- Thread starter NICKR
- Start date
Bert
Well-known member
Hi Nick,
looks like an early Ernie Ball Sabre - not Pre Ernie Ball - as you wrote in the title.
Alder Body, old decal, still with that Horseshoe bridge, but already an Ernie Ball.
Have you unscrewed the neck to check for dates?
What are the first letters/numbers from serialnumber at the bridge?
Keep it.
looks like an early Ernie Ball Sabre - not Pre Ernie Ball - as you wrote in the title.
Alder Body, old decal, still with that Horseshoe bridge, but already an Ernie Ball.
Have you unscrewed the neck to check for dates?
What are the first letters/numbers from serialnumber at the bridge?
Keep it.
Rod Trussbroken
Moderator
As Bert said, it's not a Pre-EB. IMO it's a first year Ernie Ball Sabre 1984 (at the very most, a very early 1985). It still has a Pre-EB Sabre headstock logo. The serial will be prefixed "C00". Very few instruments made in 1984. I'd be keeping it.
Covered pickups are a dead giveaway! However it’s an exceptionally rare transition in that it has the post eb neck with the a&d dampener and it has the pre-eb bridge! I wish I had a pre-eb bridge!!
Easiest way to find out would be to open the pickguard up and see if it’s 8 Pole pieces or 16 pole pieces in the neck pickup
However some 84s that were pre-eb had a blade switch, though I’m not sure if any of those had pickup covers. I’d check the pole pieces and that’ll be your answer, could be one of the earliest ernie ball sabres too!
How much you want for it?
Easiest way to find out would be to open the pickguard up and see if it’s 8 Pole pieces or 16 pole pieces in the neck pickup
However some 84s that were pre-eb had a blade switch, though I’m not sure if any of those had pickup covers. I’d check the pole pieces and that’ll be your answer, could be one of the earliest ernie ball sabres too!
How much you want for it?
Check the pickups on it too. Is that a five way switch or a three way switch? It looks like a three, if it’s a three way switch it could be a pre-eb maybe with a eb neck, something the original owner could have done if they for example wanted to go from rosewood to maple etc and had two basses
just remove the neck and check the dates on the pocket on the body and on the neck heel
For what I have seen, having owned many pre eb and early EB basses, while Jackson (pre EB until the Eb takeover) didn't put any date on the neck, EB started from the early production to put it .
I quote the previous replies confirming that it looks like an early EB due to the string tree position and the dot on 21st fret. All the rest screams per EB: neckplate with "made in USA" and the bridge. Slide switch and covered pickups were used also in the last pre EBs and cutlass 11
For what I have seen, having owned many pre eb and early EB basses, while Jackson (pre EB until the Eb takeover) didn't put any date on the neck, EB started from the early production to put it .
I quote the previous replies confirming that it looks like an early EB due to the string tree position and the dot on 21st fret. All the rest screams per EB: neckplate with "made in USA" and the bridge. Slide switch and covered pickups were used also in the last pre EBs and cutlass 11
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Yeah only thing off is that string dampener, and that’s it, reason I said check the pickups is cause if it’s got double 8s it’s by all means essentially the same exact thing as a pre-eb Sabre
Also my guy don’t swap that for a fender jazz! You can always just get one of those, they’ll never stop making em. If you have something else to trade instead do that. You are never going to find a bass like that again easily and I’d ask you to reconsider. if it’s a pre eb, those are handwound pickups in there, the size on the sabres pickups is slightly smaller than the stingray and the pickups tend to be slightly overwound as a result, they’re works of art themselves. The woods over 30 years old, that’s a one of a kind bridge that didn’t even make it to the reissue!
it’s a very special bass, and if it does have two 8 pole piece pickups, may be one of the first ones eb ever made or the last ones musicman made!
it’s a very special bass, and if it does have two 8 pole piece pickups, may be one of the first ones eb ever made or the last ones musicman made!
