The Music Man Stingray of 1976 marked the official return of Leo Fender to the guitar world after a ten year absence.

Actually, he had been working with Music Man on amplifier designs for several years, but in secret, due to a non-compete clause in his 1965 agreement to sell the Fender company. The Stingray was his first post-Fender guitar.

Ex-Fender employees Forrest White and Tom Walker had formed their own company in 1971, calling it Tri-Sonic and Musitek before settling on Music Man in 1974. In 1975, they announced Leo Fender as president. A separate company owned by Fender, CLF Research, designed and built the instruments for Music Man.

The Stingray had an improved three-bolt neck system, but the rest of the design lacked the flair that players might have expected. The body was a little fatter than a Stratocaster and the headstock was smoother. Two humbucking pickups were standard fare on Gibsons, but never on one of Leo’s models.

Business disagreements led to Leo’s departure in 1978, and the Stingray guitar disappeared four years later.