Opinions on Premium tops and figured necks

[brownpants69]

Hi

I'm about 48 hours from putting in an order for an ASS MM90 with trem- but I cant decide if the extra £300 is money well spent for a Premium Top. Any pictures or opinions would be greatly welcomed and appreciated.

Ive noticed how the figuring on necks varies greatly- my Luke is highly flamed, but my SS is plain boring maple. Why is this? How do I get a gorgeous 3D looking hunk o maple?!

 

[andynpeters]

Depends what's important to you, as I don't think it makes any difference to the sound. Personally I don't like wavy tops at all, but I'm in the minority and it's your money.

I have the impression that birdseye maple is now reserved for the more expensive models.....this was not always the case, as my 99 SS has a birdseye neck......not that I'm interested in birdseyes either as nobody out front cares what the back of my guitar neck looks like. I don't think you can specify birdseye maple on an Axis.....didn't actually think you could still pay extra for a wavy top.

 

[DaveB]

Mr Brown Pants.

From your use of the pound sign I guess you are UK based.....

Get in touch with us at Machinehead - I can find out what S&T have and what they have coming. Upgraded tops are great but then again I have had standard tops that are drop dead gorgeous.

Give us a try - we'll look after you (ask other Knuckleheads)

Dave

 

[Spudmurphy]

^
+1

I'm not the world's #1 fan on figured tops either.

I'd spend the extra dough on a piezo instead.

(Horses 4 Courses)

 

[brownpants69]

Hi thanks for the replies so far.

I'm not that fussed about the standard of the top, but I guess if Im spending this much on a guitar- and I have the option- then I'd like something to compete with the PRS and various custom built guitars that belong to my friends!

I appreciate that its going to make no difference to the tone- not to my ears anyway.

Thanks for clearing up the policy on figured necks- I guess it makes sense that the more expensive models are going to have fancier woods. Nobody cares what your neck looks like- just us geeks on this forum.

And yes spud- it would be money well spent on a Piezo. But that will mean getting a second wireless system for the Piezo output... Or can you configure so that you get both tones from the one socket?

 

[Spudmurphy]

I can't help you on wireless - I still have my curly lead from the 70'S !!!

The piezo and mag can both share the stereo out jack. They can then be split using a splitter box so that the mags go to say your tube amp and the oiezo to your acoustic amp/PA.

The piezo is well worth considering.

 

[andynpeters]

My post was just an opinion......"clearing up the policy" can only be done by an EBMM representative.....I'm just some guy on a chatboard!

 

[brownpants69]

Yeah- I get your point though. Obviously policy wasnt the right word to use!

 

[poj]

My SM Y2D is a premium top.

 

[mbgreene]

ASS MM90's Plain old regular top

 

[Sweat]

ASS MM90's Plain old regular top

Just freakin awesome

 

[Colin]

I thought the premium top option was done away with? The only option is the upgrade to quilt from flame on the BFR.

 

[francric]

I thought the premium top option was done away with? The only option is the upgrade to quilt from flame on the BFR.

I think I remember hearing that too....................

 

[ShaneV]

I like flame so much better than quilt, and I'm not a big fan of birdseye at all.

(Yay for cheap taste!)

 

[whitestrat]

I'm not that fussed about the standard of the top, but I guess if Im spending this much on a guitar- and I have the option- then I'd like something to compete with the PRS and various custom built guitars that belong to my friends!

Here's something to build your confidence in EBMM tops: My 3 20th Anniversary Silos... None of these are premium tops...

 

[A.J.]

Colin, Rob and Francric are right. We no longer offer the premium top upgrade.

 

[koogie2k]

Colin, Rob and Francric are right. We no longer offer the premium top upgrade.

AJ...correct me if I am wrong...flame or quilt is a choice on the models? Or just the BFR?

 

[A.J.]

You only have the choice of flame or quilt on the BFR models. With all other models its luck of the draw.

 

[Josh O]

I used to really gravitate towards highly flamed or deep quilt maple topped guitars. I still like them and do appreciate their beauty for sure but I'm really appreciating the true beauty of my solid colored JPs. I am still a sucker for a highly figured neck, either heavy birdseye or flamed maple. I used to have a PRS Swamp Ash Special that had a ridiculous tiger striped flamed maple neck with a satin finish, it was sick.

 

[brownpants69]

I usually go for solid colours as I don't like the over the top style tops you tend to get on other guitars, but I havent seen many gaudy MM tops. My other two MM guitars are a Luke (Plain Black) and a SS in red- nice guitars but not fancy. I was contemplating a solid colour for my ASS, but couldn't find a solid colour I wanted- but Honeyburst looks great- so that's the colour I have ordered at my local geeeetar emporium.

All I have to do now is count down the months until it arrives....