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Silhouette special, silhouette
- Thread starter MCBTunes
- Start date
MCB, if you compare the 2 web pages of them you'll see that the Silo is 24 frets and the SS is 22.
Open each page in a different browser and see for yourself.
http://www.ernieball.com/mmonline/specs/instruments_silhspecial.html
http://www.ernieball.com/mmonline/specs/instruments_silhouette.html
Hope this helps, Glenn }B)
Open each page in a different browser and see for yourself.
http://www.ernieball.com/mmonline/specs/instruments_silhspecial.html
http://www.ernieball.com/mmonline/specs/instruments_silhouette.html
Hope this helps, Glenn }B)
So what makes the special "special" then? That it is offered in left hand? looks to me like the original silhouette should be the special because it has 24 frets no? Other than that and pickup configurations there is no difference? Same body, same neck.
John C
Well-known member
I guess EBMM chose the name "Special" because it would seem odd call it the "vintage" version of a guitar that came into existance in the mid-80s.
The Silhouette came first - it was EBMM's first guitar design. As I understand it Dudley Gimple was given the task of creating a guitar that resembled the Sting Ray bass, which was the most successful of the Leo Fender era Music Mans. EBMM bought the rights to the name and the designs when the original Music Man company went bankrupt, but only the Sting Ray and maybe the Sabre basses were put back into production.
The Silhouette made its debut in either 1985 or very early 1986; like many mid-80s designs it featured the 24-fret neck. The original Silhouette came with a string-through fixed bridge or a Schaller single-locking trem. The trem was similar to the Kahler fulcrum bridges with roller saddles and fine tuners and a string lock behind the nut; these were also used by Schecter circa 1984-85 under the name of "Trem-Lock". The Silhouette was offered in several pickup configurations (s/s/s, s/s/h, h/s/h, and h/h) and featured a plug to connect the pickguard to the output jack so the owner could easily swap out pickguards on the fly (or at least while restringing the guitar). After the EVH signature came out, the Silhouette was updated with the 5-bolt contoured neck joint and a recessed Floyd Rose replaced the Schaller bridge.
However, because of the 24 frets the Silhouette didn't deliver a "vintage Strat" tone with the s/s/s or s/s/h configuration; the neck pickup was too close to the bridge to get that Strat bell-like tone and the pickups were closer together which impacted the "quack" tones. The Silhouette Special was to be a more vintage or traditional guitar than the Silhouette. I can't remember when it debuted, I think it was either 1992 or 1993. The 22-fret neck allowed ther pickups to be placed in similar positions as a Fender Strat to get more of that vintage tone. The original Specials had either the string-through bridge or a Wilkinson vintage style bridge - this is the one that doesn't float and has "six screws" like a vintage Strat bridge (it is more like 2 posts with 4 screws in between) and the old-style Grover top-locking tuners. The special was available only with s/s/s or s/s/h configurations and was the first EBMM to feature the Silent Circuit.
After EVH left for Peavey and EBMM revamped the EVH into the Axis, they also brought out the Axis Sport circa 1995 or 1996. The Axis Sport featured EBMM's own own vintage non-locking trem, and the Silhouette Special was revamped with the new bridge and Schaller locking tuners. However, the Silhouette Special uses vintage-style bent saddles instead of solid cast saddles.
Since then the two guitars have gotten more similar in some respects - I think the early Silhouettes came with ash or poplar bodies while the Special has always been alder (again, like a traditional Fender Strat) or ash. Now both guitars come with alder bodies. The other pickup configurations have gone away on the Silhouette, leaving only the h/s/h configuration. The Floyd Rose bridge has also gone away, replaced by the EBMM non-locking trem. However, the Silhouette still comes with the solid saddles while the Special has the vintage-style bent saddles.
Also, the Silhouette Special does have a slightly larger body; you have to see them side-by-side in person to tell the difference, but the Silhouette's horns are more deeply cut away than the Silhouette Special to accomodate the Silhouette's 24-fret neck.
The Silhouette came first - it was EBMM's first guitar design. As I understand it Dudley Gimple was given the task of creating a guitar that resembled the Sting Ray bass, which was the most successful of the Leo Fender era Music Mans. EBMM bought the rights to the name and the designs when the original Music Man company went bankrupt, but only the Sting Ray and maybe the Sabre basses were put back into production.
The Silhouette made its debut in either 1985 or very early 1986; like many mid-80s designs it featured the 24-fret neck. The original Silhouette came with a string-through fixed bridge or a Schaller single-locking trem. The trem was similar to the Kahler fulcrum bridges with roller saddles and fine tuners and a string lock behind the nut; these were also used by Schecter circa 1984-85 under the name of "Trem-Lock". The Silhouette was offered in several pickup configurations (s/s/s, s/s/h, h/s/h, and h/h) and featured a plug to connect the pickguard to the output jack so the owner could easily swap out pickguards on the fly (or at least while restringing the guitar). After the EVH signature came out, the Silhouette was updated with the 5-bolt contoured neck joint and a recessed Floyd Rose replaced the Schaller bridge.
However, because of the 24 frets the Silhouette didn't deliver a "vintage Strat" tone with the s/s/s or s/s/h configuration; the neck pickup was too close to the bridge to get that Strat bell-like tone and the pickups were closer together which impacted the "quack" tones. The Silhouette Special was to be a more vintage or traditional guitar than the Silhouette. I can't remember when it debuted, I think it was either 1992 or 1993. The 22-fret neck allowed ther pickups to be placed in similar positions as a Fender Strat to get more of that vintage tone. The original Specials had either the string-through bridge or a Wilkinson vintage style bridge - this is the one that doesn't float and has "six screws" like a vintage Strat bridge (it is more like 2 posts with 4 screws in between) and the old-style Grover top-locking tuners. The special was available only with s/s/s or s/s/h configurations and was the first EBMM to feature the Silent Circuit.
After EVH left for Peavey and EBMM revamped the EVH into the Axis, they also brought out the Axis Sport circa 1995 or 1996. The Axis Sport featured EBMM's own own vintage non-locking trem, and the Silhouette Special was revamped with the new bridge and Schaller locking tuners. However, the Silhouette Special uses vintage-style bent saddles instead of solid cast saddles.
Since then the two guitars have gotten more similar in some respects - I think the early Silhouettes came with ash or poplar bodies while the Special has always been alder (again, like a traditional Fender Strat) or ash. Now both guitars come with alder bodies. The other pickup configurations have gone away on the Silhouette, leaving only the h/s/h configuration. The Floyd Rose bridge has also gone away, replaced by the EBMM non-locking trem. However, the Silhouette still comes with the solid saddles while the Special has the vintage-style bent saddles.
Also, the Silhouette Special does have a slightly larger body; you have to see them side-by-side in person to tell the difference, but the Silhouette's horns are more deeply cut away than the Silhouette Special to accomodate the Silhouette's 24-fret neck.
SteveB
Well-known member
Wow, John C... amazing post! Good stuff.
John C
Well-known member
SteveB said:
Thanks SteveB - I just wish I had been smart enough to buy a Silhouette Special 10-12 years ago - I've spent far too much on other brands trying to find the "perfect neck". I finally realized that it existed on the Silhouette Special and got mine late last year. Oh well, better late than never!
scottie
Well-known member
Wow, thanks for the history lesson John. Really good stuff in there. 
--scottie
--scottie
Warg Master
Well-known member
Music Man Silhouettes RULE
kbaim
Well-known member
positions 2 and 4 on pickup switch
John C
Well-known member
fogman - sorry, that's some Strat "shorthand" I picked up somewhere along the way. As Keith said, it's positions 2 & 4 on the 5-way switch, that kind of hollow/nasal tone you can only get from a strat-type 3 pickup layout.
kbaim
Well-known member
Which, btw, the Albert does exceptionally well too.
tommyindelaware
Well-known member
fogman said:
quack tone...or the in between sound came from original strats w/ two stock pickups on at once. the early strats only had a three position switch ( which were all that were made in the old days)...only allowing 1 pickup at a time....but it didn't take long before someone would play w/ the selector switch carefully positioned in-between & go wow...check this out ! it is said that leo HATED the quack tone.
but skynard sure changed everything w/ quacking tone intro to sweet home alabama....
John C
Well-known member
Sweet Home is an excellent example of that tone; another is Sultans of Swing - Mr. Knopfler was a master at that in the early days of Dire Straits.
Keith - I came very, very close to getting an s/s/s AL; those low-power Duncans really nail that traditional Strat tone in postions 1-4, and the baseplate adds some Tele testosterone to position 5. However, I'm really a rosewood fingerboard/alder body guy at heart; even the EBMM oil/wax neck couldn't move me to the maple board. I really liked the uniqueness of the AL shape; very comfortable. Life's really rough when you have to "settle" for a Silo Special, isn't it?
Keith - I came very, very close to getting an s/s/s AL; those low-power Duncans really nail that traditional Strat tone in postions 1-4, and the baseplate adds some Tele testosterone to position 5. However, I'm really a rosewood fingerboard/alder body guy at heart; even the EBMM oil/wax neck couldn't move me to the maple board. I really liked the uniqueness of the AL shape; very comfortable. Life's really rough when you have to "settle" for a Silo Special, isn't it?
John C
Well-known member
Some people love it; some people hate it. Personally, I love it for picking arpeggiated chords and single-note fills. For leads I tend to go to either the neck pickup (SRV and Jimi) or the bridge pickup (Gilmour and Blackmore), but the "quack" tones can really cut through for leads in certain situations. The middle pickup is cool for strumming, also.
I guess I should specify my musical taste and gear - I still go for the music of my younger days - Hendrix, Pink Floyd, The Who, Zep, Neil Young (particualarly with Crazy Horse but also with CSNY), Tom Petty, and similar artists. My rig is the EBMM Silo Special s/s/s into a Visual Sound Jekyll & Hyde into a Fender Deluxe Reverb RI. However, I have mostly used channel switching amps in the past so the amp/pedal rig may get replaced by a Zinky Blue Velvet, Mesa F-30 or one of the new 25-watt Riveras.
I guess I should specify my musical taste and gear - I still go for the music of my younger days - Hendrix, Pink Floyd, The Who, Zep, Neil Young (particualarly with Crazy Horse but also with CSNY), Tom Petty, and similar artists. My rig is the EBMM Silo Special s/s/s into a Visual Sound Jekyll & Hyde into a Fender Deluxe Reverb RI. However, I have mostly used channel switching amps in the past so the amp/pedal rig may get replaced by a Zinky Blue Velvet, Mesa F-30 or one of the new 25-watt Riveras.
