Educate a Bass Plebian on EBMM guitars

[smallequestrian]

I tried to do a search, but couldn't find anything terribly useful. I just picked up a cheap little Squier to mess around with. While I am having fun with it, I definitely still a bass player at the core. However I know I will eventually get the urge to upgrade, and of course the first option will be an EBMM.

My question for the group is can anybody give me a good short description of the differences between the models? I don't really need you guys to tell me all the pickup differences, I can see that for myself. I guess what I am looking for is more esoteric description of there different uses, sounds, feels and whatnot. Or at least point me in the right direction.

Thanks,
Paul

 

[SteveB]

I'll have a go:


* Petrucci sig - precision shredding instrument.. wide, flat neck different from all the other models.. nice clean sounds, reasonably hot pickups, great tremolo system

* Morse Y2D - bright (poplar w/maple top), jack of all trades guitar, really great high output pickups. Neck similar to Silhouette.

* Morse (original) - jack of all trades, poplar, lots of pickup swtiching combiations via gizmos everywhere.

* Albert Lee - soul machine, great for blues, or jazzy clean playing, highly underrated guitar in either pickup config (SSS or MM90s). Thicker, 'meatier' neck akin to an Axis neck. With the MM90's it delivers a 'bite' that has no equal.

* Axis - Les Paul killer.

* Luke - if you like EMG active pickups, this may be your axe! The "V" shape of the neck feels markedly different from other models.

* Silhouette - that one is hard for me to describe, I'll leave it to NorM or Lurker.

* Benji Madden sig - kick ass, nice and bright Silhouette with a single humbucker. Really solid guitar. Probably best used for rock/metal.

 

[GWDavis28]

SteveB, nice job, but you forgot the Silo Special???

Glenn |B)

 

[mhorse]

I guess the breakdown is something like this, IMHO:
Pet - shredder's dream (but not only shredder's)
Silos - vintage, but with an attitude
AL - what strat wants to be, but will never become
Axis(SS) - more of a hard-rock edge, but the neck carve makes it suitable for shredding, and Soapbar pickups can give vintage tone.
Luke - very versatile, also very different neck from other models
Morse/Y2D - even more versitile then Luke, but from a different angle
Benji - stripped-down heavy-metal/punk version of Silo
SUB - MM on a budget with a lot of guts
Silo Bass - name says it all

All of them are capable of delivering very, very different sounds, no 1-trick ponies here.

 

[SteveB]

Glenn,

I didn't mention the Sil Special or the ASS, 'cause I don't recall playing them.

I should have mentioned the SUB1 though.

Greatest guitar in it's price point. Great pickups for rock, but it can also get very bluesy if needed. Neck similar to Axis and AL in my opinion (thickness and carve) of course the SUB necks are painted black on the back.

 

[GWDavis28]

I'd rate the Silo Special right up there in the same class as an AL (with the AL in the SSS configuration). The necks are similar.

Dude, you didn't play a SS, wow I find that hard to believe. I gotta go, you've thrown me for a loop there.

Yah man the Subs are a great bang for the buck.

Glenn |B)

 

[fogman]

* Morse Y2D - bright (alder w/maple top), jack of all trades guitar, really great high output pickups. Neck similar to Silhouette.

Really????
I found the regular Morse very different from the Silo.
But I only had the opportunity to be with it for a few minutes. I found the Morse neck much narrower. Is the Y2D that much different? or is it just me?

 

[SteveB]

Foggy,

It's just you.



I'm not talking about the width of the fingerboard..(from edge to edge)

I'm talking about the thickness of the neck as if you drilled a hole through the fretboard into the palm of your hand while holding the neck.

Nice imagery, eh?

IMHO, the Sil neck isn't much different in that dimension from the Axis or Albert Lee... they all feel kinda 'beefy' to me (a Pet player).

I *did* find the Morse and Y2d necks to be more comfortable to me than the Silhouette neck. So I don't know how you explain that...

 

[SteveB]

Dude, you didn't play a SS, wow I find that hard to believe. I gotta go, you've thrown me for a loop there.

Glenn,

I may have played one at the O.H. but I can't remember..

I *did* try to buy a used one from some dude here on the forum once. I lost out to someone in Virginia, as I recall!

 

[Antoine]

I'll have a go:


* Petrucci sig - precision shredding instrument.. wide, flat neck different from all the other models.. nice clean sounds, reasonably hot pickups, great tremolo system

* Morse Y2D - bright (alder w/maple top), jack of all trades guitar, really great high output pickups. Neck similar to Silhouette.

* Morse (original) - jack of all trades, alder, lots of pickup swtiching combiations via gizmos everywhere.

* Albert Lee - soul machine, great for blues, or jazzy clean playing, highly underrated guitar in either pickup config (SSS or MM90s). Thicker, 'meatier' neck akin to an Axis neck. With the MM90's it delivers a 'bite' that has no equal.

* Axis - Les Paul killer.

* Luke - if you like EMG active pickups, this may be your axe! The "V" shape of the neck feels markedly different from other models.

* Silhouette - that one is hard for me to describe, I'll leave it to NorM or Lurker.

* Benji Madden sig - kick ass, nice and bright Silhouette with a single humbucker. Really solid guitar. Probably best used for rock/metal.

Really good description, but i have to tell the Morse models( both, the Standard and the Y2D) are Poplar and not Alder.

 

[SteveB]

Really good description, but i have to tell the Morse models( both, the Standard and the Y2D) are Poplar and not Alder.

Ugh! How'd I goof that up? Good catch, Antoine!

I'm going to edit my original post to correct it.

 

[smallequestrian]

Thanks for the input guys, sounds like the Silhouette or the AL is what I should be drooling over. Coincidentally, those are the two that appeal to me on looks wise the most.

 

[SteveB]

smallequestrian,

I'm glad our descriptions are helping you to decide. It's so hard to pick when they're all such great instruments. I know the Albert Lee just blows me away with its soulful tones.. unlike any other guitar I've played.

 

[jongitarz]

Collect the whole set!

 

[GWDavis28]

smallequestrian,

I'm glad our descriptions are helping you to decide. It's so hard to pick when they're all such great instruments. I know the Albert Lee just blows me away with its soulful tones.. unlike any other guitar I've played.

SteveB, sounds like theres an AL in your future???

Glenn |B)

 

[kbaim]

I honestly thought it was going to be a lot harder to edumacate a bass player.

 

[GWDavis28]

I honestly thought it was going to be a lot harder to edumacate a bass player.

Not one that plays EBMM's

Glenn |B)

 

[smallequestrian]

I honestly thought it was going to be a lot harder to edumacate a bass player.

Thats why I asked for simple descriptions I learn real well when people spell it out for me.

Not one that plays EBMM's

As somebody more famouser than me once said "I don't play bass, I play Bongos." What I was really looking for is which models were best for blues and a little rock. I think I kinda knew the answer before I asked but I wanted info from a higher authority then myself.

 

[NorM]

Collect the whole set!

Looks like GWDavis is just a silo and a sub away. Maybe if I played an AlLee I would understand why I need one. The whole set thing is cool.

 

[GWDavis28]

Looks like GWDavis is just a silo and a sub away. Maybe if I played an AlLee I would understand why I need one. The whole set thing is cool.

Thanx NorM, but you forgot a Y2D or a Morse and Luke for that matter. Looks like that might have to wait until late next year if I'm lucky.

I almost picked up a Sub1 at GC, it was priced to sell and if it's still there in a week or 2 I might have to get it. Hahahaha, though my wife will kill me!!!! You got 4 now, and I always tell her, you can never have enough Ernie Ball/Music Men guitars!!! She doesn't laugh , so day she'll get it.

Glenn |B)