How long should a silhouette last, before needing major work?

[tj1]

Just out of curiosity...assuming 10 hours use per week(not heavy shredding), at what point would it need major renovation work like a refret or electronics replacement?

 

[beej]

So, a few things. There's no reason the electronics will need any kind of work. Pots can be cleaned if they get scratchy, etc., and that stuff is minor surgery.

Fret wear depends on a number of things, but mostly comes down to how heavy your fretting hand is. Even then, a fret dress / re-fret isn't that expensive. Something you'll have to go through eventually. (Unless you're Steve Morse, and then you'll need to do it regularly ... but he's not human.)

Beyond that, wood is wood ... you may never have an issue with the guitar, or you may have one that needs neck work years from now (less likely).

Buy a nice guitar. Play. Enjoy.

 

[tbonesullivan]

An electronics replacement is not a standard service item that a guitar would need, even after years, unless you sweat a ton all over the guitar.

 

[klaveguitars]

My #1 is a Silhouette from 1993. My fretting hand is quite heavy, and I played it for more than 10 hours a week, on average. I had it refreted in 2013.

The electronics, bridge and tuners are all still original and all work as well as the day I bought it.

I'm not super crazy about maintenance, but I make sure to address problems when they happen, restring it often, and do a thorough cleaning every few years.

 

[DrKev]

My 2005 Silhouette Special has plenty of use for more than 9 years (and it had at least two owners before that). That included gigging and rehearsals and teaching. Still no need of a refret. Soon, i.e. in a maybe a year or two or three, but no need yet. No need to replace anything else either. Tuners are still magnificently smooth, pots and switch are fine. I broke a wire on the the battery box and damaged the box trying to resolder it but that was my own dumb fault. (Hint - don't try to solder onto the box, just buy a new one).

My old MIJ strat had well over 1000 gigs over 9 years and the frets are, appropriately, totally shot. But I had to replace tuners and pots and, well, I'm happy that guitar is the basement.

 

[tj1]

Thanks for the replies, not knowing much about guitars I'd assumed that the electronics would wear out eventually much like a TV or computer will fail.

One of the reasons I bought the silo is felt more solid than other guitarsIn that price range in the shop, and I understand it's got a reputation as as a 'beater' for professional musicians. Have not had any probs with mine other than the ocassional need for truss rod adjustment but it's still relatively new

 

[GWDavis28]

You know it doesn't exist without pictures!!!

Glenn |B)

 

[tj1]

Here is a pic from the retailer where I bought it from.

I think it was one of the last SSS silos ever produced in August 2015, although I bought it as new in 2018 after it seems it had been sitting in a wharehouse for three years: maybe potential buyers thought that because it had been discontinued it was somehow obsolete.

Not sure why they chose to stop producing the SSS config.

 

[ohbugger]

Very nice, hope you enjoy it! For a little perspective, I have a number of older Music Man JP models, bought used, and the only one needing any fretwork is a 2003 model that must have been played nonstop by the previous owners. So that was 16 when I bought it last year; the only thing my other JPs have needed were an occasional spray in the pots to clean and general TLC. You're set for a long time of playing!

 

[GWDavis28]

Here is a pic from the retailer where I bought it from.

I think it was one of the last SSS silos ever produced in August 2015, although I bought it as new in 2018 after it seems it had been sitting in a wharehouse for three years: maybe potential buyers thought that because it had been discontinued it was somehow obsolete.

Not sure why they chose to stop producing the SSS config.

Nice congrats, Silo Specials are great. NOS is the best way to go as well!!!!! I have a feeling that EBMM felt that they had too many configurations and wanted to minimize stock and inventory to store, but again that's just a guess.

It seems that the Cutlass has taken over the spot that the Silo Special used to hold in the EBMM lineup and is loved by just about everyone that gives it a try, especially Silo Special player, right DrKev.

Hey you never know they could do a killer BFR Silo Special at some point.

Glenn |B)

 

[Arthur Cooke]

Nice guitar! But any premium guitar should last a good long time before needing major TLC. I do, however, see guitars with pitted frets in positions where you can see certain favourite chords and solos being overplayed.

 

[tj1]

Thanks again for the appreciations of it. What I found is that it is very snug and comfortable to hold, this eems to be common praise of it on the net 'fits like aglove' etc.

Guess my only criticism is that the Silo special seems to have a very close string spacing(certainly compared with my acoustic), this makes it more difficult for butter fingers, possibly for actual musicians it makes for faster chord changes, but beginners should be aware that narrow string spacing maybe not ideal. I am not sure if this is common design feature of all EBMM guitars...

 

[DrKev]

Electric guitars are often narrower at the nut than acoustic guitars. Most (though not all) EBMM guitars have 1 5/8" (41.3 mm) nut width. That nut width was the most common width on the highly prized vintage Fender guitars and is used on many strat-inspired guitars today. The slightly wider nut width is 1 11/16" (42.9 mm), and is more commonly used than 1 5/8". It was the width used on vintage Gibson and Gretsch guitars, for example. Most 6-string electric guitars on the market today are one or the other of those two.

Acoustic guitar nuts are 1 11/16", or an even wider 1 3/4" or 1 7/8". Traditional classical guitars are over 2" wide at the nut.