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Music Man Stephen Egerton Stingray
Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem
VS
Playability
70
Sound
70
Build
79
Value
63
Score
73
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Playability
65
Sound
74
Build
82
Value
59
Score
74
FIND IT ON:
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Music Man Stephen Egerton Stingray vs Sabre Guitar HH Trem

Reasons to Get
Music Man Stephen Egerton Stingray over Sabre Guitar HH Trem

Pickups
H vs HH
Hum-free with more right hand freedom and sustain
Nut Width
1.625'' (41.3mm) vs 1.693'' (43mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Bridge
Fixed vs Tremolo
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Value Score
63 vs 59
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem over Stephen Egerton Stingray

Decorative Top
Flame Maple vs None
Finished with beautiful natural wood patterns
Switch Positions
5 vs 0
More tone options
Volume Knobs
1 vs 0
More volume control
Tone Knobs
1 vs 0
More tone control
Pickups
HH vs H
High output without hum
Nut Width
1.693'' (43mm) vs 1.625'' (41.3mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Bridge
Tremolo vs Fixed
Simple vibratos without too much maintenance

Other Key Differences
Music Man Stephen Egerton Stingray vs Sabre Guitar HH Trem

Neck Wood
Maple vs Figured Maple
Different Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Rosewood vs Figured Maple
Different Fretboard Wood

Shared Features
Music Man Stephen Egerton Stingray vs Sabre Guitar HH Trem

Bridge Pickup
Music Man Custom Humbucker
Same Bridge Pickup
Body Wood
Okoume
Same Body Wood
Headstock
4-2
Same Headstock
Nut Material
Compensated
Same Nut Material
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Number of Frets
22
Same maximum octave
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm)
Same string tension and fret separation
Fretboard Radius
10'' (254mm)
Same fretboard comfortability
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Neck Profile Type
C
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Neck Joint
Bolt-On
Allows you to detach and swap the neck
Type of Frets
Medium Jumbo
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • Locking Tuners
  • High-Quality Nut
  • High-Quality Frets
  • From a High-Quality-Standards Country
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • Neck-Through Build
  • Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
  • Weight Relief
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem is probably the better product overall with its final score of 74 compared to the Music Man Stephen Egerton Stingray's 73 score, although not by a lot.

The Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem wins when it comes to sound, build quality. On the other hand, the Music Man Stephen Egerton Stingray has the upper hand when it comes to playability, value for the money.

If you got small hands, you'll probably feel that the Music Man Stephen Egerton Stingray is easier to play.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the Music Man Stephen Egerton Stingray is the better choice.

The Music Man Stephen Egerton Stingray meets 6 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem meets only 5. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players.

New Player Friendliness

Music Man Stephen Egerton Stingray
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Locking tuners
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Short scale

New Player Friendliness

Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Locking tuners
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale

Nevertheless, when it comes to choosing an instrument, you should pick the one more compatible with your personal style. Still, below we'll try you to give you our results as objectively as it's possible to help you decide.

Music Man Stephen Egerton Stingray Overview

  • From Music Man's 2020 Stephen Egerton series
  • Stephen Egerton Signature
  • Made in United States
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 10" Fretboard Radius
  • Okoume body
  • Maple neck
  • Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Music Man Custom Humbucker (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 0 volume and 0 tone Dome knobs
  • Music Man Modern hardtail with crescent cover vintage bent steel saddles bridge
  • Stephen Egerton Bolt-On neck
  • 22 Medium Jumbo Stainless Steel frets
  • Schaller M6-IND locking tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem Overview

  • From Music Man's 2020 Sabre series
  • Made in United States
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 10" Fretboard Radius
  • Flame Maple top
  • Okoume body
  • Figured roasted maple neck neck
  • Figured Roasted Maple fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Music Man Custom Humbucker (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Music Man Custom Humbucker (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
  • 5-way Switch
  • Music Man Modern Tremolo bridge
  • Sabre Bolt-On neck
  • 22 Medium Jumbo Stainless Steel frets
  • Schaller M6-IND locking tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Sound Quality Comparison

The wood used in an electric guitar or bass is not as important to determine the final tone. However, some people prefer specific wood types, so we'll take a look at those first. Then, we'll take a look at the electronics to determine the versatility and sound quality of each instrument.

Woods Used in Both

Okoume wood pattern used for guitar building
Okoume

Okoume is an affordable wood and one of the first to replace Mahogany when the prohibitions started. It's generally softer than Mahogany and the tone has warmer lows.

Woods Used in the Music Man Stephen Egerton Stingray

Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple
Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood

Maple is one of the most popular necks for good reasons. It is a strong wood that is relatively cheap to make and looks beautiful. The highest quality maple is the hardest that comes from North America. Find out more about Maple.

Rosewood is an almost purple-looking wood that is used mainly for fretboards since it's heavy, rare, and expensive. It's sometimes used on acoustic guitar bodies to create stronger warm tones. Find out more about Rosewood.

Woods Used in the Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem

Figured Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Figured Maple

This wood has beautiful patterns only found in specific types of maple.

Winner: Tie.

Pickup Configuration

The Music Man Stephen Egerton Stingray has an H configuration while the Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem has HH pickups.

A single H pickup gives you the advantage of having a little longer sustain (all other things being equal) because there will be less magnetic fields from other pickups affecting the strings' vibration. However, they also give you the least versatility because you won't have other pickups at different distances from the bridge to create different tones. A single humbucking pickup is used for noiseless high output, which is used mainly for Hard Rock genres.

On the other hand, Double Humbucker (HH) is the choice for people who want a fuller, more round sound with tons of mids and lows. Humbuckers also get rid of the hum noise that plague single-coil pickups. They can work out for almost any genre going from Djent to even Jazz.

Pickups Quality

Both come with very good pickups from at least one of the specialized brands in the market. With pickups like these, you probably won't need an upgrade anytime soon.

Both use Passive pickups. This is what's used for most music genres. They have a regular output and will serve you for both high-gain and clean tones. The alternative (Active pickups) offer a higher output that is mostly used for heavy music.

Winner: Tie.

Versatility Comparison

Some instruments offer you more ways to explore your creativity than others. Below you'll find how both compare when it comes to versatility.

Switch Options

The Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem gives you 5 switch options while the Music Man Stephen Egerton Stingray gives you 0. This means that the Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve

Neither of them come with some kind of coil split or pickup mod option. This makes both lacking in terms of versatility.

The Music Man Stephen Egerton Stingray doesn't come with pickup switching options.

Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem pickups switch selector and push knobs diagram
Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem's switch options

When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.

Winner: Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Music Man Stephen Egerton Stingray
Pickups 90
Sustain 70
Versatility 40
Tuning Stability 80
Sound 70
Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem
Pickups 90
Sustain 65
Versatility 67
Tuning Stability 75
Sound 74

Build Quality Comparison

When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the Music Man Stephen Egerton Stingray compares to the Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. Both in this comparison where made in United States.

The United States is considered one of the best electric guitar manufacturers in the world. A guitar made in this country is supposed to have world-class quality control. Nowadays, guitars made in other countries can beat some of the ones made in the US, but most of the time, this country offers the best you can get. Of course, that comes at a price.

Winner: Tie

Nut Material

If you want your guitar to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.

In this case, both have Compensated nuts. Each hole where the string sits at the nut is cut at a different distance from the bridge, which compensates for the different amount of tension that each string is subject to. This fixes most intonation issues across the fretboard, so it gives great tuning stability.

Fret Material

Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.

Both in this comparison come with stainless steel frets. These frets will basically last for the entire life of the guitar. They will never need polishing nor replacement. And not only that, but some people also notice that bending and vibratos are much easier to perform when they upgrade to stainless steel.

Winner: Tie.

Bridge

The perfect bridge for you will depend on your playstyle because they all have advantages and disadvantages. However, some bridges are more expensive—like Floyd Roses and Evertunes—and thus add more value to a guitar.

The Music Man Stephen Egerton Stingray's brige is a Fixed. It's a simple bridge that is very beginner-friendly since it doesn't require any set-up. You can swap strings easily. It might also give more sustain since it doesn't have complex moving parts that make the strings lose vibration. However, it doesn't have the same versatility as a tremolo bridge.

On the other hand, the Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem's is a Tremolo. Tremolo bridges give you more versatility than fixed bridges. They let you perform the intense vibrato effects that would be impossible with a fixed bridge. However, since the bridge floats and there's less contact with the body, the strings lose sustain slightly faster. They can also be a bit harder to restring and set up correctly than fixed bridges.

Since we need to be objective, the most expensive type of bridge will be the winner of this section. In the end, this doesn't matter if you're not going to use the bridge for its original purpose, so choose the bridge that fits your playing style better.

Winner: Tie.

Tuners

They both have locking tuners. They'll help to keep your guitar in tune because they allow you to tune it without wrapping the strings around the posts. This avoids variations in the tuning due to the strings changing position at the post after a bend. They come at the disadvantage of being slightly heavier than regular tuners. Also, it makes it a lot easier to restring.

Winner: Tie.

Neck Joint

Contrary to popular belief, the difference in sustain and tone that some neck joints give to a guitar is simply unperceivable—if they're all well built. However, some of them do have advantages over the others.

Both have a Bolt-On neck joint. This neck is joined to the body by 4 bolts that you can simply unscrew. This allows you to replace the neck or take it off for travel. It's the most common and cheapest way to build a guitar.

Winner: Tie.

Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:

Strengths & Weaknesses
Music Man Stephen Egerton Stingray
  • Stainless Steel Frets
  • Locking Tuners
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Compensated Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Tremolo
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem
  • Stainless Steel Frets
  • Locking Tuners
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Compensated Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Music Man Stephen Egerton Stingray
Quality of materials 81
Features 60
Quality Control 95
Build Quality 79
Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem
Quality of materials 80
Features 65
Quality Control 100
Build Quality 82

Playability Comparison

Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a guitar might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.

Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a guitar feels in your hands.

Nut Width

Music Man Stephen Egerton Stingray Nut Width
Music Man Stephen Egerton Stingray Nut Width
Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem Nut Width
Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem has the wider nut with 43mm (1.693'') vs 41.3mm (1.625''). This is a 1.7mm (0.068'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.

Scale Length

Music Man Stephen Egerton Stingray and Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem's Scale Length
Both have the same scale length

The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.

In this case, both have a scale length of 25.5".

This is the scale used in most Stratocasters. It's slightly longer than the typical 24.75'' size found in Les Pauls, and it's one of the main reasons why Stratocasters have such a bright sound in general. A longer scale also means that the strings will have higher tension. This will help you get lower action without suffering fret buzz, which will also be helpful when playing in lower tunings without having to increase your string gauge.

However, this also means that there will be more separation between frets, which can make it more difficult to play. Also, bending the strings will require more strengths due to the increased tension, but remember that a tremolo guitar will offset this difficulty.

Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.

Neck Profile

Music Man Stephen Egerton Stingray Neck Profile
Music Man Stephen Egerton Stingray's neck profile
Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem Neck Profile
Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem's neck profile

No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.

Both the Music Man Stephen Egerton Stingray and the Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem have a C-shaped neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.

Fretboard Radius

Music Man Stephen Egerton Stingray Fingerboard Radius
Both Guitars Have The Same Fretboard Radius

Most guitar fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.

Both the Music Man Stephen Egerton Stingray and the Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem have the same fretboard radius of 10". This is slightly flatter than the typical modern Stratocaster, but not by a lot. This radius will make it comfortable to play chords without muting strings accidentally. However, when compared to Strats, the extra .5 inches radius will make it slightly more comfortable to play solos without sacrificing too much chord playability.

Hand Size Comfortability

Everyone has a different hand size, and that's why it's recommended to try a guitar before buying, even if others tell you that it's comfortable to play. However, we can know whether a guitar favors small or large hands just by knowing its exact measurements.

And after taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that the Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem favors large hands more than the Music Man Stephen Egerton Stingray. But it's still more comfortable for people with small hands, as you can see in the score meter below.

Music Man Stephen Egerton Stingray:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Music Man Stephen Egerton Stingray and Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem Frets Size
Both have a similar Medium Jumbo fret size

Both have a Medium Jumbo fret size. These are slightly shorter than full Jumbo frets, so you'll still feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings. However, they interfere less with your fretting hand than medium-size frets. This is a good size if you like easy-to-press frets, but would still like to feel a bit of the fretboard when playing.

Final Playability Scores

Music Man Stephen Egerton Stingray
Bending & Vibrato Ease 70
Chord Playability 75
Solo Playability 65
Playability 70
Music Man Sabre Guitar HH Trem
Bending & Vibrato Ease 65
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 65
Playability 65

Specs Side-by-Side

Music Man Stephen Egerton Stingray vs Sabre Guitar HH Trem
General Music Man Stephen Egerton Stingray Sabre Guitar HH Trem
Brand: Music Man Music Man
Year: 2020 2020
Configuration: H HH
Strings: 6 6
Made in: United States United States
Series: Stephen Egerton Sabre
Colors: Black Brown Burst, Blue Burst, Orange, Red Burst, Green Burst
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Okoume Okoume
Bridge: Music Man Modern hardtail with crescent cover vintage bent steel saddles Music Man Modern Tremolo
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Bolt-On
Tuners: Schaller M6-IND locking Schaller M6-IND locking
Fretboard: Rosewood Figured Roasted Maple
Neck Material: Maple Figured roasted maple neck
Decoration: 1/4 Dot Inlay 1/4 Black Dot Inlay
Scale Size: 25.5" 25.5"
Shape: Stephen Egerton Sabre
Frets: 22 Medium Jumbo Stainless Steel 22 Medium Jumbo Stainless Steel
Fretboard Radius: 10" 10"
Nut: Compensated Compensated
Nut Width: 41.3mm (1.625'') 43mm (1.693'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Music Man Custom Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive) Music Man Custom Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: Music Man Custom Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 0 Way 5 Way
Knobs: Dome Dome
Pickup Mods: None None
Volume Controls: 0 1
Tone Controls: 0 1