the body finish; or
2. the neck and body dates are many years different

Let's face it, Stingray necks are interchangable, and that's how the factory assembles them. Maple board on this body, rosewood board on this one, matching headstock on this one etc. No biggie in my book.

 

[phatduckk]

i say do it.

im also with mark about the value. if some day i was considering buying the bass I wouldnt care if it was the original neck that was attached to the body. as long as its a stock MM neck at the same age or newer than the original id be fine. hell, i wouldnt even care if you didnt tell me when selling me the bass

 

[ou7shined]

Is it the original neck?
As it appears in your signature the rosewood fb neck that you are currently using isn't original to that instrument either. So I'd say it makes no difference.

I'm 99% certain that the neck is original. The serial sets it as '98, the date on the heel is 1-19-98, the bridge is one of the short run of '98 models (source) and the date stamp in the neck pocket is Dec 16 1997.
For my money that all adds up to pretty tasty provenance. Which is why I'm worried about splitting it.

I have no intention of selling her but you never know.

 

[five7]

Buy another MM bass with a maple neck.

 

[Thornton Davis]

Does the factory date stamp (separately) every body and neck?

TD

 

[ou7shined]

Buy another MM bass with a maple neck.

LOL

That's not as crazy as it seems, although getting yet another bass (currently sitting at 6) past my g/f just now could be hazardous to my health.

I might get away with just buying a neck though. Is there anywhere I could pick up a nice birdseye neck?

 

[MrMusashi]

LOL

That's not as crazy as it seems, although getting yet another bass (currently sitting at 6) past my g/f just now could be hazardous to my health.

I might get away with just buying a neck though. Is there anywhere I could pick up a nice birdseye neck?

make a post about swapping necks.. there might be someone out there with the same thoughts as you.
as for birdseye i guess that would depend on if your neck got the same. i doubt you will be able to exchange it straight up if not

id just keep an eye up for a new (used) bass. that would probably be just as cheap as finding a new neck on the bay. ive seen rays go for 800 and some even lower. if youre patient you can find excellent deals on craigs and the bay!

MrM

ps: you can never get too many musicman basses!

 

[Basscake]

ps: you can never get too many musicman basses!

I think we all agree here.
But most of us share a roof with a wife, girlfriend, mum or any other sort of dominant female with a different opinion.

 

[oli@bass]

Why do you prefer maple over rosewood? IMO the natural body SR looks fantastic with a rosewood fretboard...

 

[ou7shined]

It's hard to say. I just prefer them.
I have custom built a few basses and maple just speaks to me. I wouldn't really consider anything other than maple when building from scratch. Also when playing live if I get distracted and have to look at what I'm playing, my eyes seem to adjust to a lighter neck better.

Lastly (and this is a bit nerdy) one of the bands I'm in is a RATM tribute and Timmy C's natural 'ray had a maple fb so for extra authenticity so should mine..

 

[Basscake]

You are trying to justify that swap by all means, do you?

Do it if you feel like it.
There is not really a wrong or right.

Justify not. Trust your gut feeling you must! Then only win you can! mhhhhh!

 

[ou7shined]

Well at least I avoided getting into that old "maple sound better than rosewood" chestnut. That's a whole other thread.

 

[five7]

Girlfriend? Show her who wears the pants!

 

[ou7shined]

Oh I wear the pants...

.... I just want to make sure I have something to keep in them.

 

[ou7shined]

I'm still keen on this idea but something else is niggling at me. I don't see many pics of natural/rosewood stingrays on the 1nt4rw3b. Could it be a comparatively rare combination?