Considering buying an EB/MM guitar, need advice

[scottie]

Greetings,

Well, I thinking about getting an EB/MM guitar. I recently purchased the OLP/Guitar Port package (I figured, "What the heck, only $20 more) and was pleasantly surprised with the guitar. So impressed, that it made me want to get "the real deal"!

I spent some time lurking on these forums and saw a post (from Jimi D, I think) that the OLP is really NOTHING like a Silhouette Special as the neck radius is different, etc. I kinda like the way the OLP neck feels and was wondering which model is most similar (Silhouette, JPM, or Luke).

I wish I could go try 'em out but I'm having a hard time finding anybody around with these models in stock.

Also, I would love to hear what you like about your EB/MM guitars (or your dislikes, if any)

So, here's your chance to brag about your guitar, I'm listening.

Thanks,
--scottie

 

[koogie2k]

Well Scottie - let me say first off, welcome. Now, I own 2 Petrucci's. I had a custom Ibanez for many, many years. I could not find a guitar with the "feel" I was looking for. I tried them all short of a Private Stock PRS. Then I found the Petrucci and was floored by the feel, sound, and look. To me, it has the whole package. So much so, I have two. I have played the Axis, an awesome guitar, just did not fit me too well. There are several guys/gals on here who own several models that can tell you about each. I can only tell you about mine. I do not have anything bad to say about my guitars, however, there is some posts about stress cracks and what not. I never got them but from what I have read EB has taken care of each customer. I know JimiD has like 8 EB's and so does someone else (I have seen them...they are pretty), so I am sure they can tell you about each model. Good luck.

 

[kbaim]

Hey scottie,

I think there's a big EB music man dealer in florida that's part owned by DAVE LARUE (dixie dregs bass player) that is supposed to have a large selection. Not sure if this is true and I don't know the name of it (call EB). Or if it's close to you.

Boy that was a lot of help.

My personal favorites the LUKE. Small comfy neck, perfectly shaped body, and emg active pickups that sound great.

Try the dealer locator on the ebmm home page. It lists dealer inventory at dealers within a 100 mile radius of zipcode. Not always up to date though. Always call em first if it's far.

You may find yourself getting one, then another, and another...
It's a sickness.

KEITH

 

[scottie]

Hello Koogie2K,

Thanks for making me feel welcome. Wow, two JPMs! I am looking at it wondering if that might be a good match for me (or the Luke, or the Silhouette Special, so hard to decide).

So, if I can trouble you for more info on your guitars, it would much appreciated.

What's the trem like? Anything like a Floyd Rose?

I was also looking at Ibanez JS1200CA or S1625. I sure don't want to go back to a Top Lock though, I've had Sperzels on my old RoadStar II for years and love it.

Ever play an Ibanez Petrucci? Is the EB/MM anything like a Wizard neck?

Last Q, and I'll stop buggin' ya. Piezos. Are they worth the extra $$$? Honestly, I don't know too much about them.

Thanks again,
--scottie

 

[scottie]

Hi Keith,

Thanks for your reply too.

I'll check into the dealer locator. I think the closest to me is in Orlando (about 1.5 hour drive) and specializes in basses.

Thanks for your feelings on the Luke. That's another model I'm considering. I've read some reviews on it (on Harmony-central.com I think) and people have said they have had trouble keeping it in tune. Any problems there?

Do the Luke and the Silhoette use the same trem? They look similar from the pics.

Thanks again,
--scottie

 

[Jimi D]

Hi Scottie, welcome to the Forum!

The OLP is a cute copy, but really nothing like the "real deal"! But if the OLP's neck shape feels right, the closest EB/MM guitar neck would be the Petrucci - it's a wider, thinner neck with a 15" radius.... The Luke neck is narrow with a small, sharp "V" shape that would pretty much be the antithesis of the OLP neck, and the Silhouette Special has a nice, smooth medium "C" that just falls into your hand...

I used to own an Ibanez Petrucci. The neck on that guitar is not a Wizard neck - it was known as the Viper profile; it's thicker, more narrow, and with a smaller radius than the Wizard neck... I don't know how close it is to the current EB/MM JP neck, but I would imagine they're similar... The JS neck is a little more "vintage-y" with a slighter radius and (I think) more narrow frets... I really loved Ibanez necks - I owned and played four Jems and an RG exclusively for a number of years - but since discovering Music Man necks, there's been no going back!

The Luke II (current Luke model) and the Silhouette/Silhouette Special all use the same Music Man vintage two-post tremolo, though you can still find older model Lukes and Silhouettes with Floyd Rose trems on them if you look around. I personally think that the combination of locking tuners, straight string pull and high mass trem block make the EB/MM trem system one of the most stable and usable "vintage" style tremolo systems I've ever used... If your nut is properly cut for your string gauge and your strings are properly stretched, there's no reason you shouldn't be able to use this trem quite heavily and stay in tune, especially if it is set up to rest on the body (down tune only). Very, very stable, ime...

Of course, in the end you really have to try a guitar for yourself to know if it is for you, but the Silhouette necks are so "universally" comfortable that I don't think I've ever heard anyone speak poorly of one... The worn-in, smooth feel of an Ernie Ball Music Man neck is something you've got to experience to appreciate - but be forewarned: once you've had one in your hands, you'll probably find (like many of us) that nothing else quite lives up to playing a Music Man...

 

[bing4sons]

I used to owen an Axis SS. I gave it to my son for Christmas. Why? Because I ordered an Axis SS with the piezo.

But let me start at the beginning....

The 1st time I saw anyone play an Axis, I fell in love with the tone. Then I saw someone else at the same event playing a SS with the piezo. It sounded like a Taylor 714!

So, I went and played one at a local music store and fell in love with the maple neck. It just feels and plays so natural. I then decided I would order one with the piezo. However, I saw a beautiful orange SS with quilted maple on eBay for $600 buy it now. It didn't take me long to scarf it up.

I should know by now, that when I really have my eyes set on a particular guitar, with the options I want, then I shouldn't go with something less. So, after hearing yet another person playing a SS, blending the acoustic and electric tones, I decided to go for an SS with the piezo. So, my son (college freshman) now has a great guitar and I am waiting for my Christmas to come in a few weeks!

The Axis SS is a great rock guitar, which is what I wanted. I love the piezo, because when I play without another guitar, I can start off a song with acoustic and then kick in with killer OD.

Well, that's my story...



Bing

 

[kbaim]

Minor tuning problems. I do fiddle with pegs more than on my hardtails. My Luke I have on order I'm having blocked like a standard bridge.

Lukes typically come set up with a floating bridge from factory. If you rest your hand on the bridge like I do to mute strings, it's better to have the bridge lay flat so strings don't go sharp.

I've played some Lukes where you could wammy like mad and it would stay in tune, others not as precise.

Don't let it dissuade you from owning one. And if you can afford it, absolutely get a piezo. If you play or write any songs with fingerpicking, it's a fantastic option. Good for strumming open chords and alternate tunings too.

I've got 2 axis supersports w/ piezos and after hearing how beautiful they sound, I had to get me a luke w/ piezo as I much prefer the lukes magnetic pickups than the ones on the axis.
KEITH

 

[ex3.8]

And...

I have a silhouette special. Before i got it i had tried a Wolfie, a Brian moore, a Strat. And then ahhhhhhhhh the silo....
It just feels right!!!!!

I am curious to know how the other MM play compared to the silhouette special. according to the specs. the closest neck would be the Axis... Is this accurate?

 

[koogie2k]

Scottie,

I like to make new members feel welcome because everyone did the same for me and quite frankly, it's the right thing to do...lol. Anyway, I have never played an Ibanez Petrucci. I believe JimiD answered that question for ya.....(all hail JimiD and his knowledge.. ). My Ibanez has a Floyed Rose and to be honest, each has their advantage. I find that I can be a little more "rough" on the Floyd than the Petrucci and remain in tune. However, I rarely use the tremeo, so that would make them equal in my opinion. When I do use the trem on the JPM, I do not have any tuning problems and life is wonderful. I myself, believe the Piezos are worth the money provided you have a need for them. Unfortunately, I haven't heard one on a EBMM yet because there is only one place that sells them here and they never had one there. I have heard them on other brand guitars and thought they sounded really nice (I can only imagine the sound on a EBMM). I hope I helped you out a little, by the responses you have received, you will be playing one shortly. It's just a matter of which one is going to "hit" you with the sound, look and feel. Good luck!

 

[Jimi D]

Re: And...

I am curious to know how the other MM play compared to the silhouette special. according to the specs. the closest neck would be the Axis... Is this accurate?

I think the Morse and Albert Lee models have the necks that are closest to the Silhouette... The Axis neck feels distinctively different because of the off-set soft "V" shape, while the Morse and AL - like the Silhouette - have symetrical "C"shaped necks...

 

[JDouglee]

My experience has been, the more you play & break them in, the more stable they are tuning wise.

Also 3 in One oil in the nut slots helps a great deal. Sometimes the nut slots could be filed down slightly as well. I find the MM bridges are pretty stable, the nut is generally the culprit if your guitar is going sharp.

Also string stretching is crucial. I watched Luke's tech once prepare his guitar for live recording.
The process went like this:
Stretch the string, drop the bar, tune.
Stretch the string, drop the bar, tune.
(repeat until tuning is stable)

Totally works.

 

[Hookpunch]

Hey Scottie, I have a Silhouette HSH with a Floyd and its a great guitar, the neck on the Silhouette is one of the smallest I have ever seen but I came from a classical background so getting used to the small necks took a while, I think its small for an electric from what I have seen of Ibanez's , and my own Strat which is a copy of the '62 (made in Japan).

In any case EB/MM are great guitars for the money , when I took mine in to the local pro shop for an appraisal for insurance purposes the store owner couldn't believe how good it was for the money I paid , I bought it at another store.

They started carrying EB/MMS after that I think.

Here is their opinion of EB/MM

http://www.12fret.com/new/ernie_ball_music_man_silhouette.html

 

[AmpliFIRE]

Hey Scottie,

I have owned a Luke, Petrucci and Axis. The Luke and Petrucci were great guitars but are now gone while the Axis remains. Between the neck and the Floyd Rose, this guitar just fits me perfectly.

Of course YMMV...

 

[Jimi D]

Hey Hookpunch...

I bought my Axis Sport at 12th Fret

For the record, the width (across the fingerboard) of the Silhouette neck is a standard 1 5/8 inches, while an Ibanez Wizard neck is a 'wide' 1 11/16 (or maybe even 1 3/4) inches... The Wizard neck is 17mm thick (back to front), while the Silhouette feels closer to 20mm or 21mm to me... In electric guitar terms, it's not really "small"...

 

[scottie]

Hey, I just wanted to thank everybody for replying to my questions. You guys are definetly making me feel that Ernie Ball is the way to go for my next guitar. I really enjoy hearing you guys talk about your Balls and it really must be a superior product as you guys are so excited and proud when you talk about them.

SO, I might be joining your ranks sometime soon as a fellow Ernie Baller. Just gotta pick the right model for me.

I used the dealer locator to find the nearest to me and it is the basscentral.com. They specialize in basses but have a Petrucci and Axis in stock. They had a Morse but sold it. No Silhoette or Luke though. Gotta keep looking for those I guess.

This might be the place kbaim was talking about as it does have Dave LaRue's picture on the web site. They guy on the phone was really nice. Gonna try to get there tommorow maybe. I'll follow it up with my impressions if you like.

Oh, and Jimi D, thanks again for your in depth analysis. And I loved reading your website. The gone list was really interesting and anybody out there hasn't seen it, check it out.

--scottie

 

[Hookpunch]

Hey Jimi-D, yeah the Fret is a great store isn't it? They had to best customer service of any of the other Toronto guitar stores.

Where did you buy the rest of your EB/MMS? I am pretty envious of your collection. I bought the Silhouette at Steve's back in '96, I had to wait for a year to get it but it was worth the wait.