78 MM Sabre

[smcd]

The finish checks were taken with a camera flash, that's what it does when you do that.

+1

In person, that checking is likely not nearly that noticable. I remember the first couple times I took flash photos of some basses with that kind of checking, I thought "Yikes! What the hell is THIS!"

 

[malthumb]

I've never seen or heard of an Inca silver MM Sabre, I have my doubts that it's original finish, especially since the pickguard isn't stock.
the "checking" looks fake, more like intentional scratches.
I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole, at that price.
maybe if it was $700.00.

Inca Silver was a factory MM color. I've seen Inca Silver Pre-EB StingRays, and if they made Inca Silver StingRays, they made Inca Silver Sabres. I very much doubt that MM delegated Inca Silver "a color for StingRays only". In fact, the very idea is absurd.

Those aren't scratches, that's surface checking. I've owned G&L's from that era that had checking just like that.

Correct. There's at least a few Inca Sabres listed in what serials were contributed to the registry. So you can see how rare a finish it is to begin with.
The finish checks were taken with a camera flash, that's what it does when you do that.

Link Removed

When I bought my first MM Sabre back in '79, I had a choice of three basses in the music store.

• a Walnut (Chocolate Brown) Sabre (the one I bought)
• an Inca Silver Sabre (proof that they exist)
• an Ash, Natural Finish Stingray. If it was a Sabre I would have bought that one.

 

[geddy402]

Not looking good guys...no email reply yet. Someone probably snagged it! Snooze you lose I guess...

 

[taurus1]

I stand corrected on the finish and if the checking is real (it still looks really odd to me), then it's definitely worth some coin.
the pickguard, did they make a pearloid I've never heard of as well?
the Sabre bass is said to be the last instrument Leo Fender worked on before he died.
to think that his hands may (probably) have touched mine makes me never want to sell it.

 

[smcd]

I stand corrected on the finish and if the checking is real (it still looks really odd to me), then it's definitely worth some coin.
the pickguard, did they make a pearloid I've never heard of as well?
the Sabre bass is said to be the last instrument Leo Fender worked on before he died.
to think that his hands may (probably) have touched mine makes me never want to sell it.

The pickguard is aftermarket. No doubt about that.



I'd be surprised if Leo Fender was working on a Sabre bass before he died. Mainly because he was working for G&L, and the Sabre was a Musicman product (which I think had been discontinued by the time Fender passed away). I was under the impression Fender was working on a 6-string bass project for G&L when he died.

 

[taurus1]

I think what I meant was, it was the last Music Man instrument he worked on, this was a looong time ago that I read that.
I believe he gave a Sabre to Kenny Rogers of all people as well.

 

[mikeswals]

I believe he gave a Sabre to Kenny Rogers of all people as well.

He very well could have. After all Kenny was a bass player.

 

[XBASSX]

Very nice find. Inca Silver is rare and even rarer on Sabres. I love the way the silver turns green over time.

I thought Sabres started '79 though. I could be wrong.

Just put a black pg back on it.

 

[geddy402]

Good point. I didn't see too much online about 78 sabres. Definitely more 79s from a quick Google search. Maybe they started late 78...making this more rare?

 

[smcd]

He very well could have. After all Kenny was a bass player.

I did not know that!

 

[akukulich]

I loved those old Sabres, but some of them weighed a ton.

 

[mikeswals]

I did not know that!

Yeah, he was the bassist for The First Edition.

 

[dkelley]

lesson to anyone looking on craigslist - if you see something you like but aren't sure about, email and phone immediately stating clearly that you are interested and setup an appointment.

This THEN gives you an hour or two to futz around on talkbass looking for a sanity check first.

NOT the other way around :-D

I wouldn't own my prestige rg 2550 guitar ($475), my fretless 5 string USA EBMM sub ($600), my kramer nite V ($50), my yamaha 400 watt power amp (free), my infinity monitor speakers with emit tweeters and small dome mids (free), my variax guitar ($300)...
... if I hadn't done it in that order.

 

[smcd]

I loved those old Sabres, but some of them weighed a ton.

Most pre-EBMM basses weighed a ton.




+1 to the "don't alert the world to a CL deal". People can access all craigslist ads from anywhere in the country. The item will get bought out from under you, or worse yet, some buyer left out in the cold will tell the guy who posted the ad on CL that his item is priced too low, thereby queering the deal for you.

 

[geddy402]

Eh...it isn't sold yet...plus not spending $1400 might be the right move now.

 

[j.kernodle]

Yeah, he was the bassist for The First Edition.

caca. I swear you are a boundless well of bass guitar history knowledge.

 

[smcd]

Eh...it isn't sold yet...plus not spending $1400 might be the right move now.

Were you able to contact the owner?

 

[geddy402]

Yeah...just really slow on the replys. Thing is that its about 90 miles from my place, might not get time between now and when I'm going to be out of town to check it out, so maybe it'll still be there when I get back...I'm hoping that it not being a stingray keeps people away haha.

Thanks for the though guys! We'll see what happens.

 

[mikeswals]

caca. I swear you are a boundless well of bass guitar history knowledge.

Momma was a huge Kenny Rogers fan in the 70's.