Description
What makes this guitar special: This guitar is out of a super limited run done in 2012 with estimates hovering somewhere around the sub-100 mark. It is essentially a Steve Morse Y2D with a few upgrades and spec changes. The most obvious is its Black Burst finish over a tight-pattern flamed maple top and matching reverse headstock, giving it its distinct Dark Lord look. It also features a roasted maple neck, which not only has a ton of great figuring and flaming, but also boasts the Music Man special wax blend finish, so it plays almost effortlessly. It also appears to be signed by Morse himself, but further verification came along with it, so it is what it is. Either way, it’s a super clean, great playing guitar that has a distinct look and still stands as a somewhat rare find.
Condition: This guitar is in excellent condition overall. It shows very few signs of wear outside of light surface scratches and a few nicks and dings here and there, but is otherwise super clean. The frets show very little wear if any and still have a full lifetime of playing left in them. The neck is straight and the truss rod functions as it should.
Body: Double cutaway poplar body with a flame maple top in Black Burst finish. Cream-colored top binding. Chrome Tune-o-matic bridge with fixed chrome tailpiece. Single-ply clear plexi pickguard. Chrome knurled dome control knobs.
Neck: Medium depth C shape roasted maple neck with a special wax blend finish and rosewood fingerboard with small dot inlays (“Ball Family Reserve” in the 12th). Reverse headstock with Schaller M6-IND tuning machines. 1 11/16” nut. 25.5” scale length. Jumbo frets.
Electronics: DiMarzio DP-205 Morse Signature humbuckers in the neck and bridge and a proprietary custom-wound single-coil in the middle. 1 x volume, 1 x tone control. 5-way pickup selector.
Weight: 9 lbs 3.3 oz
Playability/Sound: Between the wax blend finish and easy C shape, the neck on this guitar plays near effortlessly from the nut to the cutaway. The neck pickup is warm and full, the middle provides good contrast with a thinner, more mid-range to top end heavy response, and the bridge is a bit hotter with medium body.
Case: Includes original hardshell case and Ball Family Reserve COA.
