Rabea Sabre owners - how are you finding it?

[fultonkane]

I've been hovering back and forth between buying or not... very close to pulling the trigger but would like to hear a few more impressions of it.

I've heard it weighs about eight pounds - is it comfortable on the lap? My guitars for last 10 years have been Music Man Axis (7.9lbs) and Suhr Modern Pro (7.4lbs) so it would be a bit of extra heft. Does the extra weight benefit the Sabre? Does it feel premium? Well-balanced?

And how is the trem - is it down only like on an Axis or is there a bit of upwards movement too like a floating?

How well does it stay in tune with trem use?

Is the action nice and low or should I request it to be setup with low action by the shop? Is it worth a Plex setup? Peach in the UK offers one for 200 pound.

Would it suit 9 gauge strings (my preferred) well?

Can it do nice sparkly trebly tones sound like a Suhr or Axis Super Sport? Or something different? I tried regular Sabre before and it was quite hot/mid-heavy.

I have to say I thought there would be far more written reviews and YouTube videos about the guitar. Lots of pre-sale previews but not much since.

So I would be doubly appreciative for some insight, you lucky Bea Sabre owners out there

 

[beej]

They've only just started shipping, so I'm guessing it's going to be a while before people get them and start posting reviews.

In terms of your specific questions, I think you can make some general assumptions based on other MM guitars. For example, they are generally well balanced ... that's always one of the design goals.

The trem is down only, however you can always loosen the springs/claw to make it float, like they do with the Luke series (it uses a standard MM trem) if you like. A few minor adjustments would get you there.

Almost all of the MM guitars I have received from the factory have had impeccable fretwork. I don't think it would be worth getting a Plek job on a brand new guitar.

In terms of the tone, I think that's more a factor of the Silo pickups than the guitar. I know they're a selling point of the guitar, but you can always change them down the road if you like. And so much of that is personal preference. That said, with a 5 way switch you should have tons of tonal range there.

Hopefully somebody with one can weigh in. I'd also love to get my hands on one.