CHORDMASTER Chord Theory for Guitar!

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MY Unofficial Music Man Guitar Page

Finally, My Music Man Sting Ray I - Serial# G001172
(Only 400 made with the white pick guard)

When he did, they told him, "It's time to start mass production of these guitars and amps."

His response was that his guitars were hand-crafted - not made on the assembly line. When CBS stood their ground, Leo quit. When he quit,in 1966, his crew of hand-craftsmen quit with him.

This made CBS mad enough to file an injunction against Leo stating that he could never again use the name "Fender" in conjunction with any kind of musical instrument or accessory and that he could not compete against them by manufacturing any musical instrument or accessory for seven (maybe it was 5 or 10) years.

During this waiting period, Leo and his men got together and came up with seventeen patentable improvements to the Stratocaster. This was done while Leo was with CLF Research according to the book Fender, the Inside Story by Forrest White.They included these improvements on the Music Man Sting Ray I and II guitars. Some of the improvements were Active Tone Controls powered by a built-in pre-amp, New and highly improved Pick-ups, a Micro-tilt Neck Adjustment feature and more. (The complete list is below.)

The Sting Ray I that I bought was the second one sold in the state of Texas because Fred McCord (owner of McCord Music Company) was close friends with Leo Fender. One was promised to another guy from Dallas so Leo sent Fred two of them. I had recently begun working at McCord's as a guitar instructor and was at the Downtown Dallas store when they were delivered. After looking at it for a few minutes, trying it out, reading about the features, and thinking it over, I decided to sell my treasured Les Paul Custom (Cherry sunburst... the "Fretless Wonder") to buy the Music Man Sting Ray I. We sealed the deal on the spot.

Look at these improvements that were added above and beyond the stratocaster!!

• Newly developed tuning keys for more precise pitch adjustment.
• New head design to allow strings to pull straight across nut.
• Head design also reinforced to provide extra strength at neck's weakest point.
• Rock hard phenolic nut to resist wear.
• One piece rock maple neck with truss rod installed from rear for maximum stability and precise adjustment.
• Neck tilt adjustment eliminates need for shims and assures any desireable action may be readily achieved.
• Dual large magnet, hand-wound humbucking pickups (see below for details on this).
• Three screw pickup adjustment to allow height and tilt control.
• An internal micropowered preamp (see below for details on this).
• Recessed bridge adjustment screws in individual saddle adjustment sections which do not interfere with picking or muting.
• Active tone controls creating the ability to change volume without changing tone.
• Four position selector switch to allow both in-phase and out-of-phase connection.
• Built-in bright switch.
• Solid heavy-duty bridge assembly mounted in brass inserts to improve tone and increase sustain.
• Special tapered string posts to insure tighter winding when putting on new strings.
• Newly designed strap buttons to eliminate the need for strap locks and reduce premature enlargement of straps.
• Three screw neck attachment for stability and ease of adjustment.

*** The two pickups each have twelve (12) quarter-inch diameter magnet posts! The increased sized magnets improve tonal response to accommodate light guage strings. These special humbucking pickups are hand wound to eliminate microphonic winding and guarantee a tightly wound coil for the best magnetic performance.

*** The preamp isolates pickups from the tone control circuitry and provides a low impedance output. It effectively creates a "bass volume" control and a "treble volume" control which allows the "main volume" control the ability to change volume with absolutely no change in tone, and with a single knob adjustment. The preamp also accommodates longer guitar cords, greatly increases the output level for better sustain and overdrive, and even allows you to practice by just plugging headphones right into the guitar!

There's lots more, like the UNBELIEVABLE 212HD-130 amp I got, too.

Let me say two things about the guitars. I haven't seen the G&L Guitars lately(they were the first to pick up the Music Man line after Leo hit hard times) but the Ernie Ball Music Man guitars AREN'T real Music Man Guitars!!

AT LAST!!! MORE INFO!!

Skipp also sent this Sting Ray I Control Plate Wiring Diagram:

Click this link to email Skipp at skipp025@yahoo.com.

AND NOW, MORE INFO!! (8/99)

And thanks go out to Rich Evanko there is now info on the SabreI and Sabre II guitars. According to the Outlaw Guitars price guide, the only difference between the Sabre 1 and 2 is the fingerboard radius. The Sabre1 has a flat fingerboard (that's a 12" radius) with jumbo frets while the Sabre2 has an oval 7 1/2" radius fingerboard. Otherwise they're identical. They were made from 1978-1982.

And from Christian Sørhaug a review that said the Sabre II guitar has, "2 MusicMan humbux. active electronics, i.e. 9volt preamp, strat shape and headstock, 5-way PU switch,bolt on maple neck with maple fret board, string thru body with tune-o-matic bridge, MusicMan tuners, phase switch and coil splitting switch." GREAT INFO!

AND NOW... the OWNERS!

AND NOW... It's CLOSED!... The MUSIC MAN STRINGED INSTRUMENT PAGE is closed. You might try going to www.guitarsbyleo.com instead. You will probably find some MM stuff there.

CHECK THIS OUT!