Music Man Stingray I 1976 – Vintage Electric Guitar, Original Leo Fender Design

No sales tax for customers outside California.

The Music Man Stingray I (1976) is a rare and historic electric guitar, designed during Leo Fender’s post-Fender era in collaboration with Tom Walker and Forrest White.

Known primarily for its iconic basses, Music Man also produced a run of guitars in the mid-1970s, with the Stingray I standing out as a bold and innovative model.

This 1976 Stingray I features an ash body with natural finish, paired with a bolt-on maple neck and fingerboard for crisp articulation and smooth playability.

The frets are low, which is standard for Music Man guitars from the period, but the guitar plays really well after a setup here in our shop.  It does appear that the frets were replaced once.  There is room in the truss rod for future neck relief adjustments.  Other than the frets, the guitar is 100% original with no issues. 

A unique feature is the active preamp system, one of the earliest applications of onboard electronics in a guitar, providing players with expanded tonal control that set it apart from its contemporaries. The dual humbuckers offer punchy lows, sparkling highs, and the versatility to cover rock, funk, and fusion styles with ease.

Vintage examples of the Stingray I are hard to come by, especially in clean condition. As one of Leo Fender’s early post-Fender projects, it represents an important chapter in electric guitar history and appeals to both players and collectors seeking a unique piece of 1970s innovation.

At Mahar’s Vintage Guitars, every instrument is carefully inspected, professionally set up, and documented with detailed photography for confidence in your purchase.

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• Color: Natural
• Weight: 8lbs 9oz
  
• Body: Ash
  
• Body Date/Code: See Pics
• Neck: Maple
  
• Neck Date/Code: See Pics
  
• Fretboard: Maple
• Inlays: Black Dot
• Frets: Original
• Fret Count: 22
• Nut: Original
• Nut width: 1-5/8"
  
• Radius: 12"
• Scale: 25.5"
• Neck thickness at 1st fret: .83"
• Neck Thickness at 12th Fret: .93"
• Action 1st String at 12th Fret: 2/32"
• Action 6th String at 12th Fret: 2/32"
• Overall Length: 41"
• Lower Bout: 14"
• Waist: 9"
• Upper Bout: 11"
• Body depth/thickness outside edge: 1-5/8"
• String gauge: 10-46
• Hardware Color: Chrome, Nickel
  
• Bridge Pickup/Brand: Music Man Humbucker, Active preamp
  
• Original?: Yes
• Neck Pickup/Brand: Music Man Humbucker, Active preamp
  
• Original?: Yes
• Pickguard: Original
• Bridge: Music Man
• Tuners: Original Music Man
• Knobs: Original
  
• Switch: 4 Way Rotary Selector. This switch allows for four different pickup combinations: bridge only, neck only, both pickups in phase, and both pickups out of phase. 
• Pots/Codes: Original
• Case: Non Orig Roadrunner HSC
• Notes: 

Shipping policy:

There are multiple shipping cost options for purchases made on our site.  Select Ground, 3 Day, 2 Day, or Next Day Air Saver.  For Reverb purchases, there is one cost option for these Eastern states and shipment will be made by UPS three-day-air.  Shipments will require signature on delivery, no exceptions.  If there is damage, the buyer must retain all packing materials intact and picture them immediately and send them to sales@maharsvintageguitars.com.  Less than 1% of our shipments are damaged in transit, and we are committed to making sure your item arrives safely, but we are taking these additional measures to make sure you are happy with your purchase.