Help! 1991 EBMM Silhouette NUT P/Guard Info required!

[Lawrence]

Hi All.
New to the forum and just purchased a 1991 EBMM Silhouette(NOT
SPECIAL)with the schaller dble locking trem. syst.
I need a new top nut and pickguard!.
I have the EBMM melamine 10" rad blanks.As anyone ever fitted a
fender bone precut 9.5" rad. nut?If so how easy was it?
Re pickguard.Could anyone confirm that the current replacement
pickguards fit this model.
Or could anyone confirm that their Silo HSS P/guard has a 72mm x 14 mm
wide cut out for bridge
& is 12mm from bridge cut out to HB cut out.
I am pretty certain all HSS silos still have this cut out.The schaller
bridge iappears to use the newer modern bridge cut IMO!
If anyone is selling a tortoise shell P/guard/Back plate plz pm me.Or
answer on forum.

 

[DrKev]

Hi Lawrence, welcome to the forum!

My modern Silhouette Special has a 75mm x 14mm bridge cutout, which will be the same for the modern Silhouettes too (same bridge). It's 10mm from the cutout to the humbucker I would assume the same on a modern Silhouette but obviously I can't say for sure, not having one in front of me). How much 'wiggle' room there is in the routing, I cant tell you. You should get in contact with EBMM customer service who can probably advise you better than anyone else. Who knows, they may have some older pickguards in stock that you can buy.

You may already be aware of this already but a 22 fret HSS Silhouette Special pickguard is not the same as a HSS 24 fret Silhouette pickguard (because with 24 frets the Silhouette neck pocket is 2 frets closer to the bridge, the 24 fret pickguard is shorter). Wherever you buy from, make sure it's for a right guitar.

Fitting precut nuts is pretty easy if you are careful. If the slot in the neck is flat-bottomed and the sring slots are precut to the appropriate radius, the I use 150 grit sandpaper on a flat surface and sand the bottom of the nut to achieve correct height for the strings. If you need to remove more material from one side of the nut than the other you may find a table vice and a file is easiest way to go. BE CAREFUL - if you take off too much material, the open strings will buzz badly, so work slowly and carefully, and be conservative with how much material you take off at any one time. Test/measure often. If you overdo it you'll have to shim the bottom of the nut to raise it back up or throw it away and start all over again.

Oh and do NOT use superglue to hold the nut in place. Use just a small drop of wood glue. If ever the nut needs to come out again superglue is a pain in the ass and you risk damaging the neck getting the nut out.

 

[guitarnotsoguru]

DrKev that was some good info I'll store away for later.

 

[Lawrence]

Many Thanks for that DrKev
The measurement you gave for the P/guard was the one I was after.The 10mm v's my 12mm spacing (Bridge-Humbucker c/out)could be just an error in my measurements,Its difficult to measure that area without removing pickguard.
I suppose I should have asked if anyone had changed a 90's Silo p/guard with a new one from EBMM recently.Did it fit etc!
I'll post an update when the P/guard finally arrives and I have sorted the nut.The blanks EBMM supply are curved top&bot so I am of the understanding that the bottom of the nut cut out will be curved.
If anyone knows any different it would be useful to find out.Thanks again great info that I am sure others will find useful. .Regards Lawrence

 

[DrKev]

The blanks EBMM supply are curved top&bot so I am of the understanding that the bottom of the nut cut out will be curved.

Good to know! In that case, assuming the curve of the nut slot is the same radius as the fingerboard, use masking tape to hold a piece of sandpaper in place between the nut and the first fret and use that as your curved sanding surface. Just be careful how you hold the nut when sanding that you don't sand any funny angles into the bottom of the nut. If you have an old nut lying around use it practice on first.

Oh, before I forget, Lawrence I'd like to draw your attention to unofficial forum rule 18.23.b, paragraph 2, subsection 16, clause 4...

"Your guitar does not exist without pictures!"

 

[Lawrence]

Pics of EBMM Silo in question!

I would not want to get off to a bad start on the forum.So as per unofficial forum rule 18.23.b, paragraph 2, subsection 16, clause 4... Heres the pics.if I manage to up load correctly.Thks all

 

[Jack FFR1846]

I'm going to also chime in just a bit. Although not much different, a Silo is 10" radius, not 9.5". Dr. Kev was correct in warning that you get the right pickguard. I'm going to double up on the warning, having seen a silhouette (96, if I remember right) that was 22 frets, and no, it wasn't labeled silo spec. So be sure you're in the right camp by going with a silhouette pg for 24 frets and silhouette special for 22 frets. The silo spec also fits a sub 1.