These don't get any easier to find. As previously stated and documented (by me ), about 99% of all Pre-Ernie Ball lefty Rays I've spotted over the years can be traced to a single manufacture run in 1980 of bodies made around the 3rd week in February and necks made the 1st/2nd weeks of March, and this one is no exception.
Please see this post below, it's the same bass from BanjoWarehouse and was on sale at Banjo several times for USD2999
Watch out, the whole electronics were re-assembled from old parts and are not the original ones. I was several times in contact with the original seller. The original electronics were used for a righty.
So wayyyyy overpriced
Bootsy wrote:Please see this post below, it's the same bass from BanjoWarehouse and was on sale at Banjo several times for USD2999
Watch out, the whole electronics were re-assembled from old parts and are not the original ones. I was several times in contact with the original seller. The original electronics were used for a righty.
So wayyyyy overpriced
Dully noted and thanks for pointing that out. I'm not in the market for one, I just share what I find with the forum, but I'm glad keener eyes keep a watch out for us.
Wow, had no idea that website existed. That's superb information, thanks! A lot more out there than I thought, though I guess people aren't looking to part with them. I've always found it interesting that there appeared to be more lefty Sabres made than 'Rays, given the 'Ray was the flagship model. I've encountered far more Sabres over the years than Rays.
B011857..1980. LEFT HANDED. Natural with Maple. Black pg. 3 bolt neck. Strings through body. Non-epoxy pre-amp with new switchable black plastic jack.
B011861..Neck 21 Feb 1980. Body 1 Apl 1980. LEFT HANDED. Natural with Maple. Black pg. 3 bolt neck. Strings through body. Encircled "R" on headstock logo.
B015691..Purchased 1980. Sunburst. LEFT HANDED.
B015778..Purchased in late 1979. Black. LEFT HANDED.
B015827..Neck 26 Feb 1980. Body 18 Feb 1980. LEFT HANDED. Sunburst with Maple.
B016096..Neck 26 Feb 1980. Body14 Feb 1980. Natural with flamed Maple. Black pg. LEFT HANDED.
B01xxxx..1980. Black with Rosewood. Black pg. String-through-body bridge. 3 Bolt neck. LEFT HANDED.
B0162xx..Body 3 Mar 1980. No neck date. Black with Rosewood. Serial on bridge. String-through-body bridge. 3 Bolt neck. LEFT HANDED.
B016224..1980. Black with Rosewood. Strings through body. 3 bolt neck. Serial on bridge. LEFT HANDED.
B016252..Neck 26 Feb 1980. Walnut with Maple. LEFT HANDED.
B0162xx..Body 3 Mar 1980. No neck date. Black with Rosewood. Serial on bridge. String-through-body bridge. 3 Bolt neck. LEFT HANDED.
B016224..1980. Black with Rosewood. Strings through body. 3 bolt neck. Serial on bridge. LEFT HANDED.
B016394..Neck 28 Feb 1980. Body 14 (?) Feb 1980. Natural with fretless Ebony. Black pg. Left Handed. 3 Bolt neck. Strings through body. Black pg. Encircled "R" on headstock logo.
B016412..Neck 21 Feb 1980. Black with Maple. Black pg. LEFT HANDED.
B01642x..Neck 1980. Body 10 Mar 1980 . Sunburst with ROSEWOOD. Black pg. LEFT HANDED.
B016426..Neck 12 Mar 1980. Tobacco Burst with Maple. Black pg. 3 bolt neck. LEFT HANDED.
B019148..Neck 12 Mar 1980 Neck 11 Feb 1980. Rosewood. LEFT HANDED. Natural with Black pg.
B019348..Body 1979. Natural with Rosewood. Black pg. LEFT HANDED.
B019398..1980. Sunburst with Rosewood. Left handed.
B019433..Believed to be 1980. N.O.S. Ernie Ball Museum. Black with Maple. Black pg. Smaller width J Bass style neck. Strings through body. 3 bolt neck. LEFT HANDED.
B019517..Body 14 Feb 1980. Refinished in Black. Original colour unknown. LEFT HANDED. Fretless board.
B016442...Owner says 1978 to 1980. LEFT HANDED. White with Rosewood. Strings through body. 3 Bolt neck.
B019457...Sunburst. LEFT HANDED.
B011857..1980. LEFT HANDED. Natural with Maple. Black pg. 3 bolt neck. Strings through body. Non-epoxy pre-amp with new switchable black plastic jack.
B011861..Neck 21 Feb 1980. Body 1 Apl 1980. LEFT HANDED. Natural with Maple. Black pg. 3 bolt neck. Strings through body. Encircled "R" on headstock logo.
B015691..Purchased 1980. Sunburst. LEFT HANDED.
B015778..Purchased in late 1979. Black. LEFT HANDED.
B015827..Neck 26 Feb 1980. Body 18 Feb 1980. LEFT HANDED. Sunburst with Maple.
B016096..Neck 26 Feb 1980. Body14 Feb 1980. Natural with flamed Maple. Black pg. LEFT HANDED.
B01xxxx..1980. Black with Rosewood. Black pg. String-through-body bridge. 3 Bolt neck. LEFT HANDED.
B0162xx..Body 3 Mar 1980. No neck date. Black with Rosewood. Serial on bridge. String-through-body bridge. 3 Bolt neck. LEFT HANDED.
B016224..1980. Black with Rosewood. Strings through body. 3 bolt neck. Serial on bridge. LEFT HANDED.
B016252..Neck 26 Feb 1980. Walnut with Maple. LEFT HANDED.
B0162xx..Body 3 Mar 1980. No neck date. Black with Rosewood. Serial on bridge. String-through-body bridge. 3 Bolt neck. LEFT HANDED.
B016224..1980. Black with Rosewood. Strings through body. 3 bolt neck. Serial on bridge. LEFT HANDED.
B016394..Neck 28 Feb 1980. Body 14 (?) Feb 1980. Natural with fretless Ebony. Black pg. Left Handed. 3 Bolt neck. Strings through body. Black pg. Encircled "R" on headstock logo.
B016412..Neck 21 Feb 1980. Black with Maple. Black pg. LEFT HANDED.
B01642x..Neck 1980. Body 10 Mar 1980 . Sunburst with ROSEWOOD. Black pg. LEFT HANDED.
B016426..Neck 12 Mar 1980. Tobacco Burst with Maple. Black pg. 3 bolt neck. LEFT HANDED.
B019148..Neck 12 Mar 1980 Neck 11 Feb 1980. Rosewood. LEFT HANDED. Natural with Black pg.
B019348..Body 1979. Natural with Rosewood. Black pg. LEFT HANDED.
B019398..1980. Sunburst with Rosewood. Left handed.
B019433..Believed to be 1980. N.O.S. Ernie Ball Museum. Black with Maple. Black pg. Smaller width J Bass style neck. Strings through body. 3 bolt neck. LEFT HANDED.
B019517..Body 14 Feb 1980. Refinished in Black. Original colour unknown. LEFT HANDED. Fretless board.
B016442...Owner says 1978 to 1980. LEFT HANDED. White with Rosewood. Strings through body. 3 Bolt neck.
B019457...Sunburst. LEFT HANDED.
Nice work! (I glanced at the list but wasn't going to arrange them. ). So we can basically assume that all lefties were made within about a month's time from Feb-March, 1980
Note that that's only a list of basses that I assume were entered by the owners themselves for some website registry. Thus, my two pre-EB basses are not up there. But at least we know there's no less than 24 Pre-EB lefty Rays in existence. Here's mine:
Stingray:
B011925: 1980 Feb. black body, March maple/rosewood neck (I didn't write down the actual dates the last time I checked)
'80 MM Stingray.jpg (101.01 KiB) Viewed 10067 times
Sabre:
C004901: 1980 2/22/80 sunburst body, 3/4/80 maple neck
'80 Musicman Sabre.jpg (80.36 KiB) Viewed 10067 times
), about 99% of all Pre-Ernie Ball lefty Rays I've spotted over the years can be traced to a single manufacture run in 1980 of bodies made around the 3rd week in February and necks made the 1st/2nd weeks of March, and this one is no exception. 
Wow, had no idea that website existed. That's superb information, thanks! A lot more out there than I thought, though I guess people aren't looking to part with them. I've always found it interesting that there appeared to be more lefty Sabres made than 'Rays, given the 'Ray was the flagship model. I've encountered far more Sabres over the years than Rays.
