Silouette Special 2012 PDN or Buttercream Limited - which one is the better deal?

[reflex]

Hi everybody!

I am new to this forum and I hope some of you can help me with my decision.

Last week I have played a EBMM Silhouette Special and now I am addicted and close in buying my first MusicMan Guitar. I did some research in my area and just found these two beauties and cannot decide:

Honeyburst PDN 2012:
Music Man USA Silhouette Special HSS PDN Honey Roasted - black pickguard at ProMusicTools.com

Buttercream Limited:
Music Man USA Silhouette Special HSS Trem BC - Buttercream - Roasted Neck Limited Edition at ProMusicTools.com

FYI: I won't buy at that online store - I just use the links because there are good pictures and some details about the guitars.

I have played the buttercream version and it was awesome. Unfortunately I cannot test the PDN version but my guess is that it will be as great as the buttercream as far as playability goes.

But there are some differences between the two guitars:
PDN comes with mahogany body - the buttercream with the regular alder body.
PDN comes with Pau Ferro fretboard - the buttercream with all maple neck.

I do know that the body wood and the pau ferro fretboard will affect the sound.
My guess would be that the mahogany will sound "warmer".
Would be great if someone who owns a Honeyburst PDN and a regular Silhouette could compare both and share his impressions with me.

Just looking at the specs, I would say that the PDN overall is the better deal, but the buttercream is limited to 25pcs so perhaps that guitar could become a "collectors item" in the future.
I could get both guitars at nearly same conditions.

So what do you believe is the better deal and why?
Please excuse my English - I am no native speaker but I am trying my best.

Cheers!

 

[DrKev]

The Buttercream has a roasted neck (which feels wonderful) and it was a limited run for the German Distributor, but it is other wise a regular Silo Special and comes with gig bag, not the standard MM hard case, which is a downer for me.

The 2012 PDN is a very special instrument. One of the best limited editions EBMM ever did. The guitar looks fabulous, the colour is gorgeous, I love the matching headstock and the dot inlays are SO classy (mother of pearl with black edging)! A buddy of mine has a a Petrucci from the same PDN run and the roasted maple and pao ferro feels absolutey devine!

For me, the PDN wins easily, by a very big stretch. I'd change the black pickguard for the tort guard on the buttercream and it would be perfect!


Oh, almost forgot - welcome to the forum, and your English seems pretty good to me! Well done!

 

[jzeijen]

PDN 2012 also has stainless steel frets, don't think the buttercream version has those. As pretty as the buttercream one is, I'd pick the PDN version. The pau ferro is a very nice fretboard material by the way.

 

[Stratty316]

I like the buttercream Silo Spec. The vintage color is absolutly awesome and if you got to play it and loved it why take a chance on the PDN?

 

[DrKev]

PDN 2012 also has stainless steel frets, don't think the buttercream version has those.

Ooh yes, forgot about that! A little larger than standard Silo Special frets, IIRC.

 

[Tollywood]

Welcome to the forum.

I would go for the PDN guitar.

 

[joe web]

love both versions....i would go with the buttercream, because it is a great color and discont.
i've seen more PDN'12 silos in the last three years, but only two of the buttercream version.
25pcs guitars, this is very rare!

btw. i don't feel like the PDN'12 is a warm sounding guitar. my Y2D is very bright, maybe it's due to the maple top, but it is brighter as any regular Y2D i have.
the PDN'14 is the same. very bright guitar. not that much low-end chunk i thought they would have.
but i like the sound of them.

....in the end, it's up to you, for me i would go with the buttercream this time and the a PDN later.

 

[canuck6string]

Welcome to the forum.

I agree with Stratty and recommend buy what you can try.

Buying a guitar because it may become a collector's item can be troublesome...unless it's a 1959 Gibson Les Paul, or played by a legendary guitar player on legendary albums.

That being said, which one do you REALLY like? Are you playing at home or performing live?

 

[mikeller]

I think that buttercream with the roasted neck is killer!

 

[reflex]

Wow guys... so much input, thx a ton!

Perhaps you may have noticed that in my first post there is a slight tendency that I am leaning towards the 2012 PDN - because in my eyes it seems like the better deal - that PDN silo special is just more "special"...
And I have a weakness for "special" models: for e.g. I own an old 1990 PRS CE24 with alder body instead of the newer ones built of mahogany.

Looking around my gear I also currently count three alder body guitars and just one mahogany - I guess the mahogany faction needs some support...
Also looking at the necks - I count three rosewood fretboards and just one maple - I have never been a fan of gloss laquered maple boards but because EBMM are doing things different that doesn't count in this case.

Personaly I really like both colors, the buttercream looks gorgeous in combination with the roasted neck, I totally agree - but I have always been more a fan of transparent finishes where I can see the grain of the wood or a nice flame/quilted/whatever top. Perhaps it is just a strange habit - but for me the transparent finishes just look more valent compared to solid colors. Guitars are mostly built of wood - why don't show that beautiful material?

I do know that it would be best to also test the PDN before buying - but I just got my second offspring and my wife would kill me if I would go out and travel a few 100 miles to another city just to play a guitar... (In her eyes - one guitar is already enough... *meh)

Also having in mind that EBMM has great QC I just might try it and order the PDN unseen with money-back-service, if I don't like it I just send it back and get the buttercream one here in my town. I guess that should be no problem.

@DrKev:
Yeah - the lack of a hard shell case when buying the buttercream version is also a little downer for me, but not necessarily a deal breaker... we'll see...
The 2012 PDN I am looking at already comes with a tort pickguard...

@canuck6string:
In the past I have been playing in several bands and was gigging around with some friends. But after some relocation because of jobs and in my current situation with the kids I am "out-of-business" and just playing at home at the moment.

Phew guys - I am so excited. I'll be going out on Thursday to play the buttercream version again and if I instantly fall in love again with the feeling of the neck, I think I am going to order the PDN for testing.

 

[DrKev]

The 2012 PDN I am looking at already comes with a tort pickguard...

Nice!!

So it's used?

 

[QuietSpike]

My advice...


BUY THEM BOTH. Then you just have to decide which one to pick up and play!!!

 

[guitvai1]

Totally agree with the statement below. I have this exact guitar (PDN Honeyburst) and it is just a wonderful instrument in both playability and versatility. Actually I did drop a Suhr Doug Aldrich in the bridge and it roars, but the single coils sound fantastic, great for funk and blues and the neck is second to none, just so silky smooth to play, a real players guitar.

The Buttercream has a roasted neck (which feels wonderful) and it was a limited run for the German Distributor, but it is other wise a regular Silo Special and comes with gig bag, not the standard MM hard case, which is a downer for me.

The 2012 PDN is a very special instrument. One of the best limited editions EBMM ever did. The guitar looks fabulous, the colour is gorgeous, I love the matching headstock and the dot inlays are SO classy (mother of pearl with black edging)! A buddy of mine has a a Petrucci from the same PDN run and the roasted maple and pao ferro feels absolutey devine!

For me, the PDN wins easily, by a very big stretch. I'd change the black pickguard for the tort guard on the buttercream and it would be perfect!


Oh, almost forgot - welcome to the forum, and your English seems pretty good to me! Well done!

 

[faris]

FYI: I won't buy at that online store - I just use the links because there are good pictures and some details about the guitars.

Thanks for introducing me to the best guitar p0rn site ever. Now I've got a serious case of GAS..

 

[reflex]

Nice!!

So it's used?

the dealer claims that the guitar is new. Comes also with 3 years warranty and all the hangtags & the paper stuff.

 

[DrKev]

the dealer claims that the guitar is new. Comes also with 3 years warranty and all the hangtags & the paper stuff.

How odd. I was pretty sure they only shipped with a black pickguard. And there are no pickguard options on the old webpage.

PDN Honey Roasted

 

[Stratty316]

It's not like the dealer couldn't have swapped pickguard. I was going to originally order my sili spec to be a tribute to Gilmour's black Strat. EBMM doesn't offer the black guard with white pickup option so my dealer was going to swap it for me. Maybe this dealer did the same with the shell guard... It has been ther for almost 3 years.

 

[jzeijen]

I have seen a few with a tort or even a white pearloid pickguard. My guess is the choice of pickguard was the same as for regular models. Same as with the Neptune blue PDN run.

 

[DrKev]

I'm pretty sure there was no choice, but like Matty said, the dealer could have swapped it.

 

[guitvai1]

Here are a couple of samples for comparison. The first one is my regular stock Silhouette Special Vintage Burst and the second sample is my PDN Honey Burst Silhouette Special with Suhr Doug Aldrich pickup in the bridge. All sounds recorded from AxeFxII. The clean sounds are a Fender Twin sim and the dirt is a 5150III sim.

The clips are
- clean neck pickup on about 7
- clean neck pickup on full (I'm coming out, dance dance dance)
- clean neck and middle (Good Times)
- dirt bridge on 7 (intro) and full for rest (Runaround VH)

https://soundcloud.com/garth-coulter/silo-spec-stock

https://soundcloud.com/garth-coulter/silo-spec-pdn