Silhouette design origins

[whitestrat]

Can someone tell me, who designed the Silhouette? I've heard that Leo Fender had a hand in it, then some say it was Ernie Ball, and some say it was BP. What was the intention back then to have 24 frets on a Silhouette?

Can anyone clarify?

 

[fogman]

It was BP and Dudley's first collaboration.
Leo had nothing to do with it.

 

[Nemesys]

I read in some guitar book that it was designed by a California luthier whose name escapes me and Albert Lee. I've never heard that Leo Fender was involved (he would have departed MM before it was done), though the lines of the guitar are somewhat reminiscent of a Strat.

 

[NorM]

It was BP and Dudley's first collaboration.
Leo had nothing to do with it.

That's what I recall too. Did you notice it's the only MM guitar designed by a guitar builder and not some "artist".

Not that I could ever find anything wrong with any of the artist's guitars, I just prefer the SiLOs

I also like the Morses. And those Pets are just fantastic too.

 

[Ripper]

There are numerous threads regarding the development of the Silhouette. Basically the Sil is Dudley and My first design. WE sat around and thought about everything that was a problem with existing guitars starting with the truss rod adjustment then went to weight and then the ability to change your pickups with out ruining your guitar by routing, we talked about balance, and noise and lack of sheilding, straight string pull, versitility and on \and on.

The funny thing is that whe we showed it there was a combinartion of disinterest to laughter. Comments like thats the ugleist headstock Ive ever seen, to why is it so smalll to you guys dont have a chance. WE talked about the flexability to being abole to fit in an overhead compartment of an airplane to the smooth truss rod and nobody gave a damn. (That has happened to me alot in this business) Then Keith Richards started playing it and we were "temporary genius"

The Special came about later because there were guys that really needed to get the neck single coil mor towards the nut and with the twenty four fret neck that wasnt possible.

Foggy nailed it just right.

 

[mbgreene]

That's what I recall too. Did you notice it's the only MM guitar designed by a guitar builder and not some "artist".
]

We must also remember that the AL was a Dudley design presented to BP as the Axis before Mr. Lee took a fancy to it at a party. It did not become a slightly tweeked signature production model until several years later and the Axis name was given to the replacement for the EVH.

 

[5Stringer]

Music Man guitars were all R & D'd, developed, and manufactured all by Ernie Ball Music Man (Sterling and Dudley). The only guitars the old Music Man company made were the Sabre and StingRay guitars, and they were never built by EB. There was a completely clean break from the old to the new Music Man when it comes to guitars.

The only carryovers from the old MM are on the bass side - and even then there were some significant improvements. The StingRay, obviously, and the Sabre bass, which we only built from 85-91 due to low sales.

Just to clear that up God bless Leo and all, but he had nothing whatsoever to do with the Silhouette guitar.

Dan

 

[mesavox]

Was it then that the 5 string stingray bass was bassed on the Silo guitar, the other way around, or were they developed together? They are very much alike in body shape, much like the JPM is very much a shortened and widened Sterling. It definitely seems like part of the overall design philosophy is to make new designs an evolution of the Sillouette design which has really given a nice sense of organic flow to MM over the years I've always thought.

 

[Big Poppa]

5 string was influenced by the silo

 

[5Stringer]

The Silhouette came first, but yes, the StingRay 5 is actually based on the Silhouette body design, not the StingRay design. It is that way because we wanted to make a conscious departure from the previous MM company designs and put our own "stamp" on things, not because the old designs were bad - but the idea was to move the "new" Music Man company in a new exciting direction.

 

[NorM]

We must also remember that the AL was a Dudley design presented to BP as the Axis before Mr. Lee took a fancy to it at a party. It did not become a slightly tweeked signature production model until several years later and the Axis name was given to the replacement for the EVH.

Strong point sir!

 

[whitestrat]

Music Man guitars were all R & D'd, developed, and manufactured all by Ernie Ball Music Man (Sterling and Dudley). The only guitars the old Music Man company made were the Sabre and StingRay guitars, and they were never built by EB. There was a completely clean break from the old to the new Music Man when it comes to guitars.

This is good to know. Which makes it an even stronger product.

I'm proud to own one! (erm... or a few, for that matter)

 

[matty]

It's cool to hear of the design collaboration and to me there's nothing better than the ergonomics and sound of the Silhouette Special.

It's hard to imagine going back to "big" guitars! ha ha

matt

 

[whitestrat]

It's hard to imagine going back to "big" guitars! ha ha

I've found strats where I had trouble bonding. Cases where no matter what I did to the guitar, or how long I play it for, somehow, it just feels like a stranger.

I have not found any Silos or Specs that have this issue. No matter where I am, as long as there's a Silo there, I can pick it up, and feel absolutely at home. Be it Maple or Rosewood, it feels like a part of me. Every Silo I've tried, be it in the shops, or my own guitars, feels the same.

They may not sound the same (due to organic wood differences), but they definately feel the same.

I don't know why it's like that, but I'm glad it is. Everytime I think of playing another guitar, I'll play something else for a short while, then pick up my Silos again, and that feel of comfort is just inexpressible. It's like coming home.

Thank you Sterling, Dudley, for designing a guitar that feels like it was made just for me.

P.S. Can you guys release a 7 string Silo with similar neck prfiles so I don't have to keep struggling with a JP7? Heheheheh...

 

[robelinda2]

Yep, Ive settled on AL's and Silo Specials, so classy and comfortable and toneful.

 

[matty]

Yep, Ive settled on AL's and Silo Specials, so classy and comfortable and toneful.

Hey Rob-

Is the Al neck similar to the Silo? I have never played an Al.

And yes, Whitestrat, totally true. I have found that I get fatigue in my hand and shoulder if I play anything else.

matt

 

[5Stringer]

P.S. Can you guys release a 7 string Silo with similar neck prfiles so I don't have to keep struggling with a JP7? Heheheheh...

How 'bout an 18-string?

 

[rmh925]

How 'bout an 18-string?

What kind of nickel covered PUP's are they using on that bad boy?

 

[paranoid70]

The headstock for the 12-string Silo looks like it was designed by Salvador Dali.

 

[candid_x]

That double neck looks sooo musical; can imagine angels playing it.

Or Prince.