Steve Morse signature

[hannaugh]

It might just be me, but I think this is one of the most gorgeous guitars ever.  I played one at Rockit Music here in So Cal, and I really liked it.  I saw it on the wall and it was so pretty, I had to touch it. 

http://www.music-man.com/instruments/stevemorse_y2d.php

 

[Acornz]

I've never been a fan of Music Man's, that has a pretty nice finish on it. The clear pickguard is awesome.  :guitarplayer2:

 

[hannaugh]

Yeah, I've never been that into Music Man stuff either, but that one was so striking, I just had to try it.  The neck is birdseye maple.

 

[misplacedsanity]

It's gorgeous, I love the set back single coil. How did it sound?

 

[NeilStryker]

i like the microdot fret markers.. other than that it looks pretty lame, to me.  that pickguard? stopbar thing? purple? 

 

[mayfly]

purple? 

Hey man, Purple burst is pretty cool.  Just ask Prince.

 

[kataar]

I dont like the stop bar thingie either.... but the single coil being set back like that reminds me of the Alvarez Dana:

that thing is an actual triple bucker (alvarez called it a Tri force pickup) though, not a single coil and a humbucker

 

[stubhead]

The third pickup has a distinct musical purpose, it's not about cosmetics. I actually like his "real" sig model better, the one he played for thirty years or so that was based on his old FrankenTele:

http://www.music-man.com/instruments/stevemorse.php

They're a great bar-band guitar because you really can do everything on it... they're very comfortable to play too, but you have to smart enough to understand what four different pickups can do. (Same as all the phase switches on the Brian May guitars - mebbe only the inventor really gets it). One of the DIxie Dregs' famous tunes was "Ice Cakes" and on the 1990 Morse Band video from Germany he plays the five-piece version with a trio - he plays the keyboard and violin parts as well as the guitar parts, simultaneously and/or jumbled together. It's pretty terrifying to watch, if you know what you're seeing - guy's got quick reflexes, that's for sure. It helps to have a synthesizer pickup and it really helps to have Dave LaRue on bass, but still.

 

[GoDrex]

I like purple, but that burst doesn't do it for me. But it's a cool guitar.

Steve Morse is probably the best all around guitarist I can think of, but his music never interests me for some reason. I try to check it out when he's brought up, but although the guy is amazing, the music doesn't do much. I think he's a bit too in control for me. I'm not sure. The guy's technique is without peer certainly.

 

[David]

I agree.  He is technically amazing, but musically not so interesting...

On the guitar.  I never liked clear pickguards.  I just don't imagine that they will age well.

 

[nathan a]

Just to continue vouching for the 'poor mans wood' --- the body of that new Morse sig is Poplar.

 

[Superlizard]

As a long-time fan of Morse with his "Steve Morse Band" (have 'em all including "The Introduction" but sans that one early 80's album of which I forget the name - anyhoo...), I gotta agree mostly that his stuff is uninspiring yet technically brilliant.  However, there are a handful of tunes that are very inspiring.  Either way, he's definitely a bona-fide Guitar God, and an excellent study in technique for those who want to up their chops.

 

[guitlouie]

I actually scour guitar mags looking for articles by him.  I have learned more from Steve Morse, Arlen Roth, and Richard Lloyd than I ever have from any in-the-flesh- instructor.  But still, I think his guitar is kinda.....M'eh.

 

[hannaugh]

I didn't have a chance to plug it in.  I was on my way out of the store when I saw it, and I was running late for something.  I just did a little picking and put it back.  Next time I was there, it was gone.

Yes, I happen to like the purple burst, and I like the shape of the pickguard. 

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

Not withstanding Stubhead's explanation of the extra pickup, I've never cared for that guitar.  I'm more used to the older, blue one with black pickguard and four pickups and multiple switches.  The tailpiece, although functional, looked like a homemade afterthought.  The MM's smooshed headstock and round with little horned body didn't suit me either.  Steve's got the licks, but this ain't about that, it's about the guitar.

 

[rightintheface]

yeah, just quietly, i think the MM headstock is quite frankly terrible. just something about it looks... CRAP

my opinion, of course, not a huge music man fan.

 

[stubhead]

When Steve Morse designed his guitar, the stop tailpiece was supposed to mimic his old FrankenTele as much as possible. The specific reason for the headstock was to eliminate string trees, AND make the guitar short enough (w/case) to fit in the overhead bin of an airline cabin. Morse flew the things, he knew the dimensions. Purists can quibble based on their own sonic expertise but Morse can make it sound killer, even if they can't. When you consider that the three main design parameters for the Telecaster were that it use cheap materials, be easily made on common furniture-making machinery, and by unskilled labor, Morse's ideas don't seem all that silly. :toothy12:

I've been re-reading the history "Fender: The Sound Heard Round the World" by Richard Smith - it makes the oft-repeated guitar-mag tales of Leo Fender's "genius" and "magic" seem pretty ludicrous.

 

[Kostas]

I love the color and also like the bridge, headstock shape and the microdots on E.B. guitars. I prefer their basses!

 

[line6man]

Keeping in mind from some of my other posts, that my taste in guitars is quite different, and in many cases opposite of what most guys like, heres my take on the guitar:

Purple is too "girly" of a color for me, but i love the purple burst. Its different, and somewhat unique.

I like the clear pickguard, but the shape of it is hideous.

When i saw the bridge from the top, i thought it looked like a $50 guitars cheap bridge, but taking a look at the some other pics, its actually pretty cool looking. I kind of like it, but personally i would like a Floyd Rose better.

I like the way the (part of the bridge with the saddles) recesses into the pickguard.

I like MM headstocks on basses, but their 4-2 guitar design is fugly. It just looks too small for me.

I say this about EVERY guitar in existence, but i think that anything other than 1/4" dots is hideous. So i am not a fan of the pencil dots.

I am not a fan of the HUGE countersinks on the pickguards screw holes. I would rather see them being the right size so that the screws dont look so big.

 

[hannaugh]

See, if there were any other girls on this site, they'd back me up.