Review Demo - Ernie Ball Music Man St. Vincent Signature

It’s no secret that many “artist signature” guitars aren’t all that different from a company’s stock models. Jigger with surface cosmetics, maybe tweak the electronics a bit, and voilà — you’ve got a “new” model to sell at an upmarket price.

Music Man’s St. Vincent is nothing like that. Designed top to bottom by Annie “St. Vincent” Clark with help from the Ernie Ball/Music Man lutherie team, the instrument is as bold, imaginative, and thoughtful as Clark’s extraordinary guitar work.

The St. Vincent’s angular, geometric body is unapologetically Modernistic—and that’s upper-case “Modernistic” in the mid-20th-century-design sense. Guitar history geeks will probably flash on 1957/1958, when Gibson created the Flying V, Explorer, and Moderne. Designed by visionary Gibson honcho Ted McCarty, these instruments (along with 1963’s Ray Dietrich-designed Firebird) aimed to update Gibson’s then-stodgy image with a bit of Fender’s space-age panache.

[myworstenemy]

Respect for making something other than the same old Tele, Strat or LP clones. Don't get me wrong, I love all of them, but the market is saturated with knock offs from every company under the sun. Annie is a hell of a songwriter and her signature guitar shows off her eclectic, artistic side. That neck wood looks stunning btw.

[mackslovelace]

One of the best looking guitars I have seen in a long time. Guitars are looking all the same lately.

[ikkenhisatsu]

I’m a drummer, but a St. Vincent fan for years. It’s apparently a great instrument and it’s not like everyone else. I love it.

[Tictac-se]

Thank God, a demo featuring a decent guitar player. I was just as entertained by his playing, as the actual guitar review.

[coltondillard]

I don't get the hate for the body style, i kinda like the look, very different but cool!

[hihowareyouitsme]

One thing to note is that Annie Clark designed the guitar with a fashion sense in mind. She didn't like how most guitars were designed to fit nicely on a male body and felt a bit big on her. She wanted to have a guitar that better fit her body, so she came up with this shape, and she looks fantastic with it :)

[SuzanneNuttall]

It really is amazing how many guys cannot handle that woman designed a guitar from the ground up with a guitar company. Please do us all a favour and go back to the where you came from! Saw St. Vincent live in concert last night and I was so impressed by her playing style!

[codeandroad]

My wife bought the cherry version of this. One cracking beast. And I get to play it.

Since when I’ve replaced my Fender and Gibson’s with EBMM gear. Their Albert Lee guitars have the same neck as the St Vincent with the same oil and wax finish which just feels amazing. I’ve also finished other guitars like this after stripping their original neck finishes.

The EBMM quality is top notch and most of their kit is original though not cheap. That said you need to go custom shop with both Fender and Gibson before you get reasonable quality.

The only drawback on the St Vincent is, as John says, the neck offset when standing. I have a duff left shoulder. When playing sat on my butt, the neck is no problem. The full rosewood neck and fingerboard is the finest that I have played in over 50 years.

What I really want is an Albert Lee fitted with the St Vincent electronics. That would be one hell of a guitar.

I have two Albert Lee guitars. One SSS fitted with Suhr Michael Landau and one HH now fitted with Alegree P90s. There’s nothing wrong with the original pickups which will probably be refitted at some point, it’s just that I like to tinker.

I also have a Stingray bass and had both the Stingray guitar and Cutlass. Great guitars but sold to pay for the ALs.

[andymorris]

FINALLY a review that isn’t some dude power chording rock riffs! I just wanted to hear how the guitar sounds without distortion, thanks guys!

[LizzieAnne]

so cool that she made something actually new and different that isnt just shit she made a whole new classic guitar

[davidkieltyka]

Great review. Nice to see J.B. dressing neat & trim for the occasion too.
IMO this is a *gorgeous* guitar! Sleek lines, angular but contoured where it matters, great fretboard access, that super cool blue finish. Sounds lovely. And it doesn't look like anything else around right now. I get that some folks can't hack this…I encounter 'em all the time in left turn lanes, refusing to move 'til the little green arrow gives 'em permission. Screw that…I turn as soon as conditions allow.
So I'm in with the Annie Clark space guitar. It rocks (and so does she)!

[nickburmanmusic]

I wonder who reviewed the St Vincent guitar? Let it be John, Let it be John, Let it be

[Yahoomediaclub]

Love Annie's latest guitar design. Awesome sounding with cool pick up arrangements...100% ☠️

[middle_pickup]

Beautiful guitar. Happy to see an original design!

[JPTyler]

LOVE the look of this guitar! Pleased to hear the variety of switching options (for playing style variety) & yes....I would play metal on this as well 😉

[seanhornibrook]

Super nice. I really like it. Congratulations, Annie!

[Chandler]

Annie isn't the type of person to just be given the opportunity to design something from the ground up and just make "another tele" if you catch my drift

[theproject]

Looks amazing, sounds amazing. A new classic is born

[ScytheSteve]

John kills it with this demos! Good job man

[WhaleWTFMetal]

You may find it ugly, but hey, at least, it's very different & original.