• Ernie Ball
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Pain-Free Music

Well-known member
Joined
May 12, 2008
Messages
45
Location
Greensboro, NC
I picked up this 23-year-old case queen today in a sweet deal on Craigslist. This is a October 1997 Music Man Axis Sport guitar made with a swamp ash body and birds-eye maple neck.
It is in MINT condition! No scratches and zero fret wear!

The orange guitar you see is one I bought in July 1997 and has been my #1 since then. I can’t believe I found this “new” blue one in mint condition for way less than I paid for the orange one in 1997! It was listed on Washington DC's Craigslist. I found it because i routinely search Richmond's Craigslist for gems as I travel there to see family. When I said to the owner that if he didn't sell it in a month, I get it my next trip to Richmond in October, he said he would hold it for me since I had its orange sister.

I have never found a clean sound I love better than the neck+middle combo in this guitar. My second favorite clean is the neck+split bridge on this guitar which sounds like the middle position of a telecaster.

I’ll be putting clear pickguards on both really soon to show off the ash grain. I am not sure if the black tuner buttons, three-pickguard, or the black volume & tone knobs are original as my orange guitar has none of those. I'll be changing the tuner buttons and knobs to match the orange one, or maybe pearloid buttons.


And the orange one is going to now become my platform for modding. I’ll be putting a Dimarzio Air Norton S in the neck position, with a coil tap on the volume knob, giving me 10 different pickup configurations. Also, I’m going to put on Wilkinson locking saddles on the bridge. I'll make a post about that when I do that mod over Winter Break.
 

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Razzle

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 18, 2012
Messages
851
Location
Alabama
That's Cool!!! You're lucky you live in a metropolitan area, ain't jack here.

Yea I've been looking for an amber one in good shape for a while now. All of the ones for sale have big dents. I'll find one, maybe I'll get lucky like you!
 

GoKart Mozart

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 21, 2002
Messages
1,002
Location
Florence/Muscle Shoals, AL
Awesome find!! I remember when the Sports were first released some of the die hard fans of the previous regular VH model were taken aback by the change...different pickups, woods, pickguards, etc. I look back now and think it was a genius move to implement that model to appeal to a wider audience.

As cool as the regular VH/Axis model is, these days I’d gladly take a Sport in great condition like that over just about anything. I’m the proud owner of a 2000 Sport with MM90s!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

wesman11483

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 1, 2018
Messages
121
Awesome find!! I remember when the Sports were first released some of the die hard fans of the previous regular VH model were taken aback by the change...different pickups, woods, pickguards, etc. I look back now and think it was a genius move to implement that model to appeal to a wider audience.

As cool as the regular VH/Axis model is, these days I’d gladly take a Sport in great condition like that over just about anything. I’m the proud owner of a 2000 Sport with MM90s!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

When did the Sports get introduced?
I absolutely love mine ('97 MM90 and '98 HSS), and think they handle better than my '01 Super Sport.
 

GWDavis28

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 23, 2003
Messages
12,505
Location
Mass
When did the Sports get introduced?
I absolutely love mine ('97 MM90 and '98 HSS), and think they handle better than my '01 Super Sport.

The MM90's are just the best in the Sports. I've seen the Sports as the forgot step child and only those in the know understand the real truth. I've had like 3 of them (2 HH and 1 MM90's), loved them just didn't fit me at the time. I almost recently snagged a another MM90, but was too slow, oh and broke, Hahahahahaha.

Glenn |B)
 

GoKart Mozart

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 21, 2002
Messages
1,002
Location
Florence/Muscle Shoals, AL
The MM90's are just the best in the Sports. I've seen the Sports as the forgot step child and only those in the know understand the real truth. I've had like 3 of them (2 HH and 1 MM90's), loved them just didn't fit me at the time. I almost recently snagged a another MM90, but was too slow, oh and broke, Hahahahahaha.

Glenn |B)

Shhh....quit spreading the truth! We dont want word to get out. Haha

6b99a805df9b23df0f0bc3d80e840703.jpg



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Pain-Free Music

Well-known member
Joined
May 12, 2008
Messages
45
Location
Greensboro, NC
Well, I got clear pickguards on the two Axis Sports and I love it! I don't know why I waited 23 years to do it to the orange one. On the blue one, I've changed out the black knobs for these Mother of Pearl/chrome ones. Just waiting for Black Friday deals to get either chrome or pearloid Schaller tuner buttons to replace the black ones that it has now.

The clear pickguard is hard to capture with the iphone because my reflection shows in it. I'll try to get some pictures out in the sun this weekend.
 

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