bitzaray

[qed]

hi everyone..
some of you might remember i was asking for stingray dimensions.. its been done a couple of months but being a lazy sod i've only just got round to posting this (after a bit of prompting from mikeyr) ..i'd already built an ibanez bits guitar that was black with emgs' and what have you whilst i was on the dark side.. booo..but now i have returned to the true path..

if you recall i wanted a precision type thing but with a humbucking pickup.. i had toyed with the idea of a gandl l2000 or a musicman stingray as i prefered the sound but couldn't justify over a grand for an instrument (i'm not good enough) so i thought well i could get a precision in parts as i know all of the bits should fit and then mod the body for the new pickup.. a custom scratchplate would cover the old holes if done nicely.. the hard bit therefore would be the routing and what have you..
if you think about it, thats how leo f. got to invent the stingray in the first place.. it is in effect a precision with a humbucker on it (precision 2 you might say.. ooh i'll get into trouble for that.. heh)

my specs were the following
1. i wanted a precision body cos i don't like the 'cock eyed' jazz body that always falls over when you stand it up
2. wanted a jazz type neck cos they're a bit thinner at the nut end
3. wanted an emg active stingray pickup (cos i'm an emg obsessive)
4. i wanted the jack plug through the bottom gibson style.. (thought about having it recessed ibanez style..far too much hassle believe me)

so after trawling ebay.. the interweb and this very site.. i ended up with

s /h status graphite add on jazz neck..with tunersfrom here 200
s /h mexican precision body black.. ebay 120 (did go awol with customs for a week or two.. <shrugs>)
s /h emg stingray replacement (mmcs) 50 (customs missed that one.. gift.. )
new fender hmv (high mass volume) bridge 50 (ouch.. worth the extra though .. quality item)
various fender bits, jazz knobs, screws, straplocks why 40
custom scratch plate 30
routing.. electrics.. jack plug mount etc 20 (yeah ok ..so i didn't do it myself..)
set of elites 20

grand total 550

so it turns out i invented a modulus flea a like on the cheap but i prefer to call it a bits a ray.

big shout to steve gaines at wavelength music in sheffield for the nasty bits like the routing and scratch plate.. ok ..and the electrics and mikey r for being a walking encyclopedia of all things bass.. good luck with the build mate..

so what does it sound like.. umm a stingray as it happens.. its a bit nicer now that the strings arent as zingey.. its 'very' loud!! feedback has been particularly favourable.. enclosed piccy..

thanks for everyones help..

[steve-soar]

Love it.

[lee4]

You have just built my dream bass.

[Mr.T]

Very nice...

I particularly approve of the neck!

[leonshelley01]

Very nice, great looking bass!

[Mikey R]

Very nice! Will need to have a play next time Im in Sheffield.

[Tait]

ooh very nice

[qed]

err.. wow.. thx for all of the replies.. i'm genuinely gobsmacked..
you can easily build one of these from stock parts.. the neck is available from
[url="http://www.status-graphite.com/status/frames/index_home.html"]http://www.status-graphite.com/status/fram...ndex_home.html[/url].. when you consider that a mex jazz neck will cost you the best part of 150 quid w/o tuners i reckon they're a bargain..
the pickup mount is easy to rout. it is half done for you already because it goes in the middle of the precision pickup holes.. the main issue is the scratch plate and moving the pickup hole.. other than that it is a bog standard precision template..
mr T.. i particularly approve of the bike..:-)
cheers all ..
mike .. speak soon..

Edited July 27, 2009 by qed