The Ernie Ball Music Man Steve Morse Signature Guitar

The Steve Morse Signature Guitar

Music Man & Fender

Music Man is a division of the Ernie Ball Corporation, acquired in 1984 and is an American guitar and bass manufacturer.

The company was founded in January 1974 by Forrest White and Tom Walker, who both worked for Fender guitars from 1954-1966.

Leo Fender became a silent partner of Music Man in 1971  while the new company was still under the brand Tri Sonix Inc and became president in 1975, building a manufacturing facility for its musical instruments in 1976.

Ernie Ball and George Fullerton produced acoustic bass guitars in 1972 under the brand Earthwood, located in San Luis Obispo, California; the factory is still operating today.

Good Vibes By The Players

New guitar models soon followed, and with improved visibility in the guitar market, trying to compete with the major brands was difficult. Still, the accolades came from the players’ endorsements, and sales increased.

Moving Production Overseas

Other guitar manufacturers started moving production overseas to get cheaper versions of the American-made models produced to exploit the market gap for replica instruments in various East-Asian countries; Music Man followed suit in the late 1990s and continued until 2008.

Savings came from reduced production times and was a success; this supported Music Man when its American-made guitars sales slowed down.

This overseas line of mid-range instruments had a cost savings of 1/3 to 1/2 less than the standard USA Made instruments, and with production, times cut and savings acquired, they did not have to lower the quality of the…

• Wood
• Hardware or Electronics

The goal was to produce quality instruments overseas without the made-in-the-USA bells and whistles that would be attractive at lower prices.

But due to the growing segment of the guitar industry wanting local-made products, fewer and fewer overseas models were produced each year and ultimately discontinued in September of 2006.

Music Man’s Quality Never Compromised

Music Man has always maintained high standards in its manufacturing of instruments.

Woods

Hand-selected tonewoods from the world’s finest supplies are individually chosen and matched for their rich tonal qualities.

Bodies & Necks

Body and necks are hand selected for weight and maximum stability; the bodies have 3 layers of high gloss polyurethane producing a luxurious state-of-the-art /custom mixed colour coat finish.

And the necks go through multiple stages of hand sanding with a polyurethane finish and polished/hand rubbed with gunstock oil and wax to retain the natural feel of the wood and ensure maximum playability to create flawless finishes.

Frets

Frets are individually hand-levelled and crowned by skilled craftsmen for ultimate comfort and playability.

Setup

Finally, the trained setup technicians expertly set up and intonate every instrument before it’s shipped.

The Future Is Bright

Since 1984 Ernie Ball and Music Man have been committed to achieving…

• Outmatched playability, unequalled craftsmanship
• Design, robotic technology/digital accuracy and consistent focus on crafting some of the best playing and sounding guitars in the marketplace

Ultimately Music Man has succeeded in tightening the gap between the player and instrument.

Brand Champions

The list is long, but with players like…

• John Petrucci 
• Steve Lukather
• Roy Ziv

And the Artist whose guitar we are looking at …Steve Morse.

This company will surely be a company to look at when looking for your next axe.

Who Is Steve Morse

Steve Morse is an American composer and guitarist that started his interest in music on the piano and clarinet but ultimately found the guitar.

Morse is best known as the founder of Dixie Dregs and Deep Purple’s lead guitarist from 1994 to 2022.

Morse has also enjoyed a successful solo career and was briefly a member of the group Kansas in the mid-1980s to early ’90s.

Most recently, Morse became a member of the supergroup Flying Colors.

The Journey To Guitar Great

In the late 1960s, Steve went through the cover band era of playing with his older brother and longtime friend, performing locally, and doing covers for artists like Led Zeppelin and Cream.

Morse Enrolled at the University of Miami School of Music for his last year of high school and graduated in 1975.

The Music school was well known for generating several future influential musicians, like…

• Pat Metheny and
• Jaco Pastorius.

After graduation, Morse performed originals and covers with the Dixie Dregs (1975-1983) from such greats as John McLaughlin, establishing himself in the jazz fusion genre.

In 1984 he conducted clinics and continued to record and tour; during this time also joining on-off again with the rock group Kansas till 1991.

In 1994 British Hard Rock Super Group Deep Purple replaced Ritchie Blackmore with Morse. After 28 years as a band member, the Artist was their longest-serving guitarist playing on 8 studio albums and several live albums, leaving in 2022.

Influences

Every player has guitar influences, and Morse is no different; he regularly cited John Petrucci as a significant inspiration.

Well Known For His Diverse Style & Skills

Morse’s work on Industry Standard was voted “Best Guitar L.P. and Best Overall Guitarist.” He held this title for 5 consecutive years and moved into the Guitar Players “Gallery of Greats Hall of Fame,” a category shared only by…

• Steve Howe of Yes &
• Eric Johnson.

Former proceeding Deep Purple Member and guitarist Richie Blackmore stated…

“Steve Morse is an incredible player. A lot of people try to get some wisecrack out of me, but when you’re talking about guitar players along Morse’s calibre, they’re brilliant.

Morse has proven himself throughout his career as capable of playing highly complex chord structures in classical sequences, as well as being able to play fast, alternate-picked arpeggios.

He is well known for using harmonics and improvising them in songs during live performances, such as in Deep Purple’s “Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming.”

The Guitar

and working with Music Man in creating his Signature Model from 1985-1987, this made-in-the-USA Super Strat guitar has been a staple in the Ernie Ball Lineup and will be rereleased in 2021.

Made to the Artist’s exact specification, this instrument has been his choice of guitar for studio and stage for over 25 years.

Superstrat is a term to describe a guitar resembling the famed Fender Stratocaster but with clear differences in the standard features that distinguish it as a separate instrument.

Full Tonal & Switching Possibilities

With a classic double-cutaway design for comfort, the Steve Morse signature sports a Sparkle Blue high-gloss polyester finish, lightweight Poplar body, black pickguard, a 25.5″ scale length, figured Maple neck w/22-fret Rosewood fretboard, Tune-o-Matic bridge and Music Man chrome-plated tail block.

Along with a 3-way pickup selector, 2-way /3-way toggle switches/4 DiMarzio pickups arranged in an HSSH configuration, this gives you extensive tonal possibilities.

His complex control layout may take some time, but do not worry; just run through the workings in the video below and watch how Steve unravels his “Morse Code.”

Tech Specs

Body

• Body Shape – SuperStrat Double Cutaway
• Body Wood – lightweight Poplar
• Body Finish – High gloss polyester
• Body Color – Blue Burst Sparkle w/Black Pickguard
• Guitar Size & Dimensions – 12-1/2″ wide, 1-3/4″ thick, 36-7/8″ long (31.8 cm wide, 4.5 cm thick, 93.7 cm long)
• Scale Length – 25-1/2″ (64.8 cm)
• Manufactured – United States

Neck

• Neck Radius-12″ (30.5 cm)
• Neck Width – 1- 5/8″ (41.3 mm) at nut, 2-1/4″ (56.9 mm) at last fret
• Neck Profile – “C” Shape
• Neck Wood – Figured roasted maple
• Fingerboard – Rosewood
• Neck Finish – Gunstock oil and hand-rubbed special wax blend
• Neck Colors – Natural
• Frets– 22 High profile, wide stainless steel
• Truss Rod – Adjustable – no component
• Headstock Size – 5-7/8″ (14.9 cm) long
• Hardware: Chrome

DiMarzio Steve Morse HSSH Pickup Configuration

Morse has released 2 signature DiMarzio humbuckers and 2 DiMarzio custom-wound single-coil pickups. (See Image)

You get…

• 2 Custom Humbuckers -(Morse signature DP-205/N and DP-200/B)
• 2 Single Coils -(DP-108 Vintage and a custom wound)  &…
• Electronic Shielding –Using a Graphite acrylic resin-coated body cavity and aluminum lined pickguard.

This setup offers unique possibilities in your guitar sound and sonic balance over the complete fretboard.

Combinations & Controls

With Master Volume and Master Tone knobs, a 3-way lever pickup selector switch, and 2 toggles, you potentially get 11 pickup selections. (See image below) 

The 2-way on-off toggle lets you combine the bridge pickup with either the single-coil that sits next to it or the neck humbucker. Meanwhile, the 3-way toggle switch controls the remaining single-coil, combining it with other pickups.

Hardware

Headstock

• Tuning Machines-Schaller M6-IND locking w/identifiable headstock, 4 tuners on top and 2 tuners on the bottom, and artist signature.

Bridge

• Bridge-Tuneomatic (TOM) bridge with thumbwheel height adjustment & individual saddles with Music Man chrome plated, solid brass tail block (See Image)

Special Features

• Neck Attachment – 5 screw bolt-on construction w/neck plate- The Sculpted neck joint allows smooth access to higher frets (See image)

See How Steve Morse Breaks Down His Signature Guitar

Final Thoughts

The Ernie Ball Music Man artist series start as stock models and become a custom version based on the Artist’s input every step of the way, leaving you with guitars that appeal to many other players.

You have a lot to choose from, all with their specs, suited for your needs.

This company pays attention to the details and maintains a loyal player base at the top level.

So we know you will get a quality instrument, but the price tag is a hefty $2,799.

I find it subtle enough as a signature guitar that you can still make it your own; it plays great and is super light.

Not sure how much tone you will lose in having a Poplar body; this is a soft hardwood and gives you a neutral tone and low sustain, but the pickup combinations make up for the uncertainty; also if it is suitable for Steve Morse…

Should You Add This To Your Collection

If you want a piece of the Steve Morse Legacy and are looking for a quality high-end guitar, then yes.

Otherwise, with that price tag, you can get something similar with fewer costs associated.

Did You Like This Article?

Check out my review of the Yngwie Malmsteen Signature Stratocaster

Also…

Please leave your comments in the section below, and if you have a favourite player or guitar you would like me to review, leave a note below.

As always, stay the course and keep playing.

Feature image of the Steve Morse guitar courtesy of  musiciansfriend.com and guitarworld.com

Feature Image of Steve Morse courtesy of Wikimedia, Author- Fredamas is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International

Image of Book Steve Morse Open Ears courtesy of Amazon

CTA Image courtesy of Amazon.ca