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MusicMan Sabre

T

tremor100

Jul 28, 2006
437
806
#1
One of these just popped up in a local music store:

1764724188403.png


Its not my vibe and i know that he right after went on to found G&L, but its remarkable to me how much this looks like a G&L lol. Basically the same bridge with some slight tweaks with mutes, the control plate and mini switches are similar to the prototypes of the L2000s, even the bodyshape is closer to a L2000 than a Stingray IMO.
 
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#6
That one with rosewood board and natural body looks exactly like my old 1980 Sabre.

Yes, preEB era Musicmans both StingRay & Sabre, mostly came with maple boards. Rosewood isn't impossible to find, but yeah far less of them.
The very unusual ones are the 1.5" nut width necks.
 
#7
tremor100 said:
One of these just popped up in a local music store:

View attachment 7380748

Its not my vibe and i know that he right after went on to found G&L, but its remarkable to me how much this looks like a G&L lol. Basically the same bridge with some slight tweaks with mutes, the control plate and mini switches are similar to the prototypes of the L2000s, even the bodyshape is closer to a L2000 than a Stingray IMO.
Click to expand...
What kind of price did they have on it?

1979 - 1981 I used to drool over them 🤣
 
#11
Also Sabre pickups are in the location found on the proto L2000 but never made to production. They are certainly related.

Didnt CLF make the instruments for Musicman until 83 or whatever? Or was it just the necks?
 
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#12
tremor100 said:
One of these just popped up in a local music store:

View attachment 7380748

Its not my vibe and i know that he right after went on to found G&L, but its remarkable to me how much this looks like a G&L lol. Basically the same bridge with some slight tweaks with mutes, the control plate and mini switches are similar to the prototypes of the L2000s, even the bodyshape is closer to a L2000 than a Stingray IMO.
Click to expand...
More compact along the lines of the MM Sterling than the Stingray. I had a semi-beat '79 Sabre for a while, but it was bananas heavy despite its not-so-expansive body. Once I realized that I no longer had any interest in schlepping it on my shoulder for even a single set at a gig, I found it a new home and I haven't had a second thought about it. Terrific bass, but not for me. Similar experience with a Peavey T-40 way back in the day.

Compared with what I found with that Sabre, I think Leo (and George!!) took this HH idea to a very good place with the G&L M-2000. I've had both a U.S. build and also a Tribute version of that bass and I found a terrific range of sounds with the help of a pickup blend knob instead of a switch like the one on the Sabre (I also didn't care for the pickup switch on the L-2000, but that's just me). It turned out that I actually got on with the Indonesian Tribute better than the U.S. model, but that was just a matter of personal fit and feel. They were both lots of fun and gave me a great menu of sounds.
 
#20
I owned/played one for a few years. Cool bass but sounds very different from an L2000 (and a 1 pickup Stingray), whether that’s a good, bad or indifferent thing is up to you.
 
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