What did the original Pre-EB hard cases look like?

[4 Strings]

I am privileged to have two pre-EB basses, a Sabre and a Stingray and received them from different countries. They both came in plastic cases which are identical and this makes me wonder if they are original. If they are, then I would like to ensure they stay with their bass.

I know there was a pear shaped case, these are not they.

The cases are nothing special, rectangular, black, plastic and do not have 'Musicman' imprinted like the later cases.

Does anyone have any links or pics? (Even of the pear shaped case, out of interest)

Thanks

[stingrayPete1977]

They are not plastic mate, wooden with a coating like a Fender one but without the logo, white piping normally. After that its a trickier debate, orange, blue and black appear to be possible original interior fluff colours. Bit of an angled lift up compartment in one corner.

[stingrayPete1977]

Here you go, scroll down, have you got an early EBMM case? (nice if you have even nicer if you have two!) look at the white bass (chuck3r 1990) not a pre EB as it has the extra fret marker and a chamfeur.
[url="http://www.musicmanbass.org/mycustompage0006.htm"]http://www.musicmanbass.org/mycustompage0006.htm[/url]
Scroll down further for an example of the rectangular pre EB case but they do vary a lot, I dropped on mine from Nicks guitars as mine had a modern Fender case and Nick swapped it for a more Period case at my request, after he did he remembered that it originally have a pre EB Ray in it that someone bought off him who did not want the case as they were going on the train home!

Edited April 10, 2013 by stingrayPete1977

[4 Strings]

Thanks, so is the chuck3r case, with those rounded corners, a pre-EB case?

I'm also looking at the 'Mumnosh' 1979 Stingray just before halfway down in a leatherette covered wooden case. Is that one?

There's a pear shaped one further down

[TheGreek]

I had a MM case - same hiugh density plastic but the logo was in the middle rather than in the top right corner and was larger than the logo in the more common case. I sold it here as did the buyer so there are photos available if you can be RRRRs to look for the thread.

[4 Strings]

[quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1365626072' post='2042128']
I had a MM case - same hiugh density plastic but the logo was in the middle rather than in the top right corner and was larger than the logo in the more common case. I sold it here as did the buyer so there are photos available if you can be RRRRs to look for the thread.
[/quote]

Thanks, mine are plastic but do not have the logo, I think this came later. Seems like mine are just plastic cases which coincidently were the same.

[stingrayPete1977]

[quote name='4 Strings' timestamp='1365625606' post='2042113']
Thanks, so is the chuck3r case, with those rounded corners, a pre-EB case?

I'm also looking at the 'Mumnosh' 1979 Stingray just before halfway down in a leatherette covered wooden case. Is that one?

There's a pear shaped one further down
[/quote]
I'd say its an early ebmm one, 84-86ish? Any bass with a fret marker on the 21st fret is ebmm even though it only has mm markings like the cases.

[stingrayPete1977]

Yes the mumnosh one and marcus, they are the typical none pear shaped pre eb cases, lots of colours for the inside available.

[4 Strings]

Thanks, very helpful, it looks like I have nothing special cases.

[stingrayPete1977]

Well I have never seen one of those plastic ones with the round corners, if they are for the early ebmm models I'd say they would be of interest to someone, where is drTStingray? Or try the ebmm forum?

[drTStingray]

I don't know too much about these - if you want a horror story, I bought my 79/80 sunburst Stingray brand new and carried it home on the bus without a case or gig bag - it simply didn't get sold with a case - this was common at the time - people had one instrument and if you upgraded your bass, you'd use your previous hard case - if it fitted - or better still a flight case. At the time it was a toss up between a used natural in a very sturdy flight case (but the bass had appalling belt buckle rash - any bass player worth his salt in the late 70s would have had a huge belt, probably studded plus a Levi jacket with standard buttons, to scrape away the back of the instrument). I really don't know where these nice mildly worn Fenders and Musicman basses come from - I was very careful with mine (it had taken me 7 yrs to get a quality bass) but it was wearing through the finish on the forearm 'rest' area (where a contour would be) and around the strap buttons after 5 yrs gigging it.

The teardrop cases appear to be worth a lot - and were used with EBMM basses as well as pre EB (I bid on an 87 bass with one - it eventually went for about £300 more than a normal mint 87 in a sought after colour would go for). The rectangular cases are also quite common. As has been said, the interior of the cases can be in a variety of colours - however the only tear drop cases I've seen have had orange fabric in them - and some rectangular ones have.

It might be worth emailing Gav on the musicmanbass.org site and seeing what he can advise you on the subject.

I have also noticed that some of the dealers who sell pre EB Musicman basses rarely if ever sell them with OE hard cases. Not sure why that is - perhaps one of them could tell us??

Edited April 12, 2013 by drTStingray