Silo 30- Little Sunday Morning Project

[Sweat]

Ok, I picked up a Silo 30 from GC a week or so ago, got it at a killer price!

This is/was a great guitar straight from the factory with the stock pups but I decided to experiment with some new pups.

So this morning got up and replaced the stock pups, now sports a DiMarzio Air Norton S in the neck and middle and a DiMarzio AT1 in the bridge, sounds great, and I know the volume and tone knobs do not match, they back ordered the other cross knob so I put on what I had in my stash.

Anyways pics of the such said Silo 30

 

[browndog]

Nice Keith. Fills that Silo void now that the GR is for sale at an incredible price!

Still got dibs on the Amethyst Reflex. Want to swap for a BFR ASS?

 

[Sweat]

Nice Keith. Fills that Silo void now that the GR is for sale at an incredible price!

Still got dibs on the Amethyst Reflex. Want to swap for a BFR ASS?

Thanks Jeff, I am really liking these pups alot, and no this one fills a want a black Silo Special, the GR is for sale due to the roasted MD JP, and yea fing killer price!

Hell even if I would have spent the cash on a Silo Special I would still have changed the neck or middle pup. Plus three new pups, knobs and Silo 30 and still dont have in it what the Silo30 normally costs, really great deal.

 

[lumberjack]

Looks good, Keith. The Sterlings are definitely a steal with some of the pricing I've seen lately.

 

[dav]

really nice keith!!!
how does the neck feels , is it similar to the silo special?

 

[brokenvail]

How do you like the AT-1...I want to get one for my SS

 

[Roubster]

Looks great! How do you have the pickups wired up? The Air Norton must indeed have an interesting sound in the middle position.

 

[lukeuser78]

That looks great, pickup changes always pimp a guitar nicely!!!

 

[moullineaux]

new to musicman/ernieball guits.

Just picked up a Silo 30 and love it. I am reading about all these pup changes and I guess I don't get it. Strats are my main axes but I am impressed with the Silo 30. I am not a shredder so maybe that's it, cause I think the standard pups are incredibly versatile. I play original music and find this guitar fits right in to the stable. Great blues/rock guitar.

 

[GarretNYC]

Just picked up a Silo 30 and love it. I am reading about all these pup changes and I guess I don't get it. Strats are my main axes but I am impressed with the Silo 30. I am not a shredder so maybe that's it, cause I think the standard pups are incredibly versatile. I play original music and find this guitar fits right in to the stable. Great blues/rock guitar.

Was wondering the same exact thing. I picked up a Silo30 a few weeks ago (also during GC's crazy Silo30 sale) and am happy with the pups in it so far. Then again, I'm relatively new and haven't pushed the guitar to its limits pup-wise. That said, at some point I'd consider upgrades to it (that or upgrade the pups on my '99 MIM strat). Would love to hear other thoughts on pup upgrades.

Not trying to hijack this thread but also still wondering if I should get it setup by a pro right out of the box or just play it as is. Sounds good to my ear and stays in perfect tune.

 

[peterd79]

was curious about the AT-1 as well... i have ordered a custom one from Pete and can't wait to get it...

 

[whitestrat]

Just picked up a Silo 30 and love it. I am reading about all these pup changes and I guess I don't get it. Strats are my main axes but I am impressed with the Silo 30. I am not a shredder so maybe that's it, cause I think the standard pups are incredibly versatile. I play original music and find this guitar fits right in to the stable. Great blues/rock guitar.

Well, the truth is (and I'm speaking from a Silo Spec perspective), the stock pups don't quite cut it for a vintage tone, nor do they deliver enough oomph for a modern tone, with the exeption of the Virtual PAF in the bridge. I had my singles changed to Fender CS69s and those hit the spot. The stock HB was a beaut for sure, and that's not coming out.

However I've not tried those on the Silo 30, so I can't comment on that guitar. Pickups are highly subjective, and tone is personal, so YMMV.

 

[edhalen]

Was wondering the same exact thing. I picked up a Silo30 a few weeks ago (also during GC's crazy Silo30 sale) and am happy with the pups in it so far. Then again, I'm relatively new and haven't pushed the guitar to its limits pup-wise. That said, at some point I'd consider upgrades to it (that or upgrade the pups on my '99 MIM strat). Would love to hear other thoughts on pup upgrades.

Not trying to hijack this thread but also still wondering if I should get it setup by a pro right out of the box or just play it as is. Sounds good to my ear and stays in perfect tune.

If it sounds good and stays in tune leave it alone. If it ain't broke don't fix it

 

[Jack FFR1846]

Keith....have you played a stock silo spec? I have Glenn's old silo spec pickups in my sub now, although wired differently from the standard way (hum-no-silent-circuit, hum+midd-no-silent-circuit, mid-reverse-phase-with-silent, mid-reverse+neck-with-silent, neck-with-silent) and I think these pickups sound fantastic. I was fanatical with noise shielding and reduction, so all wires are excessively twisted and the control cavity is copper lined. The thing is quiet as a mouse even with the silent circuit turned off (I have a switch). I really like these pickups and play the guitar a ton now.

Oh.....and when are going to remove the neck, sand it and gunstock oil/wax it????

 

[Sweat]

How do you like the AT-1...I want to get one for my SS

I like the AT-1 it is a nice well rounded humbucker, works for what I was after.

Looks great! How do you have the pickups wired up? The Air Norton must indeed have an interesting sound in the middle position.

It is quite different, just wired standard nothing special except cool new pups.

 

[Sweat]

Just picked up a Silo 30 and love it. I am reading about all these pup changes and I guess I don't get it. Strats are my main axes but I am impressed with the Silo 30. I am not a shredder so maybe that's it, cause I think the standard pups are incredibly versatile. I play original music and find this guitar fits right in to the stable. Great blues/rock guitar.

Like I said nothing wrong with the stock pups, I just had something else in mind, modding is a personal thing and if it makes the owner happy more power to the guitar owner.

 

[Coffeemug]

Nice guitar Keith...can't really say anything about them as I haven't had a chance to play one, but I've only heard the very best about the whole Sterling range. At a price point that allows you to swap pickups and still be under the normal price you can't go wrong.

 

[GarretNYC]

Let's suppose one wanted to upgrade the pickups...

So let's say someone (me) had a new Silo30 and a '99 MIM Strat (stock) and they were considering upgrading the pups....on which, if either, of these 2 guitars would you upgrade the pups? And, if you would upgrade either, which of the pups in each would you upgrade? What are your thoughts on used pups (craigslist for example)?

 

[Sweat]

So let's say someone (me) had a new Silo30 and a '99 MIM Strat (stock) and they were considering upgrading the pups....on which, if either, of these 2 guitars would you upgrade the pups? And, if you would upgrade either, which of the pups in each would you upgrade? What are your thoughts on used pups (craigslist for example)?

Would I upgrade/change, well hell yea cowboy

OK all jokeing aside, yes on both still, first the Silo 30 would be a change and well you need to research lots of options out there.

On the MIM well easy David Gilmour EMG set easy to find and sounds killer.

On the used pup thing not my cup o tea Good luck

 

[GarretNYC]

Would I upgrade/change, well hell yea cowboy

OK all jokeing aside, yes on both still, first the Silo 30 would be a change and well you need to research lots of options out there.

On the MIM well easy David Gilmour EMG set easy to find and sounds killer.

On the used pup thing not my cup o tea Good luck

Thanks for the insight and recommendations. I'm more likely to upgrade the strat before I upgrade the Silo. Primarily because I've had the strat since '99 and I've thought about upgrading those pups for years. Glad you mentioned the David Gilmour EMG set. Gilmour happens to be the reason I got a strat in the first place! I'm sure there are others out there that would have another opinion, but to me, Gilmour can make a strat sing like nobody else.

However, I just checked the web for pricing on the Gilmour EMG set (DG20) and they're US$310! That's more than I paid for the guitar originally! I paid $375 for my strat back in '99 and it came with a peavey practice amp, hard case, an ernie ball nylon strap and some strings! I still have everything except the peavey which I recently sold for a Vox. I'll have to reconsider a pup replacement like the DG20s and I'll probably opt for a more economical option (such as keeping the stocks!).