Musicman Sabre, like a G&L L-2000?

No, they don't sound alike at all. The Sabre is very much like the current H/H Stingrays and Sterlings. Look for a Youtube clip of The Brothers Johnson playing Stomp or the clip of Armand Sabal-Lecco playing with Stanley Clarke to know what a Sterling sounds like. I also think that Tony Levin played a Sterling on Sledgehammer too.

 

About 5 years ago or so I compared my 1983 L-2000 to about 3-4 Sabre's and all the Sabre's were very, very thin sounding.

 

I don't agree at all. Are you sure you aren't thinking of the Sterling? Where'd you possibly find a place that had 3 or 4 Sabres to try out 5 years ago? They've been discontinued for years.

I own both basses. The biggest difference is the Sabre has a fairly useless phase switch that puts the PUPs out of phase, giving you a honky tone. IMO, not very useful, though with the proper EQ and the string mutes engaged can get very close to an upright tone. Mine has a 2 band active EQ with treble and bass boosting, so I don't see how anyone can say they sound thin, since it's essentially a 'Ray with 2 PUPs. If anything, the L2000 has much hotter PUPs. Sabres do, however, possess one of the best slap tones you'll ever encounter anywhere.

 

That's what's great about opinions, we don't all have to agree.

I'm not sure, what's a Sterling look like?

You're assuming that I tried all the Sabre's at on time.... I really, reallllly wanted a Sabre really bad a few years ago and I was hunting. Vintage shops, newspaper classifieds, etc.... Living in NYC, if you look hard enough, you'll find anything. I didn't buy one cause all the ones I compered to the L-2000 (that I still own for 13+ years) blew them out of the water.

 

I may be wrong, but isn't the bass used in Ozzy's 'Crazy Train' clip a Sabre?

EDIT: Just looked, and yes, it is.

 

I bought a MM Sabre back in '79' after I played my Ric 4001 to the point that it fell apart, literally. I recorded the Steel Breeze album with it back in '82' and during the recording of the bass, it had the worst grounding problem - bad buzzing hum:scowl:. They ended up wiring it up with a wire clothes hanger, and I don't remember how they did it, but it got rid of the hum. The bass had alot of super high end and low end, but lacked any midrange punch, it had much more of a scooped sound. Back then I was playing thru an Acoustic 360 and in mid '82' changed to something entirely different - EV keyboard cabs w/18, 10" vented midrange speaker, piezo with BGW, Yamaha power amps, Roland preamp and the usual rack effects. It was a pretty decent setup. Here's a pic of me playing the Sabre thru the Acoustic -

 

Nice shirt bro.

 

I've owned probably 50-60 basses in the past 10 years. My '79 Sabre still beats out most of my basses in terms of growl and punch. Our soundguy always asks when I'm going to gig with it. Sadly, a drunk chick almost knocked it over a couple years ago, so I'm real cautious when and where I play it.

I agree, with the phase switch in the wrong position, it sounds thin and well, useless. SO I certainly don't agree with the thin sounding comments, but again, that's me.

 

I have a Sabre. I also owned an HH Ray, and they sound nothing alike, the Sabre was way deeper...maybe more scooped sounding, if you will. It also sounded nothing like the L2000 I had briefly.

It must say something about that Sabre...since I no longer own, nor desire to own those other models of basses again, but that Sabre ain't going nowhere.

 

I had a Sabre and an L-2000; the L-2000 just didn't sound or play as good to me.

 

I've got an L-2000, a Sabre, and a Stingray HH. They sound different, but they all sound & play great!

The L-2000 is definitely related to the Sabre but there are lots of differences.

The L-2000 pickups are closer together, the electronics can be used active or passive, the tone controls are cut only, the pickups are ceramic/steel and have a series/parallel switch.

The Sabre pickups are farther apart with alnico poles and are wired parallel only. Tone controls are boost/cut, and there's no passive switch.

 

ive been playing a Sabre recently, and there is no way that it is thin sound, IMO, i found, somtimes i had 2 cut bass! the Eq on the bass is damm powerfull, and they interconnect. so if u boost som bass, the treble control will react diffently

awesome looking and playing basses!

EDIT: i tried out a HH singray, abd ididnt like it at all, just cudnt get any low end, or any low end campared 2 the Sabre. I guess the Stingray would be a bit more versatile, but no bass!

 

Got both.

The Sabre is a different beast and if you like the Louis Johnson Stomp sound that comes dead on from my Sabre running the neck pickup.

Tried several of the EBMM dual pickup jobies and none work for me like the Sabre does. Biggest grip is the weak D and G string and on my Sabre the D/G are probably stromnger than the E/A.

The L-2000 has more potent pickups and probably inherently more aggressive. All three switches of the L2K have useful significant changes in the sound.

The Sabre Phase switch is useless and the "bright" is so subtle as to be useless. The pickup selector is the only effective switch. Dial back the tone controls and find lots of variation. However IMHO the G&L has more usable adjustments in it but can't do some of what the Sabre can.

I really wanted the EBMM models to be able to replace the 12 lb Sabre but they can't touch it.

The Sabre is the only MM bass I have kept.

Jim