Axis Sport History

[Ninemile]

Hi all,

Does anyone know some Axis Sport History? I believe they first came out in 1997 and stopped in either 2011 or maybe early 2012. Is any of that correct? Did they come out before the Super Sport? Is there any sort of accessible data base on Sport configurations or colors? I'm wondering how prevalent a purple translucent Sport with an HSS configuration would be. Out of curiosity, I'd also love to know:
1- How many Sports were made?
2-How many 3 single coils were made
3-How many HSS were made
4-How many hard tails were made

With the book closed on them, it seems like this info could be ascertained, although it could be labor intensive. But, I'd find this info interesting.

 

[GWDavis28]

So EBMM doesn't publish quantities on instruments sold unless they are limited run, like some of the BFR's.

I take it you bought the HSS purple Sport that was on Reverb, nice looking instrument.

They were built in MM, MM90's, SSS and HSS configurations. They stopped production around the beginning of the 2000's.

I've seen quite a few purple ones, so it's not rare if that's what your wondering. I have something from eon's ago, I'll have to dig it up and post it later.

If you got it share it man. Let's see some good pics?

Glenn |B)

 

[Ninemile]

Ha, Indeed I did. Thanks so much for the info! Purple, nor HSS, nor tremolo were my go to options but I still jumped at it. I've been looking too long for a 3 single coil Sport and got exhausted. I have a MM90 Sport and a SS with humbuckers, as well a Sterling Axis that I converted to a Tele setup. I'm super happy to get the guitar and will certainly post pics once it arrives this week. I just was trying to do some digging on the Sports and the info is so limited. Interesting, I don't see the translucent purple listed above in the color options. I don't believe I'd ever part with my MM90 or SS but I could see this one being used in a trade if I found a hardtail Sport in a different color with either SSS or HSS.

 

[GWDavis28]

Ha, Indeed I did. Thanks so much for the info! Purple, nor HSS, nor tremolo were my go to options but I still jumped at it. I've been looking too long for a 3 single coil Sport and got exhausted. I have a MM90 Sport and a SS with humbuckers, as well a Sterling Axis that I converted to a Tele setup. I'm super happy to get the guitar and will certainly post pics once it arrives this week. I just was trying to do some digging on the Sports and the info is so limited. Interesting, I don't see the translucent purple listed above in the color options. I don't believe I'd ever part with my MM90 or SS but I could see this one being used in a trade if I found a hardtail Sport in a different color with either SSS or HSS.

So those listing where in the 2000's when the sparkle finishes came out. I believe that the translucent colors where offered first. Translucent blue, red, green, purple, gold/yellow were some of the offerings. Looks like in the 2000's they only offered HH and MM90's.

Nice snag man, the Sports are the best!!!!!!

Glenn |B)

 

[Ninemile]

I'll verify my Sport tonight. I may be thinking of another guitar but, I swear mine is a 2011. That's why I was thinking they stopped them in '11 or early 2012. The seller of the soon to be received Sport was the original purchaser and said it's as pristine as the day it left the factory. Pretty good for a 1997 guitar. I bought my PRS Custom 22 new in 1997 but gigged it pretty hard and it sure the battle scars to prove it. I'm so excited to get this and plug it in. They are probably the only guitars I'd buy sight unseen, especially as a neck guy. The Axis necks has ruined me and it's the only neck I enjoy anymore. I am assuming that this one will be just like the others. The neck on my PRS is practically unplayable to me, obviously not technically but more of a "life it too short to not play Axis necks" type of feeling. I also recently got a new Musikraft neck for my Tele and tried to model it after my Axis necks. It's close but at the same time not at all close lol.

 

[fogman]

Damn I miss all those colour choices. That's a huge downgrade going from 23 to only 2.

 

[GWDavis28]

Damn I miss all those colour choices. That's a huge downgrade going from 23 to only 2.

Foggy, I want they to reissue Midnight Blue Sparkle, it's this lovely deep dark blue. From what I gather they didn't make many in this color. I had a Sterling bass in this color, but traded it off.





Glenn |B)

 

[Johnny Alien]

When they first came out they were all ash bodies with mostly (if not all) trans finishes. S/S/S and H/S/S were the first configurations. I can't remember if H/H came out at the same time or later. At some point it switch to H/H and MM-90 and the other two were dropped. They then launched the Axis Super Sport which had a basswood body and fancy top with binding. That was for the H/H model. The MM-90 kept the ash body. Eventually that became the standard and they dropped the standard Sport model. H/S/S was way more common than the S/S/S and they pop up frequently.

 

[GWDavis28]

When they first came out they were all ash bodies with mostly (if not all) trans finishes. S/S/S and H/S/S were the first configurations. I can't remember if H/H came out at the same time or later. At some point it switch to H/H and MM-90 and the other two were dropped. They then launched the Axis Super Sport which had a basswood body and fancy top with binding. That was for the H/H model. The MM-90 kept the ash body. Eventually that became the standard and they dropped the standard Sport model. H/S/S was way more common than the S/S/S and they pop up frequently.

Johnny, yes the Axis Sports were all Ash. I believe you are correct about the configurations. The HH and MM90's came out at the time same time frame. The Axis Sport with the MM90's is one of my favorites. I had one and let it go, a regret for sure.

Glenn |B)

 

[fogman]

Foggy, I want they to reissue Midnight Blue Sparkle, it's this lovely deep dark blue. From what I gather they didn't make many in this color. I had a Sterling bass in this color, but traded it off.

View attachment 39466

View attachment 39467

Glenn |B)

Oh that's that colour you were talking about a while back but I did not recall it. .... NICE.

 

[Ninemile]

I was way off on my MM-90 Sport. It was born 2/8/1999. So, do we think the S/S/S and H/S/S/ were produced for three years from 1997-1999 and in 2000 they dropped that configuration? My MM-90 has been my #1 since I got it. It will be interesting if the H/S/S will replace it.

Delivery is supposed to be today. I'll post pics. Although, I'd say 85% of my guitar playing consists of playing my electrics unplugged, I can't wait to plug this thing in and hear hear the pickups, after I go see Vincent Neil Emerson tonight.

 

[GWDavis28]

Honestly, not sure about that. If you take off the neck there might be a date in there that will give you an idea? Or did you run the serial number in the database?

Serial Number Database

www.music-man.com

Glenn |B)

 

[Ninemile]

Honestly, not sure about that. If you take off the neck there might be a date in there that will give you an idea? Or did you run the serial number in the database?

Serial Number Database

www.music-man.com

Glenn |B)

I ran my Sport in the database to get that date. Looks like some US customs guitar checking has delayed the arrival until tomorrow.

 

[GWDavis28]

I ran my Sport in the database to get that date. Looks like some US customs guitar checking has delayed the arrival until tomorrow.

Well that's a bummer, hopefully it's only one day.

Glenn |B)

 

[Ninemile]

Well, here are my Axis Sport guitars including the purple Sport from Oct 16, 1997 and my Sterling Axis that I pulled the pickups out of, put a Tele setup on it and changed the 5 way to a 3 way. I love it. The neck feels great on the Sterling but it’s definitely a little larger than the EBMM Axis necks. It's interesting, feel wise, the purple Axis feels more like the Sterling than my other two Sports. The oil/gunstock doesn't seem as pronounced as my MM90 Sport and Super Sport. The wood figure also much more closely resembles the Sterling than the birds eye necks, but that's also probably the reason why. I love the purple Sport and the pickups sound great. I believe this will conclude my Axis Sport collection unless, I decide to drop the money on a real Axis Sport or SS and have a real deal luthier copy my Tele conversion.

 

[GWDavis28]

You gotta love the old touch of the recessed neck plate.

Glenn |B)

 

[Ninemile]

You gotta love the old touch of the recessed neck plate.

Glenn |B)

I sure do. I also noticed that the plates themselves changed from 1997 to 1999 in that the '97 have the 2 guitar playing musicman logo while my '99 and my SS have the EBMM name in script. The electronics cover is also recessed on the Sports. I made a set of super cool maple covers for my Super Sport translucent stained in the Rasta colors. I'd rather have them on my Sport because they look better than the plain stock ones that I simply painted but the electronics cover does not fit. Oh well, a perfect excuse for another project. It will be next in line after I make a replica of the AK-47 guitar that Peter Tosh used to play.

 

[John C]

When they first came out they were all ash bodies with mostly (if not all) trans finishes. S/S/S and H/S/S were the first configurations. I can't remember if H/H came out at the same time or later. At some point it switch to H/H and MM-90 and the other two were dropped. They then launched the Axis Super Sport which had a basswood body and fancy top with binding. That was for the H/H model. The MM-90 kept the ash body. Eventually that became the standard and they dropped the standard Sport model. H/S/S was way more common than the S/S/S and they pop up frequently.

Johnny, yes the Axis Sports were all Ash. I believe you are correct about the configurations. The HH and MM90's came out at the time same time frame. The Axis Sport with the MM90's is one of my favorites. I had one and let it go, a regret for sure.

Glenn |B)

I was way off on my MM-90 Sport. It was born 2/8/1999. So, do we think the S/S/S and H/S/S/ were produced for three years from 1997-1999 and in 2000 they dropped that configuration? My MM-90 has been my #1 since I got it. It will be interesting if the H/S/S will replace it.

Delivery is supposed to be today. I'll post pics. Although, I'd say 85% of my guitar playing consists of playing my electrics unplugged, I can't wait to plug this thing in and hear hear the pickups, after I go see Vincent Neil Emerson tonight.

If I'm remembering correctly the HH was there from the introduction of the Axis Sport in 1997, so they had 3 configurations at the beginning (HH, SSS and HSS) and these early HH models also have the pickguard. I believe the SSS and HSS were only made for 2 years - 1997-1998 - but there could have been overlap across 1999. That being said when the version with MM90s was released they stopped using the pickguard on the HH model.

 

[Johnny Alien]

Your memory is correct and mine is trash.

I forgot that there were early HH models at the same time as the HSS and SSS. The earlier HH had the pickguards and zebra pickups. When they dropped the HSS and SSS and went to HH and MM-90 only the pickguards were dropped and the humbuckers were black vs zebra.

 

[John C]

And I had forgotten that they changed the pickups from zebra to all black when they dropped the pickguard from the HH Sport.