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Ernie Ball Music Man Custom Design Experience

Help! Who can help me?

Pots are from 1985.
Peach-Color also o.K.
All looks legit.
The Bridge/Bodyholes is strange.
The closed PickUp (like the late Sabre ones) is also strange.
What does the seller tell you about it?
Probably an early Prototype and only the Staff can answer this.
 
What Bert said. The cutout of the control cavity looks right, and so does the area including tooling hole under the neck plate. Also the battery compartment and battery clip.

Unstamped neck plate is correct for a pre-1990 SR5.

Preamp also looks correct. I'm not so hot on the wiring (if you excuse the pun), so I won't comment on that.

One of the pots would indeed appear to be dated 1985, however it doesn't automatically mean the other ones are from the same year.

The position of the rear headstock decal is unusual. There are also extra tooling holes on the neck heel and the position of the ones you'd expect is slightly different from what you normally see.

What a fascinating instrument - loving this thread!

It would be great if someone from the company could comment on it... As Bert said, you guys are probably the only ones who can solve this!
 
All photos added up i would say this thing is legit. Some details just point to ebmm... i really dont think its a fake anny more. But that bridge. Someone at customer service needs to shime in here.
 
Rod Trussbroken said:
That's what I'm thinking.
Click to expand...
Oh what?
I said bang bang bangeldy bang i said bangbangbangeldybangang*sing*
Please wake me up because it must be a dream..
Thank you all for the commnets and the professionel help .
 
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Good news everyone!
You cracks got right!!!you all got my admiration!!!!!!!!
The custom team of Ernie Ball. Musicman have given an andere to me.
I can not belive. I'm a realy lucky guy...
Read this...

Thank you for your patience. Our chief design engineer has been with the company the longest and he sent this back after I emailed him the photos:

"Yes, it's a Sting Ray 5 prototype. Color is Peach, the same as Tony Levin's main bass. The pickup cover is machined before we had a mold made. I can't say what kind of wood this is from the picture, but probably Poplar maybe Alder."
 
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`

Congratulations !

And I'm really impressed with the
factory staff and their diligence ...
and their power of recollection !!

`
 
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Congratulations indeed!

Great bass, great story, great thread.

Kudos also to the fine folks at EBMM for making the effort to authenticate this instrument - the legendary Customer Service has delivered again!
 
What Do you think about the price. I will not sell this Bass but maybe i need a Special insurance now...
Thank's
 
stabo said:
What Do you think about the price. I will not sell this Bass but maybe i need a Special insurance now...
Thank's
Click to expand...

I dont really think the price is going to be more than a normal sr5. Mayebe 50€ for the cool history. But not much more imo. Allso some buyers will back off on a bass without serial... mayebe if this was a prototype made esspecially for a known artist but that doesnt seem to be the case here.
 
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Keep in mind that it's "a" prototype and not the necessarily the only (one) unigue prototype!

Also, this it not the place for a "what's it worth" etc. That's a matter for the open market.
 
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Rod Trussbroken said:
.

Keep in mind that it's "a" prototype and not the necessarily the only (one) unigue prototype!

Also, this it not the place for a "what's it worth" etc. That's a matter for the open market.
Click to expand...

Exactly! Something is only worth what someone is willing to pay. If money was no object for ME, I would pay extra for a bass like this. How much? I'll never tell. ;)
 
Ok I understand your posts.
So i do not need a special insurance for the bass.
Thanks.
 
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