What turned you on to Music Man guitars?

[Spudmurphy]

A bass player in one of my earlier bands sowed the seeds by showing me his MM bass.

I'd given up playing for a long time and caught the bug to start playing again.
It was gonna be a 335 - looked far to big on me! Then a Tele with a B bender then I heard Albert playing and loved the sound he had. I played one in '05 and my Les Paul has not got a look in since.
I then got another 2 Als (all 3 are different) an EVH and a JP6.

 

[bazxkr]

Steve Morse, 1995. Simple as that.

Cheers
Baz

 

[Trent]

Why Music Man

Played one. Bought it!
These guitars are as good as ANY GUITAR you can buy at ANY PRICE.
A REAL value these days.
These babies smoke 90% of the other so called high end guitars and are just as good as the other 10%.
I am sold for life.
GREAT GUITARS!!!!!

 

[Dr. Lemonator]

Got tired of Gibson and Ibanez and wanted to try something new. I picked up a JP6 and didn't like it, but when I got home I noticed I didn't really like my guitars either. Went back, picked up the JP6 again, and that was the end of me. I was in love with all things EBMM!

 

[Roubster]

Steve Morse for me...still dont have his sig guitar yet, but the first one I ordered was a Silhouette and thats without ever playing an EBMM. I waited for like 4 months and that was that...not planning on playing anything else. Then I started listening to Vinnie Moore, Lukather, Dream Theater...and I saw that all these guys played Balls. There is no reason to play anything else.

Every year these guys come up with something new and cool and different...always looking ahead. I just love everything about this company, from the quality, beauty and community and personality aspects all around.

 

[AJ_72]

In my case, I was a long time hard core Ibanez user (from 1990 approximately) until a few months ago when I thought it was time for a change, so I decided to try other brands.

First, I bought a stealth JP6, and a month later or so I sold it in order to get the JPX6, by the way, I'm still in debt with the forum since I haven't post the pics yet, I guess I've been too busy playing it in my spare time, to be thinking about taking pictures of it, jeje, but I will take those pics ASAP. So, basically, I'm a newbie EBMM user.

As many other stories so far, I became aware of EBMM existence because of EVH, SM and AL, but the fact that Petrucci joined the team made me curious about these guitars, since I've been a long time DT, LTE (and Petrucci solo too of course) fan, from Images and Words to this day.

I'm more than happy with the JPX6, the neck profile feels so nice, it plays so easy, the piezo sound is awesome (I don't need an acoustic guitar anymore!) the sounds and tone are just incredible with the chambering, it's very light, the black hardware looks terrific, and the list goes on, but (there's always a but) I don't think I'm gonna get another EBMM, at least for now. What brought me here will take me to try other guitars that are on my mind as well such as a Parker Fly, but again, we'll see.

 

[Sweat]

Told this before but never hurts to do so again

I am a very bad player who only started to try guitar at the ripe old ag of 45, had a few middle of the road ones that did not inspire me much, then one night in 2006 I thought about and dreamed of a guitar with EMG's 1 hum and 2 singles, never tried to do a search for it but went into GC on 12-31-2006 and high up on the wall there it was a HSS EMG guitar, had the sales guy take it down and well it was a Luke, at that point knew nothing about Music Man guitars just Ernie Ball strings.

Anyways the guitar came home with me that day and I joined the fourm that evening to ask a silly question about locking tuners, and well thats the day the CFB was born

Have not looked back since that day, a couple months later number 2 arrived and since then alot have come and gone and come but one thing they have all been Music Man

 

[straycat113]

Well I think I have said this before but I always played Fender Strats and Teles, as I grew up on 60s and 70s music and the guys I idolized Hendrix, Clapton,Beck, Blackmore and the likes played Strats. I was a big VH when they came out but played nothing like him as my style was set already. I needed to get a guitar with humbuckers in the 90s as I did not own one and figured I would be leaving with a Gibson Les Paul, but I picked up an Amber EVH first and that is what I left with.

Over the last 5 years I just feel IMHO that no one is even close in doing what EBMM is and the quality,playability,tones,originality, color schemes and prices actually offer you a boutique instrument without laying out another 3K or more.

 

[the24thfret]

Been a Dream Theater fan since about 1999. Finally got a JP in 2007. The rest is history.

 

[GuitaRasmus]

I saw an Axis for the very first time (actually the prototype EVH in one of the recent threads here) on a cover of some guitar book, and thought it looked kind of like a "rock-telecaster" - I always like the working man's look of a tele, and the Axis looked even cooler - no bull****, just ROCK. Anyway, I never really had the chance to try one, since they are really rare here in Denmark, and I only saw very few players using one. I built a warmoth in the shape (green quilt) and I loved and still love that guitar - used it on over a hundred gigs - but it's retired now. Fast forward a few years - I bought and sold a lot of guitars, making a little profit along the way, and I saw an advertisement in a swedish used sales ad (ala craigslist) for a pacific blue burst axis. I love love love pacific blue burst, the price wasn't too bad, and mailed the seller. It turned out that he had family here in Denmark, so he agreed to send it to them, so that I could try it out. I went to the familys house, and I'm telling you, that guitar didn't speak to me - It screamed at the top of it's lungs: "I'm yours! Take me home!" Who am I to argue?

It's been with me since, been modded to have a middle single coil, splittable humbuckers, pickguard, and a trem mod on the way, locking tuners. I've owned A LOT of guitars, including some EBMM's and Axis guitars since, but NOTHING compares to this guitar. It is hands down the best guitar I've ever had the pleasure of playing. The sound, the look, the playability - it's all there. I don't love a lot of material possessions, but this is one of them. I love this guitar. It's played well over a hundred gigs since I bought it in 2008, and it's my main guitar for every gig. Thanks, Ernie Ball Music Man, for making the guitar of my dreams.

Here she is:

 

[sandmannn69]

This dude right here....Mr. Jamie Humphries!

 

[mark_tampa]

Loved the look and sound of a AL from a video I saw way back when. I called the somewhat local EBMM dealer to see if the had one and they said that they had 4 instock last week, but AL had had just done a clinic two day's before I called (wish I would have known) and they all sold during the clinic. Went to the shop anyway, picked up a Steve Morse and couldn't put it down, it went home with me (still have it).

Went back about 6 months later, they had a few AL's instock and couldn't put down PBB hardtail - It had to follow me home as well.

After having both for 3+ years, I still play both equally - I still could not tell you what one is the better guitar, they both excell for what they are.

 

[Slav123]

EVH was/is my guitar god and in 1992, I fell in love with the EVH EBMM guitar. It was like no other guitar out there, the body shape, the headstock and the most amazing most comfortable neck on the market. Unfortunately, I couldn't afford to buy one so I purchased a used Silo instead. A year later I found a great deal on a barely played used Luke 1 and I had two cool balls. I was young and followed trends then and so I traded and sold the two balls for what my guitar buddies were playing at that time - early 90's Ibanez guitars (Steve Vai and Paul Gilbert became my new guitar gods).

Two years later I found the most beautiful trans-red quilt top Axis and it was love at first sight, this was my first new guitar purchase. All of my friends and my band-mates were really into Les Paul's at that time and convinced me to trade the most expensive guitar that I owned (my Axis) for a Les Paul and so I did. A day later I realized that I made a big mistake and went back to the store to get my Axis back but, she was already gone. I later got into custom guitars and started collecting other brand high-end guitars (I had 18 guitars at that time). In early May of 2009 I was browsing eBay late at night and saw the most amazing trans-gold quilt top Axis and I immediately purchased it (I had no plans to buy a guitar but, when I saw it I just had to have it).

This amazing guitar brought back all of my great memories of my trans-red Axis and my first two balls (Silo and Luke 1) and that was it, I sold and traded my entire collection for balls. I've owned a lot of cool guitars but, nothing else compares to EBMM

Slav

 

[straycat113]

Slav I just saw your herd picture on your couch, which does not even include your new BFR T-Black which has one of the sickest tops ever and I have to say you have the #1 photo so far. Your Trans-Gold looks like my EVH but has a slightly better top. Let me guess early 90s all your friends playing Les Paul's, hmm just about the time Slash raised Gibson from the dead like Lazarous. I also love Joe Webs picture, kind of like a rainbow. I still never went through the whole picture forum as there are over 150 pages, must be some sick photos in there.

Sandmann69 cool to give a shout out to Jamie who is a hell of a player, and really nice guy besides a real EBMM fanatic.

 

[John C]

After seeing a few small ads and reviews back in the mid-80s I wandered into a dealer here in Louisville (I was living in Lexington KY at the time and was back for the weekend) and picked up a small-bodied trans red guitar with one of those funky Schecter-style trems. I was of course an Silhouette in HSS with that Schaller trem and the year was 1989. Granted it took me until 2004 to actually buy one (a Silhouette Special).

I can't say it was an artist that turned me on to EBMM; it was just getting one into my hands.

 

[jamie_au]

Lucious.

 

[B2D]

I was a Strat dude to the core until I picked up a white sparkle Silo Special that was in the local GC as a used piece. I'd heard of EBMM before but I'd never seen one before that wasn't an Axis or an EVH. All I know is that it was like a Strat but everything about it looked so much more refined and more elegant and sleek. And then I picked it up and I knew within a few strums that I'd found IT, you know? The neck seemed like it was made JUST for me by someone who knew exactly what I wanted before I did. I played it for two hours solid and left the store cursing my lack of funds.

That was in 2003, and the memory of that guitar haunts me to this day. I spent the next two years saving up for my first EBMM purchase, which happened to be a white Silo with a Floyd. I was a liiittle bit dissatisfied with it mainly due to the Floyd and I liked the way the Silo Specials balanced better, so I did a straight trade with a forum bro on here for my hardtail Silo Spec in Gunsmoke Silver and I've never looked back.

 

[zombywoof]

About a year ago I heard someone talking about the compensated nut you can have on some guitars, so I went to a Montreal music store and ask for a guitar that have one. They handed me a 25th anniversary!
I thought to myself "WOW, I don't think the nut is responsible for all that!!!"
I now own 3 EBMM and have another one on order...

 

[ily]

For me it was very easy just one name

MISTER LUKATHER

i play EBMM Guitar since 15 years
10 ebmm (5 Luke inside )

 

[JMB27]

What turned me on to Music Man guitars?

Short story is that I was looking to add/replace somethin' in a seemingly endless rotation of guitar wants/needs/lusts back in 2004/2005

Checked out a Super Sport at The Guitar Shop in Port Credit. Saw one a lil' while later at L&M in Burlington. And the obsession/craze/lust seemed to build to an all-time level of craziness.

I finally smartened-up and placed an order for a Super Sport in Honey-burst w/matching hdstk, maple neck, trem and 'buckers.

And, the honey-moon has been a long 'un .... due to a great build, sweet tones, and overall satisfaction of gear lust ....

In fact, I got a second Super Sport to 'match' the first .... natty hdstk tho .... but just as sweet as the first

cheers always, eh

Joel