Silhouette Special 10th Anniversary, history & facelift

[andynpeters]

(about 6 months late)
Around 1998 I started what was called a "Hi-Tech" Duo in those days with a girl singer. It took off rapidly, to the extent that at the end of the year I gave up the day job and became a "pro" (ie unemployed).
Things kept going well and in May'99 I ordered a Purple Silhouette Special. I'd never played an EBMM, but they had good reviews, it was light, it was purple and it was left handed. It showed up in September '99



At first I was disappointed with the colour, having expected something brighter, but the singer loved it so it went to work.
We got really lucky after that & spent the next 5 years touring the world i ships, hotels, bars, parties,weddings.........we played in China, the USA, the UK, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Spain, France Africa...........and the SS was the guitar I used. I generally had another one in a case, but it was never needed.
In all that time I never broke a string, never touched the truss rod and never had a problem. Thoroughly reliable guitar.
Also in all that time it was never plugged into an amp, just a Boss GT5 into the PA, always on the middle setting, giving clean, dirty, fuzz, wah,synth and acoustic sounds as required.

So the duo broke up, and I stopped playing regularly. It went back to Machinehead for a fret dress but then fell out of favour as I didn't like it through an amp....the pickups seemed too harsh and scrapey to me (not complaining, probably just a tad too rocky)and I wanted a softer, more liquid sound. I was mostly playing blues for fun & found myself turning to other guitars. I thought about selling it (as I did with my Red Sparkle SS)

but it held too many memories and had too many stories to tell. Then we moved to Spain


Fast forward to this year, playing blues from time to time, using an ASSMM90 and also a Deluxe Strat.......but that Pearl Purple is still such a nice colour.....so I started to wonder whether there were some changes I could make so it would make the sounds in my head........and maybe take me through another decade......?????

[andynpeters]

....and so.....

[andynpeters]

I did this

[browndog]

That purple is awesome looking. I can’t wrap my head around a lefty, but that is sweet!

[andynpeters]

[guitfiddle]

Very cool. What do you have in it for PUPs, and what do you think of it now?

[Jimmyb]

Nice one Andy!!

What pickups have you got in there?

[andynpeters]

It surely does look sweet.....but that's nothing compared to the way it sounds.
The new scratchplate came from Chandlers. I removed the old one, disconnected the jack and battery box and put in a new set of Fender Samarium Cobalt pickups.Don't need to worry about connecting the noise reduction system as the pickups are totally noiseless. Didn't bother with their S1 series/parallel switching system as all that seems to do is muddy the sound in all positions (maybe I'm missing the point....???)
It now sounds exactly the way I want it to.....a blues monster with the sweetest clean sound around.
Apologies to anyone who thinks I'm trying to impose something on a guitar that it was never designed to do, but for me the change is awesome. Can't help wondering if this is how an Albert Lee would sound.
Anyway, I am now back in love with it again and hope it's going to serve me well for more decades to come.

[threeminutesboy]

It surely does look sweet.....but that's nothing compared to the way it sounds.
The new scratchplate came from Chandlers. I removed the old one, disconnected the jack and battery box and put in a new set of Fender Samarium Cobalt pickups.Don't need to worry about connecting the noise reduction system as the pickups are totally noiseless. Didn't bother with their S1 series/parallel switching system as all that seems to do is muddy the sound in all positions (maybe I'm missing the point....???)
It now sounds exactly the way I want it to.....a blues monster with the sweetest clean sound around.
Apologies to anyone who thinks I'm trying to impose something on a guitar that it was never designed to do, but for me the change is awesome. Can't help wondering if this is how an Albert Lee would sound.
Anyway, I am now back in love with it again and hope it's going to serve me well for more decades to come.

good job ! I'm sure this guitar will be used for another 10 years

[robelinda2]

Great! Have to admit, i'm a big fan of those SCN pickups......

[RocketRalf]

Silhouettes are really cool. I too would like a purple one, but not that purple. It's not bad, though.

You don't have to apologize, we like [reversible] mods here! The Silo and SS were intended to have easily replaceable pickguards, so it's all fine.

[Jack FFR1846]

That is a really neat story. Where I take lessons, they have your backwards twin....

[agt]

I like the new look! May it serve you well now and in the future!

[jamminjim]

Andy - is it wired up like a $trat now?

It is beautiful btw.. :-)

[John C]

Nice one Andy! The purple on purple is a really cool look.

Jack - yours is nice also; that old pearl purple (and the old pearl green from that same era) were nice colors.