Welcome our first Section Moderator!

I would like to welcome Mike Burduck as our first Section Moderator! Mike had expressed an interest in an all-bass section and offered to be the moderator.
This is great! I would prefer that people with specific expertise step up and use it for everyone's advantage! Thanks Mike!
Steve

Steve,
Thanks for the warm welcome! I'm glad I could help out.
Some of you might know me from a few other "places." For the past year or so, I've been keeping a database for pre-EB Music Man StingRay basses made between 1976 and 1979. My goal is to see if I can establish a reliable means of dating early MM basses using the serial numbers as a guide.
If any of you guys can help me out, I'd appreciate it. Here's the information I'm keeping tabs on:
serial number
neck date
body date
If any of you have a 1976-1979 MM bass and can send this information to me, I'd be really grateful.
I've been playing bass for 33 years now, and for the past ten or so years I've really become interested in the old MM basses. I do not know everything about these basses, but if any of you guys have any questions, I'd be happy to try to answer them. If I can't, I'll be honest and tell you so. As I've been paying attention to all sorts of little details concerning these basses, however, I might be able to answer most of the questions you might have.
Again, at this time I'm not really up to speed on the EB-made basses (but these are fine instruments, I can tell you that much!), but over time I will extend my "scholarly inquiries" into this era as well.
For now, though, send me any info you might have on your '76-'79 MM basses. Boy, I just LOVE these instruments!
Thanks again, Steve!
All the best,
Mike

I have a Sting Ray Bass. My Dad taught me how to play it when I was around 12 years old (I'm 32 now). I quit playing when I was in my twenties. My Dad passed away in 2000 and the first of the year, I started playing again.
I play at my Church. My Dad had played in County/Bluegrass groups and in a Southern Gospel group. That is the style that I play.
If you are interested in serial number and dates on my bass, let me know.

Jan,
Thanks for the post. By all means if you can e-mail me the serial number and dates for your StingRay, that would be great!
It seems to me that you really enjoy playing your MM StingRay bass. Hope you can post here often!
Best regards,
Mike

I bought my music man stingray bass in 1978 for $600 It is the most funkiest bass I ever played. It is black with maple neck. I play a six string custom bass now, but do all of my solos with the MM. I also have two b120 amps that I bought in 1979 with two single 15" cabinets loaded with ev speakers. They are not very loud but have great tone. I have only serviced 1 amp twice in the last 23 years. I never blown a speaker which are ev sro's 200 watts. 1 cabinet came equipped with the ev. The 2nd cabinet I installed the ev myself.
THese amps are great for lugging around, not that heavy. I also have two MM folded cabinets a RB seventy eight and a Rb sixty eight, one has a Altec Lansing 400watt the other a JBL. I use these extra cabs when I play outdoor festivals. The eq on the B120 are not your standard eg settings. I think they were made for Louis Johnson. I can have all serial numbers if you need them. But one thing is for sure, I'll never sell any them. They sound too good to sell. I think I'm the only Bass player in the Chicago area that plays these. I've always used GHS round wound lites. For a long time I never used effects because the amp and bass sounded so good I didn't need them. Thanks for this cool site. You'll be hearing from me again soon. Jesse Tobias Bass player for the band Rico visit us at ricojams.com

Sorry about the misinformation posted on 12/23/02 the MM Bass I have is actually a SABRE. The bridge is stamped 005092, the headstock is stencilled PAT NO 4002994 4046050 4031799. For those of you who never seen or heard one of these they are stocked with two double humbucking pickups,volume, treble, bass knobs. Three switches, 3 position pickup selector, pre-amp on and off, and phase on and off. It's black with a maple neck. All original parts. These sound better than the Stingrays. The MM Bass amps I use are two 120B s/n ES01160 & ES01617 chasis 1600-B-DOM, 80W @ 8ohms 120w @ 4ohms. The first amp sounds the best. The limiter is set in the lo position. The EQ is the best. 67HZ 184HZ 510HZ 1.4HZ 3.8HZ. (you can't find any thing like this today) This amp pushes two single cabinets with 15" EV's. I use a Whirlwind DI Director coming straight out of the speaker jack to the board. I never connect my Bass straight into the DI. Some soundmen think this is not the way they work but they think differently when they hear the big tone. It sounds fantastic and it's quiet. The second amp I primarily use as a pre-amp to push extra speaker cabinets, a folded 115RH seventy five or sixty five. I play in a band that does alot of Santana covers. I always get good compliments for my great bass tone. It cuts right thru the music. It's never muddy, even in large rooms. I'll be sending some photos of this setup soon so stay tuned. I'd like to hear from other MM Bass players. I'll try to help you out if you have any questions. Thanks a whole lot for this web site and always remember Jam On!!!! Jesse Tobias at ricojams.com

Thanks for the detailed postings on your bass guitar and amps! It is nice to see that Music Man can still cut it out in the real working world 20 years later!
Of course, the MM amps are probably built better than 90% of the amps out there today!

Music Man stuff always could cut the mustard! And it still can, too!
Any more of you guys lurking out there who can tell us about your MM basses?
Mike
PS And don't forget those serial numbers and neck and body dates for those pre-EB basses!

You want serial numbers and dates for MM basses? The most comprehensive database of MM bass serial numbers, neck and body dates, schematics, bridge and logo evolution etc is maintained at ....http://pub206.ezboard.com/fthedudepitfrm 30
The resources are also a "sticky" at the official Ernie Ball MM forum, and much of the date info comes from EB employees themselves, who are more than happy to help out.

Thanks, Mark. I have a lot of that information already, plus additional information not listed there. It is a good list, though!
Thanks!
Mike

I can't believe that there is not a post from any musicman bass players in 5 years.I think Mr Burduck would like to hear from you,even you guys with the Ernie Ball Models.come on guys lets make this site great!

1979 MM Stingray, #B12764.
Hi Mike, I have been playing bass for 30 years now and have been thrilled to finally get a Stingray recently. This one is the Walnut (Root Beer) colour, just a slightly lighter shade than my '79 Stingray II 6 string electric (#G006711).
It is interesting that in the bass the original LM4250CN chip has been replaced with a UA741CP IC. Anyone have any experience with this mod?

I guess it's only fair that I add something here, even though I don't currently OWN a MM bass. I'm a secondary bassy player(actually third-in THIS band I play keys and guitar with guitar being primary) ANYWAY, I still remember back in the day when I worked at &**$%#@ Music in Alton that I sold MM basses and they were the nicest feeling basses that I had played. I use a 75 jazz bass that I have HAD since 75 and I have no regrets other than I WISH I had a MM. Of course, it HAS to be rosewood. The necks on them were thin and fast with a comfortable feel that I haven't felt since. Sorry if I ramble but I just could help but think about how nice those basses were and thought SOMEBODY would find that familiar. Mike Kaus.