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Silhouette Special - Pickup Changes

D

dfung

Active member
Joined
Aug 13, 2004
Messages
27
Strats in the neck position have this deep 'body' or tonal quality that the Silo Spec's don't have. It's hard for me to put into words, but I'm curious if it's a PUP thing or just the fundamental differences between the two guitar models that does it.

Anybody have good experience in swapping out the stock single coils on their Silo Spec with something else?
 
There's a dude who plays with the Floyd tribute band Brit Floyd who plays a maple neck black Silo Special SSS... I emailed to inquire what he was using and he mentioned that he swapped out the pickups for DiMarzio Area 61 in the bridge and Area 58's in the neck and middle... and he gets pretty accurate David Gilmour sounds out of that guitar. That said, there is slightly less space between the pickups on a Silo Special and the body is more compact, so that has to affect the way the guitar sounds to some degree... point is I think you can get pretty close to that classic honk by playing around with pickup configs and the DiMarzio Area's seem like a good place to start.
 
I just went through the same thing...

When i purchsed my Silo (SSS) it was modified by the previous owner with a Duncan Hot Rails in the bridge that didn't match the middle or neck at all... I knew this going in but wanted the guitar so it was worth it to me and then begin the search for "my tone"
I've played many of the big names out there and had thought about doing some type of Fender Custom Shop but then again i just couldn't do that to a great guitar ;)
I knew i wanted to go something very Texas(y) and get that honk and cleans that are synonomis with the single coils we all love.
That being said I ran into John Carlsen and was able to get a set of his Texas Hots and i couldn't be any hapier with them. I was expecing the "hots" to be a big output where i had to change my settings on everything and that was not the case..
the tone is very clean and lots of bell like chime with a lot of character and definition. When pushed through a fuzz or dirt box the character of the notes are not lost or become muddy - everything rings through in a very pleasant way.
He also has a variation of the same pickup that's a little bit lower output but would highly reccommend checking him out.
I'm in the process of doing a demo for him using my EBMM Silo Special (SSS) with a Dr. Z Maz Junior.
If there's something specific you're wanting to hear let me know...

Carlsen Guitar and Audio
 
Thanks guys for the feedback. I'm mostly interested in hearing clean neck pup tones, as that (to me) is the foundation of the tone. If you remember, PM me when you get those demos up on his site!
 
I'm currently getting my Silo fitted with Dimarzio FS1 in the bridge position and True velvets in middle and neck. As the silo is HSH I had to buy a new SSS pick guard and replace the whole thing. Really looking forward to getting it back, hopefully this week. Also getting my Reflex back at the same time as it it had hopeless fret buzz and choking when I got it and it is being done at the same time.
 
coldsummer said:
I'm currently getting my Silo fitted with Dimarzio FS1 in the bridge position and True velvets in middle and neck. As the silo is HSH I had to buy a new SSS pick guard and replace the whole thing. Really looking forward to getting it back, hopefully this week. Also getting my Reflex back at the same time as it it had hopeless fret buzz and choking when I got it and it is being done at the same time.
Click to expand...

DANG I LOVE YOUR AL HH... That's my next guitar
 
This is literally the same setup as Lincoln Brewster as well, w/ a maple neck/maple fretboard.

Cenobyte said:
There's a dude who plays with the Floyd tribute band Brit Floyd who plays a maple neck black Silo Special SSS... I emailed to inquire what he was using and he mentioned that he swapped out the pickups for DiMarzio Area 61 in the bridge and Area 58's in the neck and middle... .
Click to expand...
 
Nice, yeah I'm pretty sure I'll be trying this combo soon myself... and I agree not sure how playing direct through a POD or any other multi effects unit has any real bearing on what the pickups sound like... especially the newer highly reactive POD HD's or a Zoom G5 (which I use live with a tube amp, but practice straight out of the headphone jack and it totally conveys the difference in pickup tone) etc ;)

Rufedges said:
This is literally the same setup as Lincoln Brewster as well, w/ a maple neck/maple fretboard.
Click to expand...
 
Hey Guys-
it was just a note to the comment about Lincoln... he's a great player but a lot of times the digital doesn't transcend the tone as it would with a tube amp. It was just something to notate...
 
Yeah, listen to Lincoln's "Today is the Day" album especially, and "Real Life" or the "Joy to the World" album; he has tone for days.......Lincoln has very much his own style, but his heavier stuff is very much a cross between EVH, EJ, and Kenny Wayne Shephard IMHO, very nice blend, and he gets awesome neck tones as well as everything else.

I have a HSS Silo Special, really love the area 58 in the neck, I have a Dimarzio DP212 EJ (Eric Johnson signature humbucker) in the bridge, that pup is awesome, my middle pup is stock......originally had an area 58 in there, middle and 1 step up from the full neck positions are sort of cocked wah, they come in handy for some stuff, think my shop just hasn't 100% gotten the wiring right, but, thought the area 58 in the middle was doing that. I do like the humbucker actually as well, no hum at all,.....there is still alittle bit of hum even w/ the hum cancelling circuit on the single coils, it is nice to have zero hum, but there are literally no humbuckers that can compare to a single coil for sweet neck tones.

Cenobyte said:
Nice, yeah I'm pretty sure I'll be trying this combo soon myself... and I agree not sure how playing direct through a POD or any other multi effects unit has any real bearing on what the pickups sound like... especially the newer highly reactive POD HD's or a Zoom G5 (which I use live with a tube amp, but practice straight out of the headphone jack and it totally conveys the difference in pickup tone) etc ;)
Click to expand...
 
Lincoln is an incredible Player... i've gone to his Christmas shows at Bayside for the last few years and the guy can shred. His tones are very much his own... I'm in the worship scene as well and appreciate that someone of his caliber is around for us to listen to.
Rufedges said:
Yeah, listen to Lincoln's "Today is the Day" album especially, and "Real Life" or the "Joy to the World" album; he has tone for days.......Lincoln has very much his own style, but his heavier stuff is very much a cross between EVH, EJ, and Kenny Wayne Shephard IMHO, very nice blend, and he gets awesome neck tones as well as everything else.

I have a HSS Silo Special, really love the area 58 in the neck, I have a Dimarzio DP212 EJ (Eric Johnson signature humbucker) in the bridge, that pup is awesome, my middle pup is stock......originally had an area 58 in there, middle and 1 step up from the full neck positions are sort of cocked wah, they come in handy for some stuff, think my shop just hasn't 100% gotten the wiring right, but, thought the area 58 in the middle was doing that. I do like the humbucker actually as well, no hum at all,.....there is still alittle bit of hum even w/ the hum cancelling circuit on the single coils, it is nice to have zero hum, but there are literally no humbuckers that can compare to a single coil for sweet neck tones.
Click to expand...
 
Rufedges how does your Silo Spec sound with the 58 in the neck? I've actually considered doing just that but am wondering how the results turn out. ANy tone samples of your guit online?
 
Yeah, literally, he is my new hero. The P&W worship scene has been long overdue for a virtuoso and music can get let the message and the guitar shine as well.

peterd79 said:
Lincoln is an incredible Player... i've gone to his Christmas shows at Bayside for the last few years and the guy can shred. His tones are very much his own... I'm in the worship scene as well and appreciate that someone of his caliber is around for us to listen to.
Click to expand...
 
It sounds rprettygood, not quite a classic strat sound (the Silo Special is more of a "modern strat" sound anyway), but a modern blues/neck pup type tone..........I actually don't have any samples / recordings with it right, I am actually in the process of buying some equipment so I can get more of a proper studio. Honestly, check out "Give Him Praise" by Lincoln Brewster.......good example of a what the neck pup sounds like (higher gain blues)

dfung said:
Rufedges how does your Silo Spec sound with the 58 in the neck? I've actually considered doing just that but am wondering how the results turn out. ANy tone samples of your guit online?
Click to expand...
 
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