History: Steve Morse proto mid 80´s-Question for BP or Dudley

[banjoplayer]

I stumbled over this pic on this magazine from 1987.
Can youtell us, for what this large amount of controls were for?
Many thanks. I´d love to know more about this proto

 

[D.K.]

Now, "stumbled" is a good word for it

But that's cool You are asking about it, cause I wanted to know the story as soon as I've bought this magazine.

 

[banjoplayer]

Yup, I followed your link in the silo-thread and found it in your photobucket album

 

[D.K.]

The story of the photo goes like this: I think in the year 2005 I saw this magazine on the american E-bay and was instantly interested in what Steve's original EBMM looked like. I've bought it, and in there was (and is), among many other things, some info on guitars he was using at that time. When I'm home, I'll look up what they say about this particular guitar - but it wasn't that much, for sure.

So BP and/or Dudley - please shed some light on this great guitar.

BTW, I absolutely dig the old music Man logo on the headstock, and would love to have this on my EBMMs. If memory serves right, John Petrucci had the same style headstock logo on his 7-string (probably a proto) on the Live Scenes from NY DVD.

 

[banjoplayer]

in there was (and is), among many other things, some info on guitars he was using at that time.

That sounds very interesting! Maybe you could tell us a bit more or maybe even ......... take a scan ?

 

[Big Poppa]

that wasnt a proto it was a guitar synth I think maybe a Roland retro fit. He used a shadow controller forever too

 

[banjoplayer]

Thanks BP.
Very interesting.
No proto? That means he used his #1 and this one parallel?
And now waiting for further informations from D.K.

 

[D.K.]

So - long time no see.

Finally, as promised - here is what Steve has said about this guitar in this article (Down Beat, April 1987):

"I have two guitar synthesizers. One is a custom-made guitar form Music Man that has the Roland card in it, as well as my other pickups. ... I'm probably going to add the Shadow system to my Music Man (which he did soon after the interview). I use the Music Man through a Roland MIDI convertor. This is definitely a guitar, with the addition of a pickupo and a card, as opposed to a guitar-shaped thing that produces MIDI. This has guitar sounds all the time, and you can also put it through an electronic device outboard and get MIDI. The guitar controlers - or MIDI controllers, at least in my deffinition - go to guitarists that have no guitar sound themselves. I prefer actual guitars that will allow You to play synthersizer too, because most of the time I'm not going to be playing synthesizer."

You see, synths were the hype those days

And, just to spice things up a bit, the other colour photo - the cover of the magazine:

 

[banjoplayer]

Thanks D.K.
great answer

 

[guitarman23]

its in this kansas music video too.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2j-PUCoKYzk]YouTube - Kansas - All I Wanted[/ame]
2:00