Tim O'Sullivan
Well-known member
I play EBMM guitars in public 3 times a week on average, and nobody ever knows what kind of guitar I have!
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I play EBMM guitars in public 3 times a week on average, and nobody ever knows what kind of guitar I have!
Hendog
Well-known member
EBMM are the highest quality guitars in the $1,000 to $2,000 price range, PERIOD. There are some wonderful sounds created by $1,500 Les Pauls and Strats, but I don't think there is a person on the planet that will argue that the quality is even close to a EBMM.
Oh, and the neck is amazing... LOL
Oh, and the neck is amazing... LOL
First post!
Been lurking for a little bit, ever since the the Sterling series came out, and was inspired to register by this thread. I'm about as "outsider" as one can probably get: I've been mainly playing Fenders and actually have logged very little time on any Music Man instrument.
So what are and have been my unvarnished impressions of EBMM instruments?
- High-end
- Distinctive, but still has a classic look. A nice fusion of modern and old school.
- Made for musicians who "know what they're doing." What I mean by that is that most of the folks I notice playing them tend to have a high level of technique: Albert Lee, Steve Morse, John Petrucci, Dave LaRue.
- More notable for basses than guitars (don't know why, just the impression I got)
I'm basically a Strat/Tele guy, but have become intrigued with the thought of owning a "shreddier" guitar. While the AX40 doesn't scream "shred" to me, I think it combines the best of the classic looks with a high-performance setup. I've also never owned a Floyd-equipped guitar; in fact none of my guitars have vibratos on them, so I'm kind of interested in that too.
Been lurking for a little bit, ever since the the Sterling series came out, and was inspired to register by this thread. I'm about as "outsider" as one can probably get: I've been mainly playing Fenders and actually have logged very little time on any Music Man instrument.
So what are and have been my unvarnished impressions of EBMM instruments?
- High-end
- Distinctive, but still has a classic look. A nice fusion of modern and old school.
- Made for musicians who "know what they're doing." What I mean by that is that most of the folks I notice playing them tend to have a high level of technique: Albert Lee, Steve Morse, John Petrucci, Dave LaRue.
- More notable for basses than guitars (don't know why, just the impression I got)
I'm basically a Strat/Tele guy, but have become intrigued with the thought of owning a "shreddier" guitar. While the AX40 doesn't scream "shred" to me, I think it combines the best of the classic looks with a high-performance setup. I've also never owned a Floyd-equipped guitar; in fact none of my guitars have vibratos on them, so I'm kind of interested in that too.
Hendog
Well-known member
Good call.
YtseJam92
Well-known member
Agreed. Honestly I think people are blind-sighted by all the big name brands. I mean they have always seen their favorite artists play a Gib*** or a Fen*** and think that that is the only guitar they can play and never try a different one. If people just tried a MM and sat down with it for an hour or two, I think they would be in awe.
All I know is I'm sticking with EBMM as long as their around.
Duarte
Well-known member
Bass is where it's at, my friend.
Here's my viewpoint. I never knew Ernie Ball made guitars....basses yes, strings yes, guitars no. I mean I had seen the Axis before but i didn't know it was called that or who made it as I wasn't interested in it. But when I walk in to a guitar store I usually see all the other brands on the wall and even the EB basses, but rarely any guitars. I didn't even know that there was a JP6 guitar in existence until I was browsing another forum and a guy there posted a pic of his BFR JP6. I fell in love with the design instantly and it just looked like it would play amazingly. About two months later I stopped in my local small guitar store and he has a BFR JP6 on the wall so I play it, went home and sold my PRS and bought it the next week. Now I own nothing but JP6's and have passed on the opportunity of owning other guitars at great prices simply because I know they will not compare to the JP. I've owned lots of guitars from a lot of different manufacturers and was never really completely happy with the guitars I owned, even the REALLY expensive ones. Now I feel like I've found my "one" guitar and I have to thank that guy on that forum for posting his pics He knows who he is and he posts here sometimes lol.
He knows who he is and he posts here sometimes lol.
leftyguitarblue
Well-known member
I played a show a few weeks ago and some guy kept asking me about my guitar while it was still in the case. I told him that it's a music man. he asked what kind of bass it is. I told him no, it's a music man guitar, Petrucci model. So he asked again which bass that was. I explained to him what it was and who the guitar was made for etc. He looks at me and says "if you play guitar, you need a Les paul and a marshall!!!" I asked him why and he said "because they are the best."
People believe whatever the Madison Avenue advertisers tell them.
BTW - he didn't play guitar.
People believe whatever the Madison Avenue advertisers tell them.
BTW - he didn't play guitar.
YtseJam92
Well-known member
Lance Romance
Well-known member
I've been a live guy all my life, so how well a guitar works that way is paramount. The number one thing I've found that makes people understand the Musicman instrument is to hang it on a strap around them. Everything falls into the right place and the body disappears. You then grab the neck and it's game over. As previously noted, the common "negatives" are physical size (until they realize the comfort and portability factor), and the smaller neck/nut profiles (it would be nice if they offered a larger option here).
Here's the bonus stuff you get with EBMM:
Fantastic build quality, hardware, and electronics.
Tuning stabilty, even with the trem models is superb.
Ease of adjustment.
Unique, distinctive appearance (this is a double-edged sword). Not "some guy with a black strat", it's "what is that guitar he's playing?". My strat is a pearlwhite Albert Lee with solid Indian rosewood neck and gold hardware. Flashy, and I like it like that.
Some of the finest guitars in the world, and THE BEST at their price point. Bold statement, but I fix and build guitars for a living, and four EBMMs later feel I'm putting my money where my mouth is.
...and I haven't played a 25th Anniversary yet...
Here's the bonus stuff you get with EBMM:
Fantastic build quality, hardware, and electronics.
Tuning stabilty, even with the trem models is superb.
Ease of adjustment.
Unique, distinctive appearance (this is a double-edged sword). Not "some guy with a black strat", it's "what is that guitar he's playing?". My strat is a pearlwhite Albert Lee with solid Indian rosewood neck and gold hardware. Flashy, and I like it like that.
Some of the finest guitars in the world, and THE BEST at their price point. Bold statement, but I fix and build guitars for a living, and four EBMMs later feel I'm putting my money where my mouth is.
...and I haven't played a 25th Anniversary yet...
Sorry to off topic in my own thread, but... How did you get a hold of gold hardware for your AL!? I would kill to have gold hardware on my Balls!
I've been playing Strats and Ibanez guitars my whole career and I wanted to have something different but of high quality. I had gotten used to a variety of neck shapes and sizes over the years and didn't really have a preference except I didn't do super fat and round very well. Then the day came that I picked up an OLP Luke and went WOW! this neck is fantastic. I started reading reviews and comparisons between the OLP and the real Luke and came to the conclusion that the real deal is going to be right on for what I was after. I haven't been disappointed.
I'm not always keen on Lukather's tone and I saw some videos of a kid from Texas playing blues on the Luke and I figured if he could do it then so could I. I've been able to coax such a variety of tones from my guitar that when friends ask what guitar I used on the recording they are dumb struck to find out that it's a Luke and not something else.
From my outsider perspective I recognized a well constructed and versatile machine that was worthy of the investment and had it's own uniqueness that would become me and I would be proud to own it. Now I feel that way about the rest of the EBMM line. I like being part of the educated/in-the-know crowd.
I'm not always keen on Lukather's tone and I saw some videos of a kid from Texas playing blues on the Luke and I figured if he could do it then so could I. I've been able to coax such a variety of tones from my guitar that when friends ask what guitar I used on the recording they are dumb struck to find out that it's a Luke and not something else.
From my outsider perspective I recognized a well constructed and versatile machine that was worthy of the investment and had it's own uniqueness that would become me and I would be proud to own it. Now I feel that way about the rest of the EBMM line. I like being part of the educated/in-the-know crowd.
I think a tattoo parlor can help you with that.
whitestrat
Well-known member
In my book, Steve Lukather and Steve Morse are both shredders. So is John Petrucci. Even Albert Lee to me is in some ways a shredder, just different genre.
I'd like to think that the EBMM endorsees are mostly "technically proficient".
Lance Romance
Well-known member
menvafaan, I used to own a 2006 Limited edition Albert Lee, and just swapped all the hardware. EBMM wants to keep the gold thing for their limited editions.-Eric
Hendog
Well-known member
ScoobySteve
Well-known member
In my book, Steve Lukather and Steve Morse are both shredders. So is John Petrucci. Even Albert Lee to me is in some ways a shredder, just different genre.
I'd like to think that the EBMM endorsees are mostly "technically proficient".
I suppose so, but to me lately the label "shredder" has obtained some degree of a negative connotation. So many people I run into lately throw around the term "shredder" loosely to assert that someone lacks thoughtful music construction and just climbs up and down scales.
I guess it understates what they really are. Lukather, Morse and Petrucci are far above that, and that simply isn't an opinion, its a valid assertion that can be supported. As you stated "technically" proficient is a good term, but these three players are highly advanced in music theory. I mean their ability to compose music is phenomenal. Sure they "can" shred, but their music is not limited to being able to do so.
Just my 2cents anyways.
kompressaur
Well-known member
fair enough,but I arrived at my Morse and AL after 15 years playing Silos and the many Axis variants.I wanted the 2 guitars I have now because of the features and tones they offered. I dont have any music by either artist and I know next to zilch about them apart from what I've seen/heard on here.
Both these guitars fit the two differing sides of what I want a guitar to be.
Komp
ShaneV
Well-known member
To me, buying an EB signature is miles different than buying something like an SRV strat. EB sigs aren't just silos with different pickups and a few minor tweaks, they're entirely different beasts altogether.
I got a JP after having my SS for about 6 or 7 years, not because I'm a JP fanboy (I wouldn't even go so far as to call myself a fan), but because I wanted a shreddy guitar, with a flat fretboard, 24 frets, a floating trem, etc. I didn't want to buy from any other company, so I bought a guitar from my favorite company based on the features it had- the name on the headstock being that of a musician instead of a random word made no difference to me.
I view the EB sig models in the same light that I view the Les Paul, which let's not forget was a signature model. They aren't existing guitars that are stamped on the 12th fret with someone's initials and jacked up 400 bucks in cost, they are new models developed to suit a player's tastes, and as a result have features that are unique and attractive.
