Axis Sport ??

[NuggyBuggy]

Hi everyone.

I recently picked up an Axis Sport from the late 90s - it felt nice. It had a birdseye maple fretboard with quite a lot of figure, what looked to be soapbar P90s, and a 9v battery compartment. The guitar was on consignment and the guys in the store didn't know much about it. It was pretty much near mint.

But when I went home to do some research, I couldn't find much about it or how it compares to the regular Axis or the Super Sports. Can someone please enlighten ? Something about the Sport label suggests, to me, that it might be a lower-end Axis.

I was also hoping my research my help me figure out what a fair price for such a guitar might be, but I struck out there too.

Any help, advice, information, or pointers would be gratefully accepted.

thanks !

 

[billy carr]

Post a picture of it!

 

[beej]

Not lower end at all. Before the "Super Sports", there were the "Sports" - came in various configurations, including HH, SSH SSS and MM90 (MM's version of the P90, with a noise reduction circuit on board).

The MM90 Sport has the same features as the MM90 Super Sport (same neck, pickups, Silent Circuit, etc, ash body). The only difference is a maple top and binding on the Super Sport version.

They're generally a great value for the money. (I've got one, it's tremendous.)

 

[NuggyBuggy]

Thanks beej and billy !

beej, if I understand you correctly, the Sports just preceded the Super Sports ?

If so, what is the relationship between the Axis and the Sports/SuperSports then ? Is there a Music Man guitar wiki or some such ? I looked in the FAQ and didn't find anything there, and can someone help me out with ballpark used values ? (I understood discussion of used values is allowed here), by PM if necessary ?

billy - I'd post a picture, but the store's a bit of a ways away from me. If I hadn't just bought an Ibanez Prestige the other day, it would have come home with me as I would have had the cash to buy it. Since I didn't have the cash, I didn't want to pay taxes as I would have if I had bought on my credit card, so I showed a rare bit of restraint on my part. Also, I really wanted to do some research on the guitar and pricing.

I also picked up a Luke III the other day with absolutely the most beautiful headstock and rosewood neck I'd ever seen, but that's a topic for a different thread.

thanks !

terry

Not lower end at all. Before the "Super Sports", there were the "Sports" - came in various configurations, including HH, SSH and MM90 (MM's version of the P90, with a noise reduction circuit on board).

The MM90 Sport has the same features as the MM90 Super Sport (same neck, pickups, Silent Circuit, etc, ash body). The only difference is a maple top and binding on the Super Sport version.

They're generally a great value for the money. (I've got one, it's tremendous.)

 

[beej]

Here's a good post from the archives from JimmyB:

Here's some history on the Sport's:

The axis Sport first appeared in 1997. It used the same neck as was found on the Axis model (formerly the EVH) and had a solid Ash body.

The early models came in 3 configuration, HH, HSS and SSS, the latter two featuring EBMM’s silent circuit in the single coil positions. These models featured a pickguard and commonly had the zebra humbuckers.

In 1998 a decision was taken to slightly change the configuration of the model. The notable changes at this time included the addition of a two MM90 version and the dis-continuation of the SSS and HSS models. At this time the pickguard was also dropped. During this transition, the pickups were changed from the Zebra colouring, to all black. It was reasoned that they looked better on the ash body with no pickguard.

The Sport ceased production in April 2002, due to falling sales and the fact that the Super Sport (with a basswood body and maple cap) was available for only a slightly increased price and was outselling the Sport. Additionally, new models added to the range, such as the Bongo Bass and the SUB range of instruments meant that production runs were at maximum capacity. By dropping the Sport, the decks were cleared for these new models.

 

[NuggyBuggy]

Here's a good post from the archives from JimmyB:

Thanks beej- that is very useful. Every search I did for Axis Sport pulls up information about Super Sports...

So, it looks like the difference between the Sport and the Super Sport was a basswood body and maple cap. Is the maple cap alone what made the Super Sport "a little more expensive" ?

 

[wynn]

I had a axis sport mm90, traded it for a hh super sort because I craved humbuckers, wish I could have kept it though, fabulous guitar, it's what telecasters want to be when they grow up.


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