- Thread starter jim friar
- Start date
davidp158
Well-known member
Wow, I just bought a Super Sport with two P90s and love it, love it, LOVE IT! I had a Gibson Les Paul Special with P90s and the MMSS blows it out of the water by a wide margin. Workmanship, playability, and the silent circut in the P90 model make this an outstanding value. Admittedly, I'm a bit biased, but this is one great guitar and I'm surprised that more people don't know about it. I noticed all the Axis models are listed in the 2002 product brochure.
No offense to Ernie Ball & Music Man, but maybe this guitar hasn't been marketed agressively enough. I kinda, sorta, more or less understand that if a product isn't a profitable item, the smart thing to do is discontinue it. Still, given all the less than stellar Les Paul Specials I've played, and the bazillion of 'em out there, I'd bet the SS P90 model would be ideal for those Les Paul Special users out there.
Ever since getting my AxisSS, I've been thinking a P90 model with vintage tremolo would appear in my future. Better start looking for an existing one now.
Sorry to hear this model is discontinued. Will it be available in the future as a special order item? I don't like thinking about how much more it would cost as a special order item, but its a good enough guitar that I'd be inclined to order one. Maybe when Ernie Ball decides to give me an artist endorsement, I can talk 'em into an Axis Super Sport "reissue"...
dave patterson
No offense to Ernie Ball & Music Man, but maybe this guitar hasn't been marketed agressively enough. I kinda, sorta, more or less understand that if a product isn't a profitable item, the smart thing to do is discontinue it. Still, given all the less than stellar Les Paul Specials I've played, and the bazillion of 'em out there, I'd bet the SS P90 model would be ideal for those Les Paul Special users out there.
Ever since getting my AxisSS, I've been thinking a P90 model with vintage tremolo would appear in my future. Better start looking for an existing one now.
Sorry to hear this model is discontinued. Will it be available in the future as a special order item? I don't like thinking about how much more it would cost as a special order item, but its a good enough guitar that I'd be inclined to order one. Maybe when Ernie Ball decides to give me an artist endorsement, I can talk 'em into an Axis Super Sport "reissue"...
dave patterson
Shaun Lopez
Ernie Ball Customer Service
MM90s
The MM90 is designed after the P90s, and you still can get this option on the Axis Super Sport and the Albert Lee. David, they also offer a tremolo option for the AxisSS, but I don't know if it is the vintage style you are looking for.
I do agree that any type of marketing for a quality product would definately boost sales, but then another question arises, would the increase in marketing spending out weigh revenue further? It is so hard to tell these dayz when the high end market is so low.
Shaun
The MM90 is designed after the P90s, and you still can get this option on the Axis Super Sport and the Albert Lee. David, they also offer a tremolo option for the AxisSS, but I don't know if it is the vintage style you are looking for.
I do agree that any type of marketing for a quality product would definately boost sales, but then another question arises, would the increase in marketing spending out weigh revenue further? It is so hard to tell these dayz when the high end market is so low.
Shaun
davidp158
Well-known member
Shaun,
Thanks for the post. Its nice to see company members frequent this forum. Other forums I attend rarely have company members post. I guess there's the "liability" of their comments, but I think its great that you guys post here.
Regarding the vintage tremolo, the one shown in your product brochure is fine for my needs. Do you know if it has a steel or zinc block (the thing the strings feed through)?
Regarding marketing cost versus profit, I really don't know those kinds of numbers. Highly popular guitars (Strats, Tele, Les Pauls) have become so ingrained in our "guitar culture" that they almost don't need advertising. They have become standards by which others are judged, for better or worse. That said, the market seems to ebb and flow so much, and its hard to tell what makes guitar buyers tick. Hell, I can barely explain some of the guitars I've purchased, but I do know that some were a result of advertisements or reviews. Sure, an endorsement by a hot guitarist doesn't hurt, but EB has some incredible player endorsements already (Albert Lee, Luke, John P.) and yet I don't know if that's enough to bring in new customers. Fender seems to endorse a lot trendy non-skilled players to suck in the younger market. I always thought Hamer made a great instrument, some great endorsement players, but didn't have the brand recognition that Fender or Gibson receives, even though they advertised like mad during the late 70s to mid 80s. I believe a really strong advertising campain works, but its got to be done by a professional ad agency and some money has to be spent. Otherwise, advertising comes off as cheap and lacking credibility.
Whatever, I think EB makes great instruments and I wish I had made the connection a long time ago. More ads may have swayed me, but all I really needed was to pick up an Axis and realize that this was a good guitar for me. Advertising doesn't provide that.
all the best,
dave patterson / knobville
Thanks for the post. Its nice to see company members frequent this forum. Other forums I attend rarely have company members post. I guess there's the "liability" of their comments, but I think its great that you guys post here.
Regarding the vintage tremolo, the one shown in your product brochure is fine for my needs. Do you know if it has a steel or zinc block (the thing the strings feed through)?
Regarding marketing cost versus profit, I really don't know those kinds of numbers. Highly popular guitars (Strats, Tele, Les Pauls) have become so ingrained in our "guitar culture" that they almost don't need advertising. They have become standards by which others are judged, for better or worse. That said, the market seems to ebb and flow so much, and its hard to tell what makes guitar buyers tick. Hell, I can barely explain some of the guitars I've purchased, but I do know that some were a result of advertisements or reviews. Sure, an endorsement by a hot guitarist doesn't hurt, but EB has some incredible player endorsements already (Albert Lee, Luke, John P.) and yet I don't know if that's enough to bring in new customers. Fender seems to endorse a lot trendy non-skilled players to suck in the younger market. I always thought Hamer made a great instrument, some great endorsement players, but didn't have the brand recognition that Fender or Gibson receives, even though they advertised like mad during the late 70s to mid 80s. I believe a really strong advertising campain works, but its got to be done by a professional ad agency and some money has to be spent. Otherwise, advertising comes off as cheap and lacking credibility.
Whatever, I think EB makes great instruments and I wish I had made the connection a long time ago. More ads may have swayed me, but all I really needed was to pick up an Axis and realize that this was a good guitar for me. Advertising doesn't provide that.
all the best,
dave patterson / knobville
Mike Pierce
Ernie Ball Customer Service
That Vintage Tremolo has in fact a chrome plated brass block. 
Mike
Mike
