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NGD! A Curious Silhouette Special

Mincer

Mincer

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 11, 2003
Messages
148
Location
Tampa Bay area, FL USA
This is a new (to me) very interesting early 1995 Silhouette Special. I have another one, a 2003, but this one is an early one. For starters, it only says 'Silhouette' on the headstock, and is 22 frets. It is pearl purple, which looks black in most light. When I got it, the bridge was rusted, and didn't move at all. I cleaned it up, and replaced the bridge with a Vega Trem. The tuners were replaced with locking Schallers before I got it. It has an early version of the Silent Circuit, with the dummy coil underneath the neck pickup instead of the later cylinder style. The neck has some good birdseye, and the alder body is nice and light. Here it is at a festival I played this week in Florida. Anyone know when the word 'special' was added to the headstock?

IMG_8823.JPEGIMG_8816.JPEG
 
Mincer said:
This is a new (to me) very interesting early 1995 Silhouette Special. I have another one, a 2003, but this one is an early one. For starters, it only says 'Silhouette' on the headstock, and is 22 frets. It is pearl purple, which looks black in most light. When I got it, the bridge was rusted, and didn't move at all. I cleaned it up, and replaced the bridge with a Vega Trem. The tuners were replaced with locking Schallers before I got it. It has an early version of the Silent Circuit, with the dummy coil underneath the neck pickup instead of the later cylinder style. The neck has some good birdseye, and the alder body is nice and light. Here it is at a festival I played this week in Florida. Anyone know when the word 'special' was added to the headstock?

View attachment 58631View attachment 58632
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That is such a cool score! Congratulations!

I think the HSS 22 fret version Silhouette became the Silhouette Special in 1995. There is a red one on Reverb right now
 
I'd love to experiment with wiring up different pickguards on this- anyone know if modern Silhouette Special pickguards will fit something from 1995? According to this pickguard website, the 90s versions have 8 screws (mine has 9, though) and the humbucker has square corners. I don't know if this is accurate, though.
 
No idea. I had this issue with an older Albert Lee, where the screws from the pickguards didn't line up.
 
Mincer said:
I'd love to experiment with wiring up different pickguards on this- anyone know if modern Silhouette Special pickguards will fit something from 1995? According to this pickguard website, the 90s versions have 8 screws (mine has 9, though) and the humbucker has square corners. I don't know if this is accurate, though.
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Sounds like a customer service question to be honest.

Glenn |B)
 
Mincer said:
I sent them a message yesterday. Let's see what they say.
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Also send a message to Pickguard Planet/Chanders. They are the supplier for EBMM and have been for some time. If their relationship stretches back to the '90s, they'll possibly have all the templates. They may also be able to do a custom job for you.
 
DrKev said:
Also send a message to Pickguard Planet/Chanders. They are the supplier for EBMM and have been for some time. If their relationship stretches back to the '90s, they'll possibly have all the templates. They may also be able to do a custom job for you.
Click to expand...
Thank you. Sent them a message too. Let's see what they say.
 
Some answers for those also looking for something like this. Here is the link to the Chandler Pickguard that fits. Curiously, Music Man told me that they don't have any on hand to sell.
Silo Specials like the one I have don't have the Quick Connect for the pickups and battery, either. So I may add that so I can seamlessly swap out pickguards.
 
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