Question I'm buying my first MusicMan...

[Vincent]

Hi there. First of all I'm new here and I havn't posted anything here before.

I've seen people on youtube playing MMs, seen Lukather play them live and read pretty much about them. They seem like great guitars and most of all sound really good. I'd like to get one of them, not being 100% sure which one, but I seem to like the Luke most(from what I've seen/heard).

My problem is I live in Sweden and seeing MMs in guitar stores here is really rare, and the ones they do sell or the ones they can order are pretty overpriced. Now, I don't own alot of money (I'm 16) and buying a €2000+ guitar is something I won't be able to do again for some years. I have never played a MM myself and I don't know anyone who own one. There are stores in the UK that sells these guitars much cheaper than in sweden. They are able to ship guitars to Sweden. Some stuff about me: I mostly play Classic rock (60's stuff like Hendrix, the Who.. you know all those amazing 60's bands..), southern rock (outlaws, allman brothers band), progressive rock (Like pink floyd, Jethro Tull), a bit of metal (Dream theater and Megadeth) a bit of jazz (very small bit), finger-wise I think I have a bit smaller fingers than average. I like the strings to be pretty close to the fretboard but no buzz.

Now my questions are:

First of all are the MMs worth the money you pay for them?

Is it worth it at all to take the risk of buying a pretty expensive guitar that I havn't tried?

If so, can anyone please recommend a guitar that doesn't cost much more than €3k

Also... is the Luke True Gold BFR a good guitar or does it just look great, becouse that's the one I've been thinking about the most?

Thank you, and I'm very sorry if you don't want posts like these here.

 

[tommydude]

Welcome to the Forum! We have several dealers on this site along with members who live near you. I am sure you will get help soon!! I guess I will start with the main questions:

1) What type of neck profile do you like (thin, medium, large)?
2) Do you prefer Maple or Rosewood?

 

[Jack FFR1846]

Vincent,

I am at heart a very skeptical buyer. I won't usually buy any guitar without trying it first. I can tell you that of all of the Musicman guitars that I've ever played.....new or used, they have all been great. I've only bought one guitar that I did not play first (out of dozens I've bought) and that was a Musicman Albert Lee. I am quite happy with that....and the other 3 musicman guitars that I own. The are very consistant. I truely cannot say that about any other brand of guitar that I've tried, from low cost models to $10k models.

 

[Tumeniballs]

Anwering in Swedish

Jag har en Luke BFR och en Steve Morse Y2D som du kan få provspela om du vill. Jag kan även ordna fram en JP. Min Y2D finns till salu på blocket och den är i fantastiskt bra skick.

/Martin

 

[Vincent]

Welcome to the Forum! We have several dealers on this site along with members who live near you. I am sure you will get help soon!! I guess I will start with the main questions:

1) What type of neck profile do you like (thin, medium, large)?
2) Do you prefer Maple or Rosewood?

Thanks', Tommy! But I'm not really sure if I can really answer those questions. I don't think I have enough guitar playing experience, you see, I've only been playing for a bit less than 2 years.

Now, don't get me wrong, I DO take guitar-playing seriously, I study music at my school and take lessons but I havn't played many other guitars other than the ones I've got at home: A '73 (I think, it's not mine) Les Paul and a Yamaha PAC 112VCX (cheap guitar). I like the Les Paul the most, but it's not the perfect. I think the Yamaha is pretty good for its price, though.

 

[fbecir]

Hello Vincent and welcome aboard

When I bought my first EBMM, I never tried before an EBMM. I bought my Morse just because Steve Morse plays such an incredible music and his EBMM is like an extension of his arms. After my first EBMM, well I bought 2 others ...
You are young, so you will adapt to any kind of instrument. The EBMM are professional instruments thus if you are dedicated they will be good for you.
There are a lot of little details that make the difference between a 2000€ guitar and a 600€. The quality of the EBMM justifies the price.

 

[Vincent]

Anwering in Swedish

Jag har en Luke BFR och en Steve Morse Y2D som du kan få provspela om du vill. Jag kan även ordna fram en JP. Min Y2D finns till salu på blocket och den är i fantastiskt bra skick.

/Martin

Tack för svaret! Din Y2D ser underbar ut!

Det enda som hindrar mig från att åka dit nu är att du bor 56 mil härifrån.

Men jag ska tänka på det!

 

[Tumeniballs]

Ja det är ett avlångt land... Jag är på väg hem från Uppsala just nu men åker nedåt igen i slutet på juli om det är åt det hållet du bor. EB Musicman är i alla fall oavsett modell oöverträffad kvalitet tycker jag! Hoppas du hittar DIN gitarr!

Martin

 

[threeminutesboy]

seriously, try with a second hand ball and when you will find the ball of your dreams get a new one. A fellow forumite in germany is selling his luke. Check the for sale thread and <i am pretty sure you will never look back

 

[Vincent]

seriously, try with a second hand ball and when you will find the ball of your dreams get a new one. A fellow forumite in germany is selling his luke. Check the for sale thread and <i am pretty sure you will never look back

Haha, thank you I'll check it out.

 

[bbake1]

Don't do it!! Warning EBMMs are addictive.......... One is not enough. Agree, a used one might be the best place to start to see if the MM way fits your style. Knowing what I know, yes they are well worth it and a bargain for what you get, YMMV. I've tried just about everything out there at one time or another and kept coming back. Now older I won't leave or stray again. MMs fit me and my style; feel great and all the tones I could ever want.

 

[Sweat]

Now my questions are:

First of all are the MMs worth the money you pay for them?

Is it worth it at all to take the risk of buying a pretty expensive guitar that I havn't tried?

If so, can anyone please recommend a guitar that doesn't cost much more than €3k

Also... is the Luke True Gold BFR a good guitar or does it just look great, becouse that's the one I've been thinking about the most?

Thank you, and I'm very sorry if you don't want posts like these here.

First welcome and your post is very welcome as you are, plus looks like you have made contact with one of our Swedish members, plus I love Sweden, wish I could get back again

So to answer your questions:

Yes they are worth it, every penny, or Krona for you

I have bought many without playing them, but that strategy is not for everyone

We al have our favorites so you will get many opinions on this, but try a Luke or Silo Special, or HH AL if you dare

And yes the True Gold Luke not only looks killer it sounds fntastic, plus only 200 made so a great piece to start with.

Stick around this fourm is alot like family!

 

[NoUse121]

First time I picked a ball up it was all over for me! So I would buy a ball sight unseen! I was a huge gibson fan for the longest time and owned a few of them and some other brands like Fender and PRS to cover my tonal needs. Since I picked up my Silhouette Special I have sold off most of the other guitars cause the Silhouette Special just covers so much ground! I just picked up a Albert Lee HH a few months back and between the 2 of them I can get EVERY tone I dream of. Now a Luke is on my wish list but I think I am holding out for a Luke III or at least till it make its debut. Just from what I have seen it seems like a win win!

 

[straycat113]

Vincent the best advice I can give you is to go all over the place and try to find a few to play first. The guitar you are targeting -a Luke has a different neck profile than the other EB guitars which is a soft V, so make sure it feels comfortable in your hands. I have been playing since I was a teenager and will be 50 in a few months and I have only bought one guitar in my life without ever playing one first which is the cardinal sin and got burnt for it. That was my JP6, and I got burnt because the neck is not what I am used to as it has a very thin, fast, shred type neck. Everything else about the guitar I love, the funny thing is I at least own one of every guitar in the EB line except a Luke and love the neck profile on them all except the JP. Now that I know the neck on every EB guitar I have no problem ordering a guitar without playing it first as the quality and craftsmanship is as good as it gets. If you are playing a Les Paul you should look into an AL HH, or Axis SS along with the Luke, but do your best to play one first.

 

[ThatsAgood1jay]

This is a testament to how good Music Man guitars are.

I was in a Guitar Center recently trying out amps because i am trying to find a new amplifier. I had found a few to try out and was searching for a guitar to play with through them. I always look for Music Mans when ever possible, and I found a used Axis on the wall.

This guitar had been run into the ground, the body was all beat up, the neck had some nicks and scuffs, and the tuners felt like they had been partially taken apart. And I will tell you, that guitar felt better, played better and sounded better than any other brand I played with that day, even being completely knackered.

After playing a Music Man every other brand guitar I pick up feels....cheap. There is a soul in each Music Man guitar that just is not there in any other brand. They truly are the best in the business in my eyes.

 

[Tollywood]

Don't do it!! Warning EBMMs are addictive.......... One is not enough. Agree, a used one might be the best place to start to see if the MM way fits your style. Knowing what I know, yes they are well worth it and a bargain for what you get, YMMV. I've tried just about everything out there at one time or another and kept coming back. Now older I won't leave or stray again. MMs fit me and my style; feel great and all the tones I could ever want.

I could not agree more. I could have written this exact paragraph, bbake.

Vincent, start saving money while you educate yourself about the different models. If you play a '73 L.P., and you are comfortable with that neck, you would not like a thin neck. Your friend's L.P., nice friend BTW, will have a medium to thick sized neck.

I switched from a '76 Gibby SG Custom to the MM Axis, and it was a good transition for me. The Axis has a chunky C shape and it is not at all flat. 'Flat' means like a horrible Ibanez or Jackson neck - too, too thin.

The Axis neck feels like you took your favorite baseball bat, the one you've had since you were 12, and cut it down the middle to make two Axii necks. It's that basic profile and very much feels that broken-in and comfortable.

Good Luck...and, welcome to the forum.

 

[Tollywood]

Vincent the best advice I can give you is to go all over the place and try to find a few to play first. The guitar you are targeting -a Luke has a different neck profile than the other EB guitars which is a soft V, so make sure it feels comfortable in your hands. I have been playing since I was a teenager and will be 50 in a few months and I have only bought one guitar in my life without ever playing one first which is the cardinal sin and got burnt for it. That was my JP6, and I got burnt because the neck is not what I am used to as it has a very thin, fast, shred type neck. Everything else about the guitar I love, the funny thing is I at least own one of every guitar in the EB line except a Luke and love the neck profile on them all except the JP. Now that I know the neck on every EB guitar I have no problem ordering a guitar without playing it first as the quality and craftsmanship is as good as it gets. If you are playing a Les Paul you should look into an AL HH, or Axis SS along with the Luke, but do your best to play one first.

Hi Mike,

Can you please compare the Axis neck to the Steve Morse neck?

I love the Axis neck, both unfinished maple and my roasted, but I want a Morse right after I pay off Pinky, and I've never played one before.

Thanks alot!

 

[e.mate]

My problem is I live in Sweden and seeing MMs in guitar stores here is really rare, and the ones they do sell or the ones they can order are pretty overpriced. Now, I don't own alot of money (I'm 16) and buying a €2000+ guitar is something I won't be able to do again for some years. I have never played a MM myself and I don't know anyone who own one. There are stores in the UK that sells these guitars much cheaper than in sweden. They are able to ship guitars to Sweden. Some stuff about me: I mostly play Classic rock (60's stuff like Hendrix, the Who.. you know all those amazing 60's bands..), southern rock (outlaws, allman brothers band), progressive rock (Like pink floyd, Jethro Tull), a bit of metal (Dream theater and Megadeth) a bit of jazz (very small bit), finger-wise I think I have a bit smaller fingers than average. I like the strings to be pretty close to the fretboard but no buzz.

Hi Vincent,
welcome to the addiction

I have those small fingers as well, so I had to try a load of guitars to finally find the neckshape I was always looking for. And that is a Silhouette (mostly referred to as Silo here on the pond ). The Silo is also an extremely versatile guitar and doesn't cost a fortune, especially if you get a used one.
The Luke is a wonderful and versatile guitar as well, but I didn't quite get to terms with the V-shape of the neck....but that might be some sort of individual thing.

First of all are the MMs worth the money you pay for them?
Is it worth it at all to take the risk of buying a pretty expensive guitar that I havn't tried?

Those MMs are worth any penny. Throughout the last almost 30 years (darn, I'm getting old) I played like a thousand guitars, because I couldn't afford a Silo (which was already my love back in the early 90s). The other ones were extremely fine guitars as well, but none of them reached the level of perfection as those EBMMs do.

If so, can anyone please recommend a guitar that doesn't cost much more than €3k

As some of our brothers here replied before - go and get a used one first...it won't be you last MM, I promise. There's a lot of used Lukes out there that are looking for a new home, even here on the offers section.
Used Silos or Silo Specials (which is more like the Luke) are also often available.
The best deal for a new kid on the block would be a used SUB1, but they are hard to find. Most of them ended up in the UK, I guess....so if you're willing to buy from Evilbay, you'll most propably find one there.

Thank you, and I'm very sorry if you don't want posts like these here.

Don't be silly....most of us could be your father. So we love to give loads of fatherly advice

Welcome again...stick around, there's a lot of expertise around here