New to the forum/ EBMM questions

[Meedleyx10]

Hey guys, I've been lurking this forum without registering for a while now. I figured I wasn't worthy since I don't own an EB (yet!). I'm full time music student at McNally Smith College of Music in St. Paul, MN and have been playing since I was 12 or so. I play pretty much anything and everything. I'm mostly into prog-rock/metal and fusion. I play a lot of jazz, a fair amount of country, some pop, and this past year I've really been doing a lot of classical stuff. I still do a some original stuff too (some instrumental stuff, some stuff for various bands I'm involved in). BasicallyI'm ultimately planning on doing session/touring work for a living, but I also want to get into teaching. Basically I like to dip my fingers in any and all things involving playing guitar, and it's even better when I'm getting paid to do so!

Anyway, to get to the point, I'm planning joining the lucky group of people who are fortunate enough to own EBMM's....hopefully sometime before the end of the year. I've pretty much got my heart set on a Silhouette special (HSS, carbon blue pearl, white peraloid pickguard, maple fingerboard, non matching headstock, possibly a piezo). I'd basically be getting it to cover my strat sounds but it would also be my all-around main gigging axe. I've played a few silhouttes in the past at different stores, but that's pretty much the extent of my experience with them, so I have a few questions about it:

-Recent ones I've seen either don't have birdseye fretboards or the birdseye just isn't pronounced. Are they not doing the birdseye anymore or is it just a hit-or-miss kind of thing?

-How are the trems? I never use them for anything more than some subtle vibrato and a very occasional dive, so as long as it can handle that kind of use I'll be happy.

-Does anyone have pictures of a piezo equipped silhouette? I've never seen one and would like to see what the control layout is.

-How stable are the necks? I love the feel of the unfinished necks (best necks I've ever felt!), but I imagine that being unfinished also leaves it subject to climate changes and such. I'm going to be playing on cruise ships for a while traveling all over the place, so consistency and reliability is key. I also travel from time to time between the east coast (humid) and where I live in Montana (the polar opposite of humid). I know all guitars have at least some kind of reaction to such drastic climate changes. I just want to make sure I don't open my case one day in the middle of a 2 month gig at sea only to find a pretzel-shaped piece of wood growing out of the neck pocket on my guitar.

-What year did EB first start using the compensated nut? I might end up buying used, in which case I want to make sure I get one new enough to have the compensated nut.


I think that pretty much covers the big stuff I was curious about, but i guess I know where to come if I can think of anything else! Thanks in advance for any help you can give!

 

[mbgreene]

Welcome - nice choice for a first EBMM axe
Regarding your qestions

- Birdseye is hit and miss and recently has been more difficult to obtain. it may be ending up more on the BFR and LE runs. You're still getting a solid maple neck, the birdseye is purely a cosmetic issue.

- MM vintage trems are great and return to tune without issue. Just try to maintain some type of lube in the nut (graphite, nut sauce, chapstick).

- There are silo's with piezo's out there. maybe Foggy can pop some photos for you. Most or all of NoRm's silo's have piezos/trems so if you search and find some of his photos there you go.

- the necks are stable and the truss rod accessibility allows for minor tweaks without issue. The recent week of nothing but rain here in NY made it necessary to tweak my rods this week (but made some fret edges disappear. I keep my guitars on hangers out of the cases). They will take some attention, and you'll get a bunch of guys tell you how in their neck of the woods the weather is the worst, but its manageable and well worth it. If you're out at sea however, you may want to keep them cased with the silica packs. But that would be true of any neck.

- comp nuts came out in 2005, originally introduced with the Buttercream LE, but they started showing up on all models shipped toward the end of thast year and since.

 

[Sub1 Zero]

I have a Sub 1, which has the same tremelo. I can beat the hell out of the thing and it will stay in tune, and I even had it floated for a period of time, successfully

 

[OrangeChannel]

brent?

 

[OrangeChannel]

Here ya go on the Piezo Equipped pic...

 

[robelinda2]

Welcome, and great choice of axe!

 

[threeminutesboy]

surprised would not recommand an AL but Silo is defintly a very good choice. Having one SSS I can only recommand you to get one it's a very good guitar

 

[andynpeters]

I did Fort-Lauderdale to Bahamas cruises for 4 months and Mediterranean cruise ships with my SS.....never a problem with the neck (or anything else).....of course I didn't actually leave it on deck in force 10 gales.............

Choosing an "all-around main gigging axe" I would take the SS every time.

 

[Meedleyx10]

Thanks guys!

mbgeene-Yeah, I know the birdseye is pretty much just a cosmetic thing, but it's a cosmetic thing I'm very fond of . Wont affect whether or not I buy it though

orange channel- So is that Volume/Tone/Blend? In other words, no switch to go between magnetic/piezo like on carvins or the JP models?


Anybody else have .02 to add?

 

[robelinda2]

yep you can switch between piezo and mag, as well as blend, pretty cool! there's no switch like on an ASS, but you just turn down the mags, and turn up the piezo.

 

[beej]

Here's the control layout-

If you absolutely need a toggle switch for the piezo, you can wire one in. Another option is to use a TRS stereo cable and control the piezo with a switch on the floor or volume pedal.

It's a helluva guitar! As mentioned, the only thing you'll have to deal with is tweaks to your truss rod from time to time. Takes about 5 seconds and presto, you're done.

 

[candid_x]

Welcome, Meedley.

Sil Special is great choice, and very versatile. If you use humbuckers sometimes, the HSS is a perfect option. There's some pretty extreme temps here in the desert, including the a/c nearly constantly running in summer and a wood stove burning in winter. Silo necks have required only small infrequent adjustments, but as a precaution I keep them cased when not in use. It's a good idea to re-oil and wax the neck each year or so.

 

[JSX]

Welcome, Meedley!!

Stick around, this forum rules.

 

[Meedleyx10]

I think I'll end up going without the piezo on the Silhouette.....I've got my eye on an Axis Supersport further down the road as well so I'll hold out for that one before I spring for the piezo. Thanks again guys!

I figure while I already have a thread running I'll just ask here.....does anyone have photos of a the guitar I am looking to get? Recap: Silhouette Special, HSS, Trem, carbon blue pearl, white pearloid pickguard, maple fretboard, non-matching headstock. Any other types of blue would be cool to see too!

*one last bump to see if anyone else has something to add*

 

[rmh925]

A Silo special with piezo great choice...You won't regret it.

 

[GWDavis28]

Foggy, picture request man. See post #14.

Glenn |B)

 

[Meedleyx10]

who is this foggy?


*bump in disguise*

 

[andynpeters]

Foggy is keeper of the forum pictures. You might try starting a separate thread headed "Pic request" to get his attention.

 

[fogman]

INCOMING!!!!!!!!

 

[fogman]

Here's some variations of what you want. White ice pickguardsm different pups, etc.... It's more to see the CBP in different lighting. It's a great colour. I dwelled on it for months, only to get a Dargie!
Anyways, I hope this helps.