Silhouette Special purchase sadly tending to bounce - how to proceed...?!

[ivanmihaljevic]

Axel... Cool axe mate, so happy it's finally coming together for you.

Interesting though is that it's got the modern Music-Man bridge but the old style Grover locking tuners... Weird. Be interested to know what year exactly your guitar was made and left the factory.
My Sil-Special when purchased new ('96) had the same tuners but came stock with a Wilkinson VSV trem which I just never got on with (6 screw vintage type trem that was a pain to adjust for intonation etc) that I have since changed out for a Gotoh one.

Bill

Just to remind you, only the body of the guitar was in the original eBay auction, so maybe the neck isn't from the same guitar. So, maybe it's a modern Silo body and the old Silo neck.

 

[Mick]

Yeah, the white pearl will be fitted to the body first, equipped with a Chris Kinman MK2 single coil set. Should be ready by next week or so and I am reeeaaallly looking forward to see it in the flesh !

The bar, the tip... Hmm, really dunno. The bar cannot be locked in the hole, but gets tightened quite nicely by the spring wire. I'm not sure if it's original, though. The end of my SUB trem arm looks different - has a grove at the end where the spring wire snaps in to hold it...
Strange thing... the tip however is not there...
I'll have Mick have a look at that...

I smell work
This one will be reborn in the near future
I´m very curious about the refretted neck with glue marks on it, I will take care of it. Trust me I´m a doctor

 

[guertzi]

The bar, the tip... Hmm, really dunno. The bar cannot be locked in the hole, but gets tightened quite nicely by the spring wire. I'm not sure if it's original, though. The end of my SUB trem arm looks different - has a grove at the end where the spring wire snaps in to hold it...
Strange thing... the tip however is not there...
I'll have Mick have a look at that...

Congrats, Axilla! That IS a REALLY great color an I'm glad that things turned out (almost) fine for you in the end!

That vibrato arm is, as far as I know, NOT original, at least not for that type of bridge. For these bridges they usually use the ones with a tip on the one and the grove at the other end, just like on your SUB. Oh, btw: congrats to purchasing that one as well!

Maybe this vibrato arm is from a Floyd Rose type of vibrato?

Anyway, looks like a great instrument, hope you'll have a good time with it!

 

[Axilla]

Eha, so many things to comment

Mick, you know I'll trust you with no matter which of my guitars ! Unsurpassed service & craftsmanship at MGC !!!

I got the following info from Dan at EBMM CS:

- the pearl lavender body must be from the short period that color was offered: 1999-2002

- the neck according to the stock Grover locking tuners must be from the mid-nineties

- the neckplate with the s/n: 88818 is from a trans-purple Axis from 1996

Ergo: this guitar will be a complete "bastard", but a really nice one I'd say

 

[Mick]

Eha, so many things to comment

Mick, you know I'll trust you with no matter which of my guitars ! Unsurpassed service & craftsmanship at MGC !!!

Thank you for your kind words. This guitar will get the TLC it requires.

 

[brentrocks]

cool color man!!!

hope everything fits just right..

 

[Axilla]

HEEEEEELP !

Mick is going crazy !!!

...he's just kiddin' ...at least I hope so...

This babe is mine - all mine - my precious....

Should be finished sometime next week I guess...

 

[jazzbo jim]

Posted just a few minutes ago. Perhaps it'll be here tomorrow ?!?

Thumbs up !

If I might just bring back to attention, that seeing the tracking info you have to keep in mind that the item was bought the 5th May and paid online by PayPal the 6th... Now if that's not sort of a record !

HOLY SMOKES!!!! 6 days to Germany!!!
I live in Ontario and it took 21 days to get a guitar from New Jersey!! (Thanks free trade)

 

[Axilla]

I just got the news from Dan (5Stringer) at CS that my new little beauty here is THE ONLY ONE OF THAT KIND EVER MADE:

Axel, it's OK, you do not dissapoint me, in fact you have proven my point. The numbers inside the neck cavity are never the serial numbers (which are assigned as the instrument reaches completion) but instead are the work order number, and more importantly, the build code. The 9-digit build code represents, in number sequence:

1. The first 3 digits are the type of instrument that it is, in this case a (545) Silhouette Special tremolo SSS.

2. The next two digits represent the finish - in this case (13) means pearl lavender.

3. The next two digits represent the type of neck that is on the guitar - in this case, the number 10 means a maple fretboard, no matching headstock.

4. Last and least, the last 2 numbers represent the pickguard, in this case, 02 means white.

To make my point, here is a partial list of the options: http://www.ernieball.com/mmonline/color_chart/available.html Of course the finish number 13 is not on there under Color Options, being discontinued, but you see my point.

The neck is the right neck from all accounts, although it may have been replaced, it is still the same type as it originally left the factory with. Why there is purple finish on the inside of the neck pocket area is hard to know. It could not have come from the factory that way as that is not how our painting process works. It seems someone could have used it as a "paddle" to paint a body, which of course would be disgraceful and something that is never done at our factory. (We use paddles in the painting process, of course, but would never use a neck as one.)

Regarding the electronics, that may have been replaced or partially replaced at some point under some sort of warranty issue.

So I stand by my original statement - and as I said, you are the owner of the only one of these ever made exactly like this one! Enjoy!

- Silhouette Special
- Pearl Lavender finish
- SSS pickups
- vintage trem
- maple neck with non matching headstock

I can't tell you how I feel at the moment... pure bliss... I'm the happiest Axilla in the world right now !

THANK YOU SO MUCH DAN ! ! !

...DAN IS THE MAN, but you already knew that, didn't you ?!

 

[fsmith]

Axel,
Congrats! A one of a kind. A neat story to this one for sure.

fred

 

[5Stringer]

Axel,

I just love my job! Thanks so much for your kind comments!

Dan

 

[Axilla]

OK folks, now for an update...

The SSS white perloid pickguard arrived and has been equipped with the Kinmans. The black-ice HSS pickguard is also there and the DiMarzio AirZone is already in the bridge, the two SS still tbd.

Yesterday's bad news (they don't end with this guitar ) were, that the frets on the neck were not only a crap job done by someone who had absolutely no clue what he was doing and even didn't have the tools to do it... The frets are completely f*cked up... Just to get this straight - this thing is used and someone did a crap refret job even using superglue on it - it's of course NOT EBMMs fault !!!

So what's coming next is that Mick will give this babe tender care and one of his fine refrets using the originally used fret sizes (medium / high profile I guess). Attached here is a pic taken yesterday showing a preview of the assembled body, pg & electronics:

This story IS demanding a lot of patience, not to talk about the costs, but finally WILL turn out right.
YES, I DO BELIEVE !

What does not kill me only makes me stronger and Dan, there is not much I would NOT do for a one-of-a-kind EBMM like this

Hope I can post pics of the finalized beauty in about two weeks

All the best and thanks for all of your support and kind words !

Axel

 

[ivanmihaljevic]

It looks awesome!
I hope everything turns out right.

 

[threeminutesboy]

gosh

I'm sure that Mick will do a good job on it but as you say price wise it might not be a good deal

 

[Mick]

price wise it might not be a good deal

Well not from my point of view

No just kidding. Since it´s one of a kind it´s worth the whole effort and I had it soundchecked yesterday - it´s the strat tone F*****player look for

Will be a keeper, promised.
Now back to work.....

 

[Jonny Dubai]

Iam LOVIN this guitar!!!!XXXX
J

 

[5Stringer]

Axel, I think all will turn out OK once the frets are taken care of.

BTW the original fretwire is available from us should you want it ...

Dan

 

[Axilla]

Axel, I think all will turn out OK once the frets are taken care of.

It will, I'm pretty sure. Mick has blessed hands when it comes to revive mistreated EBMMs

BTW the original fretwire is available from us should you want it ...

Dan

I believe Mick has already ordered it through Musik Meyer, your German distributor (like for my pearl puple Silo Special). This guitar will be good as new and it's mine all mine...

...my precious (what film was that already ?! )

 

[Axilla]

Now, ...

...does this look like Mick about did it ?!?

and another one:

He for sure is THE MAN, too !
... and I guess what had to be done will kill my balance for good

 

[threeminutesboy]

Very nice,

but for the price of all the update you could have a brand new one don't you ?