Question: Tone Differences Between a Silo and Morse...

[Butch Snyder]

All this talk about Johnny Hiland and his new found love for the Silo has got me wondering. You guys who know about most, if not all of the EBMM guitar models, describe for me, the tonal differences between a Silo and a Morse. Take in account the HSSH design of the Morse...

Thanks much!!

[robelinda2]

Pretty different. Main difference for me is much more quackier tones from the Silo in pos 2 and 4, probably why Hiland likes it. Morse axe is good but it dont quack.

[banjoplayer]

silo has quack and is much more bright. Morse is very balanced and has a lot mids

[jptortor]

The Morse, with stock pickups anyway, is MUCH higher output as well.

[D.K.]

Add to it a totally different neck PU sound - dark and warm in the Morse, tight in the silo. PU placement position changes because of the 22 vs. 24 frets.

To me, the Morse is more a twangy guitar, while the silo is a more "stratty" one.

[Brand X]

I was/am a huge Steve Morse fan - both of the man himself and his guitars. I had two SM models a couple of years back and found that because I wear the guitar pretty high up (not quite Petrucci high, but getting there) - the lack of cutaways on the Morses became a real issue and actually made my right shoulder ache unbelieveably.........since then I've moved to Petrucci's but have settled on my Silos and guess what - the shoulder issue has gone.

I told Steve about this a couple of months back at a clinic and joked that I was getting a lawsuit together - I think Steve thought I was serious to start with.......until I told him I would have considered doing the same as to what he did with his heel and taking a lathe to them!

The Morses are awesome guitars, build quality, tonal possibilities etc.......but I'm happy with my Silo's. As far as sound goes, can't say i've ever really studied them that closely.......I just adjust the EQ until my 'sound' is there again LOL!

[D.K.]

Yup, that's true - the Morse is made to be worn lower (just like Steve). Every time I tried to wear it higher, which would give me a bit more control, I had found it to be less comfortable.

[Butch Snyder]

Hmmm, good feedback guys...

My Morse has a DiMarzio Air Norton in the neck (wired in parallel) and an Air Zone in the bridge. I also have 500k pots instead of 250k. The tone is not very close to where it was originally. I love Steve's tone when Steve plays it. With my current rig, it just didn't work for me. I don't want to replace the Morse. It's too great an instrument. I am looking at the next guitar purchase and I need something that will give me versatility and enough of a tonal difference from the Morse. I was thinking Axis at first because I have a 3-pickup Tele; so I don't need an Albert Lee model (at least I keep telling myself that). I've never really been a big fan of 24-fret guitars. I like the placement of the neck pickup better on 22-fret guitars. Is the Silo Special's body routed for a humbucker in the neck position?

[banjoplayer]

I've never really been a big fan of 24-fret guitars. I like the placement of the neck pickup better on 22-fret guitars.

this was one of the reasons for me to sell the silo i´ve owned a short while...

[fbecir]

Butch ! You start again !

For me, the big secret of the Steve Morse is the 2 single coils, especially the slanted one. I own mine for more than 8 years. At the beginning, I was mostly using the humbuckers, but now, I use a lot the single coils. It took me quite some time to find the perfect pickup height, but now I believe I have found a perfect setup.

The bridge single coil gives me the twang, the slanted single coil gives me the quack, the bridge humbucker gives me the aggression, the neck humbucker gives me the singing tone. Now, the problem is to be able to change the pickup configuration "on the fly". Here again, it does not come without work.

[Butch Snyder]

butch ! You start again !

:d

[kompressaur]

For me, the big secret of the Steve Morse is the 2 single coils, especially the slanted one..............
The bridge single coil gives me the twang, the slanted single coil gives me the quack, the bridge humbucker gives me the aggression, the neck humbucker gives me the singing tone. Now, the problem is to be able to change the pickup configuration "on the fly". Here again, it does not come without work.

+ the 1 to all of that.

I miss the slanted single coil going from the Std to the Y2D. The Morse Std is my favourite guitar ever

Komp