1997 Ernie Ball Music Man Stingray

[paulo]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/266782453277

[bob__johnson]

What do people think of the neck?

[Jeroen]

Little dirty, but otherwise fine. The headstock is lacquered (satin) but the back of the neck has a gunstock oil finish from the factory. It will always show a bit of finger dirt and sweat after a lot of playing. Can easily be lightly sanded and reapplied, as long as it hasn't seeped into the wood yet. And even then, with a little sanding, it's easily removed.

I love the figuring in the maple!

[bob__johnson]

I hadn't seen neck/headstock finish differences like that before, so good to know. Thanks!

[pjmuck]

I used to own a '97 Ray, and it had no finish on the back of the neck at all. (Or maybe mine was gunstock oil too?). At any rate, it felt like there was nothing on it. That bass was a lemon though. Damn neck would bow up like a cross bow every 3rd week.

[Jeroen]

My 2003 Stingray 5 neck would move quite a but with changes in humidity too - until I had it re-oiled by a luthier. It probably restored the protection against humidity changes in the wood, and it became a LOT more stable afterwards.

I don't have any of their basses anymore, but own a 1999 Silhouette Special guitar that I bought recently. So far it hasn't moved, but I did need to adjust the truss rod a LOT after purchase. Since then it's been stable. I hope it stays that way