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Ernie Ball Music Man Custom Design Experience

Another fake EB/MM on Ebay???

I'm not sure that it's a fake, it looks like some of the early models, only suspicious about the pickups.
But some of the more informed guys here will be able to tell much more...

Dean
 
I don't think it's a fake, it might have been an early concept model or something. At the Open House a few guitars had the old logo on it and the headstock is stamped.

It's pretty beat though.

Looks like an early Luke setup.

Glenn |B)
 
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Weird!

A floyd-looking bridge, but no locking nut.

No "Made in San Luis Obispo" on the back of the headstock..

The tremolo cavity seems really wide...

The tuners look like junk..

The body looks genuine enough...

WTF? :confused:
 
I'm sure Jimi D, who is the real EBMM historian, will also chime in, but I've also done enough research (although not as extensive as Jimi's) to say that is a genuine early EBMM Silhouette (maybe 1986 based on the 86010 serial number). The very earliest ones didn't have the "Made in SLO" info on the back of the headstock, had that logo in that position, and used a stamped serial number.

The 6-bolt neck and that odd Schaller-made tremolo (which was also used by Schecter under their brand with the name "Tremlock" circa 1983-86 - basically until Schecter went out of business) are also features from that era. The guitar is missing the string lock, which was placed behind the nut like a Kahler (you can see the two screw holes for that assembly. I have played a couple of late-80s Silhouettes with that bridge as well as a few Schecters; it had a lot of brass hardware under the bridgeplate for the fine-tunining mechanism - each string had a moving brass anchor. Schecter routed their bodies so the trem sat on the face of the guitar, only routing a cavity for the tuning mechanism. EBMM routed behind the bridge so it was floating, which necessitated a larger cavity. It appears that the larger back plate covers part of that. A previous owner also removed the bottom portion of the plate for easier access to the strings.

I don't know about the pickups; they may be aftermarket. I know EBMM was using Schaller pickups back then, but I don't remember if they were covered like that.
 
I think that this is a very very early slihouette maybe top 5-7...If any of you at the open house will remember that honey burst that we showed as one of the first had the same trem and pickup set ups I will let Dudley make the call BUt my .02 is that this is very early and rare.
 
Big Poppa said:
I think that this is a very very early slihouette maybe top 5-7...If any of you at the open house will remember that honey burst that we showed as one of the first had the same trem and pickup set ups I will let Dudley make the call BUt my .02 is that this is very early and rare.
Click to expand...

BP - do you or Dudley know if you can even get replacement parts for that trem to restore the guitar? It looks pretty rusted from the pics.
 
This is a TREASURE!!!!!

Big Poppa said:
I think that this is a very very early slihouette maybe top 5-7...If any of you at the open house will remember that honey burst that we showed as one of the first had the same trem and pickup set ups I will let Dudley make the call BUt my .02 is that this is very early and rare.
Click to expand...

Big Poppa is correct!
This is a 1986 Silhouette (before it was named Silhouette) and appears to be original and mostly intact, except for the nut lock. I have a nut lock for this if necessary...

This guitar would have a nitrocellulose lacquer finish, black hardware, and Schaller pickups. I can't tell from the photo if the neck is the standard 1 5/8" nut width, or the optional wide 1 11/16" we offered at the time. Jump on this one folks, it is a piece of EB/MM history!

Just when I thought I was weened of eBay- @#$%^&*(
 
WOW! Surely a collector's piece. I may bid. Some one on this forum has to own this, we can't let it go to an outsider, gotta keep it in the family! :D

I hope no one on this forum goes and spills the beans to the pawn shop seller, the auction may be pulled. If this was an individual seller I would say to tell the guy, but the pawn shop probably bought the guitar for about 100 bucks.
 
Well watta' you know - guess I've got a lot to learn about the old Balls :p

Might as well place a bid on that one.........
 
I too would be interested in this guitar. I think the important thing would be to keep it in the forum family and I don't want to make it cost more for some one else. If you PM me and let me know what you want to bid on it, I will either tell you not to bother or that I will not interfere with your transaction. Otherwise, I will do my best to snipe it.
 
Just a note to whomever wins this guitar:

If the trem is thrashed and you want to replace it, there is a small guitar store that I know of that has a black one that is in mint condition.
 
nobozos said:
Just a note to whomever wins this guitar:

If the trem is thrashed and you want to replace it, there is a small guitar store that I know of that has a black one that is in mint condition.
Click to expand...


That trem unit is actually kinda nice. I have one on a Frankenstein that I pieced together with all new-unused-open parts I found when we got store #2. Mine is chrome. http://andrapos.com/Gear/Gear1.jpg

You can "drop D" and then some with the fine tuners on that trem. Kinda cool, if it's not floating.

I _believe_ I have some spare parts for both a chrome and a black one over at Beller's - free to whoever the forum member who wins that axe is (unless it's me!) ;) I may be wrong, they could be for something else, I would have to check them against mine.
 
I retracted my bid, so it's up for grabs. I figured I have no need for it(just a bass player here) and would like to see someone from here get it at a good price.
 
I threw a 750 bid on it, I probably would go higher, maybe even a grand or so, I think I really want this one.
 
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