Difference between pre-eb and stingray HH

[kevins]

What realistically is the difference between the 2h and the pre Ernie ball Sabre? I heard that sterling was talking about trying to solve some of the issues with the Sabre through the sterling way back when and was interested in what he said there.

I know the differences between the hh and the Ernie ball Sabre are pretty big, not many 16 pole piece pickups out there, but shouldn’t the hh be very similar to the pre-eb Sabre?

 

[basshista]

Apart evident differences in shape and hardware (bridge, control plate, neck joint) I think the biggest difference is the preamp. The HH has the 3 band preamp while the pre EB sabre has a 2 band preamp that is different to the stingray one.
Then the available combinations of pickups is different having the pre eb sabre only a toggle switch for single pickup and both. At the end of the pre eb period was introduced the slide switch but contemporaneously the 16 pole pickup was introduced

I attach here some infos received from a friend that studied the sabre preamp and has some original docs of that era:

Here is some weird info on the Sabre Bass preamps.. There were two used simultaneously! B4 and B5. Leo and Tom Walker did not agree which was the better preamp, so as a sort of compromise, both versions were made. I am not clear what the exact difference is. I need to sort that out. There are instructions to include the specific (I think it was B5) preamps on Tom's orders. I see the inventory of them changing, so they obviously went out on more than just Tom's orders. It very well could be a deal when JDF fell behind on assembling the preamps, they used what was in stock to complete orders. That is one of those trivial things I need to sit down and sort out.

 

[Rod Trussbroken]

Interesting about Tom and Leo !!! In any event the B4 and B5 designated preamps were used with the toggle switch version of the Sabre, When the Sabre changed to the lever switching (1983) the preamp was replaced with the 2EQ Sting Ray preamp designated B3 which I believe was designed by Tom.

 

[basshista]

Interesting about Tom and Leo !!! In any event the B4 and B5 designated preamps were used with the toggle switch version of the Sabre, When the Sabre changed to the lever switching (1983) the preamp was replaced with the 2EQ Sting Ray preamp designated B3.

Right , forgot to mention it! Cheers from Italy Rod, this is Nicola.

 

[kevins]

Woah weird any pictures of the two preamps? I saw a guy selling two 79 Sabre preamps recently and noticed that the two designs were different actually but the pictures are gone cause one sold

 

[Golem]

I had a pre EB Sabre and it was almost painfully bright. I now have an SR HH and it’s pretty mellow. No similarity at all.

BTW, there’s no dummy coils in the pre EB so you can get some authentic vintage hiss and hum ... if you’re into that :-(

If you’re interested in having both bright and mellow in one ax, hunt down an SH. Doesn’t much matter whether SR or Sterling. The range of tones in an SH just buries most of the difference between an SR and a Sterling.

 

[basshista]

Woah weird any pictures of the two preamps? I saw a guy selling two 79 Sabre preamps recently and noticed that the two designs were different actually but the pictures are gone cause one sold

I have for sure. Just give me a couple of days to find them...

 

[kevins]

I have for sure. Just give me a couple of days to find them...

Also gonna shoot myself in the foot if the Sabre preamp I bought and returned turned out to be a legit pre eb Sabre preamp but I’m 99% sure it was a rare pre-eb Sabre preamp for a guitar

 

[basshista]

Also gonna shoot myself in the foot if the Sabre preamp I bought and returned turned out to be a legit pre eb Sabre preamp but I’m 99% sure it was a rare pre-eb Sabre preamp for a guitar

I found the pics. The second is slightly blurred but you can see clearly some condenser are in different places and of different type. Just for curiosity : Leo preferred blue caps

 

[kevins]

These are really neat! Also I don’t have to shoot my foot!