Seriously thinking of selling my Silo Special HSS

[Rufedges]

Sorry, no pictures, lost the USB cable for my camera, it is black, maple neck and ordered and installed the white pearloid pickguard...looks exactly like the one on the MM website except mine is a trem. Had it set up with 5 springs for stablity, I don't use the trem,....she is as solid as a hard-tail, action is low and fast, professional shop setup. I've only had her about two months, born date is fall of 2011.

Never had a "real" strat until now, many of my heros (SRV, EJ, Lincoln Brewster, Jimi, even Mike McCready) all play strats nearly exclusively, however, I think I have found my sound solely in my Axis SS, and I knew the Silo Special was going to be different (Alder vs. Basswood, HSS vs. HH, Trem vs. Hardtail), and I love the chimey and gooey stratty goodness I can get from the single coils at home, however, I just can't get it to sound that way at higher volumes in a live setting. I know you can't make an apple into an orange, but I am starting to wonder if I am trying to do that or that I just need to tweak my EQs on my rig some more. Kind of bummed out, but the thought is crossing my mind.

 

[John C]

You almost have to think of them as different tools - like the Axis SS is a large phillips head screwdriver and the Silo Special is a smaller flat head screwdriver. You might be able to use that small flat head screwdriver to turn a large phillips-head screw, but it won't be optimal.

You haven't posted what the rest of you're rig includes, but you may need to do more than just tweak the EQs - you might need say a more vintage overdrive sound to make the Silo Special come alive. I hate to say it because it's a cliche sound but a Tube Screamer, Full-Drive II, or something like that through the clean channel of your amp may work better at the higher volumes - the Silo Special isn't going to move the air like the Axis SS will.

 

[JasonT]

Sorry, no pictures, lost the USB cable for my camera, it is black, maple neck and ordered and installed the white pearloid pickguard...looks exactly like the one on the MM website except mine is a trem. Had it set up with 5 springs for stablity, I don't use the trem,....she is as solid as a hard-tail, action is low and fast, professional shop setup. I've only had her about two months, born date is fall of 2011.

Never had a "real" strat until now, many of my heros (SRV, EJ, Lincoln Brewster, Jimi, even Mike McCready) all play strats nearly exclusively, however, I think I have found my sound solely in my Axis SS, and I knew the Silo Special was going to be different (Alder vs. Basswood, HSS vs. HH, Trem vs. Hardtail), and I love the chimey and gooey stratty goodness I can get from the single coils at home, however, I just can't get it to sound that way at higher volumes in a live setting. I know you can't make an apple into an orange, but I am starting to wonder if I am trying to do that or that I just need to tweak my EQs on my rig some more. Kind of bummed out, but the thought is crossing my mind.

If you are using the same amp/effect settings for both guitars, I'd suggest more tweaking your rig before parting with it. There is also a difference between bedroom levels and live band levels (obviously). If you said you didn't like the singlecoil tones at low levels, I'd say sell it and get something that suits you better. Sounds like more tweaking may be the answer.

 

[Rufedges]

Rig is basically an HD300 set up as an FRFR, plus an Analogman GE7 equalizer (use it to boost the output of the ASS pups).......I know tonally they are different, and believe me I have learned the difference between bedroom and live levels, got some sweet settings for the ASS live, it is good to go. Overall, I don't think it is my cup of tea........I am going to get some pics today and put her up for sale. Will let the forumites get a stab first before I resort local sale or Evil-Bay. Thanks.

 

[whitestrat]

change the pickups.

 

[Rufedges]

Really? Change them to what? I could put a Dimarzio area 58 in the neck ( and maybe middle too.....), but I have no idea what would be a good bridge bucker to get it to sound the way I want. I tried swapping pups on my Axis SS and immediately had the old ones put back in, the Axis SS are spot on. I am really trying to get close to a Lincoln Brewster type sound, he has a nice blend of EVH, EJ, and a modern blues sound all in one package, but, he plays an SSS configuration, mine is HSS.

change the pickups.

 

[luv]

Lincoln plays Area 58's. They are good pickups, but IMO they don't sound "vintage Strat". They are dead quiet though, so that's a plus at stage levels.

 

[Rufedges]

I wasn't really looking for the vintage strat sound, however, what is missing is the deep, warm sound I get from my Axis SS....Silo is defintely has more treble, but sounds pretty thin, lifeless and sterile to me.

Lincoln plays Area 58's. They are good pickups, but IMO they don't sound "vintage Strat". They are dead quiet though, so that's a plus at stage levels.

 

[whitestrat]

I wasn't really looking for the vintage strat sound, however, what is missing is the deep, warm sound I get from my Axis SS....Silo is defintely has more treble, but sounds pretty thin, lifeless and sterile to me.

Well, a single coil vs a HB? You can still get that warmth on the Silo Spec by using the rails from DiMarzio. Chopper x 2 and a Protrack in the bridge will go it.

Oh wait. HSS?

then just slap the chopper in the neck and leave the bridge stock.

 

[MarcoSilo]

I'm facing a similar dilemma: I find the sound to be a little 'flat'. It's lack of balls and attitude, specifically in the low end. Overall it sounds almost compressed more than a Strat. It does have silky smooth highs and that great sustaining singing lead tone. I also find the neck to be too narrow on the low frets (got fat fingers) so I decided to put my Silo spec up for sale. It's not sold yet and I'm gaining doubt whether I should go through with it... Just a minute ago I played for half an hour, to coax the best sounds out of it (with the intention of recording it for prospective buyers) and what do you know? I think I can't let it go... Still I do have concerns with the sound.

Some here say it needs a pickup change, but even unplugged it's not as tight in the lows as a regular Strat is. Perhaps we need to think of it as a different category altogether. Meanwhile I'll keep an eye on this thread.

I'm sorry if I'm hijacking your thread to much, but I think we're facing similar dilemma's.

 

[DrKev]

BP commented in a thread once that the closest guitar, tonewise, to a strat is the Albert Lee. The Silo Special is not a strat, was never really intended to be. It is what is, a more vintage sounding instrument than the other MM models but still it's own unique vibe. IIRC, the DiMarzio single coils are based on a classic 60's single coil (and the humbucker on a classic LP sound).

I think the single coil sounds on the SS are very stratty, comparing to my MIJ 60's RI. Of course, what 'stratty' is depends on so many variables (wood, pickups, strings, bridge (floating, fixed, hardtail), saddles etc.), there are strats out there that have very different characters. Hendrix, Gilmour, SRV, Clapton, Beck, Cray - different sounding guitars. All classic strat tones.

Personally, I'd never describe the Silo Special tones as thin or sterile. They make my MIJ sound anaemic in comparison, and a LOT of the musicians I've played with over the years loved my MIJ tone. (Yes, they love Silo Special even more.) Of course, comparing it to a twin humbucker guitar, like the Axis SS, is comparing apples to oranges.

 

[Rufedges]

Actually, looking at not only Ebay but the FS forum here, I would probably be lucky to even get 2/3 rds of what I paid for it, so I am keeping it. I use an EQ pedal to boost the output of my Axis SS as you can't adjust pup height on the Axis SS. Was using the same combo with the Silo was sounding, expect not at much boost, however,........ I think my pups were still too close to the strings and was gettting the metallic/magnetic pull type sounding thing, and raised the G-string (no jokes please) up a small tad, some of the metallic sound was coming from the G resonating on another fret........anyway, added a little more mids to most of my patches and did some overall patch tweaks, and I am actually very happy with the sound. Also, some of the problem is / was the soundboard at the weekly gig, .....that should be fixed as well.

I'm facing a similar dilemma: I find the sound to be a little 'flat'. It's lack of balls and attitude, specifically in the low end. Overall it sounds almost compressed more than a Strat. It does have silky smooth highs and that great sustaining singing lead tone. I also find the neck to be too narrow on the low frets (got fat fingers) so I decided to put my Silo spec up for sale. It's not sold yet and I'm gaining doubt whether I should go through with it... Just a minute ago I played for half an hour, to coax the best sounds out of it (with the intention of recording it for prospective buyers) and what do you know? I think I can't let it go... Still I do have concerns with the sound.

Some here say it needs a pickup change, but even unplugged it's not as tight in the lows as a regular Strat is. Perhaps we need to think of it as a different category altogether. Meanwhile I'll keep an eye on this thread.

I'm sorry if I'm hijacking your thread to much, but I think we're facing similar dilemma's.