Flea's Original MM Stingray

[BlackFenderBass]

Hey all,
I recently picked up Anthony Kiedis' book Scar Tissue, and some of the pictures inside the book show Flea playing this very decorated MM Stingray that I've never seen before. Here are the pictures:

I was just curious if anyone has seen this bass before/has any information on it.

 

[jmattbassplaya]

To be honest, I don't think that's a Ray in the first pic. The headstock looks rounded off and it's missing its control plate. The bridge also looks questionable.

 

[BlackFenderBass]

To be honest, I don't think that's a Ray in the first pic. The headstock looks rounded off and it's missing its control plate. The bridge also looks questionable.

After looking at it more closely I think I agree.. perhaps it's an old Cutlass?

 

[DiabolusInMusic]

Yeah, the first one definitely doesn't look like a ray.

 

[JonnyAngle]

To be honest, I don't think that's a Ray in the first pic. The headstock looks rounded off and it's missing its control plate. The bridge also looks questionable.

Status neck and covered with tape?

 

[nixdad]

I believe it is a StingRay. All of the tape on it and poor picture quality doesn't help.

Also, Status did not offer basses with headstocks that early.

 

[BlackFenderBass]

Knowing Flea and his flamboyant decoration on his basses, I can understand if he would cover the control plate in tape or remove it and replace it with something else. Also, the neck looks pretty Ray-esque to me.. the only thing that is bothering me is the bridge, which looks like the bridge off a MM Cutlass I.

 

[Tupac]

Nay, it was confirmed to be a Music Man Cutlass, and you can tell too. Here is a good video of it. He stopped playing it very early in his career though, I wonder why? He did say the Music Men would get warped with heavy use on tour, perhaps that's what happened to it?

 

[BlackFenderBass]

You can also see it here too: Video

 

[bottomzone]

He's definitely playing a Sting Ray in this video and on this track:



A Groove is a Terrible Thing to Waste!

 

[Castagnier]

.. the only thing that is bothering me is the bridge, which looks like the bridge off a MM Cutlass I.

Just a precision, the bridge on a Cutlass I is the same as the one off an old Stingray ( have a look at the last page here where I upload pics of my Cutlass I and II http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f8/le...darn-why-not-437245/index12.html#post12769206 )

 

[mikeswals]

I believe it is a StingRay. All of the tape on it and poor picture quality doesn't help.

Also, Status did not offer basses with headstocks that early.

Flea did in fact own a Cutlass Ray early in the RHCP history. The Cutlasses were standard Musicman bodies fitted with graphite necks made by Status for Musicman with Musicman logos back in the early 80's.
Musicman offered the Cutlass I which was a StingRay, and the Cutlass II was a Sabre.

 

[mikeswals]

He stopped playing it very early in his career though, I wonder why?

I'm betting that once the 3-band eq came out in 1987 he quickly got new Rays.

 

[Castagnier]

The Cutlasses were standard Musicman bodies fitted with graphite necks made by Status for Musicman with Musicman logos back in the early 80's.

I'm afraid you're wrong. It's Modulus, not Status ( here is a pic of the back of my Cutlass II )

" Manufactured by Musicman Inc
under license from
Modulus Graphite Products
..."

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