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Pics from my new old silo

skerwo

skerwo

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Joined
Aug 5, 2008
Messages
235
Location
Bavaria, Germany
Hi,

my first ebmm arrived today, a silo with sss. I got it from ebay and after the first half hour of playing I can say: what a fantastic guitar.

Here are some pics:





Real nice birdseye-mapleneck. The trem isn´t original any more, it was changed in a 2-point-trem instead of the original 6-point-vintage-trem. It works fine so I don´t worry.

This guitar sounds really like a strat but with its own character. It was played a lot in the last years and therefore got a soft reliced touch which suits me very well.

If someone has more information about this guitar please write down. I´m a little bit curious because it´s called "Silhouette" but should be called "Silo special" because of its 3 singlecoils and the 22 frets. Serial no. is 96025 so I think it should be at least 10 years old or more.


Rainer
 
J

John C

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Aug 16, 2004
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Kansas City
Rainer,

Wow, that's a very early Silhouette Special - I'm pretty sure I read somewhere (likely a post from Big Poppa (Sterling Ball) on this forum) that the first few just had a "Silhouette" headstock decal; the "Silhouette Special" decal came after the first run was completed. These came out in 1995; however, I also know that you can't date them from the serial number (like a Fender); put the serial number in the sticky thread and someone from EBMM Customer Service will come along and give you a "born-on" date.

From the factory it would have had a Wilinson VSV trem - that might not be the correct name; at any rate it was the 6-screw non-floating version of the Wilkinson trem. It looks like maybe your Silo Special has a Hipshot trem set to float.

It looks like a prior owner also swapped out the tuners - the early Silo Specials had Grover locking tuners that had a thumbscrew locking mechanism on the top of the post (I'm 99% sure that EBMM switched to the Schaller locking tuners on the Silo Special at the same time they switched to their own vintage trem design). It looks like your's has some type of Schaller tuners. Are they locking Schallers or non-locking Schallers?

Oh, and great birdseye on the neck; these days most Silos/Silo Specials have pretty much unfigured necks.
 
skerwo

skerwo

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 5, 2008
Messages
235
Location
Bavaria, Germany
John C said:
Rainer,

Wow, that's a very early Silhouette Special - I'm pretty sure I read somewhere (likely a post from Big Poppa (Sterling Ball) on this forum) that the first few just had a "Silhouette" headstock decal; the "Silhouette Special" decal came after the first run was completed. These came out in 1995; however, I also know that you can't date them from the serial number (like a Fender); put the serial number in the sticky thread and someone from EBMM Customer Service will come along and give you a "born-on" date.

From the factory it would have had a Wilinson VSV trem - that might not be the correct name; at any rate it was the 6-screw non-floating version of the Wilkinson trem. It looks like maybe your Silo Special has a Hipshot trem set to float.

It looks like a prior owner also swapped out the tuners - the early Silo Specials had Grover locking tuners that had a thumbscrew locking mechanism on the top of the post (I'm 99% sure that EBMM switched to the Schaller locking tuners on the Silo Special at the same time they switched to their own vintage trem design). It looks like your's has some type of Schaller tuners. Are they locking Schallers or non-locking Schallers?

Oh, and great birdseye on the neck; these days most Silos/Silo Specials have pretty much unfigured necks.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your infos.
Yes, the tuners are locking types. I already put the no. in the sticky thread. Let´s see whats coming out.
I also was pretty surprised bout the neck. And it plays fantastic, not a slime type, just exact what a hand needs to have a good grip.

In the sticky thread I read about a silo with a 97... serial no., which was from early `97, so your opinion with the `95 could be right.
 
skerwo

skerwo

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 5, 2008
Messages
235
Location
Bavaria, Germany
Hi guys,

here some more infos about the guitar from EBMM customer service (posted in the sticky thread):

"You have one of the very first Silhouette Specials! The earliest ones did not have the word "Special" on the headstock. This a very early model, it may even have been at our NAMM booth in 1995. It would have a Wilkinson tremolo, Candy Red finish, a solid maple neck, and Grover locking tuners.

very nice -

Dan"


Greets
 
skerwo

skerwo

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 5, 2008
Messages
235
Location
Bavaria, Germany
sickindian said:
Lucky you!
How did you came across this guitar?
Click to expand...

I got it from EBAY Germany. The owner posted it there but with bad fotos and bad description. So it came to me for under 700 Euros which is very cheap for Germany. There were only three bids.

EBMM Guitars are really expensive in Germany. A Silo special which you get in the USA for 1400 Dollars will cost you in Germany 1700 Euros which are round about 2100 Dollars.

So I´m very lucky to get this old beauty for only 1/3 of the new price.
 
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