Musicman FrankenRay

[BlacknWhite]

Due to ongoing neck issues with my Old Stingray I made a big decision. I've come to love the sound of it and other bass's just don't compete with it. We had a big show coming up (last night) so I decided to Frankenstein my '78 Ray with one of my back up bass's, a mid 70's Northern Pbass. The neck from the Pbass wouldn't fit on the Ray so I routed out a hole in the body of the Pbass and mounted the Ray pick up in it. The controls and control plate dropped right in perfectly. I just put on a stingray pickguard and modified it so the control plate blended right into it as the body was a different size. It sounds just as good if not better in this set up haha. I was going to bite the bullet and buy a new/old neck and restore the Stingray at some point but I think I'm just going to keep this bass and save my money for some old Stingray parts and build another one!

I'll post some decent pics of it when I'm home again. For now here's a cell phone pic from our show last night. Don't even ask about my singers guitar LOL

 

[Moving Pictures]

That is good old fashioned ingenuity. Well done!

 

[BlacknWhite]

That is good old fashioned ingenuity. Well done!

Thanks man. I'm actually looking forward to Frankensteining a couple more in the near future haha

 

[Dabndug]

Nice job! Looks brilliant. Is the battery lurking beneath the 'guard in the old split pickup rout?

 

[BlacknWhite]

Nice job! Looks brilliant. Is the battery lurking beneath the 'guard in the old split pickup rout?

Thanks! and yes it is. I made a little compartment and put foam under it so the battery doesn't move around.

 

[Resonance129]

Nice lol. That looks so different. It's a cool kind of different though.
How did the sound change to your ears? Still Ray-ish? Or completely new beast?

 

[two fingers]

Nicely done!

 

[BlacknWhite]

Nice lol. That looks so different. It's a cool kind of different though.
How did the sound change to your ears? Still Ray-ish? Or completely new beast?

It still sounds very Ray-ish. It does have a bit more of a bite when you boost the treble I think the pickup might be a little closer to the bridge. I have not actually measured yet. But I love it.

Nicely done!

Thanks man

 

[BlacknWhite]

Ok here's a couple of actual pics of just the bass.

 

[Lowbrow]

Very cool mod and I’m glad to hear it worked out well. I for decades have fantasized about mounting a G&L MFD in a Precision bass but never followed through (yet).

 

[Kikegg]

Well played! Big problem, bigger solution!

 

[Magthegrate]

Nicely done! And re: the second picture in your first post, I'm glad I'm not the only bass player who looks like he's flipping the bird to the audience from time to time!

 

[RiZzBot]

Nice looking bass man. I dig it man. I would to hear the way it sounds. Maybe post a short vid?

 

[cnltb]

All this to save weight?
How much did you save in the end?

 

[Jscriv]

I do believe you can contact Ernie ball about the neck and they will let you send that neck back and get a new one. For a fee of course.

 

[MtManiac]

I love it! Fender should do this, and sell a million.

 

[Stranger Danger]

Due to ongoing neck issues with my Old Stingray I made a big decision. I've come to love the sound of it and other bass's just don't compete with it. We had a big show coming up (last night) so I decided to Frankenstein my '78 Ray with one of my back up bass's, a mid 70's Northern Pbass. The neck from the Pbass wouldn't fit on the Ray so I routed out a hole in the body of the Pbass and mounted the Ray pick up in it. The controls and control plate dropped right in perfectly. I just put on a stingray pickguard and modified it so the control plate blended right into it as the body was a different size. It sounds just as good if not better in this set up haha. I was going to bite the bullet and buy a new/old neck and restore the Stingray at some point but I think I'm just going to keep this bass and save my money for some old Stingray parts and build another one!

I'll post some decent pics of it when I'm home again. For now here's a cell phone pic from our show last night. Don't even ask about my singers guitar LOL

View attachment 3372756
View attachment 3372764

Pray? P-Ray?

 

[klejst]

The sound of a Ray and the smooth feel of the P neck...noice!

 

[Slevage]

That’s nice.

I new a guy who had. 1 year old Stingray in 1978. He didn’t like the sound, so he removed the pickup and preamp and installed a P pup.

 

[Yango]

Looks great. I think Leo would approve.