Question How To Date a Sabre / Please add your info

[oli@bass]

Every now and then, a Sabre pops up on TB or on eBay, and it is pretty hard to tell whether the dating provided by the seller is correct or not. Unfortunately even Rod Trussbroken's excellent recource for all sorts of details on Music Man Basses, does not cover all aspects of the Sabre, especially the electronics.

Now, for the second time, an alleged pre-EB 1979 Sabre was up for sale with the large bridge but the blade switch and soap bar pickup covers. I always thought that these electronics were introduced by EB, so the bass would be a 1984 model.

FS/FT Vintage Pre EB MM Saber Cust Birdseye/Ebony Neck - TalkBass Forums


I really would like to know more about the history of the Sabre and what changes were introduced when. Maybe some forum members here can chime in with hard facts (or certified data such as sale receipts) and pictures of their basses.

Maybe we can come up with valuable information that can be compiled into a Sabre knowledge database.

 

[Aussie Mark]

I'm sure Brad (bgotoh) would be able to answer most of those questions.

 

[Rod Trussbroken]

Oli...the earlier Pre-EB Sabres (late 1978 - circa 1983) had pickups with exposed pole pieces and the control plate had toggle switch electronics. The pickups were a smaller version of the Sting Ray with 8 pole pieces on each. Although the pre-amps were different to the Sting Ray, they were similar in that they were initially sealed in Black epoxy.

The latter Pre-EB Sabres (circa 1983 - 1984) had sealed pickups (the pole pieces were not visible as with the Sabre on TB). Although the bridge pickup pole pieces were still the same as the earlier Sabre, the neck pickup now had 16 pole pieces (like two Jazz Bass coils side by side). The only way to view the poles on these pickups is to remove them and look from underneath. The electronics also changed during this period. The toggle switches were deleted and replaced by a lever switching setup (as with the Sabre on TB). The older pre-amp board was also deleted and now replaced with the same pre-amp board as used on the Sting Rays of that period. From 1984, Ernie Ball continued to make this model Sabre up until 1991. A 3EQ version was introduced c.1987.

With regards to the Sabre on TB, if all is original (putting aside the stated neck replacement) then, IMO, it can't be a 1979 Sabre. Because the neck is not original and because we have no body date, it's hard to say whether it's either a late Pre-EB or a very early Ernie Ball Sabre. Although it has the Pre-EB horse shoe type bridge, these bridges were also used on very early Ernie Ball Sabres before they changed to the same bridge as used on the Sting Rays.

 

[spideyjg]

That guy was told the truth that his bass wasn't a 79 and he argues.

Gav has the facts.

An authentic 79 per Brad who had this at one time and checked dates......

 

[five7]

Whew!

 

[bdgotoh]

Gav nailed it as usual, I'll just add that there may have been some mixing of pickups during the transition to closed cover pickups. I had an '83 Sabre that had the lever switch and 16 pole closed cover neck pickup but an exposed pole bridge pickup. Since I bought it used it might not have come from the factory that way but the seller claimed it had.

The control cavity route in the body is a different shape for the toggle vs lever switch Sabres so it's very unlikely that Sabre body is a '79.