AX40
STeRlIng by MuSIc MAn
The model chosen for review, the AX40 is
an instantly familiar single-cutaway design
based upon the Music Man Axis model. Its
rock ‘n’ roll look is captured with a two-piece
bookmatched quilted maple veneer top and
matching painted headstock, both finished in
a Transparent Gold polyester. The quality of
the quilt grain on the top may make you think
it’s of the “foto flame” variety, but it is indeed
a wood veneer top. The body is top-bound
with a strip of single-ply cream binding (just
a touch of “bleed” evident) and features a
tummy cut on the back of the guitar, which
is finished in dark black polyester. The guitar
has an untinted maple neck, which is finished
in a satin polyester (not the gunstock oil,
hand-rubbed special wax blend found on
its American counterpart) and features the
comfortable Music Man asymmetrical neck
carve that has an offset medium “C” profile. The neck is topped off with a 16″ radius
fingerboard to accommodate the profile of
the Floyd Rose style tremolo and features
22 polished, medium-jumbo nickel frets and
black micro dot fret markers. The headstock
features the classic Music Man compact 4+ 2
tuner design, with the added touch of a high-gloss clear finish applied to the back. The
“spoke wheel” at the base of the neck makes
truss rod adjustments easy, without the need
for string removal.
Appointments
It appears Praxis did an excellent job overseeing the fabrication of the Music Man-designed hardware for the AX40 model. The
guitar is voiced with a pair of Music Man-designed Zebra humbucking pickups that feature Alnico V magnets. The pickups are wired
to a 3-way selector switch and single Volume
knob like its American counterpart: bridge
humbucker, both pickups full humbucking/
parallel, and neck humbucker. I found that
the pickup selector was not as tightly seated
as I would’ve liked, but it functioned properly. The pickups are mounted directly to
the body, which improves the sustain of the
instrument through the more efficient transfer
of wood vibration through the pickups. The
guitar features a well-placed cream Strat-style
Volume knob neatly wired to a 500K pot.
The chrome Sterling, Floyd-style double
locking tremolo bridge is a two-post variety
that is set flush to the body and provides for
downward tremolo bending. Some may take
exception to the bridge not being recessed
routed or set to float. Others, like myself, prefer this design decision, as this type of setup
assists with tuning stability (especially when
you break a string) and improves the transfer
of string vibration through the wood and
pickups. The tremolo setup is well executed,
and with the help of the well-seated 1-5/8"-
wide locking nut and string guide, it stays in
tune after heavy use. The chrome strap buttons feature black felt bushings, which is a
classy touch, along with the square chrome
input jack. The neck is firmly attached to the
body at the 17th fret with the use of a 5-bolt
sculpted neck joint with chrome neck plate
and offers easy access to the upper frets. The
Sterling pearl-plastic button chrome tuners
add to the guitar’s snazzy appearance.
The guitar not only shares the styling of its
American counterpart, but it also shares its
playability and tonal characteristics. The guitar has a medium weight, is highly resonant,
and has a loud, punchy voice when strummed
acoustically. The design traces its roots back
to Eddie Van Halen’s Music Man guitar, so it
comes as no surprise that this guitar is at home
driving the front end of a high-gain amplifier.
The neck is very comfortable due to its carve,
rolled fingerboard edges and satin finish—that
along with the excellent fretwork makes this
guitar play quite easily. The selection of tone-woods also provides the basis for the guitar’s
tone, which has a strong upper-mid emphasis
with a tight low end. The midrange emphasis
from maple neck augmented by the fatness and
balanced tonal response that basswood typically provides helps give this guitar its rock ‘n’
roll voice. Though the top is merely a veneer,
I noticed that the guitar’s voice did possess
a certain degree of snap and presence that a
maple top often provides. The bolt-on 25. 5"″
scale maple neck certainly added to the guitar’s
liveliness and overall vibe.
Plugging In
Plugged into a TomasZewicZ TZZ-35112, an
EL34-driven 35W combo, the guitar’s rock
‘n’ roll roots become immediately apparent.
The pickups lean to the hotter side of classic
humbucker offerings and are effective at driv-
ing the front end of the amplifier. The bridge
pickup is punchy, with a touch of harmonic
overtones, and it exhibits an emphasis on
the upper mids. I did find at times at higher
gain levels that the bridge pickup could lose
a degree of articulation, but given its price
point it was at an acceptable level. You could
get lost for hours shredding away with your
favorite axe-wielders of yesteryear. The neck
pickup is bloomy yet articulate when used
in conjunction with the well-tapered Volume
knob. It too seemed to lose some definition
and clarity at higher gain settings. The dual
pickup combination was a pleasant surprise,
as it offered up pleasing Fender-esque quack
and chime without the humbuckers being
split. Perhaps this is due to parallel wiring of
the dual humbucker combination, but I really
liked playing this pickup combination clean
with a touch of chorus—hey, the ‘80s are
hard to leave behind. The substantial sustain
and punchiness of this guitar was merely
enhanced when put through the dimed drive
channel of a modded Marshall JTM 30. As
Mr. Van Halen said, “volume equals tone,”
and I found manipulating the single Volume
knob provided a great deal tonal versatility
with this guitar—a very impressive feat for
a guitar at any price point, let alone for one
that has a street price like this one.
The Final Mojo
The folks at Music Man and Praxis have done
an exemplary job recreating faithful reproductions of the classic Music Man designs at an
appealing price point. I encourage beginners
and pros alike to check out the Sterling line and
to welcome them into the Music Man family.
you’re seeking classic Music Man
styling at a great price.
Buy If...
Skip If...
“Made in the USA” is the
only way to go.
Rating...
4.0
ONTHEWeb
Click here to hear sound
clips of the guitar in action at
premierguitar.com
Sterling by Music Man/Praxis
Musical Instruments, Inc.
Street $549 (heavy-duty gig bag incl.)
sterlingbymusicman.com
