I guess we're rule breakers...

[Jason2112]

I've found that most people under 30 have no clue about EBMM guitars, while most guitarists over 40 seem to associate "Music Man" with a guitar from the '70s. Usually when I mention the Axis and EVH, people assume I'm talking about Peavey (doh!). Eventually you get the "well what famous people play them?" and let's face it, the average person wouldn't really know the names of most EBMM players.

People seem to group guitars as either Strat-type or Les Paul-type, so I end up having to explain the Silo as a Strat-type guitar and the ASS as something between a Strat and an LP. Simply saying "it's not like either, it has it's own sound" goes right over most peoples' heads.

 

[josheyre]

Quality is VERY important to me. That's why I'm here

No doubt!

 

[Spudmurphy]

When I got my first "real" guitar close on 40 years ago it had to be an SG - that's what Townshend played.
Then I had to have a Les Paul because Kossoff / Clapton played one.

Young guitar buyers are the same today as they were in my day (except that there is more choice now a daze!)

I didn't discover EB until the early noughties - and bought mine not because Albert Lee played one, but because it is one hell of a guitar.

So "rule breakers" ? - yeah I guess you could say that.

 

[applemacintosh]

An earlier post mentioned the 'look' of a guitar fitting into a certain genre being a consideration. So while I find my EBMMs the most playable instruments I've ever owned, I can't help but think any model may look a little out of place for certain bands say, the Foo Fighters.

Don't get me wrong, I know they can play, look awesome and sound the business but as the feel of some rock bands is often given a 'grungy', less than hygienic vibe [think beer, spit and sawdust pubs, outdoor festivals etc] somehow low slung EBMMs don't work for me.

I think it's possibly the higher quality class of them that then comes out - how many 'relic'ed' or bashed up EBMM's are ever photograped and shown on these forums? [or have I missed the 'trashed axe' thread?]. I could equate EBMM as studio level gear for session players with superb taste, more so than bar room brawl / thrust into speaker cab / torch [ala Hendrix] sacrifices...

I play random stuff, jazz, funk, rock, metal depending on my mood and the guitar I choose to play depends on the mood - for example, if I was going to indulge in some Foo style riffing, I'd use one of my Yamaha MSGs. If I'm feeling bluesy, the P90 ASS will be used, for crazy bending and funky stuff my Luke 2 and for metal / fusion stuff I'd resort to my first EBMM, my 12 year old Luke 1 with Floyd...

Horses for courses I'd say...

Just don't get me started on Amps!

 

[ShaneV]

I guess we're rule breakers...

This one time, I totally ran with scissors.


...wait.

 

[zombi]

^nice!

 

[whitestrat]

they look at me and ask, "why do you play that?"

People who respond like this have probably never played an EBMM before. No kidding. You'd think they'd have a little more objectivity, but no. People tend to comment on things they've never even tried before.

 

[ShaneV]

What's ironic is that some of the posts in the 25th anniversary threads were doing just that.

Back on topic - I don't buy into the "other people are lame for liking popular things and I'm cooler since I know something they don't know" attitude. That comes across as a bit elitist and snobbish.

I don't see how choosing a brand that may not be a household name like Fender or Gibson makes me more creative or a better musician than someone who doesn't. If what you choose works for you, that's great but there's no reason to look down on someone else who makes a different choice. It's not the car, it's the driver. Just look at all the EBMM sig artists - Albert Lee, Steve Morse, John P, Lukather were all unbelievable players with their inimitable styles even before they had an EBMM sig model.

My bottom line is this: It's my opinion that EB is a great team creating outstanding original instruments that are great alternatives to the more traditional designs. That's good enough for me and I don't need to look down on others to validate my preferences.

Very well said, and my sentiments exactly

 

[josheyre]

Back on topic - I don't buy into the "other people are lame for liking popular things and I'm cooler since I know something they don't know" attitude. That comes across as a bit elitist and snobbish.

Is anybody really coming right out and saying that? I get more of the impression of... 'I love these guitars, and don't understand why many others won't give them a really good look.' Or... 'Some people give me funny looks because I'm not playing a Fender or a Gibson. What's up with that?'

... paraphrasing of course.

 

[zombi]

Nice paraphrasing. That was the point. Even if the signature model players didn't start off on ebmm, I guarantee you the have spent time expirementing and finding their tone. Long story short, I am a little disappointed that people think you HAVE to play the standard when the expiramental spirit that drives nearly all musicians should dictate exactly that, expiramentation. I love my ebmm's but that doesn't mean I wouldn't enjoy seeing what I could do with a blueshawk or a thinline tele... My point isn't that we are better in any way, or enlightened, rather my point was, it seems silly to tell me I have the wrong guitar when you have no idea what I can do with it. When I tell people what I have, I look forward to having a good conversation about our rigs and guitars, but that is difficult when faced with negative responses about my personal instruments of choice that they haven't even tried themselves. That, to me, is "elitist and snobbish." If I was getting happy, positive responses, I wouldn't have created the thread...

 

[leftyguitarblue]

I played a show over the weekend and some random guy came up to me and said "I noticed you are a lefty,What are you playing?" So, I showed him my JP, he just kinda looked at it for a brief second and he actually said "You know, they do make Les Paul's left handed." I just looked at him, laughed, and said "I'll have to look into that."


People are told what is the best and are fine with that. They don't bother trying something for themselves. Advertisers are gods. More people vote for the next American Idol than they do for the next president. Why? because their TV told them to.

 

[bkrumme]

I played a show over the weekend and some random guy came up to me and said "I noticed you are a lefty,What are you playing?" So, I showed him my JP, he just kinda looked at it for a brief second and he actually said "You know, they do make Les Paul's left handed." I just looked at him, laughed, and said "I'll have to look into that."

It doesn't matter where you play or to what crowd. Inevitably there will be *someone* who thinks they know it all. It never fails to amaze me. I use my LP for ONE song in our set on a regular basis and I always get someone complimenting me on the LP. They usually make a comment like "you should play that Les Paul all the time" or "why don't you play the Les Paul for more than one song" or something of the sort.

 

[Big Poppa]

Sixty FOur I agree with you but need to probablyy explain that this is cayenne pepper land. ALso sometimes you can get defensive from the responses.....I think that people mean no disrespect for fender and gibson but may get a little tired of the rap.

WE get it all of the time with dealers that are only interested in basses and say "Your guitars dont sell", They are too small" Can you make a road worn?" You just want to say there are Strats and Les Pauls...WOnderful guitars.......but it is possible to make music with another choice.

 

[YtseJam92]

When people ask me why I play Ernie Ball guitars, I pull out my Koa JP and go "thats why". End of story. Haha.

-Phil

+1 : Couldn't have said it better myself. In my school the "guitar players" are all the same, they all say "I want a LP". I stayed away from Gs and Fs because I wanted something different. Something with character. A guitar that not everyone dreams about having (they would dream about it if they knew EBMM). I'm only 16 and already I have found the company I want to stay with. People need to broaden their horizons. Ernie Ball rules, end of story.

 

[bkrumme]

+1 : Couldn't have said it better myself. In my school the "guitar players" are all the same, they all say "I want a LP". I stayed away from Gs and Fs because I wanted something different. Something with character. A guitar that not everyone dreams about having (they would dream about it if they knew EBMM). I'm only 16 and already I have found the company I want to stay with. People need to broaden their horizons. Ernie Ball rules, end of story.

I'm totally with you on this, but I can't get the tone I need for that ONE song without my LP. At least not without spending oodles more money on FX and junk I don't really need. I already have the guitar

Some Gs and Fs are mighty fine guitars. MMs are mighty fine guitars as well. I think we're all going to be biased here Especially since this is the MM forum.

I do agree with Zombi, though. We get a bad rap sometimes because we don't adhere to the norm. I think what's important is that we keep our personal integrity and continue to use what we like instead of what everyone else thinks we should use.

 

[bkrumme]

I do agree with Zombi, though. We get a bad rap sometimes because we don't adhere to the norm. I think what's important is that we keep our personal integrity and continue to use what we like instead of what everyone else thinks we should use.

On the same note, there are tons of guys out there who disagree on the best production methods and software they use to produce music. It's all apples, oranges, pears, peaches, and plums. There are many different ways to get results. How YOU get those results is a reflection on you as an artist and an individual.

 

[fbecir]

I think we break the rules when on a forum, the owner (BP in our case) answers directly our questions / complaints / rantings ...
We break the rules when CS answers our question with such efficiency (ask for a DOB and 1 hour later you have the answer !).
For me, my Music Man guitars are made by craftsmen and not a big corporate firm. You don't have Road Worn Music Man because Music Man players know better : a guitar is like a journey, the road you take is more important than the final destination.

 

[YtseJam92]

I think we break the rules when on a forum, the owner (BP in our case) answers directly our questions / complaints / rantings ...
We break the rules when CS answers our question with such efficiency (ask for a DOB and 1 hour later you have the answer !).
For me, my Music Man guitars are made by craftsmen and not a big corporate firm. You don't have Road Worn Music Man because Music Man players know better : a guitar is like a journey, the road you take is more important than the final destination.

Well said.

 

[zombi]

+1

 

[KungFu Grip]

Sixty FOur I agree with you but need to probablyy explain that this is cayenne pepper land. ALso sometimes you can get defensive from the responses.....I think that people mean no disrespect for fender and gibson but may get a little tired of the rap.

WE get it all of the time with dealers that are only interested in basses and say "Your guitars dont sell", They are too small" Can you make a road worn?" You just want to say there are Strats and Les Pauls...WOnderful guitars.......but it is possible to make music with another choice.

I remember a discussion on another forum where a guy was just flabbergasted that EBMM didn't offer different neck profiles for each of their instruments. When someone explained to him that you guys keep your distribution numbers small, he was at a complete loss. "That's stupid. Why wouldn't they want to sell as many guitars as they could? Why don't they want to expand and become the next big thing?". He just couldn't understand the logic, and there was no explaining it to him.

Guitarists are like that. Absolutes only, please.

Despite that, you guys seem to be doing just fine, and I'm very happy to play "something different".