I Want A Musicman Guitar!

[BloxBass]

So here is my situation,
I recently bought a pearl blue Big Al5 bass. That thing kicks ass! However it almost rocks too hard, in that it is making me wish a had a Musicman Guitar too! I find myself playing alot of guitar lately, because unfortunately it turns out that you just can't really play bass (rock out) in an apartment complex without pissing off all of the neighbors.
Anyways I'm set to get some money rolling in soon for my financial aid and I'm quite tempted to just blow it on a nice new guitar
However, I have to travel a ways to actually try out any musicmen. So I am just trying to gather as much information as possible to help guide me to the right one..
So which model is for me?
I like playing mostly the blues, and some funk for good measure, I mean I'll want to be able to rock out hard when I need to of course, but I have absolutely no interest at all anywhere near the metal extreme.
It might be worth noting that I do have smaller hands. I don't have much experience playing with tremolos, however what experience I have suggests that they are more pain than they're worth, so I think I will likely go for a hard tail model (unless convinced otherwise?)
So far, I've got my eyes on the Axis and the Silhouette. For what it's worth I saw a green emerald burst Axis and my jaw dropped, that green blew my mind and I'm dying to know if it will resurface at winter NAMM?
Anyways I just don't know much about the differences about the models and know nothing about the steve morse for instance, but based on what I've told you what do you think would be the more suited guitar? If anyone can compare and contrast the tones of the different guitars (not an easy feat I know) I will be very grateful!

 

[Hendog]

Silo, Albert Lee, and Reflex are 3 you could look at. However, all of them are great for a variety of sounds and musical styles.

 

[straycat113]

I would go with a stop tail Axis or AL, which will both do what you are looking for besides having really comfortable necks as since you play bass, you will prefer a beefier neck. The Reflex and Morse are great guitars but I think you would appreciate keeping things more on the simple side.

 

[Stratty316]

an Axis Super Sport would work well for you to... As for Green, its gone... BP (Sterling Ball) will tell you that Green doesn't sell and is usually one of the first colors to get discontinued... so I would not hold my breath.

HOWEVER, there is a BFR Emerald Burst Super Sport in the for sale thread if your interested!

 

[andynpeters]

Axis SS with MM90 pickups.....ideal for the styles you mention

 

[Slingy]

The vintage trems can be locked into place by putting all 5 springs on. The Luke is pretty good for jazz, funk, and rock too, but only comes with a trem.

 

[Jack FFR1846]

Man, I have the perfect guitar for you. Go to Pete DuBaldo's site (see in my sig) and check out the hardtail vintage burst Silhouette. It's marked "used" only because it's been there so long that lots of people (me) have played it a lot. The price is great and I an attest that it's an awesome guitar. Perfect for what you're playing. If you don't feel that you "MUST" have a trem, stick with a hardtail. I personally have 4 MM guitars with trems and am rethinking since I rarely used a trem and may mix up my stuff with a sale/rebuy.

There it is!

 

[knguro]

Silo, Reflex or SM, buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut, everything is about how do you feel the guitar so it would be better if you can try them first. Hahah the funny thing is that you may want all of them! but my advice will be, try them first.

 

[mbgreene]

You have the Al - Stick with the AL - and you can probably work with any of the Pup combinations.

Check out Colin's post with the Blues Saraceno Demos - it may help your choice.

So add my vote for the AL (but then again I always vote for the AL)

 

[Marcus2]

I'd consider the Reflex and the Albert Lee. They do different things, but are very playable, even with smaller hands.

The Reflex, allowing you to have the pickups either in series or parallel, offers many usable tones to cover many playing styles.

By the way, I spent many summers just west of MSO working on a ranch. It's very pretty out there. Is Snowbowl still open for skiing in the winter?

Marc

 

[BloxBass]

Thanks for all the responses everyone! After all that information I think it's safe to say, I have no idea which one to get haha. However, based on appearance and what else I've gathered so far, and also based on the fact I have no idea how much money I'm going to actually receive this is my wish list ranking:
1.) 25th Anniversary (If I get some serious dough, why not buy a rare awesome guitar, well I still can?)
2.) Axis Supersport (It is a damn shame it's not offered in green though (especially since it seems like everyone in these forums has one or multiple green guitars so im thinking they obviously must sell))
3.) Silhouette (That one from Dubaldo does look darn sexy, I can't lie, but I dunno)

I think that most likely I will be making a trek to try them all out, or if I get enough money just buy the 25th sight unseen. But who knows what I'll actually end up doing...
Any more input that anyone has will be greatly appreciated! Convince me why your personal favorite Musicman guitar model is the best!

Snowbowl is still up and running, I snowboard there every year!

 

[straycat113]

I still get mystified over the hand size thing. I mean he plays a bass, so I doubt their is a Ball neck that would give him any trouble at all since their is no model that comes with what I would call a bat.

I still have yet to see a player that is a grown man with hands the size of Randy Rhoads as they looked like they belonged on a 10 year old and he had no problems.

 

[NorM]

I'm sorry but I quit reading your original post when you said you were getting financial aid money.

Education is a value at twice the price

The end result will be worth more than the effort you put in to it. Provided you put all the effort you can into it

Stay with your studies
Stay with your unplugged bass

Limitation is the key to creativity

Finish school
Then go buy 2 or more EBMM guitars

 

[Stratty316]

BP has said it 100000 times... Green guitars don't sell... Those of us who have the. Are the exception to the rule... I love green guitars, but if the
man can't sell enough of them to justify keeping them around then they got to go!

 

[BloxBass]

I respect your concerns about my education, but my tuition is already payed for. All the money I'm getting back is for "living expenses." And as it turns out I'll have plenty left over even after a guitar, and hey if the whole school thing for whatever reason doesn't work out, at least I'll have a nice guitar I could pawn and get some money back
Anyways here's my dilemma.. I've pretty much convinced myself that I should get a 25th. But I can't for the life of me decide on this beautiful rosewood/quilt/hardtail that I'm eyeing online, or go to Spokanes Guitar Genter where they have a maple/flamed/trem on clearance.. Hard Tail or Trem, Rosewood or Maple.. I keep flip flopping back and forth in my head.. Jeez these life choices can be tough
What do you guys think? Right now I'm leaning just slightly more towards the rosewood/quilt/hardtail, but at the same time I can see how a trem could possibly be useful in the future..
With a trem is there less sustain in the body of the guitar? (My theory is that the springs would absorb alot of the string vibrations, but I don't really know?)
Any and all input is greatly appreciated!

 

[Stratty316]

You would be surprised by how well the musicman guitars with trem sustain. You really wouldn't notice too much of a drop off from the hardtail

 

[straycat113]

That is such a nit picking question that you should not even bother with it unless you are Eric Johnson.lol Kind of like when guys say Nitro is a superior finish because it allows the wood to breathe, Wood on a guitar is dead, and an electric guitar does not breathe at 120 decibels.lol

I will say though that truthfully you will get a slightly superior tone with a stop tail guitar, but slightly is the key word. If you want to play and have the trem as part of your style than go for it, as it will give you a lot more tonal options. I think the bigger concern would be what kind of neck do you prefer maple or rose wood.

 

[Roubster]

You have to know how important a trem is to your style. I have two Balls with trems and I love em, but I am currently in love with the hardtail Y2D. Either way, you cant go wrong. Now for the record, the GC in NYC has a RIDICULOUS 25th with the most INSANELY FLAME neck I've EVER seen to date and a CRAZY sick top as well. Its a hardtail with a rosewood board.

 

[agt]

The rosewood/quilt/hardtail 25th is my recommendation.

Or a HH AL ...