Musicman Stingray Fretless with Maple Fingerboard???

[gregouille23]

Hi,

I have just seen an intriguing bass in the equivalent of my local CL. It's a 2 band Stingray Fretless with birds eye maple neck and maple fingerboard. The bridge has mutes as well. So I suppose this is an 80s Stingray but I had never seen fretless Stingray with maple fingerboards before.

Is there anything in particular I should know about this bass? I am always suspicious of rare models, I suppose that if such a gorgeous bass was discontinued then there was something wrong with it

Invalid Link Removed is a link to the ad. Asking price seems a bit steep to me btw...

 

[Flaked Beans]

That's a light brown pau ferro unlined fretless fingerboard.

and birdseye maple neck of course:

 

[gregouille23]

Hi,

Thanks for the reply. Are you sure it's Pau Ferro? It looks very clear for Pau Ferro. Plus it seems quite homogene to me, and the Pau Ferro boards I've seen always had some kind of a gradient.

Cheers,

Greg

 

[dtripoli]

Fascinating, I like it.
Unfortunately I have no insight into this model but thanks for the eye candy.

 

[Flaked Beans]

Yes I'm pretty sure it's pau ferro. I can see some vertical wood grain (typical for rosewood and pau ferro) on those pics and obviously that fingerboard is much darker (brown) than the BE maple neck/headstock. BTW those pics are fugly. Here's a "decent" cell phone picture of my 2 band/dark rosewood fb EBMM stingray bass:

 

[gregouille23]

BTW those pics are fugly

I cannot disagree with that

 

[Flaked Beans]

Also back in the 80's stingray basses had one piece maple necks (not a maple fingerboard glued on the top of the maple neck) except the rosewood fb necks so that's definitely not a maple fretless fb.

EDIT/ My '88 stingray bass had a one piece birdseye maple neck as well.

 

[Jazz Ad]

I saw a fretless maple Sabre once a long time ago.

 

[rodl2005]

It's a very nice looking Ray, that's for sure!

 

[Flaked Beans]

I saw a fretless maple Sabre once a long time ago.

Yup, This is a rare example of a custom ordered pre ernie ball '77 MM stingray fretless bass with one piece maple neck.

ebay pics:

 

[gregouille23]

It's a very nice looking Ray, that's for sure!

I agree. That's the problem
Started on fretless recently with a Tony Franklin, and I am hooked. My main player remains a Ray35ca so a fretless Stingray is defintely something worth considering... Just when I thought I was all set with the fretted Ray and TF

That being said, what do you think of the asking price? It seems a bit much to me. It's in euros yes, but basically around here Stingray 4 should go for about 1k euros used and fretless Ray tend to go for slightly less. But this one may be special...

 

[Jazz Ad]

Based on the general design it can't be from the 80s.
Assuming the 6 screw neck plate was original, that would date it between 1991 and 1998.
The price is more that of a pre-EB but then again it is a rare bird. I wouldn't go higher than 1200, 1300 € if it's in really good shape and you dig the rarity.

 

[gregouille23]

Based on the general design it can't be from the 80s.
Assuming the 6 screw neck plate was original, that would date it between 1991 and 1998.
The price is more that of a pre-EB but then again it is a rare bird. I wouldn't go higher than 1200, 1300 € if it's in really good shape and you dig the rarity.

Merci bien Jazz Ad! That's roughly what I had in mind pricewise.

 

[Flaked Beans]

I'm sorry guys but that is not a maple fingerboard and it's not rare at all. Just ask the seller for some better pics and you'll see what I'm talking about. However it's a nice bass!

Ok. i'm going to bed. Good luck!

 

[gregouille23]

I'm sorry guys but that is not a maple fingerboard and it's not rare at all. Just ask the seller for some better pics and you'll see what I'm talking about. However it's a nice bass!

Ok. i'm going to bed. Good luck!

The more I look at it, the more I tend to agree. It looks a bit too dark for maple... Nevertheless I like it a lot, let's if I can lower the price. After all, I don't really need another fretless The TF is just amazing...

 

[svlilioukalani]

That looks like an early 90's bass. There awesome. They have a rich deep tone, and play like a dream with super low action. They are asking a bit much, but this bass is worth the asking price. I have a lined fretless version. I have never used the string mutes.

 

[gregouille23]

That looks like an early 90's bass. There awesome. They have a rich deep tone, and play like a dream with super low action. They are asking a bit much, but this bass is worth the asking price. I have a lined fretless version. I have never used the string mutes. View attachment 1151952

Thanks for chiming in. I love the older natural stingrays, this yellowish shade is just so nice

 

[The Conqueror Worm]

I know the OP's picture isn't a fretless Stingray with a maple board, but I've got a story about one of my own basses. The other year, I was GASing hard for a fretless Ernie Ball, and wound up tracking down a Sterling that the previous owner had converted to a fretless... with a full birdseye maple neck and fretboard. He actually did a great job on it, and it plays like a dream. I always heard maple would show string marks like a sonofagun, but mine's still clean, two and a half years on. It's killer.

 

[JRA]

i've never had a fretless maple fb. i have GASsed for one, from time to time. they just look like the "epitome of cool"* to me. but i'm not really looking for "looks" as much as playability and reliability --- but if i had one....i could move on to the next one (GAS)!

* Next to a Fender, what's the epitome of cool?

 

[eyeballkid]

I once had a fearless maple stingray. I called Ernie ball to get some info on it because I had never seen another. They were adamant they never built a single fretless maple neck and acted as if the suggestion that they would to be blasphemy! So .. obviously mine was an aftermarket mod.