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 8 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 5 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 5 hours 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.

[fretmeister]

4 hours ago, lowregisterhead said:

 

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??

 

Put an old 2 band in it then! The 2 band is the vital component. There's a few good videos looking at the EQ curve and shelving of the 2 band compared to the later preamps. The 3 bands don't just slap another control in the middle, the entire thing is different.

 

My bitsa Pingray has the Aguilar M  pickup and their spot on recreation of the original 2 band and it sounds like an original - and no weak G string either.

[ghostwheel]

3 hours ago, HMX said:

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.

I've got one. It's a bit different. Its neck profile is not exactly what I am used to on US 'Rays, but it is not to its disadvantage. Allegedly, its body is made of alder (we know it doesn't make any difference, do we not?). The hardware as well as electronics are supposed to be exactly the same as on US Stingrays.

I personally would say you'd do nothing wrong buying an EX one. 

[drTStingray]

You may have been able to buy a used Stingray 15 yrs ago for £750 - the operative phrase being 15 yrs ago! These days I’d say £1500 for a standard one (not a Special, Classic or anything else unusual), with price increasing dependent on model. 
 

The Specials appear to be around £2000 used but that can vary upwards dependent on pick up spec, colour etc etc, much along the lines suggested by @hiram.k.hackenbacker

 

Talking of whom, I bought a particularly special Stingray he once owned last year, courtesy of @MM Stingray 62 (thanks both of you). It’s basically a factory spec 3 band Stingray, with strings through body, a Status made graphite neck - called a NAMM 100 bass (basically a Cutlass with strings through and a 3 band preamp). Now this bass (which cost nearly twice what I’ve just been talking) normally sits locked away but I got it out for a couple of recording sessions - blues/funk type of thing - and it sounds fantastic - absolutely thunderous Stingray sound! I also used my 4HH Stingray Special and whilst sounding slightly different (actually slightly darker), that sounded great as well. I couldn’t have asked for better recorded bass sounds (I got three tracks - a DI, one speaker on the upper of an ‘isolated’ Mark Bass 2 x 10 Traveller and one on the lower one). 
 

I also did some recording work with my Stingray Classic (I bought it when they were first announced in 2010) - that bass I’d fitted with TI flats - once again a great Stingray sound but slightly different (down to the flats more than anything). I used that bass for a ska gig very recently and from some ambient vids taken, the bass sound is great. A nice balance between supportive bassy sound and poky mids, which allow the notes to be heard. 
 

In none of this was there any issue with ‘weak G string’ syndrome - in fact my experience is it doesn’t occur in recording work - and if it does live, it’s usually down to stage EQ, other band members (eg keyboard players/ guitarists) playing in the wrong register too often, and room dynamics. However my experience has shown this to be a stage sound issue - generally not an issue in FOH. I have rarely encountered it with any of my Stingrays - the worst experience I had with D and G string absence was on a Fender Jazz but this was compounded by the factors mentioned above!

 

So £1500 is a reasonable used value in my view, £2k for a Stingray Special and more for some of the more esoteric versions. And don’t forget the early 2000s US built Subs - these are 2 band EQ and appear to command various prices up to £750 last time I looked - again dependent on colour etc etc. 

 

 

Edited 1 hour ago by drTStingray

[Belka]

I don't know about £1500 minimum, over the last few months I've seen quite a few 2000s era Rays go for £1200-1400 from the likes of Andy Baxter, Bass Bros and Bass Direct in decent condition, so private sales could be below that. EXs more like £1000-1200. The specials and classics are around £1700-2000.

 

The late '80s and early '90s ones seem to be acquiring a 'golden age' status in some quarters (although in reality I don't think the 2000s ones are inferior in any way, apart from maybe the neck finish and lack of mutes) and are also edging towards £2000.

Edited 1 hour ago by Belka

[Misdee]

2 hours ago, fretmeister said:

 

Put an old 2 band in it then! The 2 band is the vital component. There's a few good videos looking at the EQ curve and shelving of the 2 band compared to the later preamps. The 3 bands don't just slap another control in the middle, the entire thing is different.

 

My bitsa Pingray has the Aguilar M  pickup and their spot on recreation of the original 2 band and it sounds like an original - and no weak G string either.

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.