Rick's Fine '52

[quote name='drTStingray' timestamp='1353072831' post='1871274'] I'm pretty sure Sterling Ball will know about this latest sale also - there's a thread posted by Gav (the Aussie expert, Musicman org website owner and Musicman bass forum moderator) on the Musicman bass forum. The old adage that you basically convert the value in dollars to £ Sterling for the same item for sale in this country seems to apply here - plus a bit of profit/reimbursement of shipping costs for the owner, and a bit for the shop fee makes it about right as far as I can see. I really think it ought to be in a museum on display or on display at Musicman - has anyone been to look at it from here? It would be an experience just to look at it let alone play it - not sure I can get up there in the next week (if it's still there) - it looks fantastic - as new - in the photos. The point made about pick up cover colours and control knobs - this is the first production Stingray - the ones with X series numbers are pre-production prototypes and all the ones I've seen have been natural finish, have white pu covers, black pick guards, and normal knurled control knobs. The 'radio' knobs appear to occur on very early Rays but knurled ones appear as well. The white pick up cover was an option on new instruments up to about 1979 (indeed I looked at a 77 Inca Silver Ray at Bass Centre a few years back which had a white pu cover). I know it's possibly a heinous crime uttering anything in this place about those six string things our guitar toting colleagues usually play far too loudly................ but Stingray guitar #0001 was also for sale not too long ago (also previously owned by Forrest White IIRC). [/quote] I'm down at Andy's next Tuesday or Wednesday, for a spot of trading, so, if its still there, I'll try and have a whirl on it, and let y'all know how it plays. I just hope it doesnt draw me in too much. As has been said, it should be on display at MM. Looking forward to seeing it though!

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1353052952' post='1870892'] Word has it that it was sold in the USA recently for quite a lot less than that. [/quote] Interesting. Any evidence of that?

[quote name='chrismuzz' timestamp='1353022792' post='1870780'] £325? That's the combined cost of three of my basses I know what I'd rather have! [/quote] So do I.

Compared with others I've seen, this is actually reasonably priced. If you have a £7k bass without one, then it's well worth the money. In fact, if I had a £1600 CS relic, then I would consider this as a replacement, while I owned and played it, the Fender CS torty guards are appalling, and make a bass they sell for $4000 look sh*te. Then, when I sold it, I'd swap it back, sell the original guard for a similar price, no probs. Simply priced based on supply and demand, find another!

[quote name='jaydentaku' timestamp='1352835620' post='1868196'] [/quote] I'm not sure whats worse about this?, the fact that someone actually made it, or the fact that somebody, presumably ordered it!

[quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' timestamp='1352987793' post='1870176'] Ah, but does it have [i]that[/i] sound? [/quote] My slab body is all finished, packaged, and with USPS mid-Atlantic as we speak, should be with me in the next couple of days, so I can start the assembly of my 'slab'. Will be interesting to see how [i]it[/i] sounds! All components are as the original, with many of them from '66, so we'll see!

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1352981898' post='1870041'] Fender "luthiers" have no idea how to make something like that... [/quote] Thank god for that!!!

[quote name='charic' timestamp='1352978892' post='1869995'] Hmm... Masterbuilt Fee $2,600 Custom Classic Jazz Bass 4 $4,900 Ash Body $300 Contoured Neck Heel $50 Sunset Orange Trans AAA Flame Maple Top $800 AAA Flame Maple Neck Figure $500 P Bass Neck ( I think that's Modern C) 1 - Piece Maple Neck Base Model Radius Brass Nut Black Binding and Blocks (can't see option) Black Hardware (can't see option?!), if not then Base Shaller Machine Heads $50 BA3 Bridge $50 Black 1 Ply Pickguard $50 S-1 Switch $100 Hand Wound Bass Pickups $250 Total Cost... Drumroll Please! $9650 [b]£6,086.51[/b] [b]Although I'd be tempted to ask for EMG's instead [/b] [/quote] I know someone who just ordered (last week in fact) their own Custom Shop Jazz bass from Fender, their own specs, total cost £2100 to your door, not masterbuilt, but still a CS certified build, I think thats pretty good, and you don't pay all until its delivered, they do a payment increment scheme, where the final installment is made prior to collection, all through UK dealer too.

[quote name='Kiwi' timestamp='1352962684' post='1869767'] Headless, graphite bolt on neck, chambered body, semi parametric eq. and custom soapbar pickups. [/quote]

[quote name='Count Bassy' timestamp='1352939017' post='1869724'] If that were the case then surely the jazz and the stingray need never have existed. [/quote] Eh?, different instrument, the same as a Strat is a different instrument to a Telecaster. The point was, and as examples, the Stratocaster you buy today, is the exact same format and construction as it was in '54, and still the best selling guitar, how many brands can say that they are unchanged since their first production model?, the same can be said for the telecaster, jazz bass, precision, and even most of the early amps. Your reference to the stingray?, obviously he couldnt go and make another precision after he left, as that was a Fender product, so he had to do a variation on a theme, take the pickguard of a stingray, put in split coil bucker and a precision pickguard, and its almost identical, including body and neck shape. He experimented with electics, circuits, and pickups because he was an inventor, thats what they do. But the instruments he made in the 50's are still made today, and are still the best selling, and instrument of choice of the vast majority of players, both guitarists and bass. That was the point, and its a fact, not my opinion.

[quote name='obbm' timestamp='1352932855' post='1869634'] I was always led to understand that the early Stingrays had "radio knobs". This one doesn't which makes me suspicious. [/quote] I'm no expert either on MM's, but I read somewhere that the first ones had white pickup covers? Sure someone will put the record straight on these two issues??

[quote name='Meddle' timestamp='1352929029' post='1869575'] It is amazing how little the design has changed. I'm speaking the bleeding obvious here, but I'm still amazed! [/quote] Like most things Leo was involved in, he got it right first time, if it ain't broke......

Their attention to detail is not always great, although better than Bravewood etc in my experience, they could do sooo much better though, with the resources at their disposal. For me though, it would be a '65 Jazz, dot neck, burgundy mist, matching headstock, white guard (they can't make tort guards for toffee, not that it should have a tort guard...just saying!), chrome covers, medium Relic. Black tolex case, red lining.

[quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' timestamp='1352900457' post='1869038'] A bang-on replica of the mid-60s slab Precision bass. [/quote] They've already made it.

Lovely. As Luke says, tuners are switched, but if it was sitting in liquid, head first, then they had probably rusted, nevertheless, rare bass, real shame about the headstock though. If the neck has survived any playability damage, then it will be a fine bass to play, one of the best, the headstock, tuners, and lack of pickguard will stop it reaching investment/collectors pricing levels, but certainly worth £700 of anyones money if it plays well. Nice find.

Not cheap, but what an item to own. 1st ever 'Ray. Holy Grail Lovely [url="http://www.andybaxterbass.com/details.php?id=385"]http://www.andybaxterbass.com/details.php?id=385[/url]

[quote name='chrismuzz' timestamp='1352817960' post='1867786'] It's just a 6 string though really [/quote] So, is that 2 more strings than you need, or 8??

[quote name='Graham' timestamp='1352632594' post='1865283'] My goodness Though I'm guessing you get that a lot [/quote] Thanks Graham, I'm fortunate to have this set up, took many years of searching, and upgrading, but worth the wait!!

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1352552719' post='1864519'] Also Rick- A status shark in 1989? surely they only started making them in 93-94? [/quote] Really?, I must be older than I thought?, I remember where i lived when i had it, (Bought it from Musical Exchanges in Birmingham), and i only lived there for a year, perhaps my memory deceives me, I've had too many basses, clearly.

[size=2][color="#000000"][font="Verdana"]Starting from my first bass, in 1987, roughly in order of purchase, present haul in [b]bold[/b]. [/font][/color][/size] [size=2][font="Verdana"][color="#000000"] [/color][/font][/size] [size=2][color="#000000"][font="Verdana"]1980 Washburn (Don't know model, it was a thru neck double-cut type thing that weighed about 3 Tonnes!)[/font][/color][/size] [size=2][color="#000000"][font="Verdana"]1985 Aria Pro II, black. Nasty![/font][/color][/size] [size=2][color="#000000"][font="Verdana"]1988 Warwick Thumb, won in a card game(Yes, really), didn’t know what it was, body was too small so sold it![/font][/color][/size] [size=2][color="#000000"][font="Verdana"]1989 Status Shark. I know, we live and learn though![/font][/color][/size] [b][size=2][color="#000000"][font="Verdana"]1982 Fender Jazz, JV 1[sup]st[/sup] Series, Sunburst, slab rosewood[/font][/color][/size][/b] [size=2][color="#000000"][font="Verdana"]1971 Fender Precision, Black/Maple. YOB, very nice.[/font][/color][/size] [size=2][color="#000000"][font="Verdana"]1963 Hofner Violin, Original, stunning condition[/font][/color][/size] [size=2][color="#000000"][font="Verdana"]1972 Fender Telecaster, Blonde, Humbucker[/font][/color][/size] [size=2][color="#000000"][font="Verdana"]1963 Gibson EB2, original, sunburst, nice, this one was just a bit too knackered though[/font][/color][/size] [size=2][color="#000000"][font="Verdana"]1990 Gibson Thunderbird, just wrong on every level[/font][/color][/size] [size=2][color="#000000"][font="Verdana"]1990 Ovation CC74 Acoustic, deep bowl back thing. Not bad[/font][/color][/size] [size=2][color="#000000"][font="Verdana"]1977 Musicman Stingray, metallic turquoise/maple, lovely bass to play. Miss that one.[/font][/color][/size] [size=2][color="#000000"][font="Verdana"]1980 Gibson Flying V Bass. Rare, all black, impossible to play, sitting or standing[/font][/color][/size] [size=2][color="#000000"][font="Verdana"]1998 Epiphone Rivoli, sunburst, really nice bass to play, super light[/font][/color][/size] [size=2][color="#000000"][font="Verdana"]1977 Fender Precision, sunburst, rosewood, fretless. Hopeless, expensive slide![/font][/color][/size] [size=2][color="#000000"][font="Verdana"]1976 Fender Jazz, sunburst, rosewood blocks. Lovely, but a bit heavy for me.[/font][/color][/size] [size=2][color="#000000"][font="Verdana"]1960 Fender Jazz, original refin Fiesta Red, stack knob, stunning, refin bugged me though.[/font][/color][/size] [size=2][color="#000000"][font="Verdana"]1980 Rickenbacker 3001, too small[/font][/color][/size] [size=2][color="#000000"][font="Verdana"]1968 Shaftesbury, Rose Morris, semi bass, 4005-a-like. Too light and then, looked fab though.[/font][/color][/size] [size=2][color="#000000"][font="Verdana"]1965 Gibson EB3, original, cherry. Neck too thin, looked nicer than it played.[/font][/color][/size] [size=2][color="#000000"][font="Verdana"]1961 Fender Precision, all original slab board, but refin’d.[/font][/color][/size] [b][size=2][color="#000000"][font="Verdana"]1958 Fender Precision, original, sunburst/maple, gold guard. Plays amazing[/font][/color][/size][/b] [b][size=2][color="#000000"][font="Verdana"]1982 Fender Precision, JV 1[sup]st[/sup] Series, Sunburst, slab rosewood[/font][/color][/size][/b] [size=2][color="#000000"][font="Verdana"]1955 Fender Precision, original, really nice bass, refin’d[/font][/color][/size] [size=2][color="#000000"][font="Verdana"]1952 Fender Precision, all original, refin, lovely, but refin’d. No more refin’s for me![/font][/color][/size] [size=2][color="#000000"][font="Verdana"]2005 Fender Precision, 1958 Custom shop relic. Lovely[/font][/color][/size] [b][size=2][color="#000000"][font="Verdana"]1956 Fender Precision, all original, like Sting’s , but much nicer condition, big V neck. Love it[/font][/color][/size][/b] [size=2][color="#000000"][font="Verdana"]2003 Fender Precision, 1953 Project relic, self built, Nice[/font][/color][/size] [size=2][color="#000000"][font="Verdana"]2004 Fender Jazz, 1961 Stack knob Project relic, self built, nice one this.[/font][/color][/size] [size=2][color="#000000"][font="Verdana"]2005 Fender Precision, 1958 Project relic, self built. Nice[/font][/color][/size] [size=2][color="#000000"][font="Verdana"]2009 Fender Precision, 1955 Project relic, self built, loved it, miss it.[/font][/color][/size] [b][size=2][color="#000000"][font="Verdana"]2004 Fender Precision, 1952 Crinson relic, loads of original parts added, stunner.[/font][/color][/size][/b] [b][size=2][color="#000000"][font="Verdana"]2000 Rickenbacker 4005, project Mani-a-like paint splashed. Going nowhere.[/font][/color][/size][/b] [b][size=2][color="#000000"][font="Verdana"]1952 Fender Precision, all original, near mint, gig bag. Crazy nice[/font][/color][/size][/b] [b][size=2][color="#000000"][font="Verdana"]2005 Takamine, EG512, nice practice bass[/font][/color][/size][/b] [b][size=2][color="#000000"][font="Verdana"]2000 Bravewood, 1960, slab rosewood, 3TSB. Really nice, lots of original parts added[/font][/color][/size][/b] [b][size=2][color="#000000"][font="Verdana"]1968 Fender Telecaster, all original, blue flower. Rarest of the rare[/font][/color][/size][/b] [b][size=2][color="#000000"][font="Verdana"]1968 Fender telecaster, all original, pink paisley. Best condition ever.[/font][/color][/size][/b] [b][size=2][color="#000000"][font="Verdana"]1978 Alembic, Series 1, lovely neck, too many knobs, still trying! [/font][/color][/size][/b] [b][size=2][color="#000000"][font="Verdana"]2012 Fender Precision, ’66 Slab project, self build, nearly there now![/font][/color][/size][/b] [b][size=2][font="Verdana"][color="#000000"] [/color][/font][/size][/b] [size=2][color="#000000"][font="Verdana"]Actually, just noticed I have 13 basses, clearly unlucky. Must buy another![/font][/color][/size]

[quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1350587651' post='1841007'] That's probably the best that Rick has ever looked.. [/quote] This.

First impressions: I like it, from a buyers, and sellers perspective, it certainly allows a clearer description of the item, with at-a-glance pic and price, but I do feel as a result, its a bit clinical, and as has been mentioned, takes away some of the '[i]chat[/i]' part of these ads, which many of us enjoy. Clearly alot of hard work has gone into it, which I'm grateful for, and this should be acknowledged (the work that is, not my gratitude!). Time will tell how it works in reality, but I'm also concerned that its a bit [i]gumtree[/i], where there's no connection to the seller/buyer at all (The questions box helps a bit) You can form relationships with people on here (Albeit not a 'real' one), simply by exchanging comments/opinions on one item listed, as the thread expands, which can eveolve into all sorts of knowledge sharing etc. This to me, is the appeal of forums like this, and I worry some of that may be lost, but we'll see, I hope everyone beds into it, and it works for the better.