peteb Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 (edited) A trip up to the north east included a detour to meet up with my old mate Captain John Morgan to pick up an early 90s three band Stingray. I had been chasing this particular bass for about four years, ever since picking it up after seeing the Captain play a gig in a bar on the banks of the Tyne in Newcastle. I had always asked him to give me first refusal if he ever decided to move it on, so I bit his hand off when he got in touch last week to ask if I was still interested. It is a deep wine-red colour with a rosewood fretboard, a six bolt plate and the old style bridge with the mutes still attached. John has installed brass bridge saddles, which seem like a great mod, but apart from that it is pretty much stock. It currently has a black scratchplate, but I have been looking for a s/h white one (mainly because I remember seeing a picture of Boz Burrell playing one like that back in the 70s). This must be the nicest Stingray to play that I’ve ever come across and has a great neck. I’ve had a couple of Rays in the past (a great natural 91 w/maple fingerboard and a pretty nice black 95 with the transition bridge with no mutes) and always regretted moving them on. I think that this one is going to be a keeper. Edit: I've just checked the serial number online and it was made in May 91 Edited October 16, 2020 by peteb 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drTStingray Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 27 minutes ago, peteb said: A trip up to the north east included a detour to meet up with my old mate Captain John Morgan to pick up an early 90s three band Stingray. I had been chasing this particular bass for about four years, ever since picking it up after seeing the Captain play a gig in a bar on the banks of the Tyne in Newcastle. I had always asked him to give me first refusal if he ever decided to move it on, so I bit his hand off when he got in touch last week to ask if I was still interested. It is a deep wine-red colour with a rosewood fretboard, a six bolt plate and the old style bridge with the mutes still attached. John has installed brass bridge saddles, which seem like a great mod, but apart from that it is pretty much stock. It currently has a black scratchplate, but I have been looking for a s/h white one (mainly because I remember seeing a picture of Boz Burrell playing one like that back in the 70s). This must be the nicest Stingray to play that I’ve ever come across and has a great neck. I’ve had a couple of Rays in the past (a great natural 91 w/maple fingerboard and a pretty nice black 95 with the transition bridge with no mutes) and always regretted moving them on. I think that this one is going to be a keeper. Edit: I've just checked the serial number online and it was made in May 91 Wow, that looks great - trans red usually (from that era) has an alder body so a little mellower sounding than an ash bodied one. As I said in the other thread, matt white would be the period correct pg if you can get it. You should be able to approximate to a 2 band sound if you cut the mids by about 50% and noisy the bass and treble a little. Hope you enjoy it anyway (Boz is one of my favourite bass players as well 👍 ) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteb Posted October 16, 2020 Author Share Posted October 16, 2020 1 hour ago, drTStingray said: Wow, that looks great - trans red usually (from that era) has an alder body so a little mellower sounding than an ash bodied one. As I said in the other thread, matt white would be the period correct pg if you can get it. You should be able to approximate to a 2 band sound if you cut the mids by about 50% and noisy the bass and treble a little. Hope you enjoy it anyway (Boz is one of my favourite bass players as well 👍 ) A bit mellower isn’t such a bad thing for a Stingray – the black 95 I had was certainly rather fierce, one of the reasons that I have always wanted a Ray with a rosewood board. I’ve never really played a two band Ray (except a pre-EB one very briefly in a shop in Denmark Street once), always been happy with the three band version. Gawd knows when I will get a chance to gig it – I might set it up tuned down a half-step so I that get more opportunities to use it live… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 I've owned three Rays, the '96 stood head, shoulders and belly button above the rest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteb Posted October 16, 2020 Author Share Posted October 16, 2020 (edited) double post Edited October 16, 2020 by peteb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 I had a 2006 Ray, no mutes, no figuring on the neck. I also had a (rare) Made in Japan model which was improvement on the 2006 but still not a scratch on the '96 (which actually had the muted bridge). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteb Posted October 16, 2020 Author Share Posted October 16, 2020 10 minutes ago, TheGreek said: I've owned three Rays, the '96 stood head, shoulders and belly button above the rest. That's the first year with the new bridge without the mountings for the mutes. What other Rays have you had?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteb Posted October 16, 2020 Author Share Posted October 16, 2020 5 minutes ago, TheGreek said: I had a 2006 Ray, no mutes, no figuring on the neck. I also had a (rare) Made in Japan model which was improvement on the 2006 but still not a scratch on the '96 (which actually had the muted bridge). I thought that 96 was the first year of the smaller bridge. You must have had one of the last Rays with the 'transition' bridges! I never knew that there was a MIJ Stingray... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyTravis Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 33 minutes ago, peteb said: I thought that 96 was the first year of the smaller bridge. You must have had one of the last Rays with the 'transition' bridges! I never knew that there was a MIJ Stingray... That was a nice bass - I collected it for @TheGreek I nearly didn’t send it on... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodney72a Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 As drT said, Trans Reds from the '90s are usually over alder and tend to be a bit darker in colour. You can see the difference here: The one on the left is a 1987, the one on the right a 1990. (The SR5 is from 1989.) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteb Posted October 16, 2020 Author Share Posted October 16, 2020 At the moment the red Stingray is part of a pair (although the SR5 will be going soon) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drTStingray Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 1 hour ago, peteb said: At the moment the red Stingray is part of a pair (although the SR5 will be going soon) How old is the SR5? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteb Posted October 16, 2020 Author Share Posted October 16, 2020 5 minutes ago, drTStingray said: How old is the SR5? Made in 2004 - now superseded by an Xotic 5 string jazz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 1 hour ago, peteb said: At the moment the red Stingray is part of a pair (although the SR5 will be going soon) ooooff the new one looks great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drTStingray Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 6 minutes ago, peteb said: Made in 2004 - now superseded by an Xotic 5 string jazz You will miss that ceramic pick up MM sound! I used to use my 2003 SR5 still quite often especially on outdoor gigs - v versatile for a single pick up bass. I shan't sell it though I've got a 2 pick up SR5 Special which is my more regular 5 string. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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