MUSIC MAN STINGRAY BASS, 1979

One of the milestones in the electric bass history, the StingRay Bass was the first active-electronic bass with a wide commercial diffusion. Leo Fender, who in the mid '70s created Music Man, was still in charge at the time of the production of this instrument, before leaving at the end of the year to start the G&L project. The ash body is dated March 28 1979 and the maple neck is from May '79 (day is not clear), and so this bass comes for the Music Man golden era, the so-called pre-Ernie Ball years, and has all the features of the instruments created and supervised by Leo Fender. The active electronics have a very simple and effective three-control system. From a lutherie point of view, the two-piece body has the typical 45-degrees central joint and the string-through-body bridge, typical of the pre-Ernie Ball era and crucial for the model's legendary sustain and depth. 

The StingRay has always been highly regarded as a "bass player's bass", a simple, yet functional and versatile instrument which holds a fixed-place in the professional player's collection. Here we find it in its earlier and most sought-after version, in exceptionally clean and fully original conditions. This adds to the musical value a special collectible appeal. As you know, my idea of what is "vintage" is quite restricitive. I have never seen a vintage potential (except for a very few cases) in the instruments "created to be collected", because I think that the real collectible value is given by an instrument's history, by the role it has played in the evolution of the guitar's design and technical development, by the effective use by players at the time of its production. Functionality, innovation, beauty. The early Music Man instruments have all of these key factors. Real guitars, with a real history.... and Leo's hand prints on them. In my opinion, one of the few really great vintage items from the darkest era of the electric guitar, the late '70s.

This bass comes with a good but non original hardshell case.