El Toro's Official Guitarded Thread...

[ElToro]

Cool stuff!

[vanitybinge]

I may have mentioned this in the past but I'm still having a hell of a time finding parts for this. It needs a new tremolo bar and locking nuts.

It's a Platinum 1989 BC RICH.

[lerxstcat]

I've been playing for less than a year and currently playing with a laguna from there value pack deal I got at guitar center. My question or questions are these to the more experinced players out there what are your opinions on this guitar ? Also would one day like to own a fender wolfgang and what are the differnces between the wolfgang and the wolfgang special thanks for the help and would it be better to just spend the extra bucks and get the american made fender wolfgang

The Lagunas are all right as a beginner guitar, I have not played one of the beginner pack instruments but I did play one of the $500 models on the floor at GC and again, it was all right. Not outstanding but playable enough. Headstock looks kinda funny.

I personally think the Fender Wolfgangs are just way overpriced for what they are, though they are nice guitars. If I were you I might go for a used Peavey Wolfgang Special with the D-tuna as an interim step, you can get them off of Ebay for $400-$500. If you end up decideing you really want the Fender version top of the line, you could resell the Peavey or keep it for a backup guitar.

The Fender Wolfgang is just not a $3,000 guitar to me, but then again, what you want is what you want. If you are just starting to play, your tastes in guitars may change many times over the coming years. And if money is no object, sure, spring on the one ou want. But if youre gonna have to save up, I'd get an interim guitar, you may end up loving that one!

[lerxstcat]

I may have mentioned this in the past but I'm still having a hell of a time finding parts for this. It needs a new tremolo bar and locking nuts.

It's a Platinum 1989 BC RICH.

That is a cheap Floyd-licensed bridge that is really not much like a Floyd except in a general sense. It's not made anymore. Are the bridge parts themselves all intact?

I would take that guitar to music stores with me, and just ask them if you can try some trem bars from their bin, because again, there ios no one to order those from anymore. They were on cheap guitars made by BC Rich, Epiphone and Charvettes by Charvel.

You should be able to match a bar from the pile in the drawer at a music store, might have to settle for chrome instead of matching black. Same with the locking nuts, worst case you could change out the whole locking nut as they come in a few standard sizes.

IIRC, you can't just drop a new bridge in, you'd have to re-drill the holes for the pivots for a Floyd due to different spacing. Not really worh it for that guitar unless you just always want to keep it, because you'd never recoup that money on resale. The Platinum Series was the Bronze Series of its day, though nicer than the Bronze Series it was basically their Squier line of the time.

[ElToro]

He's right... you'll find it there... even All-Parts.

[vanitybinge]

That is a cheap Floyd-licensed bridge that is really not much like a Floyd except in a general sense. It's not made anymore. Are the bridge parts themselves all intact?

I would take that guitar to music stores with me, and just ask them if you can try some trem bars from their bin, because again, there ios no one to order those from anymore. They were on cheap guitars made by BC Rich, Epiphone and Charvettes by Charvel.

You should be able to match a bar from the pile in the drawer at a music store, might have to settle for chrome instead of matching black. Same with the locking nuts, worst case you could change out the whole locking nut as they come in a few standard sizes.

IIRC, you can't just drop a new bridge in, you'd have to re-drill the holes for the pivots for a Floyd due to different spacing. Not really worh it for that guitar unless you just always want to keep it, because you'd never recoup that money on resale. The Platinum Series was the Bronze Series of its day, though nicer than the Bronze Series it was basically their Squier line of the time.

It's a sweet guitar and I'm definitely keeping it, it's really versatile and when the intonation is right, it fucking screams. When I had the bar and everything, I could get some of the smoothest trems just by pushing the heel of my hand on the bridge and it would stay in tune for days. This axe is better than you think.

The bridge is intact, everything is intact. It's tjust the tremolo and nuts that are missing now. Since it's a threaded bar and the nuts seem to be an odd size, most stores I bring it to can't help me. Maybe I'll get lucky next time I go in. I'm gonna try calling BC Rich and seeing what they have to say.

The only thing that's weird to me is the fine tuners on each string saddle. There are two hex screws for each string so I can raise or lower it. I'm not a guitar nerd but if I was I bet I could get the perfect tone with those.

I was hoping someone might know a place to order obscure parts, if this is a cheap BC bridge like you say, then surely someone's got a junk guitar with this bridge sitting around somewhere.

[lerxstcat]

That is a cheap Floyd-licensed bridge that is really not much like a Floyd except in a general sense. It's not made anymore. Are the bridge parts themselves all intact?

I would take that guitar to music stores with me, and just ask them if you can try some trem bars from their bin, because again, there ios no one to order those from anymore. They were on cheap guitars made by BC Rich, Epiphone and Charvettes by Charvel.

You should be able to match a bar from the pile in the drawer at a music store, might have to settle for chrome instead of matching black. Same with the locking nuts, worst case you could change out the whole locking nut as they come in a few standard sizes.

IIRC, you can't just drop a new bridge in, you'd have to re-drill the holes for the pivots for a Floyd due to different spacing. Not really worh it for that guitar unless you just always want to keep it, because you'd never recoup that money on resale. The Platinum Series was the Bronze Series of its day, though nicer than the Bronze Series it was basically their Squier line of the time.

It's a sweet guitar and I'm definitely keeping it, it's really versatile and when the intonation is right, it fucking screams. When I had the bar and everything, I could get some of the smoothest trems just by pushing the heel of my hand on the bridge and it would stay in tune for days. This axe is better than you think.

The bridge is intact, everything is intact. It's tjust the tremolo and nuts that are missing now. Since it's a threaded bar and the nuts seem to be an odd size, most stores I bring it to can't help me. Maybe I'll get lucky next time I go in. I'm gonna try calling BC Rich and seeing what they have to say.

The only thing that's weird to me is the fine tuners on each string saddle. There are two hex screws for each string so I can raise or lower it. I'm not a guitar nerd but if I was I bet I could get the perfect tone with those.

I was hoping someone might know a place to order obscure parts, if this is a cheap BC bridge like you say, then surely someone's got a junk guitar with this bridge sitting around somewhere.

I'm not knocking the guitar, just saying truthfully that the Platinum Series were the bottom of the line in their day - which is just a fact, not a value judgment.

As I said, BC Rich did NOT make that bridge AFAIK, as it was common eqiuipment on several makes of guitars' low-line instruments. If you dig it that's great, but I don't think you are gonna find a place that specializes in selling low-end parts.

You might get lucky on Ebay buying a complete replacement bridge. I think you'd be better off just taking it in to a store to try what bars they have in ther parts drawer. As for the lock nut, you can buy a new locknut on eBay for $15, just measure the nut or take the old nut off and if it is a real Floyd nut it will say on the bottom if it's an R2 or whatever. You can definitely get parts that will work but if you are looking for them by name for that model guitar you will probably never find them. And on eBay you would have to sift through all the "Floyd Rose parts" listings to visually ID a similar bridge - and half of them do not have the nut and bar anyway. The ads always say "you can find one in any music store for a few bucks" which is bullshit.

If rhe threads are the only problem with the locking nut, IOW if the blocks will fit, you could go to Home Depot or Lowes and pick up a couple packs of hex bolts, eyeball it to see what looks close. They're only like 89 cents. They might be too long but you can gete some steel washers to use as spacers on top of the blocks. I have a couple that I did that with and they work just fine.

Where there's a will, there's a way. But if ou find some parts that fit, I'd get an extra set and put them away, seeing it has taken you a long time to find them.

[lerxstcat]

http://www.fretsonthenet.com/

This guy sells a lot of new and used parts, and also fabricates some parts. He is sort of down for the holidays but you could email him and see what he says. I don't see parts for your guitar in the BC Rich section but Dave is really knowledgeable and might know what your guitar takes. Again, he put up a note saying that he is taking family time but he'd probably email you back to at least tell you how likely it'd be to get parts for it. If ou've been waiting a long time I guess waiting til after Christmas wouldn't kill you. He got me an odd-size friction collar for a Floyd-style trem on one of my Yamaha guitars.

TBH he might suggest you get a real Floyd put on it, but if you really want to keep it stock if anyone could help you it's probably him. If he knows the thread size for the bar he could make you a bar at least. I hope it helps.

[ElToro]

I'm off to trade my San Dimas for something... anything!

[vanitybinge]

http://www.fretsonthenet.com/

This guy sells a lot of new and used parts, and also fabricates some parts. He is sort of down for the holidays but you could email him and see what he says. I don't see parts for your guitar in the BC Rich section but Dave is really knowledgeable and might know what your guitar takes. Again, he put up a note saying that he is taking family time but he'd probably email you back to at least tell you how likely it'd be to get parts for it. If ou've been waiting a long time I guess waiting til after Christmas wouldn't kill you. He got me an odd-size friction collar for a Floyd-style trem on one of my Yamaha guitars.

TBH he might suggest you get a real Floyd put on it, but if you really want to keep it stock if anyone could help you it's probably him. If he knows the thread size for the bar he could make you a bar at least. I hope it helps.

Thanks Lex! As usual, you're a big help.

[ElToro]

Anyone try a Z-vex pedal?

[Captain Morgan]

Anyone try a Z-vex pedal?

Had a Distortron and loved it. Very dynamic and responsive.

[ElToro]

Which one and why'd you sell it?

[Captain Morgan]

Which one and why'd you sell it?

The Distortron - it's a variation on the Box of Rock. I sold it for a Barber Direct Drive Super Sport, just sounded better with my setup.

[Sleek]

Just pulled the trigger on a Brian May guitar...finally.

It's the "real" one. $530 shipped.

[lerxstcat]

Just pulled the trigger on a Brian May guitar...finally.

It's the "real" one. $530 shipped.

You just complaining about guitars being too small for you.... you realize that this is a 24" scale guitar, right? A Les Paul is 24.75" amd a Strat is 25.5" by comparison. seems like a big guy like you might be really cramped on a 24" scale instrument.

[Sleek]

I don't care so much about scale, just body.

But I figure Brian May is about 6'10", and it doesn't look small on him...even with the clogs and caucafro

[digression]
May is another guy who uses REALLY thin strings (.009-.042 now, supposedly .008's back in the day) and gets a huge, thick sound.

Every time somebody starts going on about how thick strings are the only way to get a thick sound, I want to cram the entire discographies of Brian May, Tony Iommi and Jimi Hendrix up their ass...
[/digression]

The unique electronics make it a must-have though. No other guitar of any size has those sounds. (Except when people build Brian May assemblies into strats...which I don't really want.)

Ima probably going to unload my '60's Epi Olympic to offset the cost. Maybe a few pedals, too.

[ElToro]

Good for you! May's tone was in part due to a Rangemaster...

Ever try a Jacques distortion... it was so hot, I nearly blew my rig!

[Sleek]

I already have the BBE Freq Boost Rangemaster clone.

Sold my Vox a while ago, but it doesn't matter, I'm not trying to nail the Queen sound, I just want to check out the treble booster+series pickups thing...already with the booster some of the impossible harmonic content is there...

You know, tonal toolbox. Primarily for recording. Always a good thing to have as many options as possible.

[ElToro]

The BBE is a Rangemaster clone??!?!!?

[bane]

Anybody have any experience with detuning pedals? Does anybody make one that sounds worth a shit? I'm doing a couple of covers that are down a whole step and really don't want to have to dedicate a guitar to it. I transposed em, but it doesn't sound right without the open strings. Thought I might give one of those pedals a shot.

[ElToro]

The Morpheus is dead perfect.

[lerxstcat]

I don't care so much about scale, just body.

But I figure Brian May is about 6'10", and it doesn't look small on him...even with the clogs and caucafro

[digression]
May is another guy who uses REALLY thin strings (.009-.042 now, supposedly .008's back in the day) and gets a huge, thick sound.

Every time somebody starts going on about how thick strings are the only way to get a thick sound, I want to cram the entire discographies of Brian May, Tony Iommi and Jimi Hendrix up their ass...
[/digression]

The unique electronics make it a must-have though. No other guitar of any size has those sounds. (Except when people build Brian May assemblies into strats...which I don't really want.)

Ima probably going to unload my '60's Epi Olympic to offset the cost. Maybe a few pedals, too.

That makes sense. I'm with you on the strings thng also, I have always used .009-.042 for E and Eb, .010-.046 for D. EQ and drive create your tones on an electric guitar. I have thought about going a little heavier on my bottom A and E since I like to do drop tuning, But I like to be able to bend the hell out of my higher strings.

[ElToro]

I use 10-52 because it's tighter and bulkier. I absolutey hear it.

[bane]

The Morpheus is dead perfect.

Cool. I'll check one out. GC's website says they carry em. Thanks Toro.

[Sleek]

The BBE is a Rangemaster clone??!?!!?

Well, I don't know if "clone" is right. It is "based on" the early rangemasters...which probably means they copied the circuit, but substituted modern components, which I am fine with.

It's quite nice. Very dirty, very nasty, with an obscene amount of boost on tap...it'll even distort the clean channel of my Marshalls...which have tons of headroom, but without flubbing out the low end.

[Captain Morgan]

The Morpheus is dead perfect.

Cool. I'll check one out. GC's website says they carry em. Thanks Toro.

+1. Not sure how they do it, but that pedal is spot on.

[bane]

The Morpheus is dead perfect.

Cool. I'll check one out. GC's website says they carry em. Thanks Toro.

+1. Not sure how they do it, but that pedal is spot on.

I've heard that they sound kind of artificial the lower you go? I just need a whole step, so hopefully it won't be that big a deal. It's for live stuff and only a song here and there, so I can probably live with a little bit of tonal variance. I'm kind of a freak about my tone, but if it's not too bad, I can live with it for the convenience. I'll demo one.

[ElToro]

No weird tonal/tracking issues. Great pedal.

[ElToro]

Warmoth installs stainless frets for only $20 more than regular frets... SCREAMIN' DEAL!