I interviewed quite some Music Man players over the years, also for a guitar mag, like Gail Ann Dorsey, St. Vincent, Louis Johnson, etc. I also wrote a big StingRay special for the mag, but strange enough I only reviewed a SUB by Sterling by MM and a Sterling by MM. Mind you: we have other reviewers, so USA MM basses came by in the mag. But I never really played Music Mans, just on trade shows, like the NAMM.
When I started bass 25 years ago, I had no idea about basses, so I listened to my 'expert' friends, but of course I loved the looks of some of 'm. My local shop had a powder blue Squier Musicmaster with matching headstock and I loved it. But it was short scale and my expert friends told me short scales are for children, women and guitar players. The horror. My second choice was the Danelectro Longhorn reissue. Too ugly, according to my friends, and there would be no place in the band-to-be if I bought that. The third bass I loved - again purely for the looks - had a symmetrical oval pickguard, a smiling quarter moon control plate and a different 3+1 headstock. It was not only too expensive, but my expert friends told me active basses were for funk. Period.
So I bought a black Squier P. My next bass was adviced by a guy who's still a friend, who really was an expert, and nowadays he's the Dutch Gretsch salesman. He worked at Gibson and he sold me a Epi JCS.
Later, when I quit that band, I bought a copperburst Dano Longhorn reissue and much later I found the powder blue short scale Squier, which was my first love. As you know I play short scales a lot nowadays: Höfner, Fender, Gibson, and Danelectro. Many basses came and I even bought a double MM Warwick Streamer but never a StingRay. Why? I don't know.
After writing that StingRay Special some years ago I got interested in StingRays more and more, and I start looking, reading, gathering info. I'm a big Queen fan and after watching some footage of Deacon again, I decided I needed one. First I bought a cheap Sub by Sterling by MM. The EQ is limited but it's a great little bass, which stands up to some of my more expensive basses. I got used to the pickup position and I liked it. So last week a real US StingRay followed me home. A Honey Burst, with rosewood board – suits my fingerstyle pop/rock playing better – and a 3band EQ: I like to push some mids. This bass is a 2011 model, but it was still new in the shop, with even the protective plastic on the pickguard. 9 years of drying wood is no problem to me. And I got a very good deal.
I installed a new Duracell battery, new Ernie Ball Slinky strings - I never use Ernie Ball strings , but I thought it would suit the bass - and I love it.
I play it at home for some weeks now and like it! Great neck, great looks, great sound! Glad I did it.
