Question Very early Music Man Steve Morse

[Fontanz]

This year I snagged a real rare piece, a very early MM Steve Morse built in April 1987. As you can see on the pictures it looks like a regular Morse. In contrast to Steve's serial no. 1, it's got no black stop tailpiece, and the pickguard isn't glossy but matt black, just like serial no. 2 which was presented to Steve at 2017's Namm show.

If you watch Steve's Power Lines video from 1989 you see him play a Blueburst that at first sight looks pretty much like no. 1 (glossy pickguard, black tailpiece) but obviously is another guitar as on it's headstock there's shown the normal Steve Morse facsimile signature.

I would be happy to get some more information about these early made Morses, why some of them got black tailpieces and glossy pgs, and especially, if possible, what has happened to the guitar Steve played in the Power Lines video.

THANK YOU!

 

[beej]

First off, great score! That guitar looks to be in pristine condition. Love the tele-style switch knob on those early ones.

Interesting about the guitar in Power Lines- I've watched it a few times and never noticed. I wonder if it's just his #1 with a different neck? Maybe the original was being refretted at the time? I'd be surprised if it was another guitar given how he almost always used #1.

I wouldn't call that pickguard shiny- it's more matte compared to the newer ones. I've had a few ones of that vintage, including one from the first 50, and all of the pickguards look like that. Perhaps there was a change in supplier at some point.

On the black tailpiece- I recall a few early ones that had it, but I don't know if there was a pattern. There's a video of #2 on YouTube (which is in the Music Man vault) - it has the chrome tailpiece.

 

[Fontanz]

First off, great score! That guitar looks to be in pristine condition. Love the tele-style switch knob on those early ones.

Interesting about the guitar in Power Lines- I've watched it a few times and never noticed. I wonder if it's just his #1 with a different neck? Maybe the original was being refretted at the time? I'd be surprised if it was another guitar given how he almost always used #1.

I wouldn't call that pickguard shiny- it's more matte compared to the newer ones. I've had a few ones of that vintage, including one from the first 50, and all of the pickguards look like that. Perhaps there was a change in supplier at some point.

On the black tailpiece- I recall a few early ones that had it, but I don't know if there was a pattern. There's a video of #2 on YouTube (which is in the Music Man vault) - it has the chrome tailpiece.

Thanks beej for your awnser. Yes, this one is in great condition. Best of all to me is that it‘s a real lightweight, somewhere around 3.3 kg.
Very interesting point in your reply to me is that #1‘s neck might have been somewhere else at that time in 1989 to get a refret job. That would be compatible to Dudley Gimpel saying in a 2005 promo clip (i. e. 18 years from 1987) that #1 had been refretted 9 times, which means it needed new frets every 2 years, so that 1989 was the first refret job.
Maybe EBMM insiders in this forum can help with more information on that issue, which I would really appreciate.

 

[Fontanz]

According to serial no. 87060 I would also like to know if this was Morse no. 60 in ´87 or Music Man guitar no. 60 in ´87, which would eventually include other models like the Silhouette.

 

[banjoplayer]

what a great blueburst! with the special switch tip
how did you manage to get this one?

I´m not sure about the source about the matt/glossy pickguards, but I thought to know from the forum, that EBMM switched rather late from matt to glossy. I think mid 90s... I once owned a 93 silo that had a matt black one and I own a 94 Al which has a matt white pickguard

 

[tbonesullivan]

Is that switch tip black, or BROWN? Part of me is thinking it's bakelite or something like that. Never seen a switch tip like that before.

 

[Fontanz]

I think they switched to glossy in 2003 or 2004.

 

[Fontanz]

Is that switch tip black, or BROWN? Part of me is thinking it's bakelite or something like that. Never seen a switch tip like that before.

The switch tip on these old Morse models are black but tend to get a brown cast. Maybe the brown got through over the years, depending on how long the guitar was out of it´s case.
There‘s a 1990 on the market here in Germany that was mine in 2017 when I played with Steve at Rockland Music in Witten, some hours before a DP gig in Dortmund. This one‘s tip switch is pretty brown.

https://www.bigfoot-guitars.de/portfolio-items/1990-music-man-steve-morse-standard-blueburst/?portfolioCats=133%2C106%2C96%2C92%2C101%2C103%2C97%2C102%2C107%2C95%2C98%2C99%2C93%2C134%2C94%2C100

 

[Fontanz]

how did you manage to get this one?

I found it on reverb.

Ernie Ball Music Man Steve Morse Signature Model 1987 Blue Burst | Reverb

Here's a 1987 Ernie Ball Music Man Steve Morse Signature Model in Blue Burst finish. Original, first year example! No breaks, cracks, repairs. April 1987 body and neck date. There's some minor play wear on the body, but overall the guitar is in nice shape. The neck plays smooth & fast, with l...

reverb.com