Need help choosing EB ax.

[Psicho]

So,

I'm planning to kill about 1k on a good high quality guitar in the next few months and I'm looking for the right ax. I currently own a Fender J5 Telecaster. I like it a lot, it is classy like a telecaster and it has that metal punch that John 5 put into it. The problem is that it's mexican-made so it's far from flawless: wiring is terrible and I get background buzz all the time when I plug it into amps that have more than 100W. Also, it releases a very very slight electrical shock when i touch any of the metallic parts. It's simply not high quality, although the design is great.

For the reasons above I'd like to try my luck with a good and high quality american made guitar. I was thinking of getting a PRS custom 24 but it sounds like it costs too much for what it offers and I'm not a big fan of painted necks. MusicMan Axis seems to have what I'm looking for:

- locking tuners
- tremolo
- high quality wood
- very high quality american craftsmanship
- looks great
- unpainted neck
- doesn't cost too much

For example this: http://cgi.ebay.com/Music-Man-Axis-Electric-Guitar-NEW-w-Hardshell-Gorgeous_W0QQitemZ7406849534QQcategoryZ2384QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
sounds like a good deal.

I was wondering if you guys had any experience with that ax and could give me your opinions about it, maybe compare it to a PRS custom.

I'm looking for a guitar that's also very flexible in terms of sounds it can make. I study jazz guitar and hence I play mostly jazz, but I don't like archtops at all and I'd rather have a guitar that can still be good for rock/metal, for when I want to play that genre. I know the axis is THE rock guitar, but hell, maybe it has a nice crisp clean tone.

Thank you very much.

 

[Jonny Dubai]

Check out the Axis Super Sport. It has a vintage term and a 5 way selector. You may need a bit more versatility with all you music styles. I have an axis and a super sport. The quality is great, but the playability is amazing.

They have 10" radius necks that are just a joy.

The Pups are fantastic (esp with the 5 way selector IMO)

Just get one!

1K in what currency mate?

Jonny

 

[Psicho]

1k in US currency.

I don't know, I was getting the impression that the super sport was some sort of a budget version of a real axis. I wouldn't mind trying locking tuners for once.

Does the standard axis sound clean and awesome with no distortion?

 

[Larry]

I have the standard Axis aka Floyd model and love it to death. I would never trade it. The pickups are amazingly bright clean and can do that blusey thing when needed. And when it calls for some overdrive dont get me started

 

[Eilif]

The Axis and Axis Super Sport have the exact same pickups and are basically the same guitar. The Axis Super Sport is an Axis with the following changes:

1) Addition of a tone pot
2) No Floyd Rose, but can be had with EBMM vintage trem or stoptail bridge
3) Piezo pickup option
4) Optional Rosewood fingerboard
5) 5-way instead of 3-way magnetic pickup selector. The extra two options will split the coils to give you some decent single coil sounds. It's not a tele or a strat, but it will give you some added flexibility.

So you can see that they are basically the same guitar.

As far as quality goes, they are both excellent, top-of-the-line builds. You can't go wrong with EBMM!

 

[Psicho]

Has anybody ever tried to use .11 or .12 flat wounds on a standard Axis?

What about about something like D'Addario .011 EXL115W ?

 

[Psicho]

up

Also, how well does the floyd rose stay in tune? I like to have my guitar stay in tune for as long as possible and so far my Tele has done an amazing job at it. I was reading that lots of people were having problems with floyd roses going out of tune. Did anybody notice anything similar with their Axis?

 

[kbaim]

My 2cents,

If you play mostly jazz, I'm not sure why you'd want a floyd? I think going hardtail might be better.

All of us here are gonna prefer the EBMM necks to anything PRS makes (ie wide/thin wide/fat).

If you can find them, the Luke and the Albert have excellent clean tones...with the Albert being the most Fender like.

Good Luck. You can find either used for less than a grand. New for slighly more.

 

[blackspy]

up

Also, how well does the floyd rose stay in tune? I like to have my guitar stay in tune for as long as possible and so far my Tele has done an amazing job at it. I was reading that lots of people were having problems with floyd roses going out of tune. Did anybody notice anything similar with their Axis?

I've never had a properly set up floyd go out of tune, AT ALL. So long as it is level, all the parts are ok and the strings are stretched, you tune it, lock it, and it is in tune (99% of the time) until you bust a string, or change strings.

Though, you mention Jazz being your primary thing, so I'd probably lean toward a hardtail as well. The Axis Super Sport isn't a budget version of the Axis, it is just a variation of it. Lots of people like the Axis and they just bring a few more options to the table.

 

[jazzbo jim]

Dude, if the tele works so well for your musical needs right now, why don't you just spend the $50 bucks it'll cost to shield and rewire it and call it a day?

 

[Roubster]

The 20th Ani Silo looks like it might be a great guitar for Jazz, based on the tone woods used. However there is no single coil sounds from this one unless you coil tap it or something. My regular Silo does Jazz tones pretty nicely even with the vintage trem, which stays in tune PERFECTLY. The tone control is essential for me to be able to turn it down to get more smooth jazzy sounds.

 

[darchirnoj]

I do not own an EB (yet), but I have played a few very recently, in fact. I played the rosewood axis with humbuckers through a line 6 spider combo. Not only did it sound fantastic, the neck felt unreal (best I've ever felt). I also played a luke and while the neck felt good too, IMO it couldn't touch the axis, but of course this will definitely and absolutely vary from person to person. The single coils sounds of the luke were it's strong points (to me) because they sounded awesome with great clean tones. I've also played a Steve Morse model (first model) with floyd rose. I'd have to say out of all of them, I'd probably have to go with that one based on feel (the neck, body size and style, and body wt.) and versatility of sounds. The different pickup variations impressed me the most because it allows that one guitar to do so much. Get a good amp with some good pedals and you could probably emulate a number of great guitars with just that one. Price wise, a new one is just a few hundred more than what you are willing to spend. I saw one on ebay this past week that went for a little over $900 (used price guys).
Good luck.
-darchirnoj

 

[Sub1 Zero]

if tuning stability is your reason for wanting a floyd rose, the vintage trems on these EBMM's are awesome. my Sub1 with vintage tremelo actually stays in tune better than my floyd rose guitar, and for me its more comfortable for picking (depends on your picking style though). it seems as if the axis SS, albert lee, or maybe even an axis sport would be your best bet. some guys on here have axis sports, and they could tell you all about them. they are a SSH setup i think. all of the guitars i mentioned are available with vintage tremelo or hardtail

 

[Sub1 Zero]

also, there is no such thing as a budget version of an EBMM , unless you want to consider the Sub1 that. it certainly will fool you though