1976 MUSICMAN STINGRAY BASS
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In 1976 Leo Fender unveiled the Musicman Company, ten years after selling Fender to CBS. In June he debuted the Musicman Stingray bass which was his first "active" instrument utilizing a battery powered preamp. The 3 bolt neckplate included a serial number starting with either an "X" (prototype) or "B00" prefix, a MM logo, and Tilt Adjust. The first B00 serial number started at B001000.
Other 1976 Stingray characteristics: Logo including gold lettering and "TM", hex truss rod adjust at headstock, phillips screw tuners engraved with "Musicman" name and logo- 3 to 1 to a headstock side, solid maple neck with skunk stripe, black dot fret markers, pencil date or date ink stamp on neck butt, date ink stamp in body neck pocket, white/black/white or black/white/black oval pickguard, 8 pole humbucker pickup with black or white plastic cover, 3 plastic "radio" or chrome "knurled" knobs (volume, eq, eq) and input jack on chrome controls plate, CTS potentiometers, black epoxy covered preamp, chrome 4 saddle bridge including black rubber string mutes and engraved "Musicman Pat Pend", 2 screw chrome battery cover on body back, string through body grommets on body back, Sunburst, Natural or Red finish, black Tolex case with red or blue interior or, black or brown gigbag.
Some examples of 1976 Stingray serial numbers are:
| B00109x | |
| B0013xx | |
| B00170x | September 1976 |
| B00182x | |
| B00254x | |
| B00265x | |
| B00272x | November 1976 |
| B00283x | December 1976 |