Question Silhouette Special,stiff with size 10 strings?

[danaconda]

Hi there,Ive had a silo special for a few months now.I got it used.Fabulous sounding guitar but plays awful.I knew it needed work when i got it but im weary of putting more cash into tbh.Another second hand silo has popped up and is in mint condition.I tried it earlier today and was very nice to play.I suspected it may have had size 9's on it though as i usually use 10's.Ive had 10's on mine since i got it and it feels stiff and doesnt sustain much no matter how much i tweak it.I noticed on the Music Man site it says that silo's come stock with size 9's.Does this mean that silo's are designed somewhat to suit size 9's or does it matter?The reason i ask is my mate also had one with size 10's and felt his was a bit stiff also(hes lefty so i couldnt try his one).Compared to his JP music man anyway.Although he didnt have the issues i have with my one currently.Bear in mind,mine is pretty beat up and is one of the earlier versions so hasnt got the compensated nut for example.Is anybody using the silo special with size 10's and how does it play?This usually isnt an issue with other guitars so I doubt it will be with silo's either.Im just curious as Im pretty much gona pick up the one i tried today.Im gona stick size 9's on my current silo to test it and see if the stiffness goes.Thanks in advance

 

[sanderhermans]

I find that with the vintage musicman tremelos 9's feel best.
On my jp6 i use 10's, the trem seems to feel smoother even with thicker gauges while the vintage trems can feel stiffer when changing to 10 or thicker. Just my oppinion. I know alot of people using 10's on all kinds of ebmm guitars without anny sort of problems. I just prefer the thinner gauge strings for smooth trem action....

 

[DrKev]

Difference in feel between JPs and other guitars could be the number of springs on the trem. At the same scale length, the same gauge and brand of strings will be at identical tension. Differences in necks (profile, radius, frets) will obviously affect how we perceive the strings too but if the trems are floating, I would expect the number of springs will make the biggest difference.

 

[ksandvik]

Does not hurt and it's cheap to switch to 9-42s to see if the feel changes -- just don't forget to re-intonate the bridge.

 

[agt]

I use 11s on most of my EBMMs including my beloved Silo Specials and one of my Luke IIs - all have the vintage trem. I like the feel of 11s and, unless there is a reason to not use them, I do. My Majesty has 11s on it and and it is glorious, IMHO. No stiffness. Granted, if one changes from 10s or 9s to 11s, there is an adjustment period, especially with bends, but after a few days strength builds and it is not noticeable.

Regarding stiffness, my experience is that tune-o-matic style bridges feel stiffer and I typically need to go with 10s. My Morse, my Armada, and my <non-EBMM model>, the latter two with 24.75" scales, all get 10s even though I would prefer 11s. Maybe Dr. Kev can chime in regarding the physics of a tune-o-matic bridge creating greater perceived tension ... or maybe it is some other factor. Or my imagination.

YMMV. Experiment and go with what feels and sounds best.

 

[mikeller]

Keep in mind - the tension between string manufacturers varies widely too - even on the same gauges.

 

[CHill]

I use RPS10s on my silhouette and jp6, but I play tuned down 1/2 step to EB to align with my vocal tone. Plays great.

 

[Ishmun]

You mentioned you bought it used and that its pretty beat up. To me, it sounds like its in need of a good service and neck adjustment....those symptoms sound related to the neck relief and a few small changes there could do a world of good.

 

[lock-ny]

I use 9.5s on my silo specials, sort of in between, its a great match and they sound better than 9s IMO...

 

[pentaspan]

Tried the 9s that were originally on my Silo Spec, but they just didn't feel right under my fingers...too thin. Mine was also bought used and it needed work, so I had EBMM do a fret dressing and requested they set it up with 10s...feels and sounds perfect now. Wonderful little guitar.

 

[mikeller]

I use 9.5s on my silo specials, sort of in between, its a great match and they sound better than 9s IMO...

Use them on all of my EBMM except the new CUTLASS - plan to keep the EB M-Steel 9's on it

 

[Jack FFR1846]

The set up is everything. If the strings are sky high, it'll feel stiff. Yah, I agree that a trem can make a difference because it moves, especially during bends. But lower action feels less stiff. If the frets are really worn (ruts), that can certainly make it feel stiffer during bends because there's resistance. Try it with 9's and see what you think.

 

[danaconda]

Cheers for the replies.So i picked up another silo that's pretty much mint condition(traded in the old one).I tried 9's on my old one and it was a lot less stiff than before,but still wasn't playing great.When i tried my new silo it also had 9's on it, but ive since put 10's on it. While its playing a lot better than the old one,its still a bit stiff.Now it needs a proper set up as the strings are pretty high off the fret board etc.I'm bringing it to a pro to get it set up correctly as the neck and saddles need adjusting etc and id rather have someone who knows what they are doing at it.So with the action kinda high, that will cause some stiffness?It is a lot better than the previous silo but still doesn't feel right especially when comparing it to my other guitar(g&l comanche) which also has 10's but string bending is a breeze..Is it a trem issue perhaps?Maybe 5 springs instead of 3 etc.I did notice after putting on 10's the trem raised a tiny bit.I guess ill know more when its set up.Cheers