Axis sport model question

[Tinmann201]

Hello. I just joined this forum. I purchased a HH axis sport 5 or 6 years go because I'm a big Johnny Hiland fan and he was playing one for awhile. I like the guitar but the neck and frets seem to be different than what he played. Can anyone tell me what years these guitars were made and if there where any changes made to them during their production run.

 

[Johnny Alien]

The Axis Sport HH had no changes during production (other than losing the pickguard after a few years). They were ash bodies with Axis pickups. Later the Sport was replaced by the Super Sport which had the same pickups but a basswood body w/ a maple top. The neck and frets are the same on all Axis, Axis Sport, and Axis Super Sport models.

 

[Tinmann201]

Thanks for the info.

 

[Johnny Alien]

What specifically was different on Hiland's guitar? If I remember correctly he changed the fretboard dot size but I can't remember if he had it refretted too.

 

[GWDavis28]

The guitars were made late 90's to early 2000's. As far as changes go they were only cosmetic, paint, pick guard that sort of thing. I believe that the neck shape and size had not changes.

Let's see your Sport, I love them, the most under rated model IMO.

Glenn |B)

 

[DrKev]

What specifically was different on Hiland's guitar? If I remember correctly he changed the fretboard dot size but I can't remember if he had it refretted too.

I seem to recall that he did. All of his Axis Sports were bought used a so they all left the factory as standard stock instruments.

 

[Johnny Alien]

I do remember that. He used an SSS axis sport that was discontinued years before he played it. I know he changed the pickups to his signature ones and changed the fret markers. And you are helping me confirm that he refretted with larger frets. He badly wanted Music Man to make it his signature guitar. Thanks for the memory refresher.

 

[Tinmann201]

I do remember that. He used an SSS axis sport that was discontinued years before he played it. I know he changed the pickups to his signature ones and changed the fret markers. And you are helping me confirm that he refretted with larger frets. He badly wanted Music Man to make it his signature guitar. Thanks for the memory refresher.

Yeah. The frets looks bigger on his. I wondered if he had a refret done.There are many videos of him playing that guitar on YouTube.

 

[Ninemile]

He had at least 3 Sport SSS as well as other models. I know he gave one Sport to a young Daniel Donato, and Daniel still has it. He told me that Johnny gave it to him when he was about 15 and it still sits in his garage in a case. I believe he said it's blue. The red one he played was a 1998. He definitely mentions enlarging the dots but says nothing about frets, so I think he possibly played factory frets. I am an Axis Sport guy and have 3 of them. I took several lessons from Johnny and we talked about the Sports quite a bit. He definitely wanted EBMM to make a JH model but they wouldn't. He was bummed and went to Keisel and Johnny told me that he asked Keisel to make his necks as close to his Sport necks as possible. He also told me, that strange cat that runs Keisel insists that heel truss rod adjusters are completely wrong and should never be that way as they are backwards and bad. Obviously, EBMM feels differently. They both can't be right so it makes me wonder. I asked Johnny his opinion on the matter and he didn't have one. Here is a great video in which Johnny goes through some of his EBMM, particularly the red Sport.

 

[GoKart Mozart]

strange cat that runs Keisel

Say no more.