Silo or JP6? Ernie dilemma.

[king_stubby]

Hello peeps, I trust you are all having a pleasant day playing with your Balls! sorry, I never get tired of that joke

I am a proud owner of a 2007 Silo in Vintage Sunburst with an unfinished maple board, some of you may remember a thread I started regarding keeping this fingerboard clean?

I received loads of helpful advice for which I thank you most kindly and as of this moment I have a raft of cleaning products on their way to me from the States, I am a UK Ballster BTW. However, after playing this lovely guitar for about a Month now, the board is getting really dirty and although some people favour the grubby, vintage, played look, personally I hate it and want to keep the guitar as clean as I can for as long as I can.

I appreciate that with a strict cleaning regime I can maintain the board's looks but I'm a lazy so & so and don't fancy the idea of all the elbow grease that this will require, I just want to play it not spend my time worrying about the grime factor and battling to combat it.

So last night I started thinking, what I really need is a Silo with a rosewood board, that would be ideal, having let that thought into my head though, my thinking then turned to the JP6, perhaps that would be the instrument for me?

Sadly I'm not rich enough to afford both guitars and living where I do, it's impossible for me to try before I buy, so my fellow forum dwellers, it is to you I turn once again for any pearls of wisdom you may be able to send my way. What are the main differences between the models? What are the pros and cons of both guitars?

I love the feel of the Silo, the neck, the way it plays so does the JP neck feel substantially different to the Silo or is the playing experience pretty similar?

Regarding pickups, is the middle position on the JP as 'Stratty' as the Silo, is it a good useable clean sound, is the volume drop in this position livable with?

Is the JP6 a 'hotter' guitar? ie, is it louder than the Silo when played through an amp on a similar volume setting?

I understand that the pickup height on the JP6 is unadjustable, does this cause any tangible problems with regard to obtaining a balanced sound?

Would it be worth trying to get a JP6 with a piezo pickup fitted? is this a convincing acoustic sound when fed through a PA system?

Looks wise I tend to think that the JP6 just about has the edge, especially the Mystic Dream - mmm....Mystic Dream! - but for the sake of a rosewood board and a slightly sharper appearance I would hate to sacrifice the Silo which just feels 'so right' to play.

So dear friends, are any of you out there lucky enough to own or have played both models? what do you think are the major plusses and minuses of each? and which guitar do you ultimately prefer?

If you could spare a minute to share your thoughts with me I would be eternally grateful.

Many thanks for your time, love and peace from the UK.

Charlie

 

[Jonny Dubai]

wow. These 2 guitars are like comparing apples and oranges. The necks are totaly different as are the pick ups and the trem and the tone!!!

Why dont you just get the neck of your silo "finished". Job done.

Sorry i am not much help,

J

 

[king_stubby]

wow. These 2 guitars are like comparing apples and oranges. The necks are totaly different as are the pick ups and the trem and the tone!!!

Why dony you just get the neck of your silo "finished". Job done.

Sorry i am not much help,

J

But I like apples AND oranges

Of course you are a help and thanks for posting, I did in fact think about 'finishing' the Silo neck but thought that might radically alter the feel of it and also harm it in terms of resale.

A possibility though, I'll give it some more thought. C

 

[psy501]

..i own two silos and have owned a jp7 and an ass..
..jp and silo are completely different..i sold my jp7 because of the neck, as it was too *flat* and *thin* for me..
..for me the silo neck is the perfect combination of the ass`s handyness and the room my fingers nedd to move and have a grip..
..anyway...dont buy a jp without trying one as the necks are soooo different..

 

[GHWelles]

You can adjust the pickup height in a limited way by adjusting the hex screws under each string up or down. Or put in washers where the pickup meets the body to raise it.

 

[Spudmurphy]

Try an AL with a rosewood board?

 

[paranoid70]

If you really like the neck of the Silo (as I do!), I would recommend sticking with the Silhouette or Silhouette special. Both come in rosewood necks and are awesome instruments.

Spud, I didn't think ALs were made with rosewood fretboards?

 

[king_stubby]

Thanks for all the replies, greatly appreciated.

Although I have to report further looking at the various JP6's has only served to whet my appetite still further. I just love their minimalist appearance and the idea of a piezo system appeals a lot.

One other poster said that the JP's and the Silos were just totally different instruments, he said they sound totally different and the necks feel completely different.

Could someone please try to explain to me in what way the sound varies and just how different the necks are?

Yes I like the feel of the Silo neck but as I've only been playing it for a Month I haven't fully bonded with it as yet and in general I tend to prefer slimmer profiles so I could probably get on with a JP as well as anything.

Are you saying that the necks feel wrong? are they too slim for comfort? please enlighten me further.

All the best, Charlie.

 

[beej]

The Silo neck is rounder and fatter. The JP neck is flatter and thinner. Really, it's very much a matter of preference as to which one you like. If you like the standard rounded necks, the Silo fits the bill. If you come from the school of thin necks (from an Ibanez, etc.) then the JP is closer to the mark (though it's not that thin).

The Silo has the added middle pickup, so it gets those strat type quack tones as well as the standard humbucker tones. The JP doesn't quack but has a nice clean tone in the middle using one pickup from each bucker. The Axis Super Sport has this same approach, except you get two variations of it (inside coils, outside coils).

The Silo also comes with an optional piezo.

So which one is right for you? Hard to say. Pickups are easily replaced down the line. But I'd make the choice based on neck profile (which, again, is hard to evaluate without playing) and pickup config (HH vs HSH). Hope that helps.

 

[colinboy]

come to the uk knucklehead bash in june and you will get achance to try out all the different musicman models.then you can make a decision on what guitar to buy.

 

[Sweat]

come to the uk knucklehead bash in june and you will get achance to try out all the different musicman models.then you can make a decision on what guitar to buy.

Colin hit it on the head, go to the bash then try them out, JP and Silo are so different, I have owned many different models and while I love the look, PUPS, piezo and tones of the JP the neck was the reason I dont own one today, tried but it was not for me, but you may love it as so many do, our be like me just buy it, try it, and if it does not suit you sell it, very easy to sell a EBMM.