Odd Axis - 3xMM90

[radzone]

Hi!

I'm new to this forum and would like to buy my first Music Man. There are some quite nice axes in my country (Poland) but I would like to find out something more about this one. It's an Axis Sport with 3 MM90. It looks genuine and I don't think it's a copy. But I have never seen (or googled) another one with 3 MM90. Do you guys know this model? Is it original or something is wrong with it?

Thanks!!

 

[PeteDuBaldo]

Very cool find! That's an old Axis Sport model (not the Super Sport). They were offered in a few different configurations in the mid-late 90s and early 2000s. They did not have body binding, and if I remember correctly used Ash for the body wood.

 

[xjbebop]

that would be a fine & fun guitar....

 

[Tollywood]

Hello and welcome to the forum. That is a really cool Axis.

 

[Razzle]

Can't say I've seen one of those before. Nice.

 

[radzone]

Very cool find! That's an old Axis Sport model (not the Super Sport). They were offered in a few different configurations in the mid-late 90s and early 2000s. They did not have body binding, and if I remember correctly used Ash for the body wood.

Thanks a lot guys!!!

That means this might be good for me.

I was looking for a nice fat sounding strat with rosewood fretboard and noiseless pickups and found this instead. I am afraid that it might be very bright (too bright sounding) as it has ash+maple/maple and MM90. I really don't like harsh sounds. I have a 1962 Gibson Melody Maker with P90's that sounds great but the neck is too chunky for me and it lacks of tremolo.

That's why I am also considering a Luke I or II (I guess this might be the best one for me due to very fat sound out of active single coils) and an Axis HSS (ash body 1996). I don't have much money for it - about 800-850 Euro including shipping so I can live with scratches and ding dongs.

Can you tell me - is the silent circuit efficent? Does it really do the job? I mean - humbucker silent. I need an extremely silent guitar for recording as the building I live in has faulty (noisy) wiring and even some humbuckers get noisy here (.

 

[radzone]

Ok, so here's the deal:

I cannot decide between an

- Axis Sport HSS 1996 (silent circuit not working as the seller says),
- Axis Sport 3xMM90 (not dead silent like Kinmans or DiMarzio Virtual Vintage - but closest to what I would like to have -vide Gibson MM P90)
-a sunburst Luke with birdseye neck - this is the most roadworn, it lacks of a PCB that should be in the cavity (seller says), has dead quiet pickups but (to my ear) a bit sterile on cleans - unfortunately only YT test drive.

I am also considering buying HSS Axis and swapping two singles for something passive noiseless (Kinman, DiMarzio?). Maybe that would be the best idea?

What do you guys think??

 

[Spudmurphy]

Well if it was me - I'd jump on that 3 x MM90 Axis. The silent circuit helps a lot but doesn't cure "everything"

 

[douglasspears]

I can't say I've ever seen a 3 MM90 Axis (Sport or otherwise) before. Not sure why nobody else has acknowledged your question, but it at least "looks" pretty legit to me. I know they made 3 MM90 Albert Lee's for a while, maybe still, not sure of other models.

Good luck, and welcome!

 

[Lou]

Go with your gut. If the guitar sounds too bright all you do is roll off the tone AR adjust your amp accordingly.

 

[beej]

I can't say I've ever seen a 3 MM90 Axis (Sport or otherwise) before.

Wow- me neither. Is that stock? I've never one like it. (I have one with the same vintage + colour with two MM90s.)

 

[radzone]

So I managed to get in touch with the previous owner. Apparently this MM90 Axis can be heard on famous polish recordings (Bands like Ira or Pin) - famous in Poland of course.

He told me that the middle P90 was added and if you look closely - you can see the extra routing that is not stock + you cannot lower the position of the middle P90 - as the routing is not as deep as the bridge and neck. The guy said that the guitar is nice and he liked it but for now he does not miss it at all. So I guess that the requested Axis with triple MM90 just lost a big part of it's magic for me.

 

[Astrofreq]

It would be better if it had 4 MM90s.

 

[radzone]

It would be better if it had 4 MM90s.

Yup, quite a shame huh? I got the information the middle MM90 was added by the first owner in USA. I don't know what he was thinking.

 

[GWDavis28]

Hi, welcome, nice guitar. 3 MM90's were not an option, so this might be an artist special instrument. Either way it is very cool and I'm thinking kind of unique.

Good luck, with your decision. Glenn |B)

 

[douglasspears]