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Tescot

Member
Joined
Aug 24, 2020
Messages
11
Location
Honolulu, HI
Aloha All,
Recently discovered the Silhouette in my (seemingly never-ending) quest to find the guitar with the right 'fit'... and think I am in love!
Everything that I have wanted to change/adjust/etc. seems to have been addressed in the Silhouette!!!! SUPER excited!!! Can't wait to get one in hand!!!
and...
Sometimes analyze things a little before I move on them. Especially when it's NOT in-hand!
SO...
I know there are some holes in my analysis sheet and I was wondering what I am missing, have wrong, should add, etc... (and yes happy to share the spreadsheet).

Your help is GREATLY appreciated.
Screen Shot 2020-08-30 at 7.55.07 AM.jpg
 

DrKev

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Jul 8, 2006
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Somewhere between Paris, Dublin, and Buffalo
Welcome to the forum, Tescot!

There are no assymetrical necks. The EVH/Axis/Axis Super Sports are, yes, but nothing else in the EBMM line is. Yes, we occasionally see other guitars listed here or there as such, but they are not, and I don't think ever were.

Both the Silhouette and Special used to be available trem and hardtail. But you are correct that currently the EBMM webiste shows hartail available for the Silohouette but not the Silo Special.

Other thing to note are the fingerboad radius and nut width. EBMM Silhouette and Silhouette Special are 10" fingerboard radius. Not sure about the SBMMs. Also, nut widths are 1 5/8", which is vintage Fender spec. Narrower than Gibson, and indeed many more modern strats are wider too.
 

Cenobyte

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Feb 3, 2012
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147
Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Hey and welcome to the forums... I only looked at your breakdown quickly but one thing I noted right away was the lack of BFR (Ball Family Reserve) and special edition versions, likely because I just picked up the latest one! So off the top of my head, here we go!

Check out the July 2020 lineup of BFR's on the website, there are up to 75 Silver Flake Sparkle Silo BFR's available now! I believe there was a 2011ish version in a color called Black Sugar, also an all gold one called the Gold Roller, and a 20th anniversary edition with an altered flat body surface carve. Not sure if you want to get into it beyond regular 6 strings, but there is a double neck Silhouette originally created for Steuart Smith's and his involvement in the Eagles tours, specifically for the Hotel California solo, but they also did a BFR version of that as well.

I'd say if you're amped to get a Silo and you like silver sparkle guitars the current BFR is a great one, though the pickup's are hotter and more distortion oriented than the regular version (technically it's an HHH). I haven't been able to put mine down since I got it a couple weeks ago!

I think that covers special editions, but to be honest I may be forgetting one or two... I'm sure someone will chime in though if I am! :)
 

Tescot

Member
Joined
Aug 24, 2020
Messages
11
Location
Honolulu, HI
SILO20 vs Silhouette pickup wiring.

OK!!!
I am updating the graph with neck radius and nut spacing. I know some come with compensated nuts.
1. What exactly is a compensated nut (kind of like pre-formatting for bridge intonation)?
2. Which models have compensated nuts?

I also added base pricing (options from $199 - $2499 - WOW)

I know there are a TON of different options out there... so not specializing BRF, etc right now...


On a personal note: Think I am leaning toward a:

HT Silhouette with rosewood fretboard... Would LOVE a blue body,
(If you know one coming for sale soon)

but if black is my only option I'll go for the matching headstock.

Have a Silo20 on the way to see if I like the general look and feel of the guitar before I head to MM cost...
Discovered this about the pickup wiring and made a representative graphic.

Thought that was interesting - Yes, I know it's for a different pickup set. Not questioning it... just interesting.
 

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DrKev

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Compensated nuts improve intonation. They are standard on all Music Man guitars since 2005 or 2006.

(The standard bridge saddle compensation that we see on most guitars is just one part of the intonation, the compensated nut gives an extra improvement. Some guitar companies, e.g. PRS and Takamine, adjust the position of the nut relative to the 1st fret to do a similar thing.)
 

PeteDuBaldo

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Jul 16, 2004
Messages
10,149
Location
Central Connecticut (Manchester) USA
The original Silhouette (24 fret) was offered with a Schaller style tremolo (locking bar behind the nut) and then a Floyd Rose tremolo back in the mid/late 80s. There were also different pickup options (HH, HSH, HSS, SSS).
IIRC, around the time that the Silhouette Special (22 fret) was released, the Silhouette (24 fret) became HSH only, and the Silhouette Special (22 fret) was available in HSS/SSS. Both models were eventually available in hardtail, hardtail w/ piezo, tremolo, tremolo w/ piezo, with both the hardtail and tremolo bridges being of the EBMM design.
 
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