Info request before buying a SUB 1 guitar

[sniffles]

Hi everyone, how are you?

I wonder if anyone could help me out with a few SUB 1 guitar questions?

What does 'select' poplar for the body wood mean? Is it a one piece or multi piece body?

Does anyone know if the single humbucker version has additional routing underneath the pickguard for a neck humbucker or even a middle singlecoil?

I have had a search of previous posts and some of my questions have been answered but if a member of the EB:MM staff could confirm it for me I would be very grateful

Thankyou.

 

[sniffles]

Anyone from EB:MM help me with this or should I email them instead?

 

[Jimi D]

The EBMM employees that frequent the site do so only intermittently - they almost always get to all requests, but it can be quicker to drop them an email... I'd answer the Q's you've presented here myself, but much as I'd like to get my hands on a S.U.B. 1, I've yet to see one anywhere! I would hazard a guess that the body is two or three pieces, and if they keep with their usual build methods, the body routes will exactly mirror the pickup configuration (no extra or swimming pool routes)... Of course, these are only educated guesses on my part, based on EBMM's history of guitar production as I understand it - I could yet stand corrected...

 

[jongitarz]

The SUB Guitars are so new, I really haven't had a chance to work on them, but I think they are routed so 2 humbuckers could be installed on the single hum guitar. I will check it out tomorrow(I am home now) Will keep you all posted.

Jon

And Jimi, If you are to be corrected, you don't have to stand...You can sit corrected...Really...it's OK

 

[sniffles]

Thanks Jimi D, jongitarz appreciate your time and effort Looking foward to your reply.

I was originally thinking of getting a Hardtail HH American Series Strat but then I read about the new SUB guitars. Prices here in the UK are roughly similar for both guitars but I reckon the SUB would have better build quality than the Fender from what I've read in reviews.

 

[sniffles]

Any updates on this jongitarz?

 

[jongitarz]

Ok..I just checked out a SUB, and it is routed so you could add a neck p/up, but a middle p/up would call for more routing. It is not a one piece body, it is 2 pieces.
I hope this helps !

Jon

 

[GWDavis28]

Jon,

When are you adding the SUB1 to the Color Options chart??

Glenn |B)

 

[sniffles]

That is fantastic Jon thankyou for that. Two piece bodies don't bother me as long as they are good quality pieces which I am sure they are You would tell us if they weren't, wouldn't you?

 

[jongitarz]

Glenn,

I know our webmaster is working hard to update everything on the website, but as a humble repair tech, I am not privy to that info I bet if you post a thread he will answer it.

Jon

 

[jongitarz]

They are quality pieces..not to worry

 

[NorM]

I played my first sub guitar when the scion tour came to town. I wish I haden't done that cause now I want one. That thing oozed quality. But I swore that I wouldn't buy another guitar until EBMM puts out a 20th anniversary Silhouette. I made that promise and I'm going to have to stick with it. Unless I change my mind that's what I'll have to do.

 

[sniffles]

Thanks again Jon. What is Poplar like as a tone wood anyone?

 

[jongitarz]

Everybody likes it...it's very poplar

 

[Ben]

How are the pickups? Any good or will I want to change them out for something better, like DiMarzio's?

 

[PurpleSport]

"Poplar" enough that Fender used it as a tonewood on Strats as far back at least as the '70s, as well as many of the more recent Mexican made ones they've done in the last decade or so (they've only recently started doing most of those in alder/ash).

The Steve Morse EBMM signature is poplar, and I can attest that it sounded great. I've also thought those Mexican poplar Strats were pretty impressive too.

Jon might be able to better clarify or correct me on this, but I seem to recall from woodshop class that poplar is a softer wood, kind of in the pine/evergreen family. I know some hardcore Telecaster enthusiasts love pine as a bodywood because it's extremely light and quite airy/springy sounding (Morse used to play a Tele too, so perhaps that's part of the attraction), and will have bodies custom made with it. Apparently some of the very, very earliest Tele prototypes were done in pine, some may have even made it into a production run at some point. Pine is really soft though, and poplar's pretty plentiful and more durable, so it probably makes more sense to use it for instruments yet still get some of those bouncier tone qualities.

Jon, can you confirm/deny any of this? Would be cool if you could talk to Dudley or share what you already know about the story behind the Morse model and the wood choice.

 

[Jimi D]

How are the pickups? Any good or will I want to change them out for something better, like DiMarzio's?

You know, I was just telling a friend of mine yesterday that I have kept the stock pickups in every one of my Music Man guitars, because I like the pickups in every one of my EBMM guitars, and that there's no other guitar maker out there that I could make that claim about! I'd be quite surprised if the S.U.B. 1's pickup(s) didn't live up to the EBMM standard for tone! These guys take pride in building very good production guitars, and that's what you can expect from them... anyway, even though I haven't actually played one yet (will the ever make it to Canada?!?) I for one would live with a S.U.B. 1 for at least six months before considering a pickup change - I trust the EBMM design team that much...