Silo ? Luke ?

[Tim O'Sullivan]

Help!!!!

I was at a jam session yesterday and ended up playing some guys Str*t as I didn’t have one of my Balls with me. Whilst the body was big and clonky ( I wont go on, I simply don't care for Fenders) I was digging the single coil tones. Normally I am an Axis man, and it gave my licks a new flavour.

Obviously the Silo Special is the obvious choice for me, but I have always fancied a Luke. How single coily (is that a word!?) are the EMG's in the neck and middle on the Luke? I have used EMG 'buckers before but never single coils.

Would be interested to hear what you think! I am going to be selling my Wolfgang shortly and using the money to buy another 'Ball. Was going to get an EVH esque Amber Axis with a floyd, but I might be swayed into something completely different!

 

[Raz]

3 different neck profiles, I guess you should think of that also, unless you are one of the few who aren't bothered by change. I know what you mean with the single coils though, I'm preparing a hauge projsct to convert a least two of my SUB 1's into single coil monsters (I may even go P90's on one of them)

 

[Tim O'Sullivan]

I would be interested to see your Sub single coil/P90 pics Raz!

Ah yes necks. Its a while since I played a Luke, but I seem to remember is having a skinny V profile. Forgot about that! Probably adapt to it though.

I am sure this has been covered a million times, but is the Silo profile anywhere near the Axis? Or not even close?

 

[John C]

Tim - I can't answer the pickup question about the Luke, but I can tell you I love my s/s/s Silo Special! Don't forget the Luke has a V-shaped neck. Although all EBMM necks are great - and the Luke is no exception - I just don't care for that profile and have never plugged one in. Then again, I've got really small hands and like that just under medium-sized C-shape neck on the Silo Special.

Don't forget to check out the Albert Lee - I almost pulled the trigger on one of them instead of the Silo Special (and didn't because I really prefer alder/rosewood to ash/maple) and a lot of other posters here have commented that the AL neck is closer to the Axis neck than the Silo Special.

 

[jimmyp]

My brother has a Luke 1, and it sounds amazing - the neck single coil sounds almost like acoustic through certain setups, and the stratty sounds are fantastic. The neck is very small though - feels great after playing for a while, but there is a slight adjustment needed. I prefer the Axis and Sil Special necks in general, but the sounds of the Luke are very good - try both,
dave

 

[Tim O'Sullivan]

I like the idea of a 'bucker at the bridge, so its probably a Silo or Luke. I love the look of the Albert Lee, though I dont want to fiddle about modifying it!

The problem is if I get one, it will be sight unseen, as I will get it off ebay US and my lovely lady friend in Virginia will send it to me.

I dont think anyone round here stocks EBMM (I live in Twickenham) so I seek the advice of the ever helpful forum members!

I am leaning towards the Silo. I used to have a teal one years ago, and I remember how much I loved the body shape. Fitted like a glove!

 

[Raz]

I like the idea of a 'bucker at the bridge, so its probably a Silo or Luke. I love the look of the Albert Lee, though I dont want to fiddle about modifying it!

The problem is if I get one, it will be sight unseen, as I will get it off ebay US and my lovely lady friend in Virginia will send it to me.

I dont think anyone round here stocks EBMM (I live in Twickenham) so I seek the advice of the ever helpful forum members!

I am leaning towards the Silo. I used to have a teal one years ago, and I remember how much I loved the body shape. Fitted like a glove!

Go for the Silo Spec then, but remember the pups are geared for a more vintage tone...

 

[Tim O'Sullivan]

Is the bridge humbucker not that hot?

 

[kbaim]

Tim,
I try to sing the praises of the luke whenever possible, but I think the Albert is much more strat sounding like including both notch positions than the luke is.

Not that you won't love a luke

 

[edcat]

Of course if you're going for a single coil sound the bridge humbucker on the Silo Special doesn't come close. There are replacement humbuckers out there that deliver the output and more of a single coil sound that I'm looking into.

 

[Tim O'Sullivan]

I think it will be the Silo special with the humbucker. I am after a full on 'bucker sound in the bridge ( I have never cared for a strat bridge pickup - far too thin sounding) and the single coil sounds in the middle and neck.

Right ebay.. Here I come!

Any UK people want to buy my Wolfgang? Its fitted with Dimarzio EVH/Axis pickups, tone pros tunomatic and a plek setup!

 

[Raz]

I think it will be the Silo special with the humbucker. I am after a full on 'bucker sound in the bridge ( I have never cared for a strat bridge pickup - far too thin sounding) and the single coil sounds in the middle and neck.

Right ebay.. Here I come!

Any UK people want to buy my Wolfgang? Its fitted with Dimarzio EVH/Axis pickups, tone pros tunomatic and a plek setup!

I may have clicked the wrong post but to answer your bridge bucker question in the Silo Spec as to being hot or not, I would have to say no...my SUB 1's with their generic pups were much hotter than the smooth yet rolled back tones of the Silo...but you can always replace pups...

 

[Tim O'Sullivan]

This is very true. I am sure a Tone Zone or similar would fit the bill.

 

[SteveB]

Tim,

Having just played every guitar that EBMM makes, at the open house, I want to add this:

The Albert Lee is f'ing amazing!

It has a neck that feels very similar to the Axis, IMHO, and it has SOUL! I played it in three configs at the Open House:

MM90's with maple fingerboard, MM90's with rosewood fingerboard, and S-S-S with maple fingerboard. Every configuration sounded great! The quack with the pickup selector in the middle on the S-S-S was dreamy.

I have a newfound love for the sound of MM90's. The best term that comes to mind is that they have a lot of 'bite'. I wish they could look a little different though, as I just have some weird aversion to the cover on the MM90's.

I also played a Silo Special S-S-S at the Open house (rosewood fingerboard I think) and it was also very bluesy and soulful. The neck is a little more of a departure from the Axis than the AL is, in my opinion.

 

[vexed73]

I just played my luke and silo special. They both have great strat sounds the silo passive pickups may be a little more straty but I still love the luke. Main thing with the silo spec. is that it has the strat in between sounds of the 2 and 4 position. Mine has the humbucker in the bridge but since it is a lower output humbucker and it is set up to be coil split on the 4 position it still has the quack. Emg's dont really have that quack but they do sound good and there are strat sounds there. I really like haveing humbuckers in the bridge and the Luke neck couldnt be more comfortable to my hands. I would vote for the luke but I think the silo spec. would be a more comfortable change from an Axis. Oh well I dont know if any of this make sense just ramblings of a disturbed mind.

 

[Tim O'Sullivan]

Thanks a lot guys! I feel jealous for you who were at the open house who were able try all these beuatiful guitars! Though I am lucky to have 4 balls (2 x Axi, an EVH and an ASS) I havent really tried many other axes in the EBMM fleet, other than my old teal Silo that I sold stupidly years ago. I think my mind is set on getting a Silo special (with hard tail of course) and probably droping in a hotter humbucker to give me Axis like tones in the bridge, and some Strat esque tones from the single coils. And what do I see on da bay today? A nice hard tail Silo Special! Right, priorty number two after finding a new job is unloading my Wolfgang and getting me a Silo!

 

[GWDavis28]

Tim, I'd have to agree with Keith and SteveB here, check out the Albert Lee. I have both and either will do the trick. The AL with the MM90's is sweet though. Tommy fell in love with it at the open house. The AL's neck is the closest to the Axis, according to famed JimiD and I'd have to agree.

Which ever you decide, you won't be disappointed. Check em both out though.

Glenn |B)

 

[Tim O'Sullivan]

You have a point! The MM90 Albert Lee, I hadnt even considered that! Especially as you can get a P90 size Tone Zone from Dimarzio for the bridge……..

Mmm all these options!

 

[GWDavis28]

Tim, you won't be disappointed at all. If you can get over the funky shape, most have a hard time with that, though I never did, it is a very underrated instrument.

The MM90's are nice, very nice. I'd get rid of an Axis before my AL.

Glenn |B)

 

[SteveB]

You have a point! The MM90 Albert Lee, I hadnt even considered that! Especially as you can get a P90 size Tone Zone from Dimarzio for the bridge……..

Mmm all these options!

Tim,

If you end up with the MM90 Albert Lee, you will probably decide to keep all 3 MM90's in there. They really get the job done!

As Sterling once mentioned, it's an underappreciated guitar. Now that I've played three of them, I have to agree.