User reviews of Ernie Ball/Music Man Guitars!

[NOTEWORTHY]

WELL, HERE GOE'S NUTTIN.. I have a 2000 Axis SS/HH, in pearl platinum. I sold a Ric 370 that I ordered from the factory, and it took 9 months to get it. What a work of art. Beautiful GTr, Smelled great, sounded like crap. I own a 1997 330 Ric that I love. After a year of trying to make it work, I finally gave up and sold it ( even made 100.00). I had no intention of getting another GTR., but then I saw this Axis in Atlanta. I played it in the store for about 1 hour, put it on layaway, went back a week later and claimed it. When I got home with it and plugged it in, I was instantly aware that this one might take some time to get the sound I wanted. Love the quality, and the neck. I have to say that I was disappointed at 1st. Then I remembered when I only had 1 guitar, and had to make it do everything. I worked with it, tweaked it, and like little Shirley in the 9th grade, I fell in love. It ain't a Strat, it ain't a LP, and you have to treat it special. My point is... Like the Ric 370 that I had, If there's no magic, sell it, shut up, and move on. Don't keep a nice Gtr that you don't like, swallow your pride, and give someone else a chance with it. Like women. No matter how pretty they are, there's someone that thinks she's a bitch. Life is too short.
My 29 1/2 cents worth...

 

[Larry]

i love my axis in transparent blue and i cant think of anything else to say besides perfect

 

[axisboldaslove]

two word review for the 92 EVH i just got,


















BEST EVER!

 

[tristan]

I made a full video test drive of my luke...it will be available on ernieball.fr in a couple of days...the guitar plays by itself...actually, I just stopped working

 

[Junior]

I know these are not the categories, but I've done this the way I could.

The whole guitar / body - kinda small --> very comfy. My right hand (picking hand) started to hurt after a few minutes of playing 'cause I usually play guitars with the hand contour, but I would like to switch to the contour-less ones 'cause I feel that my picking is much better when the angle of my hand is not changed by the contour.

The neck - extremely comfortable to play and suits my hand very well, but there were some very old strings and the neck was kinda dry. I think some F4st Fr3t would solve this problem.

Finish, cosmetics, etc. - yuck! Apparently the guitar is the last one of the SUB1's they had and a lot of people played it etc. The textured white finish has uncleanable stains on the part where the hand contour usually is and on the part by the neck humbucker. The back of neck and headstock look very cool with the black, but doesn't fit with the rosewood fretboard (black next to brown - yuck) Overall the guitar looks horrible and if I'd buy it I'd have it refinished as soon as I'd get the money!

Bridge, tuners, pickups - I'm amazed by the tremolo bridge! It's damn great! I just couldn't believe how good it was! I abused the tremolo quite a lot and it stayed in tune perfectly. But that's probably 'cause I was only playing for about 10-15 minutes. The tuners - stay in tune perfectly. The pickups - I don't know what to say really. Seems to me that the pickups in my $quier are better! But that was probably because of the amp. I was kinda close to the amp and it would always buzz. The thing was that the difference in the sound between the neck and the bridge humbucker was very small! Almost unnoticable! I don't know what's the cause of that.

Overall - I don't know what to say really! The looks on this particular one are terrible and I can't figure out how they intend to sell that particular one as a NEW! guitar. It sure doesn't look new. The bridge and tuners in combination were awesome. The pickups - I don't have a comment. Probably an amp issue. The neck and body are very good and I like the tones I got from this one. Basically, with some new pickups and cosmetic changes (not so important), a very serious proffesional guitar!

 

[caucajun]

frankly, i like the review format at hc. i want to know what might be a detractor of anything i'm studyin' on buyin'. i can sort out the idiots from the informed myself.

the reviews here are BOUND to be one sided. ...........not that there's anything wrong with that.

 

[Polaris]

Ok... a review of my very own Music Man axe!

Axis Super Sport
Flame maple top w/vintage sunburst finish & matching headstock
Cream knobs etc
Hard tail bridge
Dimarzio Humbuckers

Ok, first things first.

When I got this out of the case it looked even tinier than the other model I'd tried - this can take a bit of getting used to even if you're a Les Paul player because of its light weight.

The finish was flawless and there were no imperfections at all. The setup was good but I like my action a wee bit higher so a bit of fiddling and it was perfect.
Acoustically the guitar is very resonant and plugged in it has fantastic sustain.

I had this running into a Mesa Nomad at the shop and I really had to try hard to leave as it sounded absolutely wonderful! Obviously the quality of the amp spoke volumes but there were vast differences between this and other guitars through the same amp.

The one disappointment was the pickups - because of the split coils you get a serious drop in signal when switching between full humbuckers. This wouldn't usually be a problem but when you're going from the bridge to the neck during lead passages you have to be tremendously quick for there to be no noticable difference.

Of course, the solution to this problem lies in the volume pot - this went untouched on my preious guitars because it never did anything but crap up the sound... quite the opposite here; cleans up extremely well and doesn't 'jump' at all. Same with the tone - a noticable difference in a couple of tweeks!

The neck pickup just sounds a little 'fake' - when playing in the upper register there seems to be very little presence in the bass end and the sound is extremely rounded. The result is kind of a blurring of notes (especially on higher gain settings. I like a warm, hot neck pickup but the tonal difference between this and the bridge just didn't sound natural.

The most notable selling point on this (and any other EBMM) is the neck: put simply, this is by far the most comfortable neck I've ever played - it feels like it has a similar width to a Tele (could be wrong) which is just fantastic for smaller hands, and the contour on the back makes it fast enough for speedier runs and comfortable when playing chords for long stretches.

I've had very few problems with the guitar, but I do think the following would be an improvement:

1) Better quality dials - would've preferred metal but I suppose that's personal preference!

2) More pickup choice - I'm sure there are more pickups out there that suit this guitar... again, probably personal preference!

Overall I'd say this is the most versatile guitar I've owned - I was interested in the Silo but the overall design of the Axis won me over. Very innovative looks with all the tonal characteristics of your classic guitars rolled into a compact, light-weight package!

9/10

Cheers EBMM!

 

[Polaris]

can I say that Robert sedra is entitled to his opinion just like I am. My opinion is that robert serda is moron. He claims to have an axis and that neck is finished better than the JP. He claims that he got the renaround from customer service because he ordered it in december and got it in march. Its too bad that he didnt know that the guitar was specially made for him.

It's funny because I always thought Petrucci was a really great guitarist...?! I'm pretty sure I watched Dream Theater live three times where he was playing the exact same guitar this guy was talking about as well...?! Maybe I'm wrong but doesn't the fact that the guitar sounds like a dream in Petrucci's hands and not so great in Mr Sedra's speak volumes about his playing ability??

You can't expect to buy a top-of-the-line guitar made for a pro to sound exactly like that in your hands - Petrucci could make a £150 Squire Strat sound like a brilliant guitar.

Also, I had to wait 6 months for my Axis... surely the dealer he got it from would've informed him of this? At least someone cares about getting the job done well!!

 

[brettlingle]

I've read a review on a JP that wasn't very positive about the PU's and more on harmony central.

Price Paid: US $1337.00
Features: 5
usa 24 frets body basswood two custom dimarzio pickups piezo locking tuners

Sound: 4
I play rock metal bluse jazz and so many styles .But after every thing I heard about this guitar I thought IT would be the one guitr I could use for anything. I was so wrong so here it is the piezo were the only thing I liked.But the humbukers were poor sounding my seymour jb sounds much beter .the humbuckers on the jp have no nothing only a sting sound and muddy.so before you spend $1350.00 on this guitar play one or buy a guitar with good pickups dont get me wrong musicman dose make grate guitars and I have Axis but the jp was A MISTAKE

Action, Fit, & Finish: 7
the action was okay the neck felt poor no finish. I cant see how he can have his name on this guitar. I bet his necks are Awhole lot beter

Reliability/Durability: 5
like i said musicman do make beter guitars and bass .but this guitar looks good but feels like 300.00 guitar keep it in a glass case if you want it last long

Customer Support: 5
I orderd this guitar in december and did not get till march they give you the run around

Overall Rating: 4
I have been playing for 23 years I have owned fenders musicman Ibanez I wish I WOULD have played on before I BOUGHT it.the only thing good was the pezio.every thing else felt like it was made in korea.I think john petrucci needs to go back to musicman and see whats going on its his name on the line.If it were lost or stolen the only thing I Would do is insure it so I could get my money back and buy something else.So GOD be with you and any thing you do thanks

Submitted by robert serda at 04/26/2005 01:12


I know a friend of mine is very happy with the JP he bought recently.
Sound was superb and it eyed and fellt very sollid to me.

I don't think there is any reason for this bloke to be nagging like this.

Big Poppa,
By reading this guys misuse of grammar it's obvious he is none too bright. But I agree with Ernie1966 you guys make GRATE guitars.
Brett Lingle

 

[Dr. Tweedbucket]

I like em.

I don't like how thin the necks are, but holy crap!! They do sound nice !!!

Here is one out of my small collection .....


I would rate them a 9 overall ..... with a fatter neck it would be a 9.8

 

[Mail2Jackbutler]

Here's my review FWIW:
EBMM JP6 John Petrucci Model
Red Pearlburst
The cosmetics, fit and finish are great and the color looks phenomenal in person as well as on video and under stage lighting. Its durable and very easy to maintain.
The pickups took a little retuning of my ears to really appreciate the flavor but they fit the instrument and are very flexible..especially with the switching.wiring and the piezo option. I do quite a bit of studio and television work and need to cover lots of styles during the course of just one gig/set.
From a performance/ergonomic standpoint, I will say that its probably the most comfortable guitar I've ever performed with.
About 6 years ago, I was involved in an accident and shattered my c3 and c4 vertebrae..it left me paralyzed from the neck down and I was told I'd never walk again..I had a spinal fusion and now have a titanium insert and bone donated from my own left hip in my neck..I was blessed to be able to not only walk again, but play and perform as well after 18 months of very intensive operations and therapy. I can't handle heavy guitars anymore, so the design of the JP is truly a blessing.
I'd been under endorsement with another guitar company for about 11 years and had become unhappy with the instruments I was getting..at a friends suggestion I went down and checked the Music Man display this past winter Namm and was blown away by all the instruments.
I need tools to work with and support my family in my chosen profession..I don't need to collect pieces..what I always look for is..is it utilitarian?..how flexible is it in covering many different styles and how is it built? what's the companies reputation as far as support..all of these things factored into me aquiring this instrument. I spent some time talking to a couple of the guys there at the display and played one of everything..even went back another day to give 'em another going over..needless to say, it suited my needs and was the most well rounded tool for helping me do my job.
I'd give it 5 stars or 10 out of 10 for being a player's instrument.

 

[Lucidology]

Purchased a black Luke less then a month ago... and have been fortunate enough to play it on many, back to back gigs... as well as a series of 'hired in the studio' sessions..

I've owned some version of just about every brand there is... up until I bought the Luke I was switching between my '71 Tele, a Tom Anderson Swamp Ash Hollow Classic, a Swamp Ash PRS and a lindy Fralin equipped PRS (my favorite PRS of all time).... and many others ... it's sort of been a "guitar-de-jour" situation...

Now, I can't get enough of the Luke... it's simply a dream axe for someone with hands on the smaller side such as myself... I've been quite focused upon it lately...

Curious about the V-neck on the new Fender Strats... I had bought one and immediately took it back because of the "hard-V" neck shape.... it really fought techniques (in my case) such as sweep picking. etc. I just hated it..

Bought the Eric Johnson Strat as a fellow-up, which was quite an improvement since it was a tapered V with a flatter radius, but still, the neck was oversized, big & bulky (what a bummer)... Needless to say, it's currently up for sale...

So was very reluctant to touch any neck with a V... but the Luke's 'soft V' is a completely different story... a fellow let me play his one day and the guitar immediately spoke to me... and as we all know, when a guitar "speaks to you'... that's a true sign from the heaven's...

The V is barely noticable... the neck is tiny in comparison to almost every other axe in my possession . The guitar itself is a tiny axe too... as one of my bass player friends stated... "it's like a Kid's guitar"... funny way to think about it... but it's sort of true... small and lightweight... fits my 5'9 frame perfectly... totally cool indeed....!!

The Luke SLV EMG's sounded great... strong SRV type of neck and middle-pickup sound. A wide aperture, over-wound, almost humbucking like tone... However, to my ears, they just were not clean enough in the way I like 'em to be.

I don't really care for that gray SRV sound in a Strat... like it when others use it, but don't care to use myself... my preferance is a continual crystal clear tone within the full sweep of a volume knob... then to use pedals and a tone knob for variations.

So I installed two white EMG-S pickups in the Neck and the middle...The sound is now simply amazingly clean & sweet beyond belief (combined with the Luke's superbly crafted Rosewood neck)... These pickups now take this axe to another level (IMHO)

One interesting discovery from this easy EMG change, (just a clip-on & off-situation) is that now I can dial in a very good pseudo arch-top sound (oddly enough, much better then any other solid-body guitar in my possession) just by rolling the tone knob way back...

The neck and middle position combined has that great, clean quack for all the necessary funk rhythms I'm called on to play in bands and on sessions... (a sound which I deeply love...) There was a smidgen of quack with the original Luke EMG's...

The definition with either overdrive or distortion in any of the first three switch positions is now outstanding... cuts through a live band mix without being harsh... and all without going through the process of eliminating 'ugly' hum when recording in a studio.

Simply said: This axe is a dream come true....

(well, I can go on and on, but I guess this is enough for now..)

I can't believe Music Man axes weren't even part of my vocabulary (or consideration),,,

Now days, Music Man Guitars are the first words that come out of my mouth ...

 

[GuitarStunts]

Luke

Well, JackButler and I are friends and have ties to that other company.

We are both in the trenches playing for a living. Though he's cuter than I and is a fantastic musician!
I agree with his words and will just say...

The Luke I have now inspired me to order a 2nd w/Piezo.
It's solid and well built for what I need.
Comfortable with a nice feeling neck. I usually prefer bigger frets but they work on the Luke.
Sounds are more versatile than I expected from EMG's. I use vintage voiced p/u's.

I'm looking forward to using it on a TV show soundtrack I'm doing this Summer.

Just a great design!

 

[tkharris]

Well what can I say. I have owned many of the EBMM JPM's. In total 19 or 20 in the last 3 or 4 years.

One of the best things I think about these guitars is the looks. It is a nice looking guitar and having seen all the colors having owned many of them there is not one color that I do not like.

Playability of the guitar is one of the best. Most need some tweaking for personal preferance but same thing if you buy a new car.

Piezo is to me what makes this guitar really stand out. To have everything in one guitar is just great.

Minues:

My biggest complaint is the Stress Crack Issue and being told that it is "Only Cosmetic, and will not affect the playability". While it does not affect playablity it does affect value. And a guitar that sits in its case and cracks is defective.

Please note something I did not realize until I asked for help: EBMM Guitars have only a 1 Year warranty.

 

[Astrofreq]

These guys are right

I have FIVE music man guitars and they just eat all other brands for breakfast. Seriously, when I was debating back in '92 between a Paul Reed Smith and an MM EVH, I weighed the options for awhile and went with the EVH. I never regretted it for a day. I liked the pickups on the Music Man more than the PRS, which were good too, but not hot enough. Maybe that's just preference, but bottom line is, the EVH was probably $1000 less than the PRS I wanted AND I still preferred the EVH.

Fast forward fourteen years later, I've owned five other Music Mans, four I've kept, one I sold. I'm not going to knock all the other brands, but for $1400, you won't even come close to as good of craftmanship on ANY other leading brand out there for the same price. I go into Guitar Center and see a Les Paul for $3000 and a Rosewood Axis for half that. There is NOTHING about the Les Paul that is better than the Axis, especially at double the price. Fender and Gibson have very well established name so they can get away with overcharging for guitars. One student of mine spent $2700 on a custom shop strat, which plays like total crap, but it had a low production 'silver' paint used, so the price was just through the roof. Unbelievable.

Music Man guitars are THE best guitars for the money. Period. It's not that I'm being biased. Even the SUB1 guitar sounds and plays better than any $600 guitar on the market. I try to get my guitar students to lean toward MM. A couple of them will cave in and buy one before too long.