Help! Silhouette and Axis SS - bridges and tones

[elfuma]

Hi All,

My name is Luca and I'm from Milano, Italy.

I know this issue has already been discussed, but there are some points which are still not clear to me. Sorry if I miss some relevant topic/reply during my search.

In few days I will come up with a decision about my new guitar. After having gathered all possible informations and tested all possible guitars, I'm pretty sure that my choice will be between Silhouette and Axis Super Sport.

I've tried both guitars with tremolo bridge (vintage for Silhouette and Floyd-like for Axis). I'm not used with such bridges, so my first really stupid question is if I can down-tune just one string without affecting the tuning of other strings. If yes, I guess this will work only for down-tuning and not in the opposite direction, correct?

But my first concern is about the clean sound. I know Silhouette's clean tones are ok, but my playing style is mainly rock and the Axis SS seems to be ok. Anyway I need also clean tones. I don't care about Strat- or Gibson-like (I don't like versatility, I like to build my own tones), I'm just wondering if Axis SS can provide "complete" clean sounds at full knob volume. Unfortunately, when I tried this guitar, I was not able to get to a solution (noisy shop, cheap amp, orrible guitar setup, etc..).

Thank you for your help

PS: humbuckers are a must

Luca

 

[Jonny Dubai]

HAy mate welcome to the forum.

1. Yes you can detune without affecting the other strings no problem.

2. Clean.. IMO you can get a great clean sound the the Super Sport esp on the position 2 of the pick up selector. I love that sound. Little bit of compression and clean heaven for me.

What ever guitar you choose you are going to be happy. I play mainly rock and i mostly use my Super Sport....saying that i will be in the market for a Silo soon!!!

All the best,

J

 

[elfuma]

HAy mate welcome to the forum.

1. Yes you can detune without affecting the other strings no problem.

2. Clean.. IMO you can get a great clean sound the the Super Sport esp on the position 2 of the pick up selector. I love that sound. Little bit of compression and clean heaven for me.

What ever guitar you choose you are going to be happy. I play mainly rock and i mostly use my Super Sport....saying that i will be in the market for a Silo soon!!!

All the best,

J

Thanks for your answers Jonny,

I will be glad to be an owner of one of these beautiful guitars!

Luca

 

[mbgreene]

Just be sure which guitar you are considering. Based on your initial description it sounds like you played a standard Axis and not the Axis Super Sport.

The Axis comes with the Floyd Rose Style bridge only and has only a three position switch for the two humbuckers. there is a volume control only and it only comes with a maple fretboard.

The Axis Super Sport can come either as a hardtail or with the same vintage trem as the Silhouette. Plus it has a five way switch for the two humbuckers which include split coil sounds in the 2 and 4 position. I also has a tone knob and can come with either a maple or rosewood fretboard

Hope that helps your decision

 

[TonyEVH5150]

IMHO, the Axis SS and the Silo are two of the most versatile guitars in the EBMM lineup. Both can get just about any tone you're looking for, though I'd give the Silo Special a slight advantage on the single coil sounds.

 

[azazael]

IMHO, the Axis SS and the Silo are two of the most versatile guitars in the EBMM lineup. Both can get just about any tone you're looking for, though I'd give the Silo Special a slight advantage on the single coil sounds.

My Axis (floyd) is coil tapped and its the best damn sounding most versatile guitar ever ever ever (lol)

 

[elfuma]

Hi, thank you All for your help!

Mbgreene, you're right. I've checked with the guitar dealer and actually the guitar I've tried is the Axis, not the Axis SS.

Well, I would like to try the Axis SS, but in the radius of three hundred miles from my home there are no dealers which have such guitar in store... DUH!

I've to choose between the Silo, which I've tried, and the Axis SS, which I did not try but I like a bit more. I think I will go for the Axis SS, I'm feeling lucky (I hope I WILL feel lucky even after the purchase)

Anyway, thank you again for your precious support!

Ciao, Luca

 

[Jonny Dubai]

All the best mate. I love my ASS. Great guitar. You wont be disapointed.

 

[TonyEVH5150]

You'll be happy with the ASS. It's great!!!

 

[Jonmo1]

I've played a Strat for years, and just got my ASS last week.

Let me tell you, my strat is going to be VERY lonely...

Best feeling Neck I've ever held, smooth as silk.
The balance/weight/comfort is Phenomenal.
Very wide range of tone comes from the belly of this beast.

And not to mention, throw on a nice quilt and finish, it's just the sexiest looking guitar EVER !!.
And yes, looks are important. My wife doesn't believe me. I've tried the argument of
"Why does it matter what color your shoes are?", but it just doesn't work.
Non Guitarist Spouses (be it wife or husband) just don't get it...LOL.

And quality, on reputation alone, I was confident enought to buy mine sight unseen on Ebay. I only saw pictures.
But I was not disappointed. Quite the opposite, I'm thrilled and Shocked that the guy sold it. Shocked!!!

Happy shopping.

 

[geng]

Axis Super Sport have great cleans in pos 2 (tele) and 4 (strat).
The bridge humbucker have enough bite for rythm and lead and position 3 (both humbuckers) is great both clean and overdrive. The neck bucker give you very smooth and full humbucker sound.

Silo Special is also great but I like the Sport better, and clean is must for me. I have owned Axis Sport, Silo Special and Petrucci and the Sport gives me the most comfort and versatility. Silo is like a good strat, The Petrucci is dream to play but to agressive for my taste.

Good luck, it´s a matter of taste, but both guitar is great.

 

[Astrofreq]

Axis with a Floyd all the way. If you don't desire strat/tele sounds, you won't want the Super Sport. The extra wiring takes away some of the bite from the humbuckers.

Axis.

The Silo is awesome, but I prefer the bite of the Axis pickups.

 

[Pablo]

Axis with a Floyd all the way. If you don't desire strat/tele sounds, you won't want the Super Sport. The extra wiring takes away some of the bite from the humbuckers.

Axis.

The Silo is awesome, but I prefer the bite of the Axis pickups.

Well, to me it would be a maple boarded Silo all the way. IMHO the Silo has the best bite, but the Axis the best kick... if that makes any sense

 

[SCman]

Hi Luca,

I can speak from some experience regarding the tones from the Axis SS. I've owned many guitars in the last couple of years - mainly high end Gibsons, PRS and Strats.

I find my new Axis to be the most versatile guitar I've ever had the delight to play! I can get a nice thick lead sound ala Les Paul/PRS, and excellent clean sounds similar to the great Fenders. I found the tone knob to be very responsive and the slightest movement can shape your tone!

My Axis SS is equipped with the vintage trem and although nice, I find it lacking and limited compared to the PRS trem. Perhaps because it has three springs in place (very tight). I'm thinking of removing one spring.

Anyhow best of luck and I look forward to posts on your new axe!!

Jim

 

[paranoid70]

You can't go wrong with either. Both sound great and are very versatile. The Vintage trem on the Silhouettes are great, I love them. I think it comes down to which guitar you find more comfortable and which gets you the sound you like. For me it would be the Silhouette, for you....?

 

[Slingy]

Lukes are good too. Hi gain, crunch, glassy cleans, it can do it all, also. EBMM makes some versatille machines.

 

[Jack FFR1846]

A couple of comments for you (sorry, no conclusion).


With the Axis, you can buy and install a D-Tuna to drop the E to a D very quickly and when adjusted correctly, quite precisely without messing up the other strings. I do not play anything in drop D and when I owned a guitar with a D-Tuna, I tuned it to standard E tuning with the D-Tuna in the low position. So, theoretically, I could switch it to an F# if I wanted to.

The Silhouette is pretty much known as Mr. Versatillity. It can do a ton of tones.

The Axis is more restricted with the 3 way....bridge hum, both, neck hum. The Supersport adds 2 more postions and the tone knob.

I'm going to throw a variation in the mix. An Axis Supersport BFR. I've played one with a rosewood neck (not just fingerboard....neck) and it is very different from either my Axis or my Axis Supersport (with MM90's).

Just to confuse you even more.........the 25th has all the combinations of the supersport and silo but also has a phase reversal switch. So I believe you end up with the 5 normal settings multiplied by 2 (not sure on that). Search around for the 25th demos. The sounds available are pretty amazing.

Or (I know....you're thinking....this guy is here to confuse me) You can still find a 25th silo which has the 2 hums. (I don't know the switching on it...but worth checking out) or at the low end, find a Sub-1 and then get a loaded pickguard from a silo. Silo sounds at a bargain price. Or modify the sub (see my sublhoette thread).

Did I make the choice easier?

jack

 

[GuitaRasmus]

My vote is for the Axis. I've owned a Super Sport, and my Axis is a much livelier, better sounding and playing guitar. I've modded it to have a push pull volume, so I can split the pickups (actually giving more combinations than the SS), and reversed the magnet and the wiring on the neck pickup, so it is humcancelling in the center position as well. Greatest guitar I've owned and played.

The Silo is nice, but a bit more anonymous to me.

 

[Sub1 Zero]

The cleans and lead tones I got with my Silo were excellent! I think you are going to be happy either way.