Question sterling jp60, ax30d, silo 30d?

[georg]

Hello guys,

i just decided to order a new guitar and it should be a sterling by music man, because i cannot afford a "real" music man. unfortunately i cannot pay more than 800€ (austria). so i have the two guitars (named in the title) in mind. i do not have any chance to play the guitars here in austria, so i will order it "blind".
because of this i would be very thankful for any help, e.g. comparisons between the two guitars . (and thanks for the help in my last thread, where i got enough information to be convinced that sbmm is a good deal!)

the main import specs are (for me):
*) the guitar should stay in tune very good (i use the tremolo a little bit, but no divebombs - more in an albert leeish way)
*) the playability should be good, as far is i'm starting my shredding and "technical playing" career now (that's the reason why i want a new guitar in addition to my 7ender strat)
*) the guitar should have a few different sounds so that i can use it in the rehearsals of my cover-band (blues, reggae, rock), too.

greetz,
georg

 

[MajtasticVoyage]

Sounds like the silo 30D is gonna be your most VERSATILE option... But once I get my JP-60D in a few days, I'll take it to the local dealer and compare it with the axis they've got hanging. As I recall, a couple years ago I tried an SBMM axis and it didn't impress me - but again, I've never played one in a music store that gave two F's about keeping guitars clean, in-tune, and did regular string changes.

That said, I did buy a SBMM JP50 off CL and it was easily one of my favorite guitars that was not an actual EBMM (or Carvin, etc.)

But I'll holla at you once I have some time with my new gal

 

[georg]

@MajtasticVoyage: Thank you, that would be very kind

My favourite so far is the jp60, because the silo looks kinda like my strat and i think i'm searching for something different, optical. but but on the other hand i'm familiar with the hss configuration.
the new sbmm models come with dimarzios too, right?

 

[V_S]

What neck profile do u want? JP is wide and flat and Axis/Silo much more round and narrow.

 

[georg]

@V_S: I do prefer the neck of my strat which is described as "modern c shape". i recently played a prs se tremonti, but i didn't really like that neck profile and neck finish...

 

[SBMM]

Georg - I'd advise you to get in touch with our Distributor, Musik Meyer. They should be able to direct you to a store that is hopefully within driving distance from you to be able to actually play and feel the instruments.

Here is their email (Phillip is our exclusive Representative for SBMM): [email protected]
Their website: Willkommen bei Musik Meyer GmbH

We can all make suggestions to you as to which you might like, but, the feel of an instrument is so personal I think your hands will make the best decision for you.

I hope this helps!

 

[georg]

Dear Brian,
thank you very much for your help. I just sent a mail to Philipp Salb and ihope he can give me some more Information.

I'll let you know, when i made a decision!

Thanks

 

[SBMM]

You're very welcome Georg! Best of luck and let us know what you get

 

[V_S]

Never had a strat... I guess the Axis or Silo profiles are closer to a strat profile, but still different. I'm sure there are some Knuckleheads here, that can make a much better comment on the differences, based on experience.

 

[ksandvik]

I would think a Silo is the closest you could get to Strat profile.

 

[MajtasticVoyage]

So I got a chance today to compare the Axis 30D in my local music store with my JP-60D...

I think the JP60D is a better guitar, but the Axis wasn't bad. They were VERY close, actually. I have to take into account the condition the store guitar was in - it needed new strings and a setup, but I enjoyed the 5-way pup selector; the volume knob was very responsive. I wish it had a trem - I kept reaching for the bar that didn't exist The SBMM Axis I played was orange quilt - and I am of the belief that anything orange should be destroyed, but I'll let that one slide. It looked to be built very well.

Much like my overall review of my JP-60D, it's not quite EBMM quality and feel, but it's easily as good if not better than other guitars in its price range.

 

[Rachmaninoff]

@V_S: I do prefer the neck of my strat which is described as "modern c shape".

So I guess the Silo is for you.

 

[georg]

hello guys!

thanks for your responses.

At first i wanna mention, that i wrote an email to the distributor (musik meyer), but i didn't get any response.

Second, i asked at my local guitar store and they told me, that the ebmm ax30d is not available anymore. really? But i think, that the ax is out of the race because of the missing tremolo. although i don't use it often, i like it and i don't want a floyd rose!!!

i also found a jp50 for about 700€ (jp60 is about 800€) on the hp of a german store. can anyone tell me the main differences between jp50 and jp60?

So, i'm still looking for a possibility to try these wonderful guitars, before i buy one!

 

[MajtasticVoyage]

I think the 60 has better knobs, different colors, the shield inlays and maybe some tweaks to the bridge(?).

Like I may have mentioned before - the JP50 that I bought on Craigslist a while back (for $125, mind you) was probably one of the best non-high-end guitar I'd ever played. In fact, I gave it as a gift and I'm trying to work out a way to get it back...

I think a new JP60 would be the way to go, although that finish on the JP50 is amazing. You'd be sittin' pretty whichever you chose, honestly. Heck - might even go with the 50 since those are becoming rarer.

 

[sixstrings]

Hi Georg, you could get a second hand musicman for 800 euros or slightly more if you can save up. Some really good deals appear from time to time on ebay, just need to hunt with patience. I got my beautiful silo special for just under £600.
Not saying that sterlings are bad but nothing's better than the real thing

 

[ksandvik]

Yes, Sterlings are nice but I would also save money for a while and try to get a San Luis Obispo made model, used one.

PS: I'm not the right person to state this as I have five guitars I rotate for gigs, but one single EBMM guitar long time ago would have been all I would have needed for 20+ years or more. Maybe two but you could always take a cheap Squier or something similar as a backup guitar with you for gigs (that's what I do.) Wish I could send emails back in time to a former me...

 

[MajtasticVoyage]

^ while this is true, and I've felt the same way many times; wishing I would have just got one quality amp and one quality guitar instead of rotating through what became thousands of dollars in cheap gear over the last 16 years, I might point out that buying an EBMM will make you GAS insatiable for more. It's true that one good guitar (EBMM) is "enough," in reality, it's never enough.

But it's also good to get a feel for all sorts of different guitars. This is the difference between marrying once when you're young and playing the field for a while.

So if you know with absolute certainty that you're not gonna be able to afford an EBMM, then go with the Sterling - you won't be disappointed.

 

[SBMM]

I wish it had a trem - I kept reaching for the bar that didn't exist

Wait a sec here. Was this a hardtail SBMM AX?
If that's the case, that's one of the first guitar models that we produced. It would actually be an AX20. No DiMarzios, Hardtail, Transparent Orange finish. Pretty rare to find that new/unsold/NOS condition at a music store. How much are they asking for it? That was produced in late 2008.

 

[MajtasticVoyage]

Wait a sec here. Was this a hardtail SBMM AX?
If that's the case, that's one of the first guitar models that we produced. It would actually be an AX20. No DiMarzios, Hardtail, Transparent Orange finish. Pretty rare to find that new/unsold/NOS condition at a music store. How much are they asking for it? That was produced in late 2008.

That's the one

It's not surprising that it's still there - like I said; SBMMs just sit in these stores and collect dust. They're never in any sort of prominent position, the sales guys don't know d*** about them, they don't EVER change the strings or do setups; it's shameful. Hell, even the two Majesties and one Mystic Dream JP6 are hung way out of reach so you HAVE to get a sales associate to try it out (which is a sales tactic I guess, but I don't like it) and again, the strings are dead or dingy and they need a setup. I suppose I should not hate on guitar stores so much, but the guitar connoisseur/aficionado in me feels like if it's on display, it should be in the best condition to make customers WANT to play it and then once they feel and hear it, buy it - I mean, this is why we dress up before we go to the club, right? Best foot forward yadda yadda yadda lol I'll digress...

But no, I don't remember how much they wanted for it; sorry - I know that it's enough to put me off to it. I could find out (or if you want to, it's Easy Music in Pearl City).

 

[MajtasticVoyage]

The store is asking $499 for it, by the way. Just went in and played the hell out of it yesterday. it REALLY needs a setup lol.