Musicman "Vintage Guitars"

[hansaustria56]

MM started the production of guitars in ca. 1986. Is this correct?

From which construction year we can call MM guitars as vintage?
I own one from 1991/92.

Hans

 

[Bluplirst]

Hi Hans,

Please wait until 2021.

Thanks

 

[DrKev]

That's a good question! It's generally regarded as 25-30 years for cars or clothing and I think that 'feels' right for guitars. That suggests a guitar has to be at least pre-1985. For Music Man guitars, I would not object if somebody described a very early Silhouette as 'vintage' but I doubt many other people would agree. Certainly nobody would describe an early Luke or EVH as vintage, and most people wouldn't describe an early Morse (1987?) as vintage.

Besides, 1991 wasn't that long ago. Right? Or am I gonna stare in the mirror for the next hour counting crows feet and wondering how much longer I keep looking younger than I actually am?

 

[ksandvik]

I hope MusicMan will never release pre-worn guitars.

 

[Richiesos]

I don't know, but my EVH looks like it's about 50 years old. HAHAHA

 

[hansaustria56]

I haven`t to wait till 2021.

( My Silo IMWO is collectable / looks & sounds great - one piece body in ash / FR-trem / great craftsmanship )

Can be that there is in 20 years a run on MM guitars and a hype like around the pre CBS Fender Strats today.
For me there is one more second reason this to accept. The series are smaller ( lilke Fender in the early days )
and the quality of MM is very high.

Defining The Vintage Guitar ( I found this in the net ) !!!

So what makes a used guitar a Vintage Guitar? what makes a Fender a Vintage Fender Guitar or a Gibson a Vintage Gibson Guiitar?
Vintage Guitars are guitars whether electric or acoustic,archtop,solid body or hollowbody that are "generally" more than 25 years old and considered "collectable". "Collectable" is a commonly used word meaning: "It is so cool that people will pay a lot of money for it."
A used guitar is really just a guitar (electric guitar or acoustic guitar) that is previously owned anywhere from a few months old to a number of years old but has not yet grabbed hold of the heart or soul of guitar collectors. It may be cheap or expensive . It just hasn't made the grade quite yet.

Antique Guitar is usually used when a guitar was built before WW2.

Either way you have guitars that are "collectable" a term I prefer for it's meaning, but which just doesn't have the appeal that the word Vintage has. I prefer the term Vintage because it sounds very cool and conveys the idea of craftsmanship and quality.
And so we have the the next part of the definition of the Vintage Guitar...Quality. If it isn't a cool looking or incredible sounding guitar it's simply an old used guitar. But if it has the looks and the sound, if it has character and craftsmanship it is Vintage.

 

[Luc]

So maybe my LE Luke will be a vintage one in 2032....that is a heck of a long time.

 

[Spudmurphy]

I'm vintage - some may say antique !!

 

[DrKev]

Spud, as me mammy always said "you're only as old as who you feel"!

 

[paranoid70]

MM started the production of guitars in ca. 1986. Is this correct?

From which construction year we can call MM guitars as vintage?
I own one from 1991/92.

Hans

Technically Music Man started making basses/guitars in 1976 (I think). Ernie Ball Music Man didn't start making instruments until the mid-80s. Some may consider the pre-EB MM guitars to be 'vintage'.

 

[Spudmurphy]

Spud, as me mammy always said "you're only as old as who you feel"!

hee hee - yer right or should I say "yer Mam's right" !!!

 

[Bluplirst]

Hey I want to feel cool too! from now on my '87 is totally "Vintage"!

 

[agt]

I'm not a wine connoisseur, but doesn't "vintage" refer to the product from an exceptionally good year?

If so, every year's EBMMs are vintage because they are and always have been exceptional!

 

[Mpcoluv]

To me, the vintage craze was caused by "F" and "G" making inferior products to their offering in the fifties and early sixties.
EMBB is making their best stuff NOW IMHO.
I have played the "pre EB" Music man guitars, and I think todays EBMM products are far superior.
In fact, I would say my AL MM90 feels like a vintage guitar but better.
Sterling has made a commitment to making the best product possible and it shows.

 

[hansaustria56]

Well, it seems that the aspect about the quality and the age of wood plays no role here in this thread. Good sound wood is quite rare, as everybody knows. It becames rarer and rarer. The wood of my 91 MM Silo is from alder ( one piece ) and the neck is ( slightly figured ) of birds eye maple.

 

[straycat113]

hans I believe that the quality of wood is one of the most important aspects of any guitar. Obviously EBMM has not been around long enough to really have any instruments considered vintage but I would believe they use the best wood for each model they make. The tone on every Ball I own is stellar and I honestly can say I ever got a dog, the only guitar I am not crazy for is there best seller the JP because the neck is not to my liking but I am in the minority there, slap a chunkier neck on and it would be another dream ax for me. But back on the topic of vintage when all the classic vintage guitars were used on classic recordings they were all relatively new guitars, so they had to be a winner from the start. I agree and believe that as a guitar ages and the wood dries out as much as possible it enhances tone and can only look for my Balls to sound better each year.On the other hand I can take my 92 or 95 EVH guitars which in my mind were the ultimate tone monsters and honestly say they do not sound better tone wise than the RM/BS Roller I picked up Friday which is the best sounding guitar I own and has me freaking out lol.

 

[hansaustria56]

I`m in all with you. I have a lot of different guitars ( ESP "Mirage from 94" / the guitar with the fastest neck - sounds great / ESP EC 1000 / 57 Fender CIJ reissue / Burns Marvin 64 / Peavey HP CT / Fame FORUM - handmade in Europe / MM silhouette
( 91 / 05 ) / Epiphone LP "Lynyrd Skynyrd" / Fender Tele / Claim Strat ( 1976 sounds great ) / Parker "Nitefly 94 USA" / Peavey
Wolfgang / Vintage ( LP and Strat ) ...... etc. All in all my MM Silhouettes are made very well ( the built quality is superb ) and the playability and the sound is great. Both Silos sound different.

In former years I owned some Strats ( 64 / 65 / 66 / 68 ). They are all sold now what a mistake. I have old liverecordings
( on tapes ) from this time and I am surprised about the good vintage sound I had this former years.


Hans