NBD: 1983 Musicman Stingray

[drTStingray]

Yes things on there could, at one time, get lairy - there's a lot of history and to be fair to Big Poppa, there were some people who wound him up a lot and had axes to grind business or customer wise and he sometimes 'fed the troll' - haven't we all 😕 

The book I have, below, is by no means a coffee table book but it does cover the start up, running, and end of the original company and contains some interesting info. 

This is the Kando Shokai letter I referred to reproduced in the book

[ped]

Finally got round to learning Michael McDonald’s ‘I Keep Forgetting’ today. It doesn’t feel right playing along on anything but a ray!!

I’m going to try some flats on it too - Labella 760fx are my go to. Interested to hear if any ray players here use them. 

[drTStingray]

I've tried various types and settled on TIs on my Classic Ray and Cobalt Flats on my fretless. However, despite what anyone says I prefer worn roundwounds and using muting technique or even the onboard mutes. 

FWIW I didn't find hi tension flats to my liking on a Stingray, hence going with the ones mentioned but I guess there are others available. I understand the original Stingrays shipped with GHS flats before they changed to GHS roundwounds (early 78?). 

[ped]

I just got my Labella 760FX strings from Bass Direct. Weirdly they don't have red/orange silk like the ones on my G&L but they're quite old, maybe they changed - they feel the same anyway!

Well - they sound fantastic on the Ray. They have that kind of loose 'rubber band' funk sound that suits the ray so well. Pops on the G string sound really clear with a lack of sustain that sounds really fat. I've backed off the bass control to bring up the mids and it growls when played fingerstle really well. 

Very pleased - I'll keep the Elixirs to one side if I ever need a really slicing sound but I have other basses for that - the flats suit this old dog really well and something about the fat slab body and feel of the bass just works with these strings. The whole vibe of the bass has shifted a few notches towards 'chonky'

[stingrayPete1977]

Love it Ped! Almost makes me want to hunt down another classic ray 5 but in white this time.

[gafbass02]

so much yes

[ped]

On 22/10/2020 at 19:04, drTStingray said:

Wow that's really nice - presumably 4 bolt neck attachment? 

Ive used 125-40 on my SR5 (though EB nickel strings) Stingrays sound great with that gauge. 

If you haven't had one before, a tip on the EQ settings, I tend to use my 2 bands with full bass and nearly full treble - move the controls back towards the centre to further boost the mids where/when you need to - and they are both boost and cut!!

I also up the upper mids on the amp slightly to taste (and especially dependent on the room). 

Im sure it sounds great - like other wooden construction basses, they seem to improve as they get older, somehow. What sort of weight is it?

The white does change to cream on all of these (the clearcoat is affected by UV) - those which have not seen as much UV tend to look whiter (eg those not in a case much when not in use). I've seen 10 yr old EBMM basses change towards cream - if you look under the pickguard you may see a difference 👍

 

Just checked under the scratchplate (not that the white one has arrived yet - seller is being an arse and basically saying he’ll refund me if the tracking is updated to say ‘lost’ 😂 yeah nice try) - it’s a little more cream under the plate but bright white everywhere else, kind of opposite to what I expected. 

[Emanew]

Congrats from France, Ped ! 
I am looking for a white stingray for a long time. 

Playing fretless my Graal is that beauty :


This lady is a 1977 stingray .

http://www.musicmanbass.global/bass-collections/

[ped]

7 hours ago, Emanew said:

Congrats from France, Ped ! 
I am looking for a white stingray for a long time. 

Playing fretless my Graal is that beauty :


This lady is a 1977 stingray .

http://www.musicmanbass.global/bass-collections/

Lovely, looks great with the white pickup, too! 

[horrorshowbass]

Really want a white HH Sterling with the roasted necks. Finding it tough getting used to pickup position on my RAY4, even with zero mod.

[ped]

I've never played a twin pickup model but there's something pretty neat looking about them. I guess the front pup might get in the way if you pop in that area, so maybe you need an HS model!

[ped]

Took a few pics today. Really loving this bass. I’m finding it really comfortable to play. 
 

It’s wearing some rather old Cobalt Flats currently which suit it really well. They came off my P bass as they were too lively, so as you can see they’re chewed up pretty badly at the headstock - but they’ve been stable for a few weeks now and it would be a shame to waste them!

 

 

[wateroftyne]

That really is lovely.

[horrorshowbass]

Beautiful 

I'm still getting used to pup position on my ray4

Have a makeshift ramp made of perspex😃

[ped]

17 minutes ago, horrorshowbass said:

Beautiful 

I'm still getting used to pup position on my ray4

Have a makeshift ramp made of perspex😃

Great, I did see some ramps recently and thought of you. Hope you manage to get comfortable.

My Vigier pickups are in a similar location so I’m the other way round - a jazz takes getting used to because the neck pickup seems far forward and the strings are a bit looser up there!

Here with my favourite strap (except all my other straps) 

 

[horrorshowbass]

2 hours ago, ped said:

Great, I did see some ramps recently and thought of you. Hope you manage to get comfortable.

My Vigier pickups are in a similar location so I’m the other way round - a jazz takes getting used to because the neck pickup seems far forward and the strings are a bit looser up there!

Here with my favourite strap (except all my other straps) 

 

Cheers man, I’ll let you know how it goes

theres a white sterling hh on eBay at the moment, really cheap, wish I had the dough

looks a little too cheap actually 😏 

[ped]

Investigating the bass a bit further, a guy on TB said that Grover Jackson used an improved poly with improved UV additives which means the white doesn't yellow and the neck stays quite a pale colour, whereas some earlier basses end up with quite amber coloured necks like on my SB1. Makes sense...

Might as well add another pic whilst I'm here though (sorry, but I'm really taken with this bass!)

 

[BassThing]

On 23/10/2020 at 10:42, ped said:

Yeah unfortunately you're right - I have found serials above and below mine from '83 but it would be interesting to know the date (although I assume different parts will be made any time from 1974 onwards!)

If you pop the neck off, the date for the body and neck will be stamped on each item, in the pocket and on the heel.

[ped]

Just now, BassThing said:

If you pop the neck off, the date for the body and neck will be stamped on each item, in the pocket and on the heel.

Thanks I’ll have a look when she gets restrung. Also need to do this with my Celinder as there’s no serial on it anywhere else! Better get the screwdrivers out 🪛 

[cocco]

This is gorgeous. I've always wanted to like sting rays because I love the neck profile and they look amazing. Sadly, the two I've owned just weren't the rock machines I wanted them to be. 

[ped]

1 hour ago, cocco said:

This is gorgeous. I've always wanted to like sting rays because I love the neck profile and they look amazing. Sadly, the two I've owned just weren't the rock machines I wanted them to be. 

The recipe has changed a few times over the years; I’m sure there’s one out there for you somewhere! I also think they magnify differences in strings somewhat, so that can add another factor to get the sound and feel you want. What did you find lacking?

[cocco]

19 minutes ago, ped said:

The recipe has changed a few times over the years; I’m sure there’s one out there for you somewhere! I also think they magnify differences in strings somewhat, so that can add another factor to get the sound and feel you want. What did you find lacking?

The two I had were both late 90's/early 2000's, a 2 EQ and a 3 EQ. At the time I was mostly playing a 60's jazz bass and a grabber.

The passive basses just seemed to have more presence. The part of the frequency spectrum they occupied in a band situation just seemed to work better for the overall sound of the band. Both would have been strung with Rotos which were my go to string at the time. I've found the same with most active basses but when I hear other people play them they always sound great 😂. 

I 'think' I've found the sound I wanted the ray to have in my recently acquired 1983 L2000, but it remains to be seen how it does in a live situation. 

[ped]

2 minutes ago, cocco said:

The two I had were both late 90's/early 2000's, a 2 EQ and a 3 EQ. At the time I was mostly playing a 60's jazz bass and a grabber.

The passive basses just seemed to have more presence. The part of the frequency spectrum they occupied in a band situation just seemed to work better for the overall sound of the band. Both would have been strung with Rotos which were my go to string at the time. I've found the same with most active basses but when I hear other people play them they always sound great 😂. 

I 'think' I've found the sound I wanted the ray to have in my recently acquired 1983 L2000, but it remains to be seen how it does in a live situation. 

Gotta see that L2000! 

[cocco]

I'll make an NBD thread later today. 

[horrorshowbass]

5 hours ago, cocco said:

I'll make an NBD thread later today. 

Be interested to hear how the G and L compared with a Ray.