Pre-EB Stingray: Ever seen a black over inca silver one?

[Mutzel]

Last year I sold my 79 inca silver Stingray. I didn´t play it a lot, I`m into Precisions these days.

But today I bought a 77 Stingray from a former professional bass player. He was the first owner, bought it new in a shop, and used it to make a living with it for many years.

The bass is black, but in the many spots were the finish has worn and cracked it shows an inca silver coat underneath. Now I know that Fender practised the over painting when they didn´t have the right colour available. But I´ve never seen this on an early Music Man.

The former owner swears the bass was black from the beginning on, and for my understanding the neck pocket shows that the black coat is not a refinish.

Has anyone seen something like this before?

Anyway, the bass sounds terrific, and I´m happy to have an old Stingray again!

As there was no daylight, the pics are not very good.

 

[garp]

Has anyone seen something like this before?

I have no additional info for you, but thanks very much for posting such detailed photos. What's that silverish "insert" at the base of the neck? I've never seen anything like that in a bolt-on.

 

[mikeswals]

Yes it's possible. Musicman had paint issues back in the 70's and had to refinish many of them. Some that wouldn't come out right got a different color.

There is a preEB page on facebook. One of the guys there bought the late 70's records that were sold from Leo's office. And he has been able to look some of them up built before early 79 and tell us what color it was made as and wether it went back to the factory for repair or refinish.

 

[Mutzel]

The metal insert at the base of neck is where the miniscrew touches the neck for tilting.
It´s the same thing as on the 3 bolt neck plate Jazz Bass.

Thanks for the additional info, Caca! Too bad I´m not on facebook.

 

[mikeswals]

PM me your serial # then, I'll ask the guy if he can find any warranty service record on it.

He verified My Feb/78 StingRay. the completion record matched the serial and details.

 

[Mutzel]

Thanks for your help on this! I will send you a PM now.

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

Please report back with the info. Very interesting bass you have there.

 

[Mutzel]

Here´s the info that James found... thanks @ Caca de kick for your help with this!

"I will look it up..
B0064XX was always meant to be black, but it had finish issues. It came back twice for finish defects. I am thinking a silver body was rejected from another bass, sent back through and painted black. They didn't pay any attention to keeping bodies with necks. So it just received a freshly black painted body. It appears the new body was attached November 1, 1977.
It could have been a body from another warranty bass. Or a rejected silver that never made it to final assembly, put through paint again. They ended up on fresh builds too. From all the evidence I have the painted bodies inventory was not split into used/refins and brand new fresh. They were all lumped together. This explains why we sometimes see significantly older dates on some builds. A refin went through and went on a new build too."

How amazing that someone can find this precise info about my 40 year old bass!

 

[sears]

candy apple black