I'd wanted a StingRay forever - my dream bass.
Finally had the cash, and spent months trying to find
the one. And when I finally did, it was sat next to that Sabre.
I knew absolutely nothing about Sabres, they were a totally unknown quantity to me.
I absolutely fell in love with that Sabre, but I also truly loved that StingRay, and after about half an hour of agonising, rationalised that the mission was to get a StingRay, I already had a bass with 2 pickups, so didn't need another (????

) and I didn't want to risk an impulse purchase (couldn't afford to make the wrong choice, and this store was literally half way across the country).
Part of me has always wondered "what if", but I remember feeling a bit gratified when for several years after, the value of Sabres went down, and my StingRay appreciated (a little).
I actually think the recent Sabre Classic is a better instrument (just as well, given the prices now), but I just love the original pre-EB bridge, the switching system, and the available colour options.
I shall probably get a used Classic, at some point - or hope they give it another run in the not too distant future.