The Reflex

[alf cockle]

yeah..just the gold top..pearl yellow..here..seems like the very big brother of the axis series...so simple,and perfect..glad I have me one...and true..the other paint jobs are really boring..hence..probably..their demise...too bad..

 

[DrKev]

yeah..just the gold top..pearl yellow..here..seems like the very big brother of the axis series...so simple,and perfect..glad I have me one...and true..the other paint jobs are really boring..hence..probably..their demise...too bad..

Yeah but remember that black, white, sunburst, and red are by far the biggest selling guitar colors. Boring to us? Yes, but as Sterling Ball said her on the forum many years ago, if Music Man made guitars in the colors the forum members wanted they'd have been out of business years ago!

 

[JasonT]

Fantastic guitar. I have the 25th Anniversary version and love it. Different feel to my LIIIs but still really comfortable and the tones are amazing.

 

[alf cockle]

I play in the dark,so I don,t care what colour it is....so there...

 

[wannarock8]

From my perspective, as a guitar player who didn’t own any EBMM instruments at the time the Reflex was introduced, and already had my favorite brands, there were a couple of reasons why I didn’t feel like I needed to get one.
For one, I didn’t think the body shape looked that great. The Axis shape works for me, but the elongated lower bout on Reflex didn’t do it for me.
Two, the finish choices may have not made it stand out, but years ago the finish choices on all EBMM models were not the eye popping colors they offer today. I didnt even know the Reflex was offered in sunburst until I saw a used one on reverb dot com last year and I thought it was some rare limited run. EBMM sunburst finishes are quite stunning.
Third, the first thing that came to my mind was actually “What is this guitar trying to be?”. I asked the same question about the Axis Super Sport when EBMM introduced that model. Overall the Reflex body was reminiscent of a Les Paul, the upper bout reminded me of a Tele, and I never liked the way the Tele upper bout looks, the dual humbuckers again suggest a Les Paul, but the bolt on neck and 25 1/2” scale are inspired by Fender design. While there is something to be said for a frame of reference, you really have to break out of these boxes, plug in a Reflex, and play it to appreciate it.

I got a used Reflex with Game Changer in 2021. I used it to record rhythm guitar in a song I recorded in 2022. The parallel and piezo options aside, it’s a great sounding guitar, it’s easy to play even with a neck that feels slightly wider than an Axis neck, and with the rosewood fretboard on mine and the chambered body with mahogany block, it has its own tone going. I little less of the bite that the Axis has, lots of midrange chunk, but a more aggressive attack than a 24 3/4” scale set neck guitar.

 

[Astrofreq]

Every time I see this thread, I have to pull out my Reflex. This thing is PERFECT. Looks and plays like butter... the warmest of butter.

IMG-9057 hosted at ImgBB

Image IMG-9057 hosted in ImgBB

ibb.co

 

[jlf599]

I keep pondering a Reflex...or even better, a 25th Anniversary. This is not helping.

 

[tooter67]

I imagine the royalties to Duran Duran got out of control mostly.

That dang song is such an earworm, ugh. The guitar is far better than the song, imho.

 

[tooter67]

Every time I see this thread, I have to pull out my Reflex. This thing is PERFECT. Looks and plays like butter... the warmest of butter.

IMG-9057 hosted at ImgBB

Image IMG-9057 hosted in ImgBB

ibb.co

Is that pickguard available? Just scored a white Reflex, that pickguard would look bitchin.

 

[GoKart Mozart]

Is that pickguard available? Just scored a white Reflex, that pickguard would look bitchin.

Check with Chandler Pickguards (OEM manufacturer for Music Man pickguards). They can make just about anything!

 

[GWDavis28]

Is that pickguard available? Just scored a white Reflex, that pickguard would look bitchin.

That was an artist model if memory serves me right. But I'm sure if you asked Astrofreq, might trace it for you or something. I've never seen another Reflex with a pick guard.

Glenn |B)

 

[Astrofreq]

It was a one-off artist model. I’m generally not a huge rosewood fingerboard guy, but this one piece neck is stellar.

 

[Johnny Alien]

I would be really shocked if the Axis Sport pickguard that you can get from Chandler isn't exactly the same. The body shape is similar and since there is no screw hole patterns to match only the pickup spacing would matter.