NGD - Black Silo Special

[Vito Porkleone]

Greetings knuckleheads. A new member of the family arrived last week. It has a few nicks and scratches, but after a little setup (changed back to stock 9's and floated the trem a touch) and a test run over the weekend, I am loving this. I was going to go through the whole clean-sand-wax treatment on the neck, but after a little MOS cleaning, this neck was like an ice rink. Going from the StingRay (which I love) to this is like going from a regular engine to a turbo.

I've wanted a Silo since the early 2000's. Back then I didn't have the cash. Then when I had the money, I couldn't find one I wanted with a rosewood board. Finally a couple of weeks ago, one landed on Reverb. A new trem bar on order (notice the missing tip?), and definitely a new pickguard to spice it up a touch. I love the virtual PAF, but may do something about the other 2 pickups. I'll live with it for a few months and decide then. Meanwhile, I'm now in the Multi-Ball club.

 

[Moonshot]

Looks awesome. Love the blacked out with rosewood. I've really come around on Silos

 

[mr mojo]

Congrats on the new family member.
It's interesting you go for the PAF. I favour the single coils over the humbucker. But it's just me...

 

[Vito Porkleone]

The V-PAF definitely has a different flavor than the StingRay pickups. When I did the test run, I played along to a VH tune, and the tones were really close - I don't know what pickup was in the EVH/Axis, but it was closer than anything I'd been able to match before. If I can get that sound with it, I can work with it to get most anything else I'm looking for.

 

[edhalen]

Great score Vito! Congrats!

 

[banjoplayer]

The good old classics! Great one! I love those simple guitars!
Congrats!

 

[Vito Porkleone]

Now the big question... Red or brown tortoise pickguard? Vote now and win a prize!! (not really)

 

[jlf599]

Now the big question... Red or brown tortoise pickguard? Vote now and win a prize!! (not really)

Neither -- either

Red Magma

https://pickguardheaven.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/color-224.jpg

Or Tuxedo Candy Crush:

https://pickguardheaven.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/color-210.jpg

Or maybe even Moonstone or Fire Opal...but that's just me.

 

[morsecode]

I think black is cool. I wouldn’t change a thing if it were mine.

 

[GWDavis28]

Congrats man!!! Love the Silo Special!!!!

So to me the pick guard all depends on if you are doing anything to the pickups and such? Where were you thinking of getting the pick guard?

Colors - Pickguard Planet

At Chandler Music any pickguard is available in any color, made in USA.

www.pickguardplanet.com

Glenn |B)

 

[Vito Porkleone]

Congrats man!!! Love the Silo Special!!!!

So to me the pick guard all depends on if you are doing anything to the pickups and such? Where were you thinking of getting the pick guard?

Colors - Pickguard Planet

At Chandler Music any pickguard is available in any color, made in USA.

www.pickguardplanet.com

Glenn |B)

Where do you think I got the pics?

Staying black with the pickups - I hate the polar opposite contrast look.

 

[Vito Porkleone]

Neither -- either

Red Magma

https://pickguardheaven.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/color-224.jpg

View attachment 43069
Or Tuxedo Candy Crush:

https://pickguardheaven.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/color-210.jpg

View attachment 43071

Or maybe even Moonstone or Fire Opal...but that's just me.

Sharp, but too wild for me. I'm a boring old man now.

 

[GWDavis28]

The mirrored might look very cool.

Glenn |B)

 

[DrKev]

Now the big question... Red or brown tortoise pickguard? Vote now and win a prize!! (not really)

I do not like that modern brown tort at all. The old fashioned celluloid tort could be too dull some times, almost plain red brown with very little "figuring" but the new stuff is like somebody turned the brightness and saturation up to 10 and it looks "fake" to my eyes. Given only those two options, I would have to go with red but it's really quite red. How about....

Black pearl, cream/black/cream, or even brushed gold?

I have Moonstone on my ShortRay bass, which is awesome on black. NBD: SBMM Short Scale StingRay

 

[Vito Porkleone]

I do not like that modern brown tort at all. The old fashioned celluloid tort could be too dull some times, almost plain red brown with very little "figuring" but the new stuff is like somebody turned the brightness and saturation up to 10 and it looks "fake" to my eyes. Given only those two options, I would have to go with red but it's really quite red. How about....

Black pearl, cream/black/cream, or even brushed gold?

I have Moonstone on my ShortRay bass, which is awesome on black. NBD: SBMM Short Scale StingRay

That looks awesome Kev. We have a new contender!

 

[Sweat]

Nice, nothing better than classic black, congrats, white pearloid with white pearloid topped speed knobs and that would look supper sharp!!

 

[fbecir]

What you need is a mirror pickguard, like one of my heroes :

 

[Vito Porkleone]

Awesome. I don't think I could be friends with someone that doesn't like TL. All the awesome players that went through that band... But Phil was legendary.

 

[DrKev]

Philo! Be still my beatin' Irish heart!

 

[Vito Porkleone]

Update... So I decided instead of replacing the pickups, I'd load up another guard. The stock PU's do some things extremely well, but lack some clarity on other things I'm looking for. So I built a 2nd guard to swap out whenever I'm looking for that "other" thing. It's a hybrid Andy Timmons/Pete Thorn - Cruisers in neck & middle, and a Thornbucker in the bridge. It really works well - I love the sound of the Cruisers with 500k pots and treble bleed. Abalone pickguard (took a while to find that one) looks great, but I'm wondering about that 4-layer thing. The 2 layers of white are starting to bug me a little - I may rob some craft paint from the daughter and do a little surgery.

I have been playing the Silo about 90% since I got it - it became my number one in about 2 hours of playing it. Now with the new pickups, it's #1 with a bullet.