The dilema - Morse or JP???

[swordio777]

hey, I'm a complete noob to this community but if anyone can help me out its you guys!

I recently bought a JP6. It's my first MusicMan guitar, and while I love the guitar, I'm not 100% sure if it's really the perfect ax for me or if I'd be better suited to another MM model.

I absolutely love the playability of MM guitars, (best necks ever!) and got the kind of deal on my JP that I just couldn't pass up.

My favourite thing about the guitar is without a doubt the sound. I have 8 electric guitars, but none of the others even come close to the sound of the JP when I'm gigging with my band. With all its mids, it just cut's through the mix where the others can get drowned out by cymbals etc. (I'm playing the old version of the JP - before the introduction of the d-sonic)

But now that I've actually had the guitar for a few months, and the honeymoon period is over, I'm starting to think that maybe it's not really me. I've also played the steve morse model and think that its body & neck are much more like what I'm looking for.

But my real concern is that I sell the JP to buy a morse, and lose all that wonderfull tone I'm getting live at the moment. I've read quite a few reviews about the morse, and it really seems to be a love it or hate it kind of guitar - not just because of the pickup selection, but also the sounds its signature pickups have.

Whenever I've tried a morse it has just been in music stores, never through my own gear. And unfortunately, buying a morse before selling the JP is not an option - I don't have the cash for that so would definitely need to sell the JP to fund anything else.

So it’s up to you guys to help me out – If I make the switch, will I keep my wonderful tone? Any thoughts and comments would be much appreciated, particularly if anyone has both guitars & uses them in a gigging scenario – how do their sounds compare through your gear when left on the same settings?

Cheers guys, glad to finally be a part of the community and to have popped my forum cherry!

 

[beej]

The neck is usually my first concern. I'd love to have a JP but honestly can't bond with the neck. If you love it- then stick with that. If, on the other hand, you really feel you'll feel better on the Morse then I think you can't go wrong. They're both great guitars, let your hands decide which feels best.

With regard to the pickups: they are very versatile, but different than the JP. I think the Morse's bridge is an excellent all-around 'bucker. Takes gain fabulously- lots of mids. Also cleans up really well. So I wouldn't touch that one.

The neck pickup on the Morse is usually what people object to. It's darker and different sounding that your usual humbucking neck pickup. But they're mounted to the pickguard, so are very easy to change if you want something else. And, of course, you get two single coils thrown in for free so have lots of other combination tones.

So ... if you like the Morse form factor better then I'd say get one and you can tweak the pickups to suit. It won't sound like the Petrucci due to the wood & bridge, but it does sound awesome and you can certainly customize it to your liking.

 

[kbaim]

Tone is a bitch to give up. Any of your other 8 guitars expendable?

 

[TNT]

Good luck

 

[swordio777]

Tone is a bitch to give up. Any of your other 8 guitars expendable?

probably only one, a wolfgang special QT - but sadly it wouldnt cover the cost of the morse

 

[Butch Snyder]

Are you speaking of the 4-pickup Steve Morse Model or the 3-pickup Y2d model? As far as feel goes, my Morse std model feels the same as my Y2d did. With the Y2d, you lose the slanted single coil. Not a big deal for some, at the time though, it was for me. Also, with the std Morse, you get a poplar body. The Y2d has a maple cap over poplar and some really nice cream top binding.

 

[tommyindelaware]

unlike marriage ......it's not illegal to have more than one at the same time.

 

[colinboy]

Get a BFR JP6.If you think the standard JP sounds good,wait till you hear the BFR!!!

 

[guitarman23]

well as a huge fanny of steve and the playability for me i would go for the morse, but any ball will do....depends on what you like...... lol and i don't think anymore(anymorse) lol I always miss spell!!, its not that dark since i turned the two way switch on, if its off its too soft for some things where you need a sharp bright sound, more bright now like my y2d

 

[Colin]

go the morse

 

[pjc812]

keep the JP6. Search Ebay for a Morse. You can usually find one for a pretty good price. The standard Morse is very reasonable anyway as far as price. The bridge pickup sounds wonderful on the standard Morse too. It's really warm for a bridge pup.

 

[paranoid70]

Do yourself a favor and do not try out a Silhouette... you will end up with an even tougher time deciding which one to get!

 

[unclerico]

The JP is DEFINATELY!!! something you can not let go. Put some money together. Or if you arent satisfied with the old JP, get a BFR

 

[wahwah666]

JP fans will say the JP and SM will say the SM! I've tried both and am a fan of both guitarists but I've got a Morse and that's mainly because of the tones from the pickup config. There's a guy in Stockton on Tees had his Y2D on eBay 5 times with no bite. Hunt it down...I'm sure he'd be up for an offer.

 

[swordio777]

thanks for all your thoughts guys. It's good to hear so many of you praise the bridge pickup on the morse - like I said before, my main concern was that I'd lose the cutting tone that I currently get from the JP.

I think i'd go for the regular morse if I actually go through with the change.
I love the look of the Y2D - but I'm after a workhorse to use as my main gigging guitar; I think I'd cry if I ever got a ding/scratch in a Y2D.

Also got a few suggestions for the BFR JP, but it's the neck that really puts me off the BFR. I love the satin finish on EBMMs and dont think I could go for a MM guitar with a gloss neck.

 

[mr.b]

when did you move to edinburgh?

why not just buy a standard morse AND a Y2D. then you can sleep with the pretty one and you won't feel bad about battering the ugly bird?