PSA: MusicMan Stingray Guitars £999 at GuitarGuitar

StefB

Not the prettiest MusicMan model, to put it mildly, but an exceptionally built, beautiful instrument for £999 brand new delivered.

https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/clearance/music-man/guitars/electric/?InStockOnly=False&MaxPrice=&MinPrice=&ClearanceType=&Ordering=3

I could never imagine these selling all that well.

Whitecat

Wow. Good deal. The 2018s are likely inbound sooner than August (which was the time promised at NAMM)?

They've got a roasted crazy-figured neck now as standard... so if you prefer your wood less blingy, this is definitely a good grab as the new ones at full price will most likely be pushing £2k.

Interesting quirk I just noticed - stainless steel frets - divisive!

mli3

wow thats cheaper than used ones

sunshinewelly

Shame they look so hideous 

Musicman20

I have one and it’s a bloody amazingly well built guitar. I didn’t pay full whack and just a tiny bit more than the above for a new sealed one which was in their warehouse fresh from the dealer.

EDIT! GG have refunded me to take it down to £999 due to how close my purchase was to this. Good work GG.

QC is miles above Fender and Gibson.

Musicman20

PS you’d be insane to pass one of these up considering they were £1750 ish! 

Neil

I must admit I can see why they were reduced. 

ICBM

Damn, I read the title and assumed it was Stingray *bass* guitars new for under a grand...

I wasn't even aware they'd tarnished the name with such an awful guitar design.

impmann

ICBM said:

Damn, I read the title and assumed it was Stingray *bass* guitars new for under a grand...

I wasn't even aware they'd tarnished the name with such an awful guitar design.

Well, the "awful" design is actually a derivation of Leo's original design for the 1970s Stingray I and II guitars. Like this one:



I used to play in band with a singer who owned one - and it was a great sounding instrument, with really nice build quality. Some of the design was a little... clunky, but it actually made sense from a player's perspective. Often some of the best looking guitars aren't so good to operate live (not talking about the necks etc.... I mean the controls etc). The MM was actually very good, as I had to play it a couple of times when I broke strings etc...

TBH, if I had a bag of sand spare right now, I'd be snapping one up.

Musicman20

Well I used to think the Albert Lee was an 'out there' shape, until I ended up buying one.

If you've never picked up a Musicman guitar or bass, you really need to see how much attention to detail they have. Everything is just first class. There are a few people I know who want to know what the Musicman humbuckers are in the Stingray guitar to put them in their other guitars - you can't 'buy' them off the shelf unfortunately.

Compared to my Les Paul, the Stingray guitar is light years ahead and way more articulate.

ICBM

impmann said:

Well, the "awful" design is actually a derivation of Leo's original design for the 1970s Stingray I and II guitars.

I forgot they'd used the Stingray name on guitars back then, I thought they were called Sabres.

They're quite elegant compared to the ones in the link, and still borderline ugly...

impmann

That's a Sabre - I think they were the active ones... IIRC

Whitecat

I so very nearly pulled the trigger last night... but I just can't quite because this will be me in two months...

Musicman20

Whitecat said:

I so very nearly pulled the trigger last night... but I just can't quite because this will be me in two months...

I had the same feeling, but an extra £1000 +.,,,,nah.

Whitecat

It's just... those necks... 



The 2018s have the full oil & wax treatment that MM is so good at... it's a big deal... will cross fingers that nobody will buy them and they'll get reduced to clear too someday maybe.  

Musicman20

Whitecat said:

It's just... those necks... 



The 2018s have the full oil & wax treatment that MM is so good at... it's a big deal... will cross fingers that nobody will buy them and they'll get reduced to clear too someday maybe.  

Yeah I agree they are stunning! I have an all rosewood neck Albert Lee which is fantastic. My Musicman Stingray Classic 5 String Bass has a highly figured birdseye neck and I love it. The normal maple necks do look a bit plain compared to it.

guitarfishbay

The oil and wax thing is pretty simple, it’s just gunstock oil and wax. There’s a video on how to do it on their YouTube. You’re supposed to re-apply it about once a year which reminds me it’s about time to do it on my 4HH Ray

Whitecat

guitarfishbay said:

The oil and wax thing is pretty simple, it’s just gunstock oil and wax. There’s a video on how to do it on their YouTube. You’re supposed to re-apply it about once a year which reminds me it’s about time to do it on my 4HH Ray

Indeed - but if I got one of the blowout specials I'd have to sand the poly off... and it all starts to sound like work... and I might have a nicer feeling neck out of it, but it wouldn't quite have the sex factor of flame or birdseye...

Musicman20

Just to tempt you, IMO the poly on the 2016/2017 models is very thin on the neck.....the rosewood board is fantastically dark on mine.

guitarfishbay

Ah I didn't realise these models weren't finished in that way already.

Musicman20

Yeah the 2016/2017 Cutlass/Stingray Guitar and the Caprice/Cutlass Bass have necks finished more like a modern Fender....because they wanted to appeal to that market I guess.