Bridge for Pre-EB Stingray

FireGloRIC · #1 07-01-2011, 12:18 PM

I found a 1978ish Musicman Stingray but it doesn't have the original bridge. Any idea on where to find one and what I should pay?

allexcosta · #2 07-01-2011, 12:20 PM

Ebay. Hard to say, but something around 250 bucks...

73jbass · #3 07-01-2011, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FireGloRIC

I found a 1978ish Musicman Stingray but it doesn't have the original bridge. Any idea on where to find one and what I should pay?

You could call EB customer service ans see if they will sell you one. They put that bridge on the classic series,so it shouldn't be a problem. Call and see what they say.

FireGloRIC · #4 07-01-2011, 09:40 PM

Is there anyone that makes 3rd party replacement bridges that would drop in and look similar? Do the original ones come up on ebay often or is this going to be one of those things that may take years?

bassgod0dmw · #5 07-02-2011, 06:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FireGloRIC

Is there anyone that makes 3rd party replacement bridges that would drop in and look similar? Do the original ones come up on ebay often or is this going to be one of those things that may take years?

I don't know of any 3rd party bridges, and I don't think they would come up very often anywhere. There are very few MM and EBMM spare parts floating around since EB doesn't sell them.

With that said, if the price was right I'd probably still buy the bass and hope for the best.

handofseven · #6 07-02-2011, 09:56 AM

Welcome to the club. I've been looking for a preEB bridge for years. I've seen a couple of EB ones come up, but nothing preEB. There are a couple of cheap ones you can get that look similar, but you might have to mod a little to mount them correctly. As far as getting any other generation Stingray bridge, none but the preEB will fit properly (meaning not only the holes lining up, but the strings running centered over the pickup poles and on the neck) . Stingray bridges have undergone a fair bit of change over the years, mostly regarding the position of the grooves on the saddles, which is the biggest reason why they don't work with the preEB bassed. Even the Classic series have the off center saddles, so you can't use one of those. You would need something from before the Flea transitional bridges, which is when everything started to go to crap on centering strings over saddles/bridge and pickup pole pieces.

handofseven · #7 07-02-2011, 10:23 AM

Home - Musicmanbass.org, Music Man, Musicman, Music Man Bass, Musicman Bass, Music Man Guitar

Check out the bridges section, on the left, for some good reading on the changes in bridge design over the years. Also, lots of tasty Stingray porn in the galleries.

Here's one that is very cheap and actually might even do the trick for a few reasons:
- It has string through holes (which could possibly line up with your existing holes... cross fingers)
- It doesn't have the two large bolt holes on the sides.
- The shape is similar to the Stingray enough that it just might even cover over the threaded insert holes. Maybe...
- The saddle grooves are centered.

Chrome P-Bass J-Bass Bridge | Allparts.com

Good luck.

Caca de Kick · #8 07-02-2011, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 73jbass

You could call EB customer service ans see if they will sell you one. They put that bridge on the classic series,so it shouldn't be a problem. Call and see what they say.

Nope, it's nowhere close to being the same bridge.

The preEB bridges went through about three design changes on the body-through stringing alignment alone. Very difficult to find one with the holes that all match up to the body correctly.
The preEB bridges are center mounted in correllation to the body. The EB classic bridges are mounted offset from center.

The 76/77 was one type, 78 the holes repositioned, then in 79 the holes repositioned again.

They do sometimes pop up on ebay, but not regularly. I've seen them go anywhere from 150-250.
Since the 81-91 bridges are top loaded, you could get really creative and weld-up the string holes and drill the plate for the string through, then get it rechromed. Alot of work I know, but....

FireGloRIC · #9 07-02-2011, 08:21 PM

Wow, thanks for all the info.
Sounds like a major treasure hunt to find the right bridge. What about a G&L bridge? Being that it's where Leo went next, could they be similar enough to fit the threaded holes and cover the mess? Granted, it would be top loading but much closer than the piece of crap bridge that's currently installed?
As for whether it's worth the price as is, it's pretty beat up but everything but the bridge looks original. 3 Screw neck plate with no serial number but through body bridge holes puts it somewhere around 1978-79. The guy wants $599. Worth it as a fixer upper, or keep looking?

handofseven · #10 07-02-2011, 10:25 PM

Grabit like a rabbit!!! $599 is flat out theft. Your resale would be much higher, even with an aftermarket bridge.

A G&L bridge would probably look alright. Regardless of whether or not the bridge is wide enough to cover the threaded inserts, there will still be the issue of the mute thumbscrew holes. Whatever you do, try and find something you won't have to cut the body for. Modding the body would affect resale to some degree.

Given the year claimed, the serial # was likely on the missing original bridge...