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First Production MM Stingray, 1976


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That is a seriously nice piece of history. If I was ever to have a huge influx of money, I would be a vintage guitar and bass collector, but the recent price jumps on this suggests that someone or a number of people have just tried to make a quick bit of cash very quickly.

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It was Tom Walker's originally (one of the original founders). I have no idea how it left his possession, maybe his family sold it as part of his estate? But I'm still surprised Sterling Ball missed out on it if that was the case.

[quote name='NancyJohnson' timestamp='1463130480' post='3048795']
I know it's just business, but nonetheless you'd like to think they might have hung on to #[s]000[/s]1.
[/quote]

Fixed for ya. :)

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[quote name='sunburstjazz1967' timestamp='1463172659' post='3049347']
I think this was the first one officially for sale, if they had kept this one then the next one would have been the first one officially for sale and so on, I think there was a few basses that the reps took around that feature different serial numbers? a few test mules too.
[/quote]

It was never sold in the first place - according to the guy who owns a lot of the early factory records the serials for B00001 and G00001 were given to Forrest White by Leo and the instruments were produced later in 1976 - the bass has his initials in the neck cavity and presumed he built it. One of the other partners was given serial 0 or 2 but those instruments were never built. (it's all on the MM bass forum under a thread of a similar name to this one).

Fact is this bass was Forrest White's, is in mint condition, looks and sounds great and is a piece of bass guitar history. As a Stingray lover I would love this bass but could not afford or justify spending that much. I believe it should be in a museum. Sounds a bargain when you consider you can buy a tatty non original stack knob jazz for about the same money!!

The story of Musicman up to and after 1979 is really quite interesting as there was a major disagreement between CLF (the factory) and Musicman over quality control which led to a parting of the ways. Some very interesting stuff in this context has come to light recently amongst other info on instrument production - it's all in the MM bass forum thread.

The factory has plenty of old and interesting basses which may explain why EBMM haven't picked up this instrument. Strings and Things have, I think bass #7 also - displayed it at LBGS 2015.

None of this should detract from what is a time machine bass in immaculate condition, made (presumably) and owned by one of the original partners in the venture. A real piece of history.

Edited by drTStingray
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Unless you're very rich indeed then something like this only has use as an investment or a museum piece. Anything more than the most delicate and very occasional bedroom noodling is going to significantly devalue it.

I imagine potential investors would be looking to buy it, stick it somewhere safe for a few years then sell it on for a few thousand pounds profit. Possibly at the moment it's priced too highly for that to be viable, or maybe the right person just hasn't come along yet.

Edited by Cato
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