Silo vs Silo Special Pickups

[mikeller]

I was comparing my new Silhouette to my Silhouette Special and note some differences in the pickups that has me curious:

Single Coil: The Silo has staggered poles, the Silo Special has flat poles ?

Humbuckers: The SS humbuckers have plain poles on one bobbin and slotted adjustments on the other - the Silo has what looks like black set screws on both (or all 4) bobbins.

Any info on these differences would be welcomed!!

Thanks

 

[whitestrat]

the Silo has what looks like black set screws on both (or all 4) bobbins.

Not sure about the Silo Spec, but this isn't the case for the SIlo anymore. The black bobbins were there because the old Silos used DiMarzio PAF Pros, which come with black bobbins. The newer ones use Vitrual PAFs and Virtual Hot PAFs... Silver bobbins.

 

[candid_x]

I think the Silo still uses a PAF Pro hb and a custom DiMarzio sc. Whitestrat may be correct, but I don't think so. Maybe someone can confirm.

The newer Silo Special uses a Virtual PAF hb and custom DiMarzio sc.

Near the end of 2002, the Silo Special hb was changed from MM's own custom DiMarzio hb to the PAF Pro.

 

[Sub1 Zero]

The new Silos run the Virtual PAF's. Not sure of the differences, since I've never played one.

 

[candid_x]

I just made a correction to my earlier post. Remind me not to post before my first cup of morning coffee.

So, if the Silo and Silo Special both use Virtual PAF, why did they sound so different in 64's a/b test? Bridge/trem, saddles/piezo?

 

[whitestrat]

I just made a correction to my earlier post. Remind me not to post before my first cup of morning coffee.

So, if the Silo and Silo Special both use Virtual PAF, why did they sound so different in 64's a/b test? Bridge/trem, saddles/piezo?

clutching at straws now... I'm not sure, but is the bridge pup on the silo a virtual PAF or a virtual Hot PAF??? The 20th features a virtual hot PAF, so, maybe the SS is a Vitrual PAF Bridge pup, while the Silo bridge pup is a Virtual Hot PAF?

 

[candid_x]

The Silo was a hardtail/maple board and the Silo Special was a trem/rosewood. Still I don't think either of those differences would've accounted for the less-than-subtle differences in tone I experienced.

There is a huge difference in tone between my maple and rosewood Silo Special, the maple being lots brighter, both had the same pickups (I've recently converted one to SSS). If it were a hardtail I believe the difference would be greater yet.

 

[candid_x]

clutching at straws now... I'm not sure, but is the bridge pup on the silo a virtual PAF or a virtual Hot PAF??? The 20th features a virtual hot PAF, so, maybe the SS is a Vitrual PAF Bridge pup, while the Silo bridge pup is a Virtual Hot PAF?

This topic comes up periodically here, and I had forgotten that the Silo switched to Virtual PAF's, but I've never heard of them coming with a Virtual Hot PAF, though from what many elsewhere say, it's a great sounding p'up. I've even thought of getting one for my HSS Special. I didn't know the 20th bridge uses them, but that would account for at least part of the great tone they're reported to put out. What's used in their neck, do you know?

 

[whitestrat]

This topic comes up periodically here, and I had forgotten that the Silo switched to Virtual PAF's, but I've never heard of them coming with a Virtual Hot PAF, though from what many elsewhere say, it's a great sounding p'up. I've even thought of getting one for my HSS Special. I didn't know the 20th bridge uses them, but that would account for at least part of the great tone they're reported to put out. What's used in their neck, do you know?

The neck of the 20th? Vitrual PAF Neck pup...