Jump to content
Why become a member? ×

NBD - early 90s Stingray


peteb
 Share

Recommended Posts

A trip up to the north east included a detour to meet up with my old mate Captain John Morgan to pick up an early 90s three band Stingray. I had been chasing this particular bass for about four years, ever since picking it up after seeing the Captain play a gig in a bar on the banks of the Tyne in Newcastle. I had always asked him to give me first refusal if he ever decided to move it on, so I bit his hand off when he got in touch last week to ask if I was still interested.

It is a deep wine-red colour with a rosewood fretboard, a six bolt plate and the old style bridge with the mutes still attached. John has installed brass bridge saddles, which seem like a great mod, but apart from that it is pretty much stock. It currently has a black scratchplate, but I have been looking for a s/h white one (mainly because I remember seeing a picture of Boz Burrell playing one like that back in the 70s).

This must be the nicest Stingray to play that I’ve ever come across and has a great neck. I’ve had a couple of Rays in the past (a great natural 91 w/maple fingerboard and a pretty nice black 95 with the transition bridge with no mutes) and always regretted moving them on. I think that this one is going to be a keeper.

Edit: I've just checked the serial number online and it was made in May 91

 

Stingray 4 Oct 2020 big.jpg

Edited by peteb
  • Like 8
Link to comment
Share on other sites

27 minutes ago, peteb said:

A trip up to the north east included a detour to meet up with my old mate Captain John Morgan to pick up an early 90s three band Stingray. I had been chasing this particular bass for about four years, ever since picking it up after seeing the Captain play a gig in a bar on the banks of the Tyne in Newcastle. I had always asked him to give me first refusal if he ever decided to move it on, so I bit his hand off when he got in touch last week to ask if I was still interested.

It is a deep wine-red colour with a rosewood fretboard, a six bolt plate and the old style bridge with the mutes still attached. John has installed brass bridge saddles, which seem like a great mod, but apart from that it is pretty much stock. It currently has a black scratchplate, but I have been looking for a s/h white one (mainly because I remember seeing a picture of Boz Burrell playing one like that back in the 70s).

This must be the nicest Stingray to play that I’ve ever come across and has a great neck. I’ve had a couple of Rays in the past (a great natural 91 w/maple fingerboard and a pretty nice black 95 with the transition bridge with no mutes) and always regretted moving them on. I think that this one is going to be a keeper.

Edit: I've just checked the serial number online and it was made in May 91

 

Stingray 4 Oct 2020 big.jpg

Wow, that looks great - trans red usually (from that era) has an alder body so a little mellower sounding than an ash bodied one. As I said in the other thread, matt white would be the period correct pg if you can get it. 

You should be able to approximate to a 2 band sound if you cut the mids by about 50% and noisy the bass and treble a little. 

Hope you enjoy it anyway (Boz is one of my favourite bass players as well 👍 )

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, drTStingray said:

Wow, that looks great - trans red usually (from that era) has an alder body so a little mellower sounding than an ash bodied one. As I said in the other thread, matt white would be the period correct pg if you can get it. 

You should be able to approximate to a 2 band sound if you cut the mids by about 50% and noisy the bass and treble a little. 

Hope you enjoy it anyway (Boz is one of my favourite bass players as well 👍 )

A bit mellower isn’t such a bad thing for a Stingray – the black 95 I had was certainly rather fierce, one of the reasons that I have always wanted a Ray with a rosewood board. I’ve never really played a two band Ray (except a pre-EB one very briefly in a shop in Denmark Street once), always been happy with the three band version.

Gawd knows when I will get a chance to gig it – I might set it up tuned down a half-step so I that get more opportunities to use it live…

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 minutes ago, TheGreek said:

I've owned three Rays, the '96 stood head, shoulders and belly button above the rest.

That's the first year with the new bridge without the mountings for the mutes. What other Rays have you had??

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, TheGreek said:

I had a 2006 Ray, no mutes, no figuring on the neck.

I also had a (rare) Made in Japan model which was improvement on the 2006 but still not a scratch on the '96 (which actually had the muted bridge).

I thought that 96 was the first year of the smaller bridge. You must have had one of the last Rays with the 'transition' bridges! 

I never knew that there was a MIJ Stingray... 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, peteb said:

Made in 2004 - now superseded by an Xotic 5 string jazz

You will miss that ceramic pick up MM sound! I used to use my 2003 SR5 still quite often especially on outdoor gigs - v versatile for a single pick up bass. I shan't sell it though I've got a 2 pick up SR5 Special which is my more regular 5 string. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...