“A highly responsive and expressive solidbody electric that delivers world-class tones”: Ernie Ball Music Man Axis review
Once upon a time, it was Eddie Van Halen's signature model. Now, it's simply one of the best high-performance electrics money can buy, and perhaps it's time it should be recognized as a true modern classic
The Music Man Axis is a highly responsive and expressive solidbody electric that delivers world-class tones. After more than three decades, it’s become a classic that’s still worthy of attention.
Expensive, although not as costly as other USA-made variants of its original namesake’s signature models.
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No tone control.
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For the first four years of its existence, the Ernie Ball Music Man Axis was the original Edward Van Halen signature guitar before its name changed in 1995. However, the Axis has enjoyed immense success on its own terms for three decades now, proving that a great guitar can still appeal to the masses even without a big-name artist’s signature on the headstock.
The Music Man Axis remains pretty much the same as it ever was after a few tweaks were made to its design when the new name was adopted. Subtle improvements in Music Man’s manufacturing have evolved over the years, and the Axis guitars that it’s making today are the best that the company has ever offered.
The design changes are now old news, but here’s a refresher course for the uninitiated. The signature on the headstock was replaced by the Axis name; the three-way toggle switch was moved from the treble horn to a position below the volume knob; the volume knob is now properly marked “volume” instead of “tone”; a belly contour was added; the neck width around the 12th fret was widened by 1/32-inch; and the locking tremolo saddles with offset intonation adjustment screws were replaced by non-offset saddles.
(Image credit: Ernie Ball Music Man)
More recent upgrades include a roasted maple neck and stainless-steel fret material. The finish options have also changed – the current offerings include Matcha (green), Honey Pot (amber), Charcoal (gray/black) and Ollalieberry (vivid purple/magenta).
All other features from the basswood body with bookmatched figured flame or quilt maple top to the direct-mounted proprietary custom DiMarzio humbuckers remain the same. The 22-fret neck still has a 25 ½-inch scale, 10-inch radius and that super comfortable and playable asymmetric neck profile that’s thicker towards the bass strings and thinner towards the treble strings to provide a worn-in feel.
The only controls are a master volume knob with 500k ohm pot and three-way pickup selector toggle. The flush-mounted (pitch drop only) Floyd Rose-licensed Music Man double locking tremolo with fine-tuners is as solid and durable as ever.
(Image credit: Ernie Ball Music Man)
The quality of the wood used on the Axis today seems notably better, providing gorgeous figuring on both the neck and top alike. The total weight averages between seven and eight pounds, and our example delivered very lively, dynamically responsive and resonant natural tone when unplugged – a good sign of a keeper. Typical of Music Man’s necks, the playability and comfort remains among the best in the business.
I’ve compared guitars to supercars and hot rods, but the Music Man Axis brings to mind a pro freestyle BMX bike in that it’s light, well-balanced and streamlined to the essential basics. Just like a BMX bike will get you from point A to point B, the process of getting there is pure fun as it’s impossible to resist performing bunny hops, 360 Nollies and tailwhips when the right moment arises.
(Image credit: Ernie Ball Music Man)
Similarly, the Axis is a highly expressive and musical guitar ideal for any style of music, but tricks like pick squeals, chiming harmonics and precise whammy bar bends are so easy to perform that it’s impossible to resist adding them to the performance whenever possible. The Axis seems to anticipate what you’re going to play before you play it.
The overall tonal character is dialed in as well. Using a high-gain distortion setting on a tube amp, the tone goes from brilliant clean with the volume at 3 to a raging roar at 10, ideal for traditionalists who don’t need no stinking channel switching.
High notes cut but are impressively full bodied, and bass notes have percussive punch and boom. The midrange is money, providing expressive, vocal-like, mix-dominating sweetness that boldly proclaims, “I am a lead guitarist, and you will listen!”
Specs
PRICE: $3,199 (flame) or $3,339 (quilt)
BODY: Basswood with bookmatched figured maple top
NECK: Roasted figure maple
FINGERBOARD: Roasted figured maple
NECK PROFILE: Asymmetric
RADIUS: 10-inch
SCALE LENGTH: 25.5-inch
FRETS: 22 high-profile medium width stainless steel
Chris is the co-author of Eruption - Conversations with Eddie Van Halen. He is a 40-year music industry veteran who started at Boardwalk Entertainment (Joan Jett, Night Ranger) and Roland US before becoming a guitar journalist in 1991. He has interviewed more than 600 artists, written more than 1,400 product reviews and contributed to Jeff Beck’s Beck 01: Hot Rods and Rock & Roll and Eric Clapton’s Six String Stories.
