Musicman Sabre Club

[Sirfishalot]

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.

I was told by my luthier to never do that - loosen the strings for storage or shipping as necks are designed to remain in constant string tension. Storing with strings loose can cause the neck to bow backwards.

JayT

 

[tindrum]

I was told by my luthier to never do that - loosen the strings for storage or shipping as necks are designed to remain in constant string tension. Storing with strings loose can cause the neck to bow backwards.

JayT

I agree with this 1000%. Based on my experience it makes setting up the neck a major PITA for awhile until it gets back to having tension on it.

 

[Cappuccina]

ギター職人から、保管や発送の際に弦を緩めることは絶対にしないようにと言われました。ネックは常に弦の張力が保たれるように設計されているからです。弦を緩めた状態で保管すると、ネックが後ろに反ってしまう可能性があります。

ジェイT

これには1000％同意します。私の経験から言うと、ネックに張力が戻るまでしばらくの間、ネックの調整が非常に面倒になります。

アドバイスありがとうございます。早速ケースから出して、弦に張力を戻します。

 

[FishDub]

Hey all, I have a want ad for a Pre Ernie Sabre if anyone has one they want to sell?
Thanks and please PM if you do!

 

[WisconsinBlueSneeze]

Hi all, I have a Sledge Sabre and perhaps you can help with a quick question (Googling did not seem helpful). It seems to be lacking some shielding since it's quite noisy when I'm not touching the strings (with that noise dissipating immediately after I touch them). For context, my other two basses, a passive built J and an active Atelier Z, are effectively noiseless with the same signal/amplification chain.

I know that some major manufacturers still don't shield many of their instruments, but looking in the control cavity, there is a solder lug screwed into the side of the cavity with a ground wire running up to the output jack. Everything is painted over, but presumably this means there is a layer of conducting paint around the control cavity or at least a part of it, beneath the top coat. That leads me to guess it's specifically the pickup cavities that aren't shielded. Does anyone here happen to know how the shielding is done for the Classic Sabres? Thanks in advance for any help. It's not unacceptably noisy, but it's definitely on the irritating side so as time goes by I'm more keen to finally fix it.

 

[warwickhunt]

Can I suggest that you first unscrew the bridge assembly and check that the grounding wire is making good contact. I was getting a constant low earthing hum (which went away if I touched the strings or bridge) and upon lifting the bridge it was apparent that the grounding wire was pressured down into the finish and not making full contact. I lifted the wire, moved the wire just a fraction and screwed the bridge back down... 100% fixed.

 

[WisconsinBlueSneeze]

Can I suggest that you first unscrew the bridge assembly and check that the grounding wire is making good contact. I was getting a constant low earthing hum (which went away if I touched the strings or bridge) and upon lifting the bridge it was apparent that the grounding wire was pressured down into the finish and not making full contact. I lifted the wire, moved the wire just a fraction and screwed the bridge back down... 100% fixed.

Thanks very much for the reply and advice. This is a relatively quick check, like you said, so I can certainly do this - but I guess I am just a bit confused. Not that I doubt your fix worked, but my understanding was that if the bridge ground is behaving correctly, noise from one's EMF should indeed dissipate when one touches the strings and the charge passes to ground via the bridge ground wire. I would have thought that if the bridge ground wasn't making good contact with the bridge, the static/noise would still persist when one touches the strings. So I guess I'm confused as to how fixing the bridge ground wire's contact with the bridge would fix the general/no-contact noise. Regardless, I appreciate the tip and advice.

 

[warwickhunt]

Your description highlighted the fact that when you touch the strings the noise goes/dissipitates; this points to earthing issues as opposed to EMF. My point was that if the bridge ground isn't making contact effectively (on my bass the earth wire was embedded in the timbre and lacquer and not creating good contact), you get low level hum ie there isn't a good earth. I am not saying this is 100% the case with your bass but your description is indicative of a grounding issue and it 'might' be an easy fix... it certainly remedied my issue immediately. It could equally be a grounding issue at the other end of the bridge earth wire or elsewhere on the bass.

 

[-Boscoe-]

Active bass...battery and preamp.
I am pretty sure there is no bridge ground wire like passive basses

But it does sound like there is a ground wire that is not connected in the control cavity......
Or a component is touching somewhere.

Active basses have grounded bridges too!

 

[murphy]

Active basses have grounded bridges too!

I'm sorry....My mistake then
I believe you make preamps too...so you would know
My EMG active loaded basses do not.
I have to check my Music Man basses...
I will also check my Sadowsky preamps

Bassplayer magazine...I thought stated that active basses did not need bridge ground.

My Lakland 5502 bass had a ground wire disconnected from the preamp....I solved myself eventually

 

[-Boscoe-]

I'm sorry....My mistake then
My EMG loaded basses do not.
I have to check my Music Man basses...
I will also check my Sadowsky preamps

All StingRays do! And so do all G&L basses. Those are my are of expertise, can't speak for sure about others but I'd be surprised if they don't.