Music Man BFR Stingray Retro 76

[NJE]

The new BFR bass has been announced and it’s a full blown replica of a 76 Stingray. Too rich for me at £4200 but looks nice.

 

[TheGreek]

What does BFR stand for?

[mikelawrencecalleja]

Ball Family Reserve.

[Beedster]

Starting to suspect the BFR and FCS instruments exist purely to make the prices of the standard offerings of EBMM and Fender seem reasonable 😡

[Daz39]

20 minutes ago, TheGreek said:

What does BFR stand for?

Big Flippin Ripoff! (Best Yorkshire Accent)

[mikelawrencecalleja]

@Beedster and, also the price increases of Music Man and Fender import instruments! It is a bit mad that a lot of import models underneath these brands now regularly sell for £1000+.

[NJE]

Just now, Beedster said:

Starting to suspect the BFR and FCS instruments exist purely to make the prices of the standard offerings of EBMM and Fender seem reasonable 😡

Yeah I agree, their prices seem to have rocketed recently, and seem a bit ridiculous for what is still essentially a basic mass produced instrument.

I love my Stingray, I got it 6 years ago for a very good price, but I could barely afford a secondhand one these days.

[Beedster]

1 minute ago, NJE said:

Yeah I agree, their prices seem to have rocketed recently, and seem a bit ridiculous for what is still essentially a basic mass produced instrument.

I love my Stingray, I got it 6 years ago for a very good price, but I could barely afford a secondhand one these days.

No Fender/EBMM/Ric mass-produced bass is worth more than £1500 new 

[Beedster]

Now I’ve done it ….

 

[Cato]

No worse than Fender charging the same for a 'Custom Shop' replica of a 50s or 60s P Bass that was originally designed to be mass produced and sold at an affordable price point.

 

I'm sure there will be enough collectors and EB enthusiasts happy to pay to get their hands on one.

[Beedster]

Just now, Cato said:

No worse than Fender charging the same for a 'Custom Shop' replica of a 50s or 60s P Bass that was originally designed to be mass produced and sold at an affordable price point.

Of course 👍

[DGBass]

plastic vintage inspired knobs on a £4200 bass? Oh dear. My only ever pre-ernie ball bass cost me £295 new from the local corner music store back in the early eighties. That was only because the shop couldn't sell it at the retail price, an extortionate £429 😬 How things have changed. At least my late seventies bass had proper chrome knurled knobs. I'd never buy one new nowadays, even though they are without a doubt classics in their time and have that sound.

 

Edited March 30, 2023 by DGBass

[AndyTravis]

You can buy a pre-EB ray for less:

 

I don’t get it.

[White Cloud]

Gorgeous despite the price! 

[TheGreek]

1 hour ago, AndyTravis said:

You can buy a pre-EB ray for less:

 

I don’t get it.

 

Porsche mentality...why not buy an original when prices are so close. 

[MM Stingray 62]

1 hour ago, AndyTravis said:

You can buy a pre-EB ray for less:

 

I don’t get it.

Exactly Andy I didn’t pay as much for my 78 or 83. The new prices are getting ridiculous now.

[msb]

They have a history of making some of the finest production instruments to come out of the US.

I still have an old Ray , but it’s just a common 3 band. Beautiful thing though.

[Musicman20]

A beautiful bass but insane prices. The UK in particular is reaching insanity with it's pricing.

 

Import Sterlings are now reaching £1500!

 

https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/search/?Query=musicman+bass

 

It is worth considering that only 8  ish years ago you could get a USA Musicman Bongo HH for £1400-1500, a Stingray H for £1200-1400 and a Classic Stingray H for £1500.

 

At some point surely people just WILL NOT be able buy.

 

Fender and Gibson are doing the same. 

Edited March 31, 2023 by Musicman20

[Daz39]

58 minutes ago, Musicman20 said:

A beautiful bass but insane prices. The UK in particular is reaching insanity with it's pricing.

 

Import Sterlings are now reaching £1500!

 

https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/search/?Query=musicman+bass

 

It is worth considering that only 8  ish years ago you could get a USA Musicman Bongo HH for £1400-1500, a Stingray H for £1200-1400 and a Classic Stingray H for £1500.

 

At some point surely people just WILL NOT be able buy.

 

Fender and Gibson are doing the same. 

Some of this is also the exchange rates.

Dingwall Combustions used to be just out of my reach, now they're crazy prices.

[drTStingray]

23 hours ago, Beedster said:

No Fender/EBMM/Ric mass-produced bass is worth more than £1500 new 

That’s true for Fender but certainly the EBMM US built ones are on a par with team built Fender CS instruments - last time I looked, such an instrument (Pino P Precision) was over £4k new. I don’t know about Rickenbacker but EBMM is low volume with a lot a manual work. 

 

I must say that looks v nice - colour wise it’s very similar to my original late 70s/early 80s Stingray - it had a four bolt neck plate, however. I believe this model has a nitro cellulose finish. 
 

The radio knobs were fitted to very early production basses. 

 

I just wonder……. do you think they may re- issue a natural 77 (as per Bernard Edwards’ bass). Dependent on price I may be interested!! The 76 EQ is a little too polite for my liking - maybe the 77 can be a bit more in yer face (as would a 79). There are several EQ iterations. 

Edited March 31, 2023 by drTStingray

[bubinga5]

Dont get me wrong i love love love a good SR5 single H. second hand SR5 H in my opinion the greatest Music Man experience you can have as it is THAT SOUND. Zingy highs with just huge punch. I really dig it because its not Jazz bass and its not P Bass. But imo op this is just overpriced nostalgia to make Ernie more money. Hes already a millionaire. Just keep it real cxxk end. 

Edited March 31, 2023 by bubinga5

[Chiliwailer]

£4200…. Damn that’s just crazy…  

 

Sad for the generation that’s coming into this whole new level of bonkers pricing on premium factory gear - GAS killer for sure, not even a 0% card would tempt me anymore at these prices. 

[Beedster]

7 minutes ago, Chiliwailer said:

£4200…. Damn that’s just crazy…  

 

Sad for the generation that’s coming into this whole new level of bonkers pricing on premium factory gear - GAS killer for sure, not even a 0% card would tempt me anymore at these prices. 

With you Dan 👍

[Eldon Tyrell]

21 minutes ago, bubinga5 said:

But imo op this is just overpriced nostalgia to make Ernie more money. Hes already a millionaire. Just keep it real cxxk end. 

More importantly, Ernie has been dead for nearly 20 years!

[Cato]

6 hours ago, Musicman20 said:

A beautiful bass but insane prices. The UK in particular is reaching insanity with it's pricing.

 

Import Sterlings are now reaching £1500!

 

https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/search/?Query=musicman+bass

 

It is worth considering that only 8  ish years ago you could get a USA Musicman Bongo HH for £1400-1500, a Stingray H for £1200-1400 and a Classic Stingray H for £1500.

 

At some point surely people just WILL NOT be able buy.

 

Fender and Gibson are doing the same. 

 

It does feel a bit like manufacturers are testing the perimeter to see what they can get away with.

 

Epiphone recently released this at an RRP of around £1200

 

https://www.andertons.co.uk/epiphone-1958-korina-explorer-electric-guitar-aged-natural-white-pickguard?tduid=2d3397177038d5d9693b7246da940ed2

 

Obviously you couldn't get close to an orginal 58 Korina Explorer for that price but I reckon you could probably pick up one of the various Gibson USA 58 Korina Explorer reissues that have been released over the years for similar money, and the Epiphone version from a few years ago for less than half that.