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Axis 30th Anniversary

hey al lovers

T

timrams88

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 9, 2004
Messages
89
Location
rochelle illinois
hey im lookin for an albert lee guitar now..ive given up on looking for the axis (im the 16 y/o that is getting a guitar for my b-day) any now im looking for an AL guitar but i cant find them anywhere, but if i do. Does it sounds like the axis at all? does it play, same feel in neck because i have smaller hands and its hard to play fenders and gibsons because of the largers necks i just want to know all of this stuff b4 i go out and start lookin for one. thanks
 
Tim,

Hi - I got one a few months ago and just love it. I went for the MM90 pickups as I wanted a little more bite than the strat style single coils can offer. Now, you won't get the same sound as with the axis' humbuckers, but you can definitely rock out with it. I had to drive an hour and a half to try one out as my local shops didn't stock it. Extremely welll balanced and the neck is very similar to the axis neck.

That being said, you should stilll get the car... :-)

Dave
 
Hey Tim -

The AL is a GREAT guitar, and you'll probably be the only kid for miles around with one. Problem is, not enough people know about it, and there's not a lot of them out there in stores to try, new or used. For every AL I've seen, there's probably been at least 200-300 Axis guitars before it. It's very unique, that's for sure!

I bought mine used on eBay after looking for several months for one - they pop up on there about every couple of months. I bought it immediately when I saw it because it had a trem and MM90s, which you don't see a lot of, and I got very lucky because it was only a few months old and I got it for half the price of a new one at Guitar Center, and I got it less than 10 minutes after it listed....apparently I was the only person to see it! :eek:

Unless you're comparing it to the Axis Sport with MM90s, it does NOT sound like the regular Axis, which has DiMarzio humbuckers, and is designed for heavy rock. The AL was designed to sound like a Telecaster and a Stratocaster, which have single coils, and Albert Lee is known for being a country player. My AL with MM90s is pretty close in sound to the Axis Sport with MM90s, but slightly mellower to my ears (the Axis has a little more high end, but mine has a hardtail which helps make that happen). You CAN rock out with the single coils or MM90s, which are also single coils too, but louder and fatter sounding ones - however, there's a big difference between how single coil and humbuckers hit an amp and effects pedals. If you're wanting to do Korn and Limp Bizkit-like riffs, the regular Axis is the far better choice. If you want more punky, alternative, classic rock, funk, or country sounds, the AL will most definitely be the one for the job.

Look at it like this - if you like regular Strats and Telecasters, you'll love the AL. If Les Pauls and PRSes are more your thing, the Axis is the one to get. Both are great guitars, and play and sound amazing (the AL neck is a bit more rounded on the back than the Axis, to my hand, but still feels just as amazing). They're simply designed for music and on different ends of the spectrum....the beauty is that a rock or country player can pick up either one and immediately feel right at home! :)
 
PurpleSport said it all perfectly and there isn't much to add to his helpful suggestions. I'll just echo the fact that you can play a lot of styles of music with the AL so don't let some one tell you it is only a "country twang" guitar. PurpleSport was dead on when he said the AL is a very versatile guitar. A friend of mine thought the AL was simply a "chicken pickin" guitar until I let him have a go with it one night at a blues club. I had to pry it from his hands at the end of the set. I haven't heard the P90 AL but I would suggest going that route if your musical interest is towards the heavier stuff . Either way you go (Axis or AL) we'll all welcome you to the EBMM family so happy hunting!!
 
Hey Tim,

Have you tried the DEALER LOCATOR on www.ernieball.com? Just click on the musicman bar and then click the dealer locator and plug in your zipcode.

It spits out dealers and inventory within about 100 miles. Some inventory is even current ;) Definitely call the place first.

I'll just add that all of us here love the fact that we play these really great guitars that no one seems to know about. Many of us have commented on these boards how our playing has gone to a much higher level after getting our eb's.

That said, I wouldn't recommend you go the ebay route until AFTER you actually tried some models out in a store and are sure it's the guitar for you. Chances are you'll like 'em better than fenders, prs, and gibby's. A lot of us have waited months to have our guitars built for us. Better to get a LATE birthday present you're sure to enjoy for years even if it takes a little while to get your dream guitar.

If you live anywhere near a guitar center, it seems that they usually have an axis around. And some near me (CA) have just gotten in the Luke in radiance red, which is a terrific choice for small hands (as well as my personal favorite in tone and playability for my style of all the EB guitars ).

Good luck in your search and happy birthday
KEITH
 
Tim - basically.......what they said :)
I got my AL with the MM90's a few weeks ago it. It is a very comfortable and well balanced guitar. I was lucky in that a local shop near me happened to have an AL in stock and everytime I stopped in to check on new inventory I was drawn to it. As referenced by the rest of the AL club, it is very versatile for all kinds of playing until you get into the heavier/darker sounding stuff. I can't comment on the Axis because although they had the AL they didn't have an Axis to play.

With respect to hand size, I actually have fairly large hands and initially found the neck to feel a little too small, although I liked the shape and feel. That is part of the reason I had to keep going back to make that decision. So if you say you have smaller hands, it should be comfy fro the get go.

Although I too would say car now, quality guitar later, I wish you luck. From what I've experienced and read on this forum you really can't go wrong with an EBMM
Guitar7.jpg
 
yeah i really want to get more into blues jazz kinda stuff (for the 12:01 blues group at school) and i want the deeper tone, so i should try p90? and will i be able to find a good one for under $900 and thindave lucky me i already got the car 2000 chevrolet sliverado;)
 
Sounds like an Albert Lee MM90 would suit you really well Tim... And unlike a lot of single-coil guitars, the Silent Circuit on the MM90 means you can hit the distortion and rock out with the loudest and proudest without having to worry about the noise floor. I love my Albert Lees (I have one of each!); I think they're super comfortable and toneful, killer players with a retro-radical style that gives them tremendous personality...
 
thanks for that guitar but its a bit to pricey and thanx ill keep looking for one, but with the neck size so its just a little bit different than the axis? because when i was playing the axis my hand went into the neck and pretty much played its self, unlike my c shaped fender strat, i dont want to struggle to play a guitar because then it just gets alot less fun to play after a while?
 
timrams88 said:
lucky me i already got the car 2000 chevrolet sliverado;)
Click to expand...

...I TOLD you all that he had the smooth ride covered already! Man, I wish I had laid some bread down on that...he wouldn't be the only one shopping for guitars right now. ;)

As for the Axis, Tim, if your heart's set on it, just get one...you will love it, IMO, sight unseen or not. It's great for people with small to medium sized hands (I fit in the medium category), and the pickups are hot. Buy one, order one, eBay one, steal one, whatever...just get the Axis.

If you've wanted it from Day 1, then nothing else is going to make you happy. :)
 
timrams88 said:
yeah i really want to get more into blues jazz kinda stuff (for the 12:01 blues group at school) and i want the deeper tone, so i should try p90? and will i be able to find a good one for under $900 and thindave lucky me i already got the car 2000 chevrolet sliverado;)
Click to expand...

Hey Tim -

You might be in luck....there's not one, but TWO AL's up on eBay right now - both have MM90s, and are within your price range.

One is from our own forum member "tvanveen" (can't believe he didn't put it up for offer here first - come to think of it, I haven't seen much of him around in a while):

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=2384&item=3753411589&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

His starting bid price is fair, there's no reserve, and it's an awesome black cherryburst color with a matching painted headstock - go for it (and be glad I bought my AL earlier this year, or I'd be competing with you for this one)!

The other one is nice too, also a sunburst/matching headstock, but it's more expensive and has no trem (newer condition, tho):

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=2384&item=3753600921&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

Good luck, and congrats on getting the new wheels too! :)
 
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Both of those are really nice and if I weren't in fear of being thrown out of the house on my ear I'd buy one of them too. Tom if you see this let us all know how you are doing. Been a while since we've heard from you!
 
thanx for finding those absolutely gorgeous guitars for me but i took dwf1004's advice and stuck with the axis she was my first love and i cant turn my back on her i put a bid on an emerald green with p90's on ebay and so for im winning :D but thanx for lookin for me, sorry i didnt put them to use.
 
...'bout time that someone started listening to me around here. ;)

Good luck on your auction...if it's the one that I'm thinking of/that I saw, then she's a beauty! :)
 
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