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John C

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I know a couple of people have put EMGs into Silos and/or Silo Specials. Does the EBMM molex connector match to the EMG plug-and-play connectors or are you looking at rewiring the output jack and the battery box that already exist? If it's not a direct connection is there an adapter that would work?

Okay - this is just a random thought and not something I'm contemplating doing to my Olive Gold Silo Special; I just got this crazy idea in the back of my head of getting a second Silo Special (some pearl color, maple neck, trem), getting a pickguard routed for the s/s/s with piezo configuration (so I have the hole for the second tone knob) and putting in the EMG Gilmour set.

Thanks for any advice.
 

GWDavis28

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I'm putting the Luke EMG's in my Silo Special, as for the molex connector, the EMG's don't have one, but I'm planning on adding one into my setup. The battery attachment on the Luke EMG's is pretty cheap compared to what EBMM uses, I'll be changing that as well.

I don't have any pictures, but your in luck, I'm at home today, I'll look and see if I have any. Or I'll try to take some.

Glenn |B)
 

threeminutesboy

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Hi John,

I think it's not so difficult to achieve you will have to get an extra connector for your EMG pup (male) and wired so it will match the exciting molex connector on your new silo.

DSCN0688.jpg


You can see that this connector carries ground (black), 9V from the battery (red) and jack output (white)

DSCN0686.jpg


here you see the male connector you will have to wire
 

Slav123

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Hey, u talkin to me? NY
This is awesome info and great pics too! I always thought about getting a Silo Special and put an EMG 81-SA-SA set in it. It's great to know and see that it has been done successfully.

Thanks,
Slav
 

threeminutesboy

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This is awesome info and great pics too! I always thought about getting a Silo Special and put an EMG 81-SA-SA set in it. It's great to know and see that it has been done successfully.

Thanks,
Slav

This is just my silo special pup I did not add any EMG in it :)

But adding a EMG Set should be easy as ABC as long as you have the correct connector ;)

Thanks to the silent circuit the 9V battery and the stereo output jack is already there, so fixing a EMG kit on a silo spec pickguard and adding the molex male connector is really a piece of cake
 

John C

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threeminutesboy - thanks for the response; I can't see the attachements here at work but based on the other responses that's the answer to my question. I'll make sure I take a look tonight.

At any rate I'm thinking about finding a beater Silo Special and adding the EMGs; I'm not modding the olive gold one - I like that one stock. However, I'm thinking of options for other tones in the Silo Special package. I like the sound of my Axis SS rosewood, but just prefer the Silo Special neck and body shape.

EDIT: I did get to see the photos; thanks for the help!
 
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B2D

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threeminutesboy - thanks for the response; I can't see the attachements here at work but based on the other responses that's the answer to my question. I'll make sure I take a look tonight.

At any rate I'm thinking about finding a beater Silo Special and adding the EMGs; I'm not modding the olive gold one - I like that one stock. However, I'm thinking of options for other tones in the Silo Special package. I like the sound of my Axis SS rosewood, but just prefer the Silo Special neck and body shape.

EDIT: I did get to see the photos; thanks for the help!

Why not get a Sterling Silo 30? That's what I'm doing, though it won't be so much of a beater as it will be just a backup. I've been contemplating putting a Lukather-style EMG set in it or the Duncan Blackout equivalent. They're basswood, which may or may not be your thing. Personally I like basswood a little MORE than alder.
 

threeminutesboy

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Why not get a Sterling Silo 30? That's what I'm doing, though it won't be so much of a beater as it will be just a backup. I've been contemplating putting a Lukather-style EMG set in it or the Duncan Blackout equivalent. They're basswood, which may or may not be your thing. Personally I like basswood a little MORE than alder.

the silo30 is great but I guess don't have the molex connector neither the battery holder. On the other hand, when my strat was equipped with SL20 kit the battery was just underneath the pickguard without any easy access to the battery

I guess that if you are patient you can find a good silo spec for 700-800$, so maybe worth waiting a bit to find one
 

B2D

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the silo30 is great but I guess don't have the molex connector neither the battery holder. On the other hand, when my strat was equipped with SL20 kit the battery was just underneath the pickguard without any easy access to the battery

I guess that if you are patient you can find a good silo spec for 700-800$, so maybe worth waiting a bit to find one

Yeah I guess that's true... however I've always wanted to try a basswood Silhouette Special and the Silo30 is the closest that's gonna get.

Plus, knowing me I'll refret the guitar with big-ol stainless frets and I'm pretty good at wiring and routing, so I'd rather not devalue a more expensive instrument.
 

threeminutesboy

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Yeah I guess that's true... however I've always wanted to try a basswood Silhouette Special and the Silo30 is the closest that's gonna get.

Plus, knowing me I'll refret the guitar with big-ol stainless frets and I'm pretty good at wiring and routing, so I'd rather not devalue a more expensive instrument.

:) to be honest I'd like to try one silo30 as well cause ash and basswood are my favorite wood type. I have played my EVH yesterday and and was blown by how light and resonant this guitar is.
 

B2D

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:) to be honest I'd like to try one silo30 as well cause ash and basswood are my favorite wood type. I have played my EVH yesterday and and was blown by how light and resonant this guitar is.

I'm scared that I'll like the tone of the basswood Silo 30's more than my alder silhouette!! :D

I guess I'll just have to put some fat, smooth pickups in the Silo Special to compensate if that's the case. I'm currently assembling a second pickguard assembly with DiMarzios for it, got an Air Norton for the neck and a DSonic and a Air Zone to try for the bridge. I haven't ruled a Breed set out either. Butch helped with with some decisions.
 

John C

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To tell you the truth I simply forgot about the Sterling Silo 30; that's not a bad idea. I guess my thought pattern was:

1. If I do decide to sell that Axis SS rosewood should I sell it outright or take something as a partial trade?

2. If I take a trade it would be another Silo Special; it would be a backup/utility guitar so it could even be a beater.

3. I have a rosewood board Silo Special so if I did get another one it would be a maple board model.

4. There are a lot more H/S/S than S/S/S Silo Specials, but I don't really care for humbuckers (I buy Humbucker guitars then sell them off because they don't get played).

5. Well, if I did get a Silo Special in trade I could swap the pickups ifi it was an H/S/S.

6. What about that Gilmour EMG set - I know I would need a Silo Special pickguard, but that would give me a lot of different tones (both single coil and humbucker when I did feel the urge for that tone) in one guitar. How much trouble would it be to install that set in a Silo Special?

So you can see the wheels are always spinning where GAS is involved!
 

GWDavis28

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To tell you the truth I simply forgot about the Sterling Silo 30; that's not a bad idea. I guess my thought pattern was:

1. If I do decide to sell that Axis SS rosewood should I sell it outright or take something as a partial trade?

2. If I take a trade it would be another Silo Special; it would be a backup/utility guitar so it could even be a beater.

3. I have a rosewood board Silo Special so if I did get another one it would be a maple board model.

4. There are a lot more H/S/S than S/S/S Silo Specials, but I don't really care for humbuckers (I buy Humbucker guitars then sell them off because they don't get played).

5. Well, if I did get a Silo Special in trade I could swap the pickups ifi it was an H/S/S.

6. What about that Gilmour EMG set - I know I would need a Silo Special pickguard, but that would give me a lot of different tones (both single coil and humbucker when I did feel the urge for that tone) in one guitar. How much trouble would it be to install that set in a Silo Special?

1. If it gets you what you want that's all that matters.

2. True

3. Nice, nothing wrong with that.

4. You can always put a SSS in an SSH configuration. Then if you wanna give the SSH a try again, you can always just get another PG assembly

5. Yes

6. Agreed and I think the Gilmore set would sound sweet with EBMM's wood combination.

Go for it man. Glenn |B)
 

NorM

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When I decided to put EMG's in a SiLO I commited to that decision so much that I didn't consider the advantages of the molex connector. I hard wired.
I like the EMGs so much I did 4 SiLOs that way and I have never even considered going back. No regrets what so ever.
Even if I did have the molex connector, I would never use it.

The Piezo SiLOs get their power right from the piezo board and the non piezo ones have the battery tucked neatly under the tone pot. There was just enough room.

P1000009.jpg

100_4323.jpg

Black_Sil_3.jpg

100_2006.jpg

100_2002.jpg

100_2009.jpg


All The SiLOs are (Bridge to Neck) 85 SA 89
The 89 is a split coil
The active coil is under the logo
I wanted the active coil in a different position. That's why some of the pups look upside down.
 
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