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Musicman Sabre Club

#1,301
Sabre was delivered and packed real well. Let it acclimate for over 4 hours. Overall in good condition had some normal mojo nothing can't live with though. Lot of dings on back and scuffs that couldn't be seen in pictures when advertised. Neck is in great shape with some mild birdseye flame with skunk stripe. Advertised as 87 by seller. Had an extra non brand tweed case to transport it with.
IMG_2052.jpg
IMG_2053.jpg
 
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#1,302
Not trying to bore you all,but 87 Sabre came with extra black pickguard. Previous owner had it in the case with original white pickguard in between strings and white pickguard? Black pickguard was being bounced around in shipment,and had with strings loose it got all scratched so decide to put some carbon look vinyl on the black pickguard. Sort of a novice,but don't look too bad? Might have to trim it around edges and snug it some more. Notice it also has slot for truss rod wheel,but truss rod on the 87 Sabre is at the headstock.
IMG_2054.jpg
 
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#1,303
Chrome Dome said:
Not trying to bore you all,but 87 Sabre came with extra black pickguard. Previous owner had it in the case with original white pickguard in between strings and white pickguard? Black pickguard was being bounced around in shipment,and had with strings loose it got all scratched so decide to put some carbon look vinyl on the black pickguard. Sort of a novice,but don't look too bad? Might have to trim it around edges and snug it some more. Notice it also has slot for truss rod wheel,but truss rod on the 87 Sabre is at the headstock.View attachment 5319156
Click to expand...
So...It is GREEN!
Wow...I thought it black....then maby blue....and now...!!
 
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#1,307
Chrome Dome said:
Not trying to bore you all,but 87 Sabre came with extra black pickguard. Previous owner had it in the case with original white pickguard in between strings and white pickguard? Black pickguard was being bounced around in shipment,and had with strings loose it got all scratched so decide to put some carbon look vinyl on the black pickguard. Sort of a novice,but don't look too bad? Might have to trim it around edges and snug it some more. Notice it also has slot for truss rod wheel,but truss rod on the 87 Sabre is at the headstock.View attachment 5319156
Click to expand...

Great bass with the original guard but this looks terrible.
 
#1,311
Chrome Dome said:
Not trying to bore you all,but 87 Sabre came with extra black pickguard. Previous owner had it in the case with original white pickguard in between strings and white pickguard? Black pickguard was being bounced around in shipment,and had with strings loose it got all scratched so decide to put some carbon look vinyl on the black pickguard. Sort of a novice,but don't look too bad? Might have to trim it around edges and snug it some more. Notice it also has slot for truss rod wheel,but truss rod on the 87 Sabre is at the headstock.View attachment 5319156
Click to expand...
Looks kinda like your bridge screws from the E & A strings are the wrong length too. They shouldn't interfere with the mutes.
 
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#1,312
Goodnight Cody said:
Looks kinda like your bridge screws from the E & A strings are the wrong length too. They shouldn't interfere with the mutes.
Click to expand...
Actually previous owner replaced the original saddles to get strings down more. He included original saddles,just got the bass from him couple days ago. I have hardly ever used the mutes. May take a closer look,Thanks!
 
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#1,313
Considered sharing this with some reservations. After receiving the 87 Sabre with temps 5degrees here in Central Ohio. I was concerned about the freezing temperatures while it was being shipped. I decided to let it acclimate before I opened the case. I opened the shipping box couple hours after it was delivered,then opened the case after over 4 hours. Never really noticed any finish checking until at the time. Decided to tune it up and check intonation and play it some is when I noticed finish checking on the lower horn? It does have some mojo/patina but considered I could live with that,and previous owner made me aware to the scuffs and blemishes. Always have taken care of my basses. Had one just like this one same color back in 85. Bare with me not asking for sympathy!LOL Trying not to let my OCD get the best of me. Always been real finicky about the finish on bass guitars especially the Honeyburst and Teal/Blue burst ones.
IMG_2057.jpg
 
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#1,314
Please add me to the club - thanks! (will post photos later - my avatar is said bass)

My MM Sabre story begins around 1990 when I was offered a 1980 Sabre sporting a Schecter rosewood neck and a Carvin 15" cab in trade for a Peavy Mark IV bass head and 1820 cab. I never got a sound I liked from the Peavy amp/head so I did the trade.

The bass suffered low output and had neck buzz so I took it to luthier Carl Barney. He recommended to remove the frets and plane the neck. I asked him about converting it to fretless by placing plastic where the frets were which he did.

Around this time a listing popped up the local "Bargain News" for a flame maple 4 bolt Sabre neck. I bought that and had Carl set it up.

Now the bass played really nicely but still suffered low output from the pickups. I mistakenly thought that is just the way those smaller 16 pole pickups sounded so next I dropped the bass off at Lane Poor's factory to have him install an LP MM4W (single coil wide aperture) in the neck position and an LP MM4HB (humbucking) in the bridge position along with his LP 2x1 preamp. He wired it so the 5 position switch all the way forward is the MM4W, the middle position both pickups, and the rear position is the MM4HB. The three knobs are set VVT.

I donated the original preamp and pickups to Lane.The Schecter fretless neck is now on my 72 Precision (modified with an EMG PJ set) and really sounds/looks great. The original maple neck from that bass hangs on the wall for now.

The Sabre with the Lane Poor pickups and preamp is extraordinarily versatile. It sounds like a very focused and clear Stingray when the bridge pickup is solo'd. The neck wide pickup has a big "woody" sound with lots of low end. If I want to mellow out the bridge pickup I blend in some neck using the volume knob with selector in the middle.
 
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#1,315
Chrome Dome said:
Considered sharing this with some reservations. After receiving the 87 Sabre with temps 5degrees here in Central Ohio. I was concerned about the freezing temperatures while it was being shipped. I decided to let it acclimate before I opened the case. I opened the shipping box couple hours after it was delivered,then opened the case after over 4 hours. Never really noticed any finish checking until at the time. Decided to tune it up and check intonation and play it some is when I noticed finish checking on the lower horn? It does have some mojo/patina but considered I could live with that,and previous owner made me aware to the scuffs and blemishes. Always have taken care of my basses. Had one just like this one same color back in 85. Bear with me not asking for sympathy!LOL Trying not to let my OCD get the best of me. Always been real finicky about the finish on bass guitars especially the Honeyburst and Teal/Blue burst ones.View attachment 5322714
Click to expand...
An '87?
I'm surprised that's all there is
 
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#1,317
Chrome Dome said:
Considered sharing this with some reservations. After receiving the 87 Sabre with temps 5degrees here in Central Ohio. I was concerned about the freezing temperatures while it was being shipped. I decided to let it acclimate before I opened the case. I opened the shipping box couple hours after it was delivered,then opened the case after over 4 hours. Never really noticed any finish checking until at the time. Decided to tune it up and check intonation and play it some is when I noticed finish checking on the lower horn? It does have some mojo/patina but considered I could live with that,and previous owner made me aware to the scuffs and blemishes. Always have taken care of my basses. Had one just like this one same color back in 85. Bare with me not asking for sympathy!LOL Trying not to let my OCD get the best of me. Always been real finicky about the finish on bass guitars especially the Honeyburst and Teal/Blue burst ones.View attachment 5322714
Click to expand...
First...I think majority would agree the Carbon pickguard looks phenom...

The finish checking is common in Music man basses of old....Perhaps unavoidable?
Doesn't always happen....some say it looks better...Your bass IS Beautiful.
 
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#1,318
murphy said:
First...I think majority would agree the Carbon pickguard looks phenom...

The finish checking is common in Music man basses of old....Perhaps unavoidable?
Doesn't always happen....some say it looks better...Your bass IS Beautiful.
Click to expand...
Thank you! Finish checking is visible but can't feel just seems like it is just visible?
 
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#1,320
My '87 says hello!

Apologies for the awful picture, taken last year right after I got it home. Finally got around to giving it a new set of Super Slinkys and a good setup just this week. Can't put it down! Off The Wall, Brothers Johnson, Chic, Sade, and heck -- it pulls off some great "90s bass" sounds with a pick and the neck pickup in the mix whether its contributing one or two coils. Award for the least intuitive 5-way switch of all time?

I LOVE the Classic 5 Ray (I know Tom Barney was using a contemporary 5-string Ray on Two Against Nature alongside his ESP... the Classic is a bit more mellow yet it still does a great Negative Girl), but having to deal with muting the B string can be a bit unwieldy when trying to do the fast stuff that doesn't need it! Somehow I prefer this Sabre to every 4-string Ray I've tried to make friends with.

IMG_8907.jpg
 
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