BC Rich USA class axe Bich

analogcreature · #1 04-26-2005, 01:19 AM

i just scored this guitar from the 80s. i NEED NEED NEED to know some more information on the neck construction, woods, and quality of these USA made class axe models. i payed 600 bucks for it in non-working order, it needs a new pickup PLLLLLEASE help me

Scott Smith · #2 04-26-2005, 10:12 AM

What do you need to know? I had a Class Axe Mockingbird and a ST3. Quality, pretty good. Trems were decent. High output pickups. Body wood was mostly Alder. Necks were maple. Rosewood fretboard. You paid 600 for it? What model is it? Sounds a bit high to me. I paid for the aformentioned Mockingbird $300 and it worked perfectly and had no major dings or anything and came with the original case.

analogcreature · #3 04-26-2005, 03:00 PM

is it neck thru?

JTM45 · #4 04-26-2005, 03:30 PM

I could tell you about it if you could put some pictures of it up here.

Is it definitely a USA made guitar ? What's the Serial Number ? Is it a Neck-Thru design ? What type of bridge is on it ?

$600 is not neccesarily overly priced but it's very dependant on the model,age and country of manufacture.We need pictures and details.

A lot of the earlier USA BC Rich guitars had Dimarzio X2N pickups,which are still made and available today.

What do you mean by 'Class Axe'? Is that part of the name? This isn't one of the ones with a maple bolt-on neck and maple coloured headstock is it ?

whatshisname · #5 04-26-2005, 03:40 PM

Class Axe was the company that bought BC Rich, in the late '80s, IIRC. They made garbage.

whatshisname · #6 04-26-2005, 03:43 PM

By the way, it was when Class Axe took over, when many of their endorsees left. Many of them ended up with Ibanez.

JTM45 · #7 04-26-2005, 05:14 PM

That's the type I was thinking of. Terrible guitars apparently!!!!!!!!!!!!

If it was an 'early' 80s BC Rich that could have been worth the $600 but now I know the type were talking about I'd say it definitely wasn't worth anywhere near that price.

As 'whatshisname' said, 'garbage' unfortunately!

Scott Smith · #8 04-26-2005, 05:23 PM

I wouldn't classify them as "garbage". The ST3 I had was mediocre at best but the Mockingbird was a nice guitar. Just like any other manufacturer, some are good some are not...

Both mine were bolt-ons. I believe most CA stuff was. Cheaper to make...

Allen Garrow · #9 04-26-2005, 08:44 PM

Ok,,, so can an expert here on the BcRich lay out a time line please? I like Bc Rich's from the late 80's,,,the classics. I stopped following BcRich when I went to ESP way back when...lol. I would like to get a warlock again someday but don't want to waste my time on a P.O.S. As of today does anyone know the Platinum Pro's are worth a damn?

~A

JTM45 · #10 04-26-2005, 09:24 PM

I don't know much about the guitars that were made after about '84. The ones I've always been a big fan of are the late '70s to early '80s USA made BC Rich Eagles,Bichs' and Mockingbirds. They're total quality from the time when Neal Moser and Mal Stitch were still at BC Rich.
I nearly bought a '77 (very early) all Mahogany neck-through BC Rich Eagle recently but it was in Japan and the whole shipping and VAT thing to get it to the UK just started getting ridiculous so I backed out.
It was an awesome example though. I had Neal Moser to take a look at some pictures of the guitar and he was really excited about it. He said that the all Mahogany Eagles were rare guitars and this particular one was hand wired by him personally. At the time he put all of the electronics (the Active Booster circuit,Varitone and phase+parrallel/series switches)together himself from basic components.

IMHO those era guitars are the ones to get. Their value is increasing greatly these days too. I really wish I could have got that Eagle!!!!

analogcreature · #11 04-26-2005, 09:48 PM

yea, well i geuss im gonna give that guitar back to him then. im looking for some real USA kerry king type guitar, with a kahler, 253829 knobs and switches, and neck THRU

Globbits · #12 04-26-2005, 10:13 PM

Just looked through an old 'Guitarist' magazine from '89, has a review of a BC.Rich ST-3- says it has a 100 piece laminate neck??!!! WTF??? 100 strips of wood glued together???

Superstrat styled, 22fret bolt on H-S-S, Floyd copy, they said it was a so-so guitar, silly shaped BCRich meets CBS fender headstock shape- is this the one?

JTM45 · #13 04-26-2005, 10:26 PM

'Analogcreature'.These might be your kinda' guitars(or not?).

They're made by the guy who designed the original BC Rich 'Bich' and other cool BC Rich guitars. He's also the guy who's responsible for BC Rich guitars having all of those knobs and switches. Check 'em out!

http://www.nealmoser.com/bastardvi1.htm

This is some more of his designs.

http://www.nealmoser.com/mcsguitarindex.htm

They're not completely to my personal taste (i prefer the old BC Rich guitars) but they're very cool and superbly made USA guitars. They're not cheap but a couple of the models are available as cheaper imported versions.

analogcreature · #14 04-26-2005, 11:49 PM

eh i dunno if dig that radical a guitar shape, BUT i didnt manage to work out a deal with the guy for 250 instead of 600 for the Bich. this is good, cuz now i have a USA made workable guitar with a kahler tremolo (YESSSS) and neck thru apparently, and i can install what i want on and new pickups,so its basically a 250 project that will end up being a very formidable instrument after i work with it

JTM45 · #15 04-26-2005, 11:59 PM

Yeah,there's far too much spikage and sharp edges for my liking on the current Moser designs but the man is a legend in the guitar world and makes exceptional quality guitars.They're very popular among the 'Black Metal' crowd and you can see why.

Give me a late '70s BC Rich Eagle any-day of the week!!!!!!!