What's the going rate for Stingrays nowadays?

[Supernaut]

The USA Stingrays that is. Cheers. 

[Lozz196]

I see them from £1500 to £2000, the regular standard ones.

[Bolo]

https://www.basschat.co.uk/forum/121-wotzit-werth/

 

[Mrbigstuff]

Like most basses, a lot more than I sold mine for…. 

[Misdee]

3 hours ago, Supernaut said:

The USA Stingrays that is. Cheers. 

If you mean for a used Stingray then the best answer is "very variable", but if your patient and  look round a while you can get a bargain.

 

The resale on Stingrays can be pretty low compared to the price of a new one because  they've been making them a long time, they're very popular, and there were always plenty available in the shops. Consequently, there's loads of them in circulation of various vintages. If you find someone selling one they bought used, you might even pick one up for under a grand. Probably not on Basschat at that price, though.

 

[nilebodgers]

Lol - I’ve always fancied a Stingray, but they have always been just that bit too expensive for my tastes.

[Russ]

EBMM are coming out with a new line of Stingrays that sit above the Sterling ones but below the regular US-made range a bit later this year, not a million miles away from what they did with the SUB basses back in the day, but without the Hammerite finishes.  They're supposed to be somewhat cheaper than the regular US-built range. 

[fretmeister]

11 hours ago, Russ said:

EBMM are coming out with a new line of Stingrays that sit above the Sterling ones but below the regular US-made range a bit later this year, not a million miles away from what they did with the SUB basses back in the day, but without the Hammerite finishes.  They're supposed to be somewhat cheaper than the regular US-built range. 

 

I am suspicious that the US Specials will go up, and the mids will get all the really heavy wood that nobody wants, especially as the Specials are now close to the same weight as the old versions. So much for the new "lightweight redesign" they started with.

[TommyK]

FWIW: I paid 1500 for a 2013 Classic 2eq last week. Good but not perfect condition  Actually the best sounding Stingray i've ever had IMO

[warwickhunt]

It doesn't seem so long ago that £800 was the going rate for a pukka full fat USA Stingray and you could pick one up on BC most weeks... I said 'seems'!  

 

I'd be surprised if there are many around as cheap as £1200 and I'd expect a regular/non-special to be closer to £1500.  

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

It very much depends on what vintage you’re looking for @Supernaut.

To some degree the spec is also a factor. H, HS, HH, Piezo, SLO, Ltd Ed etc

[acidbass]

I'd say higher for the Stingray Specials, as they seemed to correct the 40 year old 'weak G' problem.  I believe those instruments from 2018 onwards to be far superior.

[AinsleyWalker]

14 hours ago, Mrbigstuff said:

Like most basses, a lot more than I sold mine for…. 

I remember listing my USA Ray on here for about £500 a decade ago. Not a single bit of interest... Thank goodness... Would have seriously regretted letting it go, especially for pennies.
I paid £750 for it with hardcase etc in 2011, great price for a USA ray. 

Edited 4 hours ago by AinsleyWalker

[lowregisterhead]

4 minutes ago, acidbass said:

I'd say higher for the Stingray Specials, as they seemed to correct the 40 year old 'weak G' problem.  I believe those instruments from 2018 onwards to be far superior.

 

The Special range is definitely more consistent, and the build quality is excellent, but to me they've somehow engineered out the soul of the instrument, and they don't sound anything like the original pre-EB Stingrays. But then what does??

[SteveXFR]

12 hours ago, Russ said:

EBMM are coming out with a new line of Stingrays that sit above the Sterling ones but below the regular US-made range a bit later this year, not a million miles away from what they did with the SUB basses back in the day, but without the Hammerite finishes.  They're supposed to be somewhat cheaper than the regular US-built range. 

 

Given that a Sterling Ray 34 is £900 now, a budget EBMM Stingray is likely to be £1200+ so still not exactly cheap. 

Ive had a couple Sterling Ray 34's and 35's and they are really good. 

Used EBMM Stingrays on Reverb vary from £1265 - £4069. It looks like a budget of £1800 gets you a decent choice. 

[peteb]

1 hour ago, warwickhunt said:

It doesn't seem so long ago that £800 was the going rate for a pukka full fat USA Stingray and you could pick one up on BC most weeks... I said 'seems'!  

 

I'd be surprised if there are many around as cheap as £1200 and I'd expect a regular/non-special to be closer to £1500.  

 

Very much this. 

 

I've got a 91 Stingray (no case) that I don't use much and I've been advised by a couple of guys in the trade that I could easily get £1,500-1,600 for it (although I am in no rush to cash in on it). Ten years or so ago, I was buying and selling US Stingrays for £700-800, which then creeped up to about £1k. The price has definitely gone up since then. 

 

[Misdee]

2 hours ago, acidbass said:

I'd say higher for the Stingray Specials, as they seemed to correct the 40 year old 'weak G' problem.  I believe those instruments from 2018 onwards to be far superior.

Stingray Specials definitely go for more.

 

FWIW, I think the Specials are  by far the best Stingrays ever. The older basses had all sorts of problems that the Special version solved. They don't sound the same as a vintage Stingray, that's true, but I prefer the sound of the Special.  It sounds enough like a good Stingray for my needs, and its so much more consistent and comfortable to play. Build quality is superb and the overall design is so well thought out. It's just a shame so many of the stock finishes are so bloody awful that it hurts my eyes to look at them.

 

Try playing a vintage-style Stingray with a slab body weighing ten pounds and upwards for a while and then pickup a Special and it's a relief. 

Edited 2 hours ago by Misdee

[warwickhunt]

There's been a few comments re 'regular' Stingrays not being as consistant as Specials; I have to say of all of the mainstream manufacturers (where you can buy an off the shelf bass) that I've played in the last 40+ years, I'd say that Musicman USA basses have been (arguably) the most consistant in terms of quality over pretty much every other brand and they've certainly not had peaks and troughs like some brands. 

 

Are they almost always consistantly heavy... yes.  However, with consistancy I'm referring to hardware, electronics, fit and finish.  You are always going to get the odd bass that came off the production line late on a Bank Holiday shift but by and large they are one of the few bass brands that I'd buy blind (even used).  

[Misdee]

12 minutes ago, warwickhunt said:

There's been a few comments re 'regular' Stingrays not being as consistant as Specials; I have to say of all of the mainstream manufacturers (where you can buy an off the shelf bass) that I've played in the last 40+ years, I'd say that Musicman USA basses have been (arguably) the most consistant in terms of quality over pretty much every other brand and they've certainly not had peaks and troughs like some brands. 

 

Are they almost always consistantly heavy... yes.  However, with consistancy I'm referring to hardware, electronics, fit and finish.  You are always going to get the odd bass that came off the production line late on a Bank Holiday shift but by and large they are one of the few bass brands that I'd buy blind (even used).  

I totally agree about the build quality from EBMM. Arguably the best on the market from that kind of production. I've had several  EBMM basses, all bought new, and only one of them was slightly under-parr, and even that one was better than most upmarket USA Fenders. EBMM set themselves high standards.

 

I meant more the consistency from string to string. The weak G on the some of the older Stingrays was a bugbear that took a long time to get sorted out. The Stingray Special doesn't have that problem.

Edited 1 hour ago by Misdee

[HMX]

Without hijacking too much - is there a noticeable difference in quality between the US built and the Japanese EX models? The latter I’ve seen tend to be at least £200 cheaper.