Sabre Problem Solved By BP! Also, World Saved.

[centrehice]

Hi folks. New to the MusicMan world.

Just bought a 1980 pre-EB Sabre bass all-original in mint condition.

One major problem: the electronics. Tons of "wolf tones" on the higher frets...increasing as the bass control is turned up. Very disonant sounding and therefore unplayable.

New battery in.

Took it to a guitar tech and he is stumped. Pickups aren't too high.

Is it the pre-amp?
A capacitor?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Ken Baker]

One major problem: the electronics. Tons of "wolf tones" on the higher frets...increasing as the bass control is turned up. Very disonant sounding and therefore unplayable.

Please define what you mean by "wolf tone". This is what I think of as a wolf tone. A resonant, and slightly dissonant and warbly, tone that relates to a combination of the string's vibration and the resonant frequency of the body.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Have you replaced the strings?

You could try a FatFinger. They increase the mass of the headstock and should change the resonant frequency of the beast.

Ken...

 

[the unrepentant]

try repositioning your amp or playing it in a different room.

 

[Caca de Kick]

Try lowering the front pickup more. I have mine to where the ears on the pickup are almost level with the pickguard.

 

[Big Poppa]

This is easy. Your tech is wrong. The Leo era Sabres were ungod,ly hot and so weas the preamp

Lower the living daylights of the neck pickup...remember it is active and needs to be really far from the strings. The magnetic pull of those huge magnets affect the strings vibration.

Lower it nearly flush and see if it goes away then raise it slightly until the wolf howls and then back it down.....

 

[somesmerized]

There you go, some personal tech tips and tricks from the Boss himself! It doesn't get much better than that, does it?

 

[centrehice]

Thanks Big Poppa....and to all others who replied.

I'll let the tech know....and I'll report back.

CH

 

[Big Poppa]

you dont need a tech to find out if Im right get a screw driver and lower the pickup

 

[centrehice]

It's already at the tech's shop.....he had already set the intonation, adjusted the truss rod, action, new strings.....so he's just finishing up.

I don't think this Sabre had ever been set up properly. Surely, the other owner would have heard the problem with the pickup height, so it can't have been played much at all. And judging by its showroom condition, I think it's been stored the vast majority of its existence.

One thing about that bridge....it's a monster.

Thanks again for your help.

 

[fidooda]

sorry to hijack here....

reading this post reminds me why i bought my first EBMM. I can setup the instrument myself, couple of small tools, strobostomp tuner. no more trips to the luthier shop unless something breaks. awesome.

 

[ampegjoel]

ill jump in as well -PlEASE LISTEN TO BIG PAPPA -HE'S RIGHT i ALSO HAVE A LEO SABRE ! and look at it this way-- if you had a "fender "rhodes piano and harold rhodes himself gave you tech advice -see my point !- very graciuos of big pappa
and- I for one -appreciate his wisdom

 

[centrehice]

Thanks Big Poppa....greatly appreciated!

Bass sounds fantastic now. That's one HOT machine.

 

[bradfordws]

Can you put up a pic of the bass? I love those Sabres!

 

[centrehice]

I'll try and post some pics....bear with me....

http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/8868/sabre1uw1.jpg

http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/8254/sabre2ha6.jpg


1980 Sabre. Swamp ash body. Like new.

 

[bovinehost]

That sucker is in FINE shape.

Also, I had some fun and edited your thread title.

Jack

 

[centrehice]

That sucker is in FINE shape.

Also, I had some fun and edited your thread title.

Jack

No problem....

 

[ampegjoel]

Thats a super nice bass- I have a few stingrays and only one sabre-love the sabre--it has a much wider range of tone than the sting ray-I often wonder why EB dropped the sabre ? im guessing lack of sales-which leads me to my next thought -maybe its all in a name ( people migrate toward "stingray") how similar or dissimilar is the newer HH4 electronicly as compared to the last EB sabre's -

 

[Ken Baker]

Also, I had some fun and edited your thread title.

 

[Caca de Kick]

Hey wait a minute! That Sabre is backwards!

It's the mirror image of mine.

 

[bdgotoh]

how similar or dissimilar is the newer HH4 electronicly as compared to the last EB sabre's -

The later Sabres used 5 way lever switches but the coil selections weren't exactly the same as on the Stingray or Sterling HH models. The Bongo HH uses a pan pot so there's no coil splitting.