Musicman Sabre Club

[denton57]

NBD tomorrow… 2013 Sabre Classic in black/tort/maple. Have never played one but have been eyeing these for the past year or so. Super excited! I'll read through this thread to get me up to speed. I was waiting for a natural/rosewood one but these just don't pop up every day.

First thought is strings…Cobalt flats that I just discovered this weekend and put on my Moollon J or Pyramid nickel rounds 45-105 that I have coming in the mail…

 

[Alex4ndre]

Hello, here are some pics of my beloved 1985 Sabre, and a soundclip for you Sabre lovers

 

[liverbird]

Nice! Is that the original guard?

 

[Alex4ndre]

Nice! Is that the original guard?

Thanks ! i think so, it looks whiter in the pictures than in reality, but the "musicmanbass.global" site lists it with a white pickguard :

" B023594...Guestimation 1985. Sunburst (now called Honeyburst) with Maple. White pg. Trans logo. No rear decal."

 

[liverbird]

Thanks ! i think so, it looks whiter in the pictures than in reality, but the "musicmanbass.global" site lists it with a white pickguard :

" B023594...Guestimation 1985. Sunburst (now called Honeyburst) with Maple. White pg. Trans logo. No rear decal."

From my experience, the most likely guard for a Sunburst Sabre from those years would either be white or clear. The 1988/9 I used to own had a clear guard (see pic below).

Usually the white guards from those years tend to discolour quite a bit over time - depending on exposure, of course. Could well be the pic, as you say.

 

[Alex4ndre]

Always liked clear pickguards, but rarely see them here in Europe. The white pickguard on my Sabre is clearly on the cream side, with scratches that don't show on the pics i took.
I think the Nikon dslr i used did an automatic balance of the white + it was a sunny day.

Edit : would like to add that i always see incredible figured maple on the necks of the Sabre basses on the web, but my neck is not figured at all. I like it that way, but i wonder if there are many Sabre like that.

 

[Wood and Wire]

Always liked clear pickguards, but rarely see them here in Europe..

My '87 translucent red came straight from Obispo, to Strings 'n' Things (the sole U.K. distributer for about 46 years) with a clear pickguard...

...although it's a StingRay, not a Sabre - though I have seen a late 80's Sabre with a clear pickguard, in the U.K. (but no idea if it was imported at a later date, as a used instrument).

 

[liverbird]

My '87 translucent red came straight from Obispo, to Strings 'n' Things (the sole U.K. distributer for about 46 years) with a clear pickguard...

...although it's a StingRay, not a Sabre - though I have seen a late 80's Sabre with a clear pickguard, in the U.K. (but no idea if it was imported at a later date, as a used instrument).

The clear guards were indeed a feature on some instruments during the early EBMM years. Why would a new instrument in those days less likely have a clear guard when it was exported to Europe?

Speaking of 1987 Trans Red StingRays... Here's mine: (Although this one was indeed sold in the States in the first place. I bought it from a US collector in 2015.)

@Wood and Wire Did you buy yours directly from Strings & Things back in the day? Did it come with a case?

It seems rather rare for EBMM basses in those early years to have shipped with their original cases when sold new in the UK. Someone who worked for Strings & Things from around 1990 once told me that they imported the instruments in some sort of fortified shipping box that also had a neck brace for added protection.

Whereas the German distributor (Musik Meyer), for example, generally seemed to order them in with a case. My 1992 Sunburst StingRay (bought from new in Germany) did come with its original black tolex case.

 

[Wood and Wire]

The clear guards were indeed a feature on some instruments during the early EBMM years. Why would a new instrument in those days less likely have a clear guard when it was exported to Europe?

Speaking of 1987 Trans Red StingRays... Here's mine: (Although this one was indeed sold in the States in the first place. I bought it from a US collector in 2015.)

View attachment 7485384

@Wood and Wire Did you buy yours directly from Strings & Things back in the day? Did it come with a case?

It seems rather rare for EBMM basses in those early years to have shipped with their original cases when sold new in the UK. Someone who worked for Strings & Things from around 1990 once told me that they imported the instruments in some sort of fortified shipping box that also had a neck brace for added protection.

Whereas the German distributor (Musik Meyer), for example, generally seemed to order them in with a case. My 1992 Sunburst StingRay (bought from new in Germany) did come with its original black tolex case.

I don't know if Strings & Things sold directly - they're primarily a distributor.

Ironically, Strings & Things was (and may still be) based just a couple of miles from where I was living at the time, near Brighton, but I actually bought my StingRay in Birmingham (used, a couple of years later).

By the time I got it, it didn't have the original case - no idea if it was imported with one, but I've heard that rumour about some dealers shipping them without cases.

The thing is, I've certainly encountered people with late 80's / early 90's EBMM's that do have the original case, so they did exist in the U.K.

The only non-standard shipments I'm aware of, were the EX models, for the Japanese market - which were U.S. made instruments, but shipped unsassemble, on palettes (so presumably no case included).

There was also that period in the 10's when the 2-band only came with a soft case, whereas the 3-band had the HSC, and later the Specials, where the customer had the choice of an HSC, or a MONO soft case.

 

[liverbird]

The thing is, I've certainly encountered people with late 80's / early 90's EBMM's that do have the original case, so they did exist in the U.K.

Yes, but were these instruments originally sold in the UK or later brought in second-hand from somewhere else?

Difficult to say with certainty after all this time, of course. Different scenarios can exist.

I have an example though that would support what the chap from Strings & Things told me about the absence of original cases in the UK during those early years.

A few years ago, I bought four EBMM basses from those years (1986 Natural Sabre, 1987 Sunburst StingRay, 1989 Trans Red SR5, 1992 Vintage Sunburst StingRay) from John, an elderly gentleman in Wrexham, North Wales. John was the original owner of all of those basses, he had treated them with the utmost care over the years, they were (and still are) all in excellent condition.

Yet, from what John told me - and I have no reason to disbelieve him - not one of them came with an original case when he bought them from new back in the day. He had to purchase aftermarket cases from the dealer - a couple of black tolex, a couple of early Fender reissue tweed cases. That's what made me investigate this a little further with Strings & Things in the first place, hence the above info I received.

Of course, cases can get lost, swapped etc but this was someone who was - other than changing the strings or the battery - reluctant to even turn a screw on those instruments.

 

[Cappuccina]

Hi everyone, greetings from Japan!
I've been lurking for a while, admiring all your amazing Sabres. After finally reading through the entire thread, I figured it was time to say hello and thank you all for the great info.
I especially appreciated the person who posted the EBMM 3EQ catalog specs—that was a goldmine!
Happy to be here.

P.S. Please excuse the fact that the E&A-string isn't seated in the saddle groove.
I have a habit of loosening the strings for storage, and I was in such a rush to take the introduction photo that I missed it.

 

[Wood and Wire]

Hi everyone, greetings from Japan!
I've been lurking for a while, admiring all your amazing Sabres. After finally reading through the entire thread, I figured it was time to say hello and thank you all for the great info.
I especially appreciated the person who posted the EBMM 3EQ catalog specs—that was a goldmine!
Happy to be here.

View attachment 7489446View attachment 7489447
P.S. Please excuse the fact that the E&A-string isn't seated in the saddle groove.
I have a habit of loosening the strings for storage, and I was in such a rush to take the introduction photo that I missed it.

So that's where they've all disappeared to...

 

[Alex4ndre]

Hey Capuccina, nice basses and good pics ! Which Sabre do you prefer ? The pre Ernie Ball or the most recent one ?

 

[Cappuccina]

やあ、カプチーナ、素敵なベースといい写真だね！セイバーはどっちがお好み？アーニーボール以前のモデル？それとも最新モデル？

Hi Alex!
If I'm playing while sitting down, I'd definitely choose the Pre-Ernie. But if I'm standing on stage, the EBMM would be my pick.
By the way, that photo with the green reflection on the control plate looks really cool!

 

[Cappuccina]

So that's where they've all disappeared to...

No, I think these are only staying with me for a short while.
Currently, Japan is experiencing a significant weakening of the yen, and many rare instruments are being sold to overseas buyers. If you look at Reverb, you'll notice a lot of Music Man listings are coming from Japan right now.
That's why I want to cherish every Sabre that has found its way to me.

 

[secondbestcody]

The Sabre has been my favorite bass for years and I finally found a Classic Sabre at a decent price. 2013 Classic Sabre, all original with a crazy birdseye maple neck.

 

[denton57]

Man I wanted a natural with rosewood! Bought a black and maple couple weeks back

 

[Alex4ndre]

This natural finish looks wonderful.

 

[secondbestcody]

Man I wanted a natural with rosewood! Bought a black and maple couple weeks back

Black and maple is the one I wanted…

 

[denton57]

Someday maybe we can trade