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I just wish there were more SLO neck versions.

Thanks, and yes, I think you’ve hit the nail on the head there! It’s the same with everything people sell to be honest - if people need the money quickly they may be more willing to accept less than a sensible price. I agree re Stingray Specials although I bought mine new for not much more than £2k - is it really nearly 8 yrs ago - I’ve got a 4HH and a 5HH, both in, to my mind, pretty colours. I hardly ever use the 5 - if I play a 5 it’ll be my ceramic pick up natural/maple 5H, which I still love despite its 10-11 lbs weight (the Stingray Special 5HH is just north of 8 lbs)! I wonder if the new ones will become more affordable here with the weakening dollar? Not holding my breath though!! For those officianados who really want to weep, I bought my immaculate 1993 Stingray fretless in sunburst, crazily figured neck, for £752 just over 15 yrs ago!! I don’t play it often but I absolutely love it!! They fetch quite a lot more these days and are pretty rare..

Sorry, but that wouldn't do it for me. I put an East MMSR circuit into a 2007 Stingray 5 once, and it did improve the tone, but if I was to replace the circuit in a Special with a two band, then I'd need to replace the frankly rather characterless Neodymium pickup they put in it with an Alnico, lacquer the neck, fit a chunkier bridge, and string it through the body. (OK, maybe not the last one!) I don't disagree that the fit, finish and feel of the Special is very nice (I briefly owned a Special 5) but they're a completely different animal to all of their predecessors for a whole host of reasons. Sadly, I feel they've lost the essence of the original design along the way, IMHO. If it's not already apparent, I'm a Stingray fanboy - in the 50 years I've been playing I've owned 18 Stingrays, a Sabre, a Bongo, and a USA Sterling. Yes, I have a list, but oddly enough, I don't currently own one. But to stop hijacking the thread and get back to the question posed by the OP, 'regular' USA Stingray 1200 and up, Special/Classic 1800 and up, pre-EB think of a number and double it! Good luck with your sale/hunt, @Supernaut.

That sounds like a lovely selection of Stingrays. There's always been a discrepancy between what a Stingray is worth and what you can get for one. Their usefulness, quality and formidable reputation undermined by the laws of supply and demand. There's just so many available that it's bound to drive the price down. That said, really nice Music Man basses like you've got will always command a better price than less desirable examples. You could always find bargain-price Stingrays. (Ancient history I know, but I paid £315 for a mint pre-EB in 1989. In 1992 I stumbled on a used EBMM in a guitar shop in Bradford for £400), and that won't have changed. Someone who paid £750 for used Stingray fifteen years ago who needs money might well sell nowadays for £1000 or less and feel like they had done okay on the deal. When it comes to Stingrays, if you've got cash in your hand and you're patient you can still pick up a bargain. It's likely to be an older model, though. As for Specials, even if they go for two grand secondhand, that's a big depreciation the new retail price. The harsh reality is that if you really need to sell, things are worth what you can get for them. The intrinsic value is irrelevant.

An original keyboard played on early Stranglers hits by Dave Greenfield is repaired in the Repair Shop BBC1. It was given as a gift to the new keyboard player, Toby, who is a massive fan of Dave's even before joining the band. I believe it is Toby who takes it in. Well worth a watch for any Stranglers fans or those with an interest in vintage keyboards.

I can understand this, if I have a bad day or am feeling down then looking at stuff I could potentially buy gives me a lift. I did find however that in the past when I did buy the items that actually receiving them didn’t boost my mood any further.

I'm not sure I'm onboard with that!

Anyone using the word "onboarding" deserves to be stabbed in the ear.

Fab. I remember when you said this was coming together, time to check the diary! 😀

Devil Woman - Cliff Richard

I suffer a lot with depression. some of it is down to my life choices, so my bad, some of it is down to my illness and some the required medication. one of the things I do when I am down is buy music stuff. My credit card is in a constant state of being paid off. i don’t normally regret my purchases, and the stuff I have brings me imense happiness. I often say out loud I absolutely love music, probably more than I should and certainly more often than i say I love my wife!! anyone else indulge in retail therapy? I am currently looking at either an Atelier Z fretless or and Ibanez headless fretless to make the decision of not defretting my Yamaha seem like a better decision. i guess in a way i am addicted to gear, and justify it any way I can. i am lucky my wife just encourages me, if want it and u can afford it just buy it and stop talking about it is what she says. Hence my credit card never really going down.

Bought a Dingwall from Philly, really nice to deal with, took extra care in packaging and the communication was great. I would not hestitate to deal with again, great BCer. Cheers fella.

I've got a Sire Z3 for plunking on when the mood takes me and it's sounds more like a vintage two band Stingray than my Stingray Special does. The older vintage basses have the treble EQ shelved higher, so it's got that top end slice. They've got a more scooped-out tone than the newer iterations. Around the time Ernie Ball took over production of MusicMan I had a vintage Stingray, and a very nice example it was too. However, for my taste those new EBMM basses I was trying in the shops were superior in every way to my pre-EB Stingray. I would have cheerfully done a straight swap. The Specials have got enough of that vintage sound though, and you can easily EQ it in. The Special is a bit richer in the mids and a more focused tone overall. It's all in my mind, I know, but the Stingray Special being lighter makes it seem even more punchy when I play it). The subtle changes in design have really improved comfort overall. I really like them ( At the moment I'm actively looking to buy a second one to put flats on). If other folks prefer the older basses then good for them, though. As the saying goes, you pay your money and take your choice.

The challenge was lining up accurately enough for the original side dot holes to line up. That said, at least it would then be in exactly the right position! Held together, this was would be I was aiming for if at all possible: Dry, I used some spool clamps to hold the side to side position. I then drilled a couple of micro holes in the nut slot through to the neck and tapped in a couple of thin panel pins. Same at the back - I lifted a fret and put a couple in there too. At the back of the neck, I stuck a strip of hardwood along the neck spine temporarily with two-sided tape to use as a clamping caul: I pulled the fretboard off to apply the glue, then could use the projecting panel pins to relocate and prevent the board floating around under clamping. I used a series of radius blocks before putting around a dozen clamps to squeeze all of the glue out and get a closed joint on both sides all the way up the neck. Here is the first clamp - 11 more to go: And here it was glued, waiting for some replacement side dots (which come as a thin cylindrical stick) to be fitted: And re-oiled ready to return to @Owen

Hi Bass Chat I recently aquired an Overwater Original Bass - I am now after a Hard Case for it as it came with a gig-bag - Does anyone know of any "off the shelf" cases tht would fit Cheeer Jay