• Ernie Ball
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  • Sterling by MusicMan

e.mate

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 31, 2009
Messages
742
Location
Bremen, Germany
I havn't been on for a while, but I am glad to be back :) I'd like to share a couple of guitar resurrection projects with you, that I am currently into. To begin with, this is the story of the FrankenSilo, or moreover SiLuke, if you will. You decide for yourself...

Disintegration Fantasies

No, this holds no aggression bit to it. When I became a fan of the Silo in the early 90s, there would soon be the Luke coming up. My aesthetic self would prefer the Luke's body, but the Silo Specials neck and PUs. But I didn't have to worry anyway, because as a University student and young father I couldn't afford neither of the two.
With the fast evolution of the internet a couple of years later, there would be a lot of used stuff coming up on Ebay. There was even a lot of parts which promised, that owning a custom MusicMan could be within reach. I learned (actually here on the forum) about the interchangeability of necks between Silo Specials and Lukes, and the plan was to get one of each. I was hoping for two abused, ****ed up guitars, that could be saved for an afterlife somehow. It didn't work too well here in Germany....

Money in my hands...

Due to some weird biographical development I suddenly had money available. The vast majority of that went into buying a Purple Axis and a Desert Gold Silo (you can see both of these ion my profile) directly from the US, as currency conversion was pro-Euro in those days, and even with calculating against tax, importing guitars was a very good idea. For some years I would forget about the fantasies from before. However, for some drastic change in my life, I had to sell both of these wonderful guitars again...

SUBstantial changes

I got back to the Evilbay side of life, purchased a SUB1 und had DiMarzios installed. The industrial killer machine would do it for some time. And boy, she did well...
Just when I had decided, that customized SUBs would be my way to go, I managed to get a better job. At the very same time, this thing turned up on Evilbay :eek:
silo_spec2.JPG

What you cannot see from the pic is, that this is a Silo Special body withe a beautifully figured Luke neck. It holds a Transition humbucker in the bridge, a Chopper in the neck and the traditional SS DiMarzio SC in the middle. The story was like, "I bought a lot of parts off Ebay, and built my individual back up for the Luke I own". The guy got his LIII much sooner than he thought, so the FrankenSilo had to go...

Learning to love...

...the Luke neck. Now, this is strange. While the neck of the Luke for some reason really pissed me off in the 90s, my feeling towards it really changed over last couple of years. So, my original plan to have that neck replaced is now....cancelled. However, I will have some serious customizing being done on this guitar, and as I have no idea about dealing with electronics, I found a local dude who has. So, over the next weeks, you will see the devolopment of the idea that I have for this baby. Be it a FrankenSilo, a SiLuke or something completely different :p

Watch this space...
 

e.mate

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 31, 2009
Messages
742
Location
Bremen, Germany
Revelation time...

Now here I go....

May I introduce the SiLuke Special!

Concept
Sort of Power-Tele style in a Silo suit, plus the Luke neck...a funky rocker:cool:

Electronics
DiMarzio Silo Custom SC in the neck, PAF Pro in bridge position. Three Way switch, with middle position coil tapping the HB.

Other changes
Custom Chandler pickguard (Orange Crush); orange Schaller banjo tuner buttons

The builder...
Karsten Fernau, local bass play, music teacher and repair shop entrepeneur...and a very nice and humble human being:eek:
K. Fernau - Home | Facebook

The pics (because I know, otherwise it doesn't exist)


Foto 23.09.17, 17 38 02.jpg Foto 23.09.17, 17 38 44.jpg Foto 23.09.17, 17 39 08.jpg Foto 23.09.17, 17 38 31.jpg
 

Spudmurphy

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 23, 2005
Messages
12,034
Location
Cardiff, United Kingdom
great little project - I'm not a lover of that pick guard - I think "the boys" would take the pi*s out of me if I rocked up with a 'guard like that - hey I'm an older guy who prefers the more classic look. :) But nice little story.
 

Fro

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 17, 2012
Messages
782
Very nice! I’m digging the pickup layout and the guard.
 

rjudo

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 1, 2012
Messages
47
Now here I go....

May I introduce the SiLuke Special!

Concept
Sort of Power-Tele style in a Silo suit, plus the Luke neck...a funky rocker:cool:

Electronics
DiMarzio Silo Custom SC in the neck, PAF Pro in bridge position. Three Way switch, with middle position coil tapping the HB.

Other changes
Custom Chandler pickguard (Orange Crush); orange Schaller banjo tuner buttons

The builder...
Karsten Fernau, local bass play, music teacher and repair shop entrepeneur...and a very nice and humble human being:eek:
K. Fernau - Home | Facebook

The pics (because I know, otherwise it doesn't exist)


View attachment 32469 View attachment 32470 View attachment 32471 View attachment 32472

Awesome! Love how this turned out.
 
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