Can someone explain the Steve Morse switching

[vmanmurph]

I just watched a Youtube video of Steve explaining his control layout. I understand most of it, but I am wondering if the blade switch is a 3 way or 4 way? He demonstrated the bridge, neck and then the pickup right in front of the bridge pickup using the blade switch but he called it a 3 way? I guess what I want to know is can the guitar play both humbuckers together? Is this guitar as versitile as it looks. I play classic rock and play in a church worship band. I have been looking for a jack of all trades guitar to compliment my Les Paul. I have been looking at the Silo, Albert Lee, and now the Morse. Can anyone help me deciper the Morse code (sorry I couldn't resist)? Any thoughts and/or opinions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Frank

 

[fbecir]

Hello and welcome

The blade switch is a 3 positions switch :

• position 1 : bridge HB
• position 2 : neck HB
• position 3 : bridge single coil

The bridge humbucker switch is a 2 positions switch (off : bridge HB off ; on : bridge HB added to the other pickup(s) selected).
The nechk single coil switch is a 3 positions switch (1 : neck single coil off ; 2 : neck single coil added to the other pickup(s) selected ; 3 : neck single coil alone).
In order to play with both humbuckers : blade switch on position 2 and bridge HB switch on.
The switching is a bit confusing at first but after a few weeks it becomes natural. There is a real logic.

Hope that helps !

 

[fbecir]

The schematic can help you :
http://www.music-man.com/index.php?option=com_k2&id=26&lang=en&task=download&view=item

 

[beej]

The switching is a bit confusing at first but after a few weeks it becomes natural. There is a real logic.

Absolutely!

At first it's odd, but when you get used to it, it makes perfect sense. Really quick to switch between bridge & neck p'ups, and very simple to get both.

 

[Colin]

it really is clever and I encourage you not let it put you off. Here's a video with Steve Morse explaining the guitar and switching

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbM4iqYDKgc"]YouTube - Steve Morse talks about his Music Man Signature Model[/ame]

 

[PugNinjas]

Great comments by everyone.....and make sure to really give the neck pickup a chance, I found that if you roll back to tone knob to about 5 or 6, there is a beautiful violin quality to it.

 

[glockaxis]

I owned a 4 bolt model when I was younger and traded it in mostly because of the 1. switching (I couldn't figure it out and the internet was in its infancy----I didn't have it), 2. position of the humbucker toggle, and 3. the fact that I really wanted to get an EVH model. Anyway, a few years ago at the forum bash in the desert I found myself gravitating to the SM model and it was/is awesome. A few weeks ago I purchased the standard model (understanding the switching config and adjusting my picking) and I am in my glory. It is so simple and convenient in its switching and perfectly balanced.

 

[S. Humley]

I loved the video. Could someone please tell me what the digital keypad below the bridge is for. I'm almost afraid to ask.

 

[beej]

It's a MIDI controller for his synth sounds. Not included with the MM

 

[Headstock]

Now that every one else has given you the technical details, I will summarize the Morse switching in a word.

Awesome!

 

[shredhed]

I have the Y2D w/Floyd so it doesn't have the funky switching, but I am considering the original.

Can the 4 pup model be had with a floyd?

 

[fbecir]

Can the 4 pup model be had with a floyd?

Yes !

 

[Jack FFR1846]

I just watched a Youtube video of Steve explaining his control layout. I understand most of it, but I am wondering if the blade switch is a 3 way or 4 way? He demonstrated the bridge, neck and then the pickup right in front of the bridge pickup using the blade switch but he called it a 3 way? I guess what I want to know is can the guitar play both humbuckers together? Is this guitar as versitile as it looks. I play classic rock and play in a church worship band. I have been looking for a jack of all trades guitar to compliment my Les Paul. I have been looking at the Silo, Albert Lee, and now the Morse. Can anyone help me deciper the Morse code (sorry I couldn't resist)? Any thoughts and/or opinions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Frank

Are the new Morse models still the way of the one Steve demos in his vid? I thought the new ones went to a 5 way and eliminated one of the other switches.

Although the switch setups are logical for Steve's needs, they really don't make good use of all the switches. (sorry, I'm an electrical engineer) With the switches available, you could easily get access to about every pickup combination you could dream of. Of course, you could also switch the pots for push/pulls to give you even more combinations.

I also play in worship bands, and rotate with different leaders who all have their own desires for sounds. I think the Morse would give you the most options possible, but I don't think you'll get true single coil sounds like an Albert Lee or Silo Spec could give you out of a split hum. I also don't think you can get MM90 sounds out of anything but an MM90. I really would like to reduce the number of guitars I own, but out of my Musicman guitars, each one has its own unique use. What I own and what each has.....

Axis: hum/hum (push-pull to split both hums into singles)
Axis SS MM90: MM90/MM90
Albert Lee: SSS
Sub 1 modified with Silo Spec pickups: Hum/single/single with 5 way switch wired hum, hum+middle(reverse phase), middle-silent-circuit, middle(reverse phase)/neck-silent circuit, neck-silent circuit). I also have an on/off switch to turn off the silent circuit.

 

[banjoplayer]

Are the new Morse models still the way of the one Steve demos in his vid? I thought the new ones went to a 5 way and eliminated one of the other switches.

only the Y2D does have the 5way (1 switch less, 1 pickup less). Switching on the standard models is still the same.

Yea it´s really different as all guitars have their own personality and use.
The Morse is very versatile but (for me) it could not replace any singlecoil guitar because it does not sound like a strat/AL, because of wood, bridge or whatever. It sounds like the Steve-Morse-guitar!

 

[beej]

On the Morse-

The split bridge sound is actually good. Most HBs don't sound all that good to me split, this one is pretty decent IMO.

Re layout: there are just so many ways to skin a cat (thus the benefits of the upcoming gamechanger). What layout works for one person often doesn't work for another. This one works for Steve but some don't bond with it.

I've re-wired my Morse about a zillion different ways. All kinds of switches, push-pulls, a piezo, yada yada yada. And the end of the day, I've gone back to mostly stock wiring + a split coil toggle. I just can't get on with push-pulls- they're great in theory, but on a gig when you need to quickly switch between p'up positions, they're much too combersome. (e.g. While picking, try grabbing and pulling out the volume pot without changing your volume.)

But that's one of the thing that makes it such a great guitar- it's so easy to change the switching and you have so many options.

Although the switch setups are logical for Steve's needs, they really don't make good use of all the switches. (sorry, I'm an electrical engineer) With the switches available, you could easily get access to about every pickup combination you could dream of. Of course, you could also switch the pots for push/pulls to give you even more combinations.

 

[Jack FFR1846]

I just can't get on with push-pulls- they're great in theory, but on a gig when you need to quickly switch between p'up positions, they're much too combersome. (e.g. While picking, try grabbing and pulling out the volume pot without changing your volume.)

But that's one of the thing that makes it such a great guitar- it's so easy to change the switching and you have so many options.

Great point! On my Axis, I have the pulled up position for splitting. In the worship group, it's pretty universal that every song builds.....so I may start out in the split position and when it's time to either solo or get louder, I slap it down to hum. I keep switching very simple, so once it's in hum, it stays there unless I'm out for a verse or something....where I have lots of time to switch.

 

[beej]

Nice, that's smart.