Shockwave Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 Hey guys. Always on the lookout for a bargain, i stumbled across this gumtree advert. [url="http://bristol.gumtree.com/bristol/81/46465481.html"]http://bristol.gumtree.com/bristol/81/46465481.html[/url] (The ads been taken down now) But it was for £300 Its a Black with Rosewood one, Claims it to only be a couple of years old. But it has an old style Ernie Ball logo. Here is my series of emails with him about it (Start from the Bottom, work your way up to the top) Also i am completely aware i am a novice about Musicmans and some of the info i supplied may be wrong. [quote]Really.... oh, I think I will ask him about this and claim what you thought - I am a drummer and thought I could buy this off him as a second instrument. But yeah sure Ill tell him.. Thanks Man. Carlo. From: [email protected] To: carlo Subject: RE: Musicman Date: Thu, 1 Oct 2009 18:05:06 +0000 Sorry mate but this bass is a complete fake. If you didnt know before then i am sorry. Musicman still make Rosewood/Black basses and they have used the more modern "Shorter" Style logo for about 19 years now. This has an older style late 70's- 1992 logo on. The pickup is far to small for a genuine stingray. As you mentioned there are no Musicman Stamps on the bridge or backplate, No serial number on the back of the headstock or country of origin. The Backplate number is not a genuine Musicman Serial number either. Genuine Musicman serial numbers usually start with a Letter and 6 digits, or 6 digits. NEVER 7 digits. This is obviously a copy. Sorry. I would suggest you go back to your mate and have a go at him and ask for your money back. Regards Rob. From: carlo To: [email protected] Subject: RE: Musicman Date: Thu, 1 Oct 2009 18:55:11 +0100 It hasnt got it on the back of the head stock but it has it on the plate on the back of the body - 2001791 Its about 3 years old, but they dont make this spec on the stingray anymore as it was recently changed by them.. From: [email protected] To: carlo Subject: RE: Musicman Date: Thu, 1 Oct 2009 17:51:37 +0000 Ok, Whats the serial number? Should be on the back of the headstock. Also i meant the musicman logo stamp on the bridge, a bridge is metal so it cant be varnished! Musicmans have the word "Musicman" stamped into the bridge. You mention the bass is not very old, yet it has an old Ernie Ball style Musicman logo and not a modern style one. I am not convinced this is a genuine Musicman at the moment, but if you can prove me wrong then awesome i'll come pick it up Rob. How old is the bass? Rob. From: carlo To: [email protected] Subject: RE: Musicman Date: Thu, 1 Oct 2009 18:50:47 +0100 It got revarnished last year so it no longer has the stamp on there. But it does have the proper headstock logo etc..... It does work fine - Cheers, Carlo. From: [email protected] To: carlo Subject: Musicman Date: Thu, 1 Oct 2009 17:46:55 +0000 Hey mate. I would like to buy your Musicman, i am only in Kingswood myself so not far! I assume everything is working on it? Bloody cheap price! Does it have all the Musicman logo stamps on the bridge and backplate? If so i'll take it! Rob.[/quote] So if you see any suspicious black rays on Ebay or Gumtree. Report it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shockwave Posted October 1, 2009 Author Share Posted October 1, 2009 Also, i asked him if it was an active bass with a seperate battery compartment, the answer was no And i highly doubt this was a stripped down passive SUB. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil_the_bassist Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 Nice call Rob, hopefully whoever was scammed in the first place gets recompenced! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ou7shined Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 Nice work officer. Let's hope it turns up on here so we can all join in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shockwave Posted October 1, 2009 Author Share Posted October 1, 2009 [quote name='Ou7shined' post='614147' date='Oct 1 2009, 07:34 PM']Nice work officer. Let's hope it turns up on here so we can all join in. [/quote] I did say he could if he mentioned it was a copy Honestly i did have to look twice at the add, the low resolution pic was actually convincingly genuine looking. It was only the fact that i spotted the older logo and the fact he said it was only 3 years old that i queried it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budget bassist Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 you didn't happen to save the pic did you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MB1 Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 [quote name='budget bassist' post='614395' date='Oct 1 2009, 11:52 PM']you didn't happen to save the pic did you?[/quote] MB1. ...Blimey! Somebodys selling a Fake Fiver copy in Basses for Sale" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shockwave Posted October 2, 2009 Author Share Posted October 2, 2009 Heres a picture. He is trying to sell it again on Gumtree, still as an actual musicman. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waynepunkdude Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 [quote name='Shockwave' post='615035' date='Oct 2 2009, 05:53 PM']Heres a picture. He is trying to sell it again on Gumtree, still as an actual musicman.[/quote] I think we have seen that one before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRadford Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 What do you think it actualy is? An OLP or vintage or just some bodge job fake? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ou7shined Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 (edited) It's hard to tell with that angle but the headstock looks kinda wrong for an OLP - too elongated. [b]edit :[/b] a quick squint over the interweb turns up that OLPs tend to have the string tree in a direct line between the E and G tuner posts. This one has it almost parallel with the E post - annoyingly this is exactly like my 'ray's string tree Edited October 2, 2009 by Ou7shined Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kets Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 Just goes to show, if something seems to good to be true, then it probably is! ALWAYS trust your instincts and walk away if you're unsure. Maybe the guy selling this has been duped and genuinely doesn't know any better, but a quick check of the intranet would have told him that musicmans just don't go for £300. Well spotted mate, and thanks for passing it on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemmywinks Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 [quote name='waynepunkdude' post='615041' date='Oct 2 2009, 05:58 PM']I think we have seen that one before.[/quote] Aye it was flagged up on eBay i think This one? [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=33981&hl=musicman"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...amp;hl=musicman[/url] Link is dead now as it was a while ago, pretty sure this bass has been here before Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waynepunkdude Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 [quote name='lemmywinks' post='615643' date='Oct 3 2009, 12:34 PM']Aye it was flagged up on eBay i think This one? [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=33981&hl=musicman"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...amp;hl=musicman[/url] Link is dead now as it was a while ago, pretty sure this bass has been here before[/quote] That's the one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 Spotted that too this morning! Luckily I'm not into Stingrays, but it would have been a bargain at that price - if authentic. Was meaning to email seller for more info as he's just up the road from me, but now it's gone (again). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budget bassist Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 not a real stingray, wrong pickup, body looks cheap and badly made, bridge is cheap and crappy, wrong logo. If we had some closer shots and pics of the back i could probably pick a whole load more out. Blatant fake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRadford Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 (edited) Anyone seen this? Looks a bit dubious to me, but I know little about them. The back plate looks wrong, there is no battery compartment, the bridge doesnt look quite right.... what do you lot think? [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290355478695&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT"]Ebay link[/url] Edited October 4, 2009 by TRadford Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obbm Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 [quote name='TRadford' post='616231' date='Oct 4 2009, 08:51 AM']Anyone seen this? Looks a bit dubious to me, but I know little about them. The back plate looks wrong, there is no battery compartment, the bridge doesnt look quite right.... what do you lot think? [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290355478695&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT"]Ebay link[/url][/quote] That is very interesting. The neck looks to be original pre-EB. Bullet truss rod, skunk stripe and 3-bolt neck plate. Control plate could be but the body is probably not. The bridge definitely doesn't look right. Story: Several years ago a local luthier borrowed my pre-EB so that he could take a pattern of the body. He had a customer in Sussex who had several old Stingray necks that he needed bodies for. Go figure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRadford Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 [quote name='obbm' post='616257' date='Oct 4 2009, 09:35 AM']That is very interesting. The neck looks to be original pre-EB. Bullet truss rod, skunk stripe and 3-bolt neck plate. Control plate could be but the body is probably not. The bridge definitely doesn't look right. Story: Several years ago a local luthier borrowed my pre-EB so that he could take a pattern of the body. He had a customer in Sussex who had several old Stingray necks that he needed bodies for. Go figure.[/quote] The neck plate seems to be blank though, surely it should be stamped with the serial number or the logo? The headstock seems to be 1976-8 style from what I can make out. The bridge, I cant find one like it anywhere. I suppose its possible it is a 70's stingray thats just had bits chopped and changed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahpook Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 (edited) [quote name='TRadford' post='616231' date='Oct 4 2009, 08:51 AM']what do you lot think?[/quote] the pickup's in completely the wrong place as well - far too close to the (schaller) bridge Edited October 4, 2009 by ahpook Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obbm Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 (edited) [quote name='TRadford' post='616285' date='Oct 4 2009, 10:08 AM']The neck plate seems to be blank though, surely it should be stamped with the serial number or the logo? The headstock seems to be 1976-8 style from what I can make out. The bridge, I cant find one like it anywhere. I suppose its possible it is a 70's stingray thats just had bits chopped and changed.[/quote] My pre-EB has all gold-plated hardware and the neck plate is plain. The bridge should be larger and have the string mutes and yes the pick-up is too close to the bridge. Asked the seller if it was active or passive and if active where was the battery? Answer "hi i know nothing about guitars sorry i cant help you i dont think it has a batt." Edited October 4, 2009 by obbm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waynepunkdude Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 I think if it goes for under £125 it could be worth a punt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 (edited) Actually met up with the seller this morning, after lots of furtive texts - he wanted to meet at a roundabout!. Wasn't prepared to do that. He's selling some pedals & I needed a CS-3 & as nobody on here wants to sell me one ....... Only a young chap, I'd guess 16 or so if that. Guess he may have seen some of the comments here, judging from his behaviour - at first he didn't want to give me his address for [i]'obvious reasons'[/i](?!) Bought the pedal, it was a good price @ £30. My final comment to him, after the usual wishing him well etc, was 'you do know that ain't a real Stingray, right?'. He didn't respond. Oh well..... Edited October 4, 2009 by nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budget bassist Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 It does, as OBBM says, look like a genuine stingray neck, the control panel and pickup may be too, though the bridge and body definitely aren't. Bit of an odd one that. I won't bother reporting it though, you'd have to have something wrong with you to think that was a stingray. As wayne says, if it goes cheap, it could be worth a punt just for the neck alone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ou7shined Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 [quote name='TRadford' post='616231' date='Oct 4 2009, 08:51 AM']Anyone seen this? Looks a bit dubious to me, but I know little about them. The back plate looks wrong, there is no battery compartment, the bridge doesnt look quite right.... what do you lot think? [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290355478695&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT"]Ebay link[/url][/quote] The price has suddenly gone vooomp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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