Best place to value EB MM ?

[fleabag]

Are the EB forums the best place to value an all orignal, owned from new, EB Musicman ,  late 80's ?

Not sure where the serial No. is located, neither is my pal, but there is a number stamped on the bridge - is that it ?

I suspect that there are some very knowedgeable MM people here too, but unsure whether this is permitted or not.

Its not my bass, so it wont be appearing for sale, unless the owner, a friend, joins and pays his fee.

Edited February 22, 2018 by fleabag

[TheGreek]

They could check prices on here and ebay - I think that's how many of us gauge the price of their gear. FWICS most start at around £800 and top out at around £2K depending on what it is. 

Edited February 22, 2018 by TheGreek

[fleabag]

Thanks chaps. I'll do a Sold Listings search on Ebay, and check Andy's site, though i'm pretty sure he's not willing to sell to a dealer due to prices of trade, so only checking Andy's for what he sells at , and knock some money off, as dealers usually  sell for more than private

Once he knows a ball park figure, i reckon he should join here, pay the fee, and then he could  also sell his Ashdown rig - and then Ebay if no joy here

 

Edited February 22, 2018 by fleabag

[fleabag]

Wow -  no late 80's EBMM sold in UK. A few others, one late 90's couple of post 2000 , and some not even dated in the listings.  Not a great help Ebay

[drTStingray]

The serial number is on the bridge - you can get the DOB and build details from EBMM customer services or from the serial number thread on the Musicman bass forum. 

If you're talking SR4s, late 80s ones for sale aren't that common. They are generally really nice basses - value would possibly be around £1000 + dependent on whether they're in a desirable colour,  with ohsc (quite rare) for any MM basses up to mid/late 90s.

As a for instance I once was involved in bidding on a 1987 trans red 2 band, immaculate condition, crazily figured birds eye neck also with an ohsc - teardrop MM type - it went way above my upper limit and sold for £1250 ish...... in 2007. I subsequently found out the hard shell case alone was worth, at the time, over £200.

I would say around £1000 + if the bass is in very good condition and all original - bear in mind new ones (undiscounted) are around £2000. I wouldn't sell a Stingray for less than £850 these days. Bear in mind there may be another price like when the new Stingrays appear later this year - which may bump up the used values again. 

For those who just want a Stingray, then these prices won't suit as if you find someone desperate to sell you can probably pick something up cheaper - but as with all instruments many people are more specific with their requirements - look at the price range for a used 'Precision' bass - anything from £250 to £10k plus dependent on what you want. 

Edited February 22, 2018 by drTStingray

[fleabag]

Thanks, very helpful.  Serial No. starts with a B and then 6 numbers starting 027***

  I checked some website i found to date it, but its missing ?

I've seen the bass, its a 2 band EQ , and has one of those transition bridges ( i think ) with mutes, 2 of the spongy bits missing,  and it has a beautiful Birds Eye maple neck. Its in its original body colour, which was white when he bought it, and its now yellow

Road worn, i'd say. Tuners have dulled a bit, and there's what looks like a patch of paint missing on the rear, like its been rubbing on clothes or jeans.

  It also has the HSC

I'll take the photos for him, then its upto him where he sells it, though i'd avoid the utter timewasters on Dumtree

 

 

Edited February 22, 2018 by fleabag

[drTStingray]

Interesting!! You may find EBMM don't have that in their database - sounds like a very early EBMM one. I would suggest you check it out with EBMM. 

If you looked it up on musicman.org that is not a complete database and only contains details of basses Gav has received - the serials aren't totally consecutive but you can get an idea of date from it.

 

[stingrayPete1977]

Roadworn doesn't tend to go down so well with MM collectors imo, a bit a wear use and a nicely smoothed neck but, a Limelight attacked with an angle grinder finish doesn't add value like a mojod Fender.

Around a grand sounds about right to me too, plus or minus, add salt to taste.

[fleabag]

1 hour ago, drTStingray said:

Interesting!! You may find EBMM don't have that in their database - sounds like a very early EBMM one. I would suggest you check it out with EBMM. 

If you looked it up on musicman.org that is not a complete database and only contains details of basses Gav has received - the serials aren't totally consecutive but you can get an idea of date from it.

 

Yeah thats the place i looked, and that number isn't there, though there's some close below, and some after it.

[fleabag]

43 minutes ago, stingrayPete1977 said:

Roadworn doesn't tend to go down so well with MM collectors imo, a bit a wear use and a nicely smoothed neck but, a Limelight attacked with an angle grinder finish doesn't add value like a mojod Fender.

Around a grand sounds about right to me too, plus or minus, add salt to taste.

Funny you should say a grand give or take,  because the moment i saw, i said to him £900  +  maybe a £1000, and he wasn't upset

Then again, he bought it in 87 /88 /89 or whatever, so its all money in his sky rocket. Think he paid 5 or £600. He couldnt remember - silly old goat.

He hasn't even played it for 5 years. Been in the HSC and stored in the house. I had a plonk on it today when he brought it round.

My first ever twang on an MM. It was bluddy lovely, so meaty. Out of my price range, and i got too many i dont play anyway

[rodney72a]

A B027XXX serial number usually means the instrument is from 1988. Those B027XXX serials generally aren't in the EBMM database, however, you could try submitting the number without the 'B' prefix - that might produce a match. Other than that, you can take the neck off to check; there will be date stamps in the neck pocket and on the neck heel. Pots are also stamped with a date code although that's less accurate as they would sometimes use up stock from previous years. Often there is also a sticker on the back of the volume pot with a handwritten date on it.

I agree with drTStingray about values. Condition and originality are key. OHSC is definitely a plus, if it is indeed the original one. You don't see many StingRays from those years with the original case, at least if they were originally purchased this country. Someone from Strings & Things who already worked for the company back then once told me that in those days the instruments were usually imported in a fortified shipping box/container and held in place by some sort of neck brace. Other importers/distributors may have handled that differently - for instance, my 1992 Sunburst SR4 bought from new at a shop in Germany did come with the original case.

 

 

 

Edited February 23, 2018 by rodney72a

[MrDaveTheBass]

If you ask on this thread, they should be able to give you the bass' exact date of birth:

http://forums.ernieball.com/ernie-ball-music-man-basses/1254-music-serial-database.html?s=3a7b8153deb4b477d484c2f285edd81c

[fleabag]

16 hours ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

Just don't tell me it has a maple fingerboard!

'Fraid so H. Very maple

[fleabag]

12 hours ago, rodney72a said:

A B027XXX serial number usually means the instrument is from 1988. Those B027XXX serials generally aren't in the EBMM database, however, you could try submitting the number without the 'B' prefix - that might produce a match. Other than that, you can take the neck off to check; there will be date stamps in the neck pocket and on the neck heel. Pots are also stamped with a date code although that's less accurate as they would sometimes use up stock from previous years. Often there is also a sticker on the back of the volume pot with a handwritten date on it.

I agree with drTStingray about values. Condition and originality are key. OHSC is definitely a plus, if it is indeed the original one. You don't see many StingRays from those years with the original case, at least if they were originally purchased this country. Someone from Strings & Things who already worked for the company back then once told me that in those days the instruments were usually imported in a fortified shipping box/container and held in place by some sort of neck brace. Other importers/distributors may have handled that differently - for instance, my 1992 Sunburst SR4 bought from new at a shop in Germany did come with the original case.

 

 

 

I'll put this to him Rod. I know some people are reluctant to dismantle a bass thats never been dismantled  in 30 years. Upto him i guess

[fleabag]

3 hours ago, MrDaveTheBass said:

If you ask on this thread, they should be able to give you the bass' exact date of birth:

http://forums.ernieball.com/ernie-ball-music-man-basses/1254-music-serial-database.html?s=3a7b8153deb4b477d484c2f285edd81c

Cheers Mr dave

[drTStingray]

3 hours ago, fleabag said:

'Fraid so H. Very maple

Blimey - sounding very interesting - in spite of having a new SR5 in my sights!! 

I wouldn't worry about taking the neck off - this sounds almost certain to be a 1988 - as Rodney72a said, try EBMM without including the B in the number - plus the volume pot will probably have a sticker on the bottom. 

[fleabag]

Easy enough to look at the pots - i'm passing all info over.

Cheers

[peteb]

Quite recently I got a 91 Stingray in a trade - natural, m/n, original bridge with dampers but no skunk stripe. His notional value for the Ray was £900 and the trade ended up being for a 90s USA jazz plus £100.

When I was looking I saw Stingrays go s/h  for anything between £650 (for a modern day one with a fair few dings) to £950 for an older one. I would guess that the latter figure (or maybe a fraction more) would probably be about right in the current market. 

Edited February 25, 2018 by peteb

[fleabag]

Thanks Pete - this one has the skunky 

[LukeFRC]

Musicman seem to one of the few makes where the quality (or perceived quality) doesn't seem to have changed much over the year. The guys who know seem to suggest late 80s and late 90s ones are good ... but that doesn't seem to massively get reflected in the prices I've seen.

that's a good thing I guess  

[drTStingray]

As you say, the quality is consistently good across the whole period of production and they're a robust design so tend to be roadworthy as it were - few if any problems likely. 

There are lots of variations in features - late 80s/90s models in OHSC or original gig bag are rare - especially in the Uk - some basses of that period have crazily figured necks, and some of the colours are extremely rare. So if someone is looking for, say an SR4 in peach with OHSC or gig bag and figured maple neck with maple board from the late 80s, as a for instance, they may be willing to pay more. Similarly for, say a Diego blue classic Sabre from the last few years. 

Quite a lot of people aren't necessarily looking for just 'any old Stingray' although no doubt there are some people who are! 

In Fender terms, some people go for the relatively rare international colour basses of the early 80s or the JV ones - perceived quality or simply the coolness of a factory yellow Precision I guess. 

Edited February 26, 2018 by drTStingray