Lol I was so sick this week. Literally rolled out of bed to record, didn’t I looked as disheveled as BC Rich’s lineup, my bad. Don’t even remember filming this tbh 🙃 Anyways, huge thanks to Sweetwater for sponsoring today's video! Check out their Guitar Month deals and bookmark my affiliate link sweetwater.sjv.io/5gbba2 for any of your gear needs and/or desires!
I agree, but I'm sure they'll be back ordered like crazy 😂 I only want one because of Chuck so I can badly play Death riffs into a Valvestate preamp pedal lol
BC Rich made some high-quality models through the mid-2000s and early 2010s, and they did it at the $700-$1000 price-point. They were made in South Korea and were neck-thru with both top-notch pickups, hardware and fret material. Many people do have the negative cheap tribal junk impression from back then but that is because those were the Guitar Center models lol.
Can confirm. I had a neck thru Mockingbird from that era and it was a damn good guitar. Looked great, played great, sounded okay but these days you can swap out pickups to taste. If anyone finds a good deal on guitars of that era, pick one up, you won't be disappointed!
I have an Assassin FX6 and a Mockingbird bass from the mid 2000s ... they are absolutely quality axes ... two of my favorite guitars ... both neck thru and quilted top ... grover tuners and all the abalone ...
Wasn’t thrilled with my Mockingbird, but the ASM Pro was sweet. Also ended up with a Lita Ford(?) Warlock on a big discount from a place closing up. Shockingly great wood tone and solid electronics. Not a Kahler fan, but easy enough to lock. But I do remember the budget ones being really awful.
My favorite guitar I ever owned was a 1986 USA Warlock. Neckthru, Kahler, EMGs and the traditional 3x3 headstock with a rosewood veneer. Absolutely phenomenal and I wish I still had it. Out of 50+ guitars I’ve owned, that was by far the best, and I only paid $600 for it
The peak of their popularity was from the 80s until 1991. 1991 was at it's peak when Slash used the Mockingbird whenever GNR plays "You could be mine".
As a pointy guitar enthusiast a lot of these are like one spec point or abalone binding off of being super appealing. I hope the relaunch goes well for them because they're playing with a lot of ingredients I like but haven't combined them in a way that totally hits for me. If they put an evertune on an ironbird it is an INSTANT buy from me. I'll even preorder if it's a 7.
The new lineup is worlds above what you saw at Guitar Center in the late 90’s/early 2000’s. I have two Ironbird Extremes, a Mockingbird Extreme, and the Ironbird Extreme 2023 MKII. I bought these all online and no local stores have them. They’re my favorite guitars I own. I still want to own a Stealth. Makes me happy that we’re finally seeing these guitars after the events over the past three years.
My first guitar was The Beast, found it on craigslist, showed it to my friends and they thought it was a Son of the Beast one of them was going to buy. I had to explain to them the differences between the Beast and the Son of the Beast, like Longer neck, 2 pickups, more weight, I also had to buy the strap from guitar center that came with the guitar that he was going to buy. That was a fun day, we went to get his guitar and had a jam session later that night
I just ordered the b.c. rich ironbird prophecy, I've been following the legacy and reboot very carefully, and sweet water did a good financing option with 150$ off and I ordered the hard case with it. The professional pictures on red blanket guitsr make it look phenomenal and I'm excited cause it's My final guitar, no more 300$ jacksons with cracked fretboards and side dots ✊️
This is a year old. Some ads popped up today and made me question, WTF with BC Rich. Just curiosity. I didn't know it was a Sweetwater sponsored video. My guitar purchasing experience with Sweetwater is 0-4. 4 bad guitars. One guitar was not initially Sweetwater's fault, however, they didn't honor the two year warrantee and blamed me for an obvious manufacturing defect. Lucky for me, after Sweetwater brushed me off, the manufacturer warrantied the guitar. I ordered 3 guitars in one order. All 3 were delivered with incomplete necks and passed Fender QC and Sweetwater's scam 55 point inspection. The worst problem with all 3 guitars, one a P-bass, the frets were as sharp as steak knives and the rough tool marks were visible to the naked eye and filled with dripping gobs of urethane. One guitar neck was full of dirt in the back of the neck finish. These were MIJ 2023 models. So SW will ship bad guitars and not have a care in the world about it. Sure, those who know what to look for in a properly crafted instrument will send this crap back, but many will not, thus SW gets to not care and still make a killing, like Fender. SW and Fender have a huge advertising budget, from how often I am targeted for advertisement. Pay $25 bucks more for a guitar at a local shop. The headaches you will save and trips to a luthier will make up for that additional expense by a large margin.
I think the main issue is that they’re just too expensive. A lot of these guitars feel overpriced for what you’re actually getting, especially when a brand like Harley Benton is finding a way to do very similar things for a third of the price.
I totally agree. Their guitars start at about $600. With so many other companies making good, affordable guitars, spending that much just for the "look" is crazy
@@dexxfilm 600 is a lot of money for a guitar, ....Especially for those of us who have wives who are dying to say, "You spent 600 dollars on WHAT?"...😆👍
Back when I was getting my first real electric guitar, I was faced with a choice. An Ibanez RG series with H/S/H pickup layout, beautiful gray quiled maple top, edge series tremolo. Or a B.C. Rich Kerry King Warlock with red tribal flames. So of course 12 year old me made the obvious decision. The mega badass metal monster with tribal flames!
I actually didn't realize Andy James left Kiesel until I browsed Sweetwater and found his BC Rich stuff, it kinda made sense since I haven't seen his models on the Kiesel website for quite some time
My first guitar was a 2001 platnium warlock. They were everywhere at guitar center. Yeah I was 12 but I still love that guitar modded it with a floyd and emgs and a fret level since i played the snot out of it. Korea made some great guitars then
My first BC Rich was a Warlock Plus I bought off Marketplace last summer at 22 years old after wanting an BC Rich for the last 10 years. The 2 models I want more than any other would be the Perfect 10 Bich, and the Warlock Mk5 (the Les Paul control scheme on a warlock looks and feels great to me)
Big difference between the lines is the subtle difference in bodies and head stocks. Most of these models are overdue and the "new" models should have shipped last year, similar to ESP. Ordered an orange pearl Prophecy 2 Gunslinger and it's been an excellent guitar. Purchased it from Red Blanket Guitars who were great to deal with. In addition to Sweetwater, Anderton's picked up the brand for our friends across the pond, so they are definitely trending up.
I grew up in the 80's & WASP was my favourite band. Have only recently started to learn guitar so i had to get myself a Stranger Things Warlock as that's as close to Blackie Lawless's guitar as i can currently get.
I'm glad to see an affordable Chuck Schuldiner Stealth made it in. They were advertising a $6000+ version of it and there's just way in heck it would be worth that. He didn't have some crazy custom specs or anything. I had an NJ Series Warlock with a Kahler back in the day but they stuck FR Specials on the Stranger Things versions so I'm just holding out to see what they do for Legacy Warlocks. I'm surprised there aren't more. The Rich B in Walnut looks awesome.
Yes BC Rich can be gaudy, and unapologetically obnoxious with their models/styles, but that's the point. Stand out, be a little ridiculous, and have fun playing guitar! I do very much enjoy that Evertune Mockingbird you demoed in the past. Stand out, but subtle :)
In regards to the spalted maple Stealth, I know someone through mutual friends who owns one and it indeed has the X2N pickups, stock photos are the prototype
I remember about 10 years ago BC rich guitars where more mass produced. This brought the price down and I remember seeing them for under 500 in every store. Now it looks like they start at 1000! I understand that the guitars now are better quality and better to play but for guitarists who can not afford the 1000 price tag it means they will never be able to get a BC.
The photo of Chuck at 7:55 looks like he may be holding a really rare shaped guitar called a BC Rich Igniter that not many artists played. I remember that Jon Shaffer from Iced Earth play one on the Alive in Athens DVD from the 1990s. That was a really interesting body shape that was completely discarded
6:26 eh, I'd take the non Abalone. Abalone galore like that makes it look gawdy and not really higher end in my eyes, reverse headstock looks better too and the non Abalone has MOP inlays, big win.
Yeah, I'd much prefer a straight black or red for the Death and Black Metal crowd and some scary neon colours for the 80's revival. But eh, what do I know?
Would anyone else be interested if BC Rich re-vamped their Bronze series line up the way Jackson did to their JS series? More modern features, cool finishes, for an affordable price It'd be dope af to have an affordable stealth as a cool mod platform and a tribute to Chuck without having to shell out tons of money or going with a chinese version.
I mean, the Jackson JS series are chinese. I'd be completley down with a made in china 300-400 B C Rich series that captures the key features that make the BC Rich its own thing, akin to the JS Jacksons.
Still have my bronze series bich from 2000 and I wouldn't mind having a bronze series warlock bass, hell an acrylic series would be nice too. Remember those?
I was talking about BC Rich today. I’m in my 40’s, so I was in high school when the grunge phenomenon came to life. I remember in the late 80’s, BC Rich guitars were everywhere when I first started playing around when I was 10 years old. Fast forward to the early 90’s when I was 14-15, these guitars were worthless. Nirvana came out, and these old Mockingbird’s, Ironbird’s and Warlock’s were either smashed, stripped from their humbuckers to put into our Strat copies to be like Kurt Cobain, or just ended up in the closet. The only players who wanted them were the older metal heads. The players around here that are maybe 15-20 years younger than me now inherited these older BC Rich’s from their uncles / older cousins or wathever, and adore them! It’s like the generation after me that were the stoner kids at school who listened to Metallica and Slayer with their Warlocks and their jeans jackets influenced two generations after me! 😂😂
Sounds like I could have written this lol. Started playing when I was 11. Into all the "hair metal", had a jewel blue, Ibanez RG 760 with double locking tremelo. Then grunge hit when I was about 15/16, and you didn't want to be caught dead with that bright blue Ibanez. Sold it and bought a couple more "grungy" guitars that weren't embarrassing. Wish I still had that guitar. Bought it for $700 in like 1990. Sold a couple years later for $175. Best neck and tremelo on a guitar I've ever owned, but grunge wasn't having it. 😂. 47 now. Fun to think back on those times.
That's complete BS. It was in the early 90's when metal bands from outside the US were emerging with amazing music playing on B.C. Rich guitars. I'm so sorry your scope of music is literally MTV from that era and you never heard of bands outside of that or the radio.
@@damienwarlock why be a dick? B C Rich guitars were popular, and then they weren't. Popularity of everything goes in cycles, BC Rich guitars are no different. Were they still being played by some? Of course. Were they wildly less popular once the "grunge scene" happened. Absolutely. There is absolutely no denying that, and that's all the OP was saying.
@@Davidmallen429 " B C Rich guitars were popular, and then they weren't." B.C Rich's have never been unpopular. that's like saying the motorcycle leather jacket (MC jacket) is unpopular, ever. you are an idiot. it is a staple. just like levi's is to jeans, B.C. Rich is a staple of metal music. you have no concept of music or buisness,
An absolute warcry from bc rich. I hope they sell, because woooweee they look good. No one can complain about a lack of options, and while the shapes are mostly ond now - like you say, at least they aren't yet another strat copy. If I weren't downsizing my collection (and ironically, my Korean bc was the latest to go), I would be all over one of these.
My Bc. Rich Draco Ghost Flame is the best guitar ive ever personally played. i bought it because it looked epic but i love how it feels to play. it feels like it was made for me. its actually extremely comfortable to sit down with. i love the shape of the Bc rich zombie. the warbeast was epic. i had a TraceT before it was stolen .
The B.C. Rich guitars I'm most interested in is their acoustic line. Check them out for sure as they are pretty good looking instruments with some nice appointments and woods.
I have a 1989 platinum series Warlock and it is a very diverse sounding guitar. It came factory with a coil splitter in the bridge pickup. From a Strat to a Les Paul, it can cover most styles.
I have a black '86 Ironbird neckthru mahogany with poplar wings , no binding, no fret sprouting ever, weighs almost 7 lbs , super D and a Paf sound amazing, mini toggle 2 vol. 1 tone , super thin d neck and Kahler roller trem. Anodized aluminum knobs and cavity plate. Shark tooth mop on rosewood and right side up hs. Black mini Grover tuners. Plastic nut was the only weak part. First guitar I could fully fret an F major bar chord easily. Mij extremely rare back in the day and they were made to order , cost twice as much as a LP custom . Never really played a BC Rich I liked made later than the 80s but I do like this video and channel
I love my circa 1985 NJ series black superstrat with stylized triangle inlays that point toward the bridge on a very dark rosewood board, hss, 3 mini switches, v and t. I get like 12 different tones without touching the tone knob. The switches are easy to deal with and it plays great. I don't want a new one
I'd spec the whole legacy series with Di'Marzio Super Distortion/PAF pickups, the Rosewood headstock veneers, Leo Quan Badass bridge/Kahler tremolo system, and Grover imperial tuners (those buttons look SO right on B.C Rich models)
I purchased a used shredzilla cyan burst for like $1,200 (was very fortunate to have fantastic wood figuring for that price) with a case, and it's the guitar I bond most with. The aqua colors, the pointiness, and the gaudy abalone inspire me to pick up the instrument to practice every day. If anyone can find it used for a similar price, definitely give it a shot. Looks badass, great upper fret access, has a super slim neck (if that's your thing), has reliable hipshot hardware with locking tuners, and the Fishmans sound great. $1,600 new is a bit steep for something that doesn't have stainless steel frets and a killswitch that kinda sucks ass.
The biggest takeaway from the new ownership that I don’t think was driven home enough, is the drive for quality. He briefly mentioned it, but it’s a huge deal. In years past, Bc rich was always known for being more about looking cool than being actual high quality, serious instruments. That has changed. They only use reputable factories, they use high quality components, the workmanship is a total turnaround from the guitars of yesteryear and details such as fretwork etc. are important. It’s not the flimsy flashy junk it used to be.
I own a mockingbird nj classic and an eagle deluxe and i love both of them. I have played b.c.rich for over 20 years now and while i admit they are heavy and never balanced right, i have to say that once you find one that is right for you and you find the right way to hold it the weight becomes normal and just about any other guitar feels super light and cheap. My son hates playing my "old man" guitars, and i can't stand grabbing one of his and realizing how much money i have spent on instruments that could blow away if a strong gust of wing blew through the studio.
I bought two left-handed eight string shredZillas. Spalted maple with the Floyd rose. And then I got the flat see-through black. These are 2020 models. I got them from a boutique shop out of Washington state called RED BLANKET GUITARS!!! They have dozens and dozens of models of BC RICH. The spalted maple guitar with the Floyd Rose does not stay in tune, and one of the springs touches the wall of the cavity on the inside. I think it’s a defect on that one. I did all different kinds of adjustments. Probably need to go with abnormally light gauge strings. Far from what I was wanting out of the guitar, but it’s a beauty wish I could play it ha ha ha.
I have a 1979 American made maple with koa stripe Mockingbird that I bought used in 1986 from the Hollywood Guitar Center. It is still my favorite guitar. I also have a 1981 Bich that is also a really awesome guitar. I bought one of the later 2010+ ST Mockingbirds because I wanted a guitar with a floyd trem, it plays nice but not near as well as the original American made guitars. I was considering buying a new Shredzilla Z6 Prophecy but the only color I could find in stock is the reptile eye and I'm not a huge fan of that color scheme. Still looking.
It's your 2020 Mockingbird video that convince me to buy my 2019 Legacy Mockingbird as a B-Stock on a dealer web site here in France in 2021! It's a well built Korean guitar, with zero issue !! I love it !!
A lot of people hated on BC Rich in recent years. I don't think I've ever touched one made after 2000, but I have a Warlock I bought in the late 90s & it's been my main guitar since. I did upgrade the bridge because the original was trash. & the pickups even though the originals aren't that bad. Other than that, it's all original. But I have played many guitars around the same price, & many that are as much as 10x the price & I'm sticking with my Warlock. The only thing I've really seriously considered when considering a new guitar is making my own. (& I intend to once I have the extra money, but now saving for new recording equip because my old stuff is messed up somehow.) Edit: I also liked the BC Rich Virgin too.
I still love my BC Rich Warbeast... Sure, its the edgiest edgelord of edginess design ever mass produced. But hey, I mostly use it for Black Metal, so it fits lol.
The MKI and MKII designation for the Ironbirds actually doesn’t refer to the series but to to the shape; there’s some minute differences between the 2. The only one I know from the top of my head are the 2 sides on the bass side being slightly offset on the MKI and parallel on the MKII. A lot of people in the BCR fan community have an extremely strong preference for one over the other, so it’s kinda cool they’re actually making both as import guitars. But I can totally see how it’s confusing to anyone who’s not deep into BCR history 😅.
Warlock (no bevel) with single Demarzio Super Distortion pickup in bridge position, hardtail bridge and (reverse) large harpoon headstock in onxy finish or maybe black cherry burst.
I'm still playing my evil edge mockingbird and KK flying V with red tribal. So happy they're back but I'm not sure about this "shredzilla" neck as I prefer the wider neck on the KK that the thin neck on the mockingbird. Really want to get a beast as it's the one that got away when I was younger, so glad the orig shape is back and not the warbeast.
Hi. Damien Warlock here. I'm a B.C. Rich exclusive player. The new guy took over and said hey, we're gonna build quality guitars again; (keep in mind this is the 5th time B.C. Rich went bankrupt, but who's counting) and then he decides: Let's not make Warlocks. And if we do, let's make them trash and undesirable. Also, let's put reverse or widow headstocks on everything, because that worked out really good in the past, said nobody ever. And yet the main guitar shape of the brand, the Warlock, is left as some afterthought. No one is screaming for double neck Bich's. Chuck is awesome but very few people want a Stealth. Who in the world is really looking for an Ironbird. You want a pretty flame maple top with iridescent colors? Go buy a Gibson. Why is any of this on a B.C Rich guitar. This is the perfect example of how every time some dope takes control of the company they ruin it yet again. I'll be waiting for the next catastrophic failure while I'm playing on my oldschool guitars that I have from the small pockets in time when B.C. Rich wasn't a complete disaster. Because here we are again. And this time, they've modeled the company around overpriced guitars nobody wants or asked for as they try to position themselves as an elevated guitar brand. Bad move. Literally destined for Chapter 11 yet again. You don't listen to the players and this is where you are.
I just purchased the Legacy Stealth in Spalted Maple from Sweetwater, and it is hands down my favorite guitar. Gorgeous to look at, and brutal sounding. I used to have the Chuck Schuldiner tribute, and this one takes everything that I loved about that guitar to the next level. Now... getting a case for this guitar appears to be mission impossible.
Obsessed with BC Rich guitars since the 80’s. Just bought the IRONBIRD MK1 & BICH Legacy model. Finally these were available in gloss black neck thru. They are sick as fuck! Custom shop quality! Thx Sweetwater🤘🏼
I'm the kind of person who's a little tired of the starts, the teles, the les pauls, etc so I have mad respect for B.C.Rich and these different shapes no one else has. It's also nice to see 7 string guitars in shapes that aren't just a super strat or a headless even if they seem a little expensive at the moment.
I actually own a korean-made Mockingbird ST (looks very close to the current legacy Mockingbirds) that I got second hand for like $250. It's neck-through and plays super nice, though I agree there are far too many switches on it for my taste.
Going complete NT with the necks like in the old days is not a bad move by BC Rich, but they made some very nice bolt on axes as well. I've never hated one of their guitars based on neck to body but by their series. I hated bronze, and was not a huge fan of platinum. Also, there are fans of the original guitars that will hate me for saying I hate the 3 by 3 headstocks, but I have never liked them. I like their pointy inline headstocks, especially inverse. I will say the pointy 3 by 3 headstocks are cool. still like the inlines better.
I picked up a Shredzilla Prophecy series from Sweetwater about 2 months ago. Only had to wait about 3 weeks for it. It’s become my fav guitar. Love it.
At the beginning of the pandemic, I purchased a used American bolt on series mockingbird. I am over 50 years old. My inner 15 year old absolutely loves that guitar.
I actually own one of the B.C. Rich KKW guitars. It's actually one of my main axes that I play and noodle on. I upgraded it a bit to make it a little better. That stock plastic nut was really messing up tuning stability
I have a old iron bird pro with a stirng through and its fucking shredder . i wish my other guitars had its neck and pickups cuz the body is pointy and sharper then you expect
I got a speed loader equipped BC warlock for free from a buddy that could not for the life of him keep the guitar tuned. I ripped that shit speedloader the fuck outta there and installed an authentic FR 1000 system and it keeps tune really good now
i've always loved the warlock and mockingbird. i'm currently building a 90s platinum warlock with a licensed floyd i had and emg 81/85 combo and i just ordered purple and black crackle for the paint. i never saw they made a purple crackle from the factory until this video! great video
The NJ series of BC rich has alway been good, along with original American boutique stuff. My only beef with them is if you are gonna install a floyd rose on a guitar, please put a string tension bar on the headstock especially on a 3x3 offset.
Happy Holidays , this was a great video on BC Rich Guitars. Wish they would come out with a their BC Rich Eagle again. Can't wait to see you do your review on the Rich B 10, and maybe the Rich B doubleneck. Now that would be some cool review. Have a great New Years. Keep rockin' \m/
Last year or so I remember seeing a single custom shop bc rich and thinking how weird it was because I hadn’t seen them on the market for a while. Then when browsing sweetwater I noticed a plethora of custom shop and standard models for sale in multiple colors and configurations. They need to do the Chiodos signature pink from their early days.
Own the Shredzilla Prophecy Exotic 7 string multiscale, fishmens, hipshot, locking tuners, in the spalted maple finish. I was lucky enough to come across one on market place that was in mint condition for 700$ I love that guitar.. plays amazing.. just as good as my top end S1.7 Solar and N7FX Legator. I would definitely pick another BC Rich up.
Definitely Glad to see B.C. rich back... With that said though, They should really make some extended rang warlock import models. The Lava burst 8 string and 7 string are really cool. Why can't we get that in warlock form? or with Cyan blue? The first electric guitar that i really fell in love with was a B.C. rich warlock. Played that thing til it couldn't play no more. Always been wanting a new one since. Just waiting for the right one..
Depends on what kind of wood or woods they use for the neck. Mahogany makes lighter necks than hard maple, and then there are other woods more dense then maple...@@philliplee1193
Lol I was so sick this week. Literally rolled out of bed to record, didn’t I looked as disheveled as BC Rich’s lineup, my bad. Don’t even remember filming this tbh 🙃
Anyways, huge thanks to Sweetwater for sponsoring today's video! Check out their Guitar Month deals and bookmark my affiliate link sweetwater.sjv.io/5gbba2 for any of your gear needs and/or desires!
hope you're doing fine now :)
Doublenecks... yes... there is a market.. I own one.. hoever I was a fool to think I could hold up that boatanchor for a full 4 hour gig😂😂
Your editor is hilarious BTW... lol
Man I'm getting the MK2 7 in white I think BC Rich is coming string and I like the variety
For some reason, my pretty innocuous comments are getting deleted.
honestly the stealth is the only one Id want to own because Chuck is a beast
Been waiting for one for so long, which feels like 3 years now?
I agree, but I'm sure they'll be back ordered like crazy 😂 I only want one because of Chuck so I can badly play Death riffs into a Valvestate preamp pedal lol
The left handed stealth looks like someone was drunk when they were "Carvin'" out a v220 lol but yeah Stealth model rules.
Yes but also the ironbird
I have a MIK Chuck Tribute. Great guitar! Bought it from a guy on FB 😎. Edit: I waited over 10 years to find one! Patience pays off sometimes.
BC Rich made some high-quality models through the mid-2000s and early 2010s, and they did it at the $700-$1000 price-point.
They were made in South Korea and were neck-thru with both top-notch pickups, hardware and fret material. Many people do have the negative cheap tribal junk impression from back then but that is because those were the Guitar Center models lol.
Can confirm. I had a neck thru Mockingbird from that era and it was a damn good guitar. Looked great, played great, sounded okay but these days you can swap out pickups to taste. If anyone finds a good deal on guitars of that era, pick one up, you won't be disappointed!
I have an Assassin FX6 and a Mockingbird bass from the mid 2000s ... they are absolutely quality axes ... two of my favorite guitars ... both neck thru and quilted top ... grover tuners and all the abalone ...
My NJ Deluxe is still the best guitar I've ever laid my hands on
Wasn’t thrilled with my Mockingbird, but the ASM Pro was sweet. Also ended up with a Lita Ford(?) Warlock on a big discount from a place closing up. Shockingly great wood tone and solid electronics. Not a Kahler fan, but easy enough to lock. But I do remember the budget ones being really awful.
My favorite guitar I ever owned was a 1986 USA Warlock. Neckthru, Kahler, EMGs and the traditional 3x3 headstock with a rosewood veneer. Absolutely phenomenal and I wish I still had it. Out of 50+ guitars I’ve owned, that was by far the best, and I only paid $600 for it
The BC acoustic is the best thing in that lineup of super awesome guitars. The bevel cut arm rest area is chefs kiss.
Just commented something similar. I was looking at acoustics in Sweetwater and saw the new lineup. I'm actually very interested in them now.
The peak of their popularity was from the 80s until 1991. 1991 was at it's peak when Slash used the Mockingbird whenever GNR plays "You could be mine".
As a pointy guitar enthusiast a lot of these are like one spec point or abalone binding off of being super appealing. I hope the relaunch goes well for them because they're playing with a lot of ingredients I like but haven't combined them in a way that totally hits for me. If they put an evertune on an ironbird it is an INSTANT buy from me. I'll even preorder if it's a 7.
The new lineup is worlds above what you saw at Guitar Center in the late 90’s/early 2000’s. I have two Ironbird Extremes, a Mockingbird Extreme, and the Ironbird Extreme 2023 MKII. I bought these all online and no local stores have them. They’re my favorite guitars I own. I still want to own a Stealth. Makes me happy that we’re finally seeing these guitars after the events over the past three years.
I've always loved the classic 80s and 90s BC Rich because of Morbid Angel, Deicide and Bolt Thrower.
I still mainly play B.C.Rich guitars.
....that i bought over 30 years ago, and that were built in Nagoya, Japan.
My first guitar was The Beast, found it on craigslist, showed it to my friends and they thought it was a Son of the Beast one of them was going to buy. I had to explain to them the differences between the Beast and the Son of the Beast, like Longer neck, 2 pickups, more weight, I also had to buy the strap from guitar center that came with the guitar that he was going to buy. That was a fun day, we went to get his guitar and had a jam session later that night
I just ordered the b.c. rich ironbird prophecy, I've been following the legacy and reboot very carefully, and sweet water did a good financing option with 150$ off and I ordered the hard case with it. The professional pictures on red blanket guitsr make it look phenomenal and I'm excited cause it's My final guitar, no more 300$ jacksons with cracked fretboards and side dots ✊️
I miss seeing a warlock hanging on the walls at stores.....large part of my teen years (1990's) was dreaming of owning a high end warlock.
Oh my God I didn’t realize 83,000 % of people haven’t subscribed yet. Here’s a sub from me! Love the videos.
Jordan, you nailed that edit!
Also Hunter, we need a "But we move"-shirt, pretty please :))
This is a year old. Some ads popped up today and made me question, WTF with BC Rich. Just curiosity. I didn't know it was a Sweetwater sponsored video. My guitar purchasing experience with Sweetwater is 0-4. 4 bad guitars. One guitar was not initially Sweetwater's fault, however, they didn't honor the two year warrantee and blamed me for an obvious manufacturing defect. Lucky for me, after Sweetwater brushed me off, the manufacturer warrantied the guitar. I ordered 3 guitars in one order. All 3 were delivered with incomplete necks and passed Fender QC and Sweetwater's scam 55 point inspection. The worst problem with all 3 guitars, one a P-bass, the frets were as sharp as steak knives and the rough tool marks were visible to the naked eye and filled with dripping gobs of urethane. One guitar neck was full of dirt in the back of the neck finish. These were MIJ 2023 models. So SW will ship bad guitars and not have a care in the world about it. Sure, those who know what to look for in a properly crafted instrument will send this crap back, but many will not, thus SW gets to not care and still make a killing, like Fender. SW and Fender have a huge advertising budget, from how often I am targeted for advertisement. Pay $25 bucks more for a guitar at a local shop. The headaches you will save and trips to a luthier will make up for that additional expense by a large margin.
None of the new models come with a case, which is a hard pass for me at 2299 for the 8 string.
The Rutan model is part of the legacy series cause Rutan is a foookin legend.
The Warlock is legendary
I think the main issue is that they’re just too expensive. A lot of these guitars feel overpriced for what you’re actually getting, especially when a brand like Harley Benton is finding a way to do very similar things for a third of the price.
I totally agree. Their guitars start at about $600. With so many other companies making good, affordable guitars, spending that much just for the "look" is crazy
@@Giambijuice600 is not that much for an import with above standard specs. Lol
@@dexxfilm 600 is a lot of money for a guitar, ....Especially for those of us who have wives who are dying to say, "You spent 600 dollars on WHAT?"...😆👍
@@Giambijuice I must have the perfect wife . She doesn't care one bit . 😂
Ironbirds are the most neck-heavy guitars I've ever played. SGs sit perfectly by comparison.
Back when I was getting my first real electric guitar, I was faced with a choice. An Ibanez RG series with H/S/H pickup layout, beautiful gray quiled maple top, edge series tremolo. Or a B.C. Rich Kerry King Warlock with red tribal flames. So of course 12 year old me made the obvious decision. The mega badass metal monster with tribal flames!
Good man 🔥 🔥
I actually didn't realize Andy James left Kiesel until I browsed Sweetwater and found his BC Rich stuff, it kinda made sense since I haven't seen his models on the Kiesel website for quite some time
I used to work for them '05-'14.
We all wanted to do premium spec./Korea(World) even back then.
My first guitar was a 2001 platnium warlock. They were everywhere at guitar center. Yeah I was 12 but I still love that guitar modded it with a floyd and emgs and a fret level since i played the snot out of it. Korea made some great guitars then
My first BC Rich was a Warlock Plus I bought off Marketplace last summer at 22 years old after wanting an BC Rich for the last 10 years. The 2 models I want more than any other would be the Perfect 10 Bich, and the Warlock Mk5 (the Les Paul control scheme on a warlock looks and feels great to me)
"Chuck was known for playing a stealth"
*Shows him holding an Ignitor* 😆
Big difference between the lines is the subtle difference in bodies and head stocks. Most of these models are overdue and the "new" models should have shipped last year, similar to ESP. Ordered an orange pearl Prophecy 2 Gunslinger and it's been an excellent guitar. Purchased it from Red Blanket Guitars who were great to deal with. In addition to Sweetwater, Anderton's picked up the brand for our friends across the pond, so they are definitely trending up.
I grew up in the 80's & WASP was my favourite band. Have only recently started to learn guitar so i had to get myself a Stranger Things Warlock as that's as close to Blackie Lawless's guitar as i can currently get.
I'm glad to see an affordable Chuck Schuldiner Stealth made it in. They were advertising a $6000+ version of it and there's just way in heck it would be worth that. He didn't have some crazy custom specs or anything. I had an NJ Series Warlock with a Kahler back in the day but they stuck FR Specials on the Stranger Things versions so I'm just holding out to see what they do for Legacy Warlocks. I'm surprised there aren't more. The Rich B in Walnut looks awesome.
Hey Agufish! Almost perfect video. Just needed the cork-board, yarn, and push pins to follow this new BC Rich lineup…
Yes BC Rich can be gaudy, and unapologetically obnoxious with their models/styles, but that's the point. Stand out, be a little ridiculous, and have fun playing guitar!
I do very much enjoy that Evertune Mockingbird you demoed in the past. Stand out, but subtle :)
Jesus. Schecter went through this phase a decade ago. What the hell is BC doing.
They should keep the extra tuning keys on the b rich 6 strings. Such a vibe
I am a sucker for the Gunslinger and the Mockingbird. Let's hope that they will be available again soon enough!
In regards to the spalted maple Stealth, I know someone through mutual friends who owns one and it indeed has the X2N pickups, stock photos are the prototype
would've been a cardinal sin not having the X2N in there for THE Chuck Schuldiner guitar
I remember about 10 years ago BC rich guitars where more mass produced. This brought the price down and I remember seeing them for under 500 in every store. Now it looks like they start at 1000! I understand that the guitars now are better quality and better to play but for guitarists who can not afford the 1000 price tag it means they will never be able to get a BC.
I've wanted a warlock for 20 plus years!
The photo of Chuck at 7:55 looks like he may be holding a really rare shaped guitar called a BC Rich Igniter that not many artists played. I remember that Jon Shaffer from Iced Earth play one on the Alive in Athens DVD from the 1990s. That was a really interesting body shape that was completely discarded
The biggest question is, did they solve their neck-dive issues?
6:26 eh, I'd take the non Abalone. Abalone galore like that makes it look gawdy and not really higher end in my eyes, reverse headstock looks better too and the non Abalone has MOP inlays, big win.
Yeah, I'd much prefer a straight black or red for the Death and Black Metal crowd and some scary neon colours for the 80's revival.
But eh, what do I know?
Would anyone else be interested if BC Rich re-vamped their Bronze series line up the way Jackson did to their JS series?
More modern features, cool finishes, for an affordable price
It'd be dope af to have an affordable stealth as a cool mod platform and a tribute to Chuck without having to shell out tons of money or going with a chinese version.
I mean, the Jackson JS series are chinese. I'd be completley down with a made in china 300-400 B C Rich series that captures the key features that make the BC Rich its own thing, akin to the JS Jacksons.
A little bit. I’d prefer a decent midrange like the Jackson X series which keeps through neck construction
Still have my bronze series bich from 2000 and I wouldn't mind having a bronze series warlock bass, hell an acrylic series would be nice too. Remember those?
I was talking about BC Rich today. I’m in my 40’s, so I was in high school when the grunge phenomenon came to life. I remember in the late 80’s, BC Rich guitars were everywhere when I first started playing around when I was 10 years old.
Fast forward to the early 90’s when I was 14-15, these guitars were worthless. Nirvana came out, and these old Mockingbird’s, Ironbird’s and Warlock’s were either smashed, stripped from their humbuckers to put into our Strat copies to be like Kurt Cobain, or just ended up in the closet. The only players who wanted them were the older metal heads.
The players around here that are maybe 15-20 years younger than me now inherited these older BC Rich’s from their uncles / older cousins or wathever, and adore them!
It’s like the generation after me that were the stoner kids at school who listened to Metallica and Slayer with their Warlocks and their jeans jackets influenced two generations after me! 😂😂
Sounds like I could have written this lol. Started playing when I was 11. Into all the "hair metal", had a jewel blue, Ibanez RG 760 with double locking tremelo. Then grunge hit when I was about 15/16, and you didn't want to be caught dead with that bright blue Ibanez. Sold it and bought a couple more "grungy" guitars that weren't embarrassing. Wish I still had that guitar. Bought it for $700 in like 1990. Sold a couple years later for $175. Best neck and tremelo on a guitar I've ever owned, but grunge wasn't having it. 😂. 47 now. Fun to think back on those times.
That's complete BS. It was in the early 90's when metal bands from outside the US were emerging with amazing music playing on B.C. Rich guitars. I'm so sorry your scope of music is literally MTV from that era and you never heard of bands outside of that or the radio.
@@damienwarlock why be a dick? B C Rich guitars were popular, and then they weren't. Popularity of everything goes in cycles, BC Rich guitars are no different. Were they still being played by some? Of course. Were they wildly less popular once the "grunge scene" happened. Absolutely. There is absolutely no denying that, and that's all the OP was saying.
@@Davidmallen429 " B C Rich guitars were popular, and then they weren't." B.C Rich's have never been unpopular. that's like saying the motorcycle leather jacket (MC jacket) is unpopular, ever. you are an idiot. it is a staple. just like levi's is to jeans, B.C. Rich is a staple of metal music. you have no concept of music or buisness,
An absolute warcry from bc rich. I hope they sell, because woooweee they look good. No one can complain about a lack of options, and while the shapes are mostly ond now - like you say, at least they aren't yet another strat copy. If I weren't downsizing my collection (and ironically, my Korean bc was the latest to go), I would be all over one of these.
I bought a warbeast a couple years back. Don’t play it as much as my strat but I love looking at it
My Bc. Rich Draco Ghost Flame is the best guitar ive ever personally played. i bought it because it looked epic but i love how it feels to play. it feels like it was made for me. its actually extremely comfortable to sit down with. i love the shape of the Bc rich zombie. the warbeast was epic. i had a TraceT before it was stolen .
Really want to see a Warlock and a JR V with a Widow headstock.
The B.C. Rich guitars I'm most interested in is their acoustic line. Check them out for sure as they are pretty good looking instruments with some nice appointments and woods.
I'm really hoping they come out with a Korean made natural Eagle...ebony board, I would buy that in a minute.
I have a 1989 platinum series Warlock and it is a very diverse sounding guitar. It came factory with a coil splitter in the bridge pickup. From a Strat to a Les Paul, it can cover most styles.
I have a black '86 Ironbird neckthru mahogany with poplar wings , no binding, no fret sprouting ever, weighs almost 7 lbs , super D and a Paf sound amazing, mini toggle 2 vol. 1 tone , super thin d neck and Kahler roller trem. Anodized aluminum knobs and cavity plate. Shark tooth mop on rosewood and right side up hs. Black mini Grover tuners. Plastic nut was the only weak part. First guitar I could fully fret an F major bar chord easily. Mij extremely rare back in the day and they were made to order , cost twice as much as a LP custom . Never really played a BC Rich I liked made later than the 80s but I do like this video and channel
I love my circa 1985 NJ series black superstrat with stylized triangle inlays that point toward the bridge on a very dark rosewood board, hss, 3 mini switches, v and t. I get like 12 different tones without touching the tone knob. The switches are easy to deal with and it plays great. I don't want a new one
I'd spec the whole legacy series with Di'Marzio Super Distortion/PAF pickups, the Rosewood headstock veneers, Leo Quan Badass bridge/Kahler tremolo system, and Grover imperial tuners (those buttons look SO right on B.C Rich models)
I purchased a used shredzilla cyan burst for like $1,200 (was very fortunate to have fantastic wood figuring for that price) with a case, and it's the guitar I bond most with. The aqua colors, the pointiness, and the gaudy abalone inspire me to pick up the instrument to practice every day. If anyone can find it used for a similar price, definitely give it a shot. Looks badass, great upper fret access, has a super slim neck (if that's your thing), has reliable hipshot hardware with locking tuners, and the Fishmans sound great. $1,600 new is a bit steep for something that doesn't have stainless steel frets and a killswitch that kinda sucks ass.
The biggest takeaway from the new ownership that I don’t think was driven home enough, is the drive for quality. He briefly mentioned it, but it’s a huge deal. In years past, Bc rich was always known for being more about looking cool than being actual high quality, serious instruments. That has changed. They only use reputable factories, they use high quality components, the workmanship is a total turnaround from the guitars of yesteryear and details such as fretwork etc. are important. It’s not the flimsy flashy junk it used to be.
I own a mockingbird nj classic and an eagle deluxe and i love both of them. I have played b.c.rich for over 20 years now and while i admit they are heavy and never balanced right, i have to say that once you find one that is right for you and you find the right way to hold it the weight becomes normal and just about any other guitar feels super light and cheap. My son hates playing my "old man" guitars, and i can't stand grabbing one of his and realizing how much money i have spent on instruments that could blow away if a strong gust of wing blew through the studio.
I bought two left-handed eight string shredZillas.
Spalted maple with the Floyd rose.
And then I got the flat see-through black.
These are 2020 models.
I got them from a boutique shop out of Washington state called RED BLANKET GUITARS!!!
They have dozens and dozens of models of BC RICH.
The spalted maple guitar with the Floyd Rose does not stay in tune, and one of the springs touches the wall of the cavity on the inside. I think it’s a defect on that one. I did all different kinds of adjustments. Probably need to go with abnormally light gauge strings. Far from what I was wanting out of the guitar, but it’s a beauty wish I could play it ha ha ha.
I have a 1979 American made maple with koa stripe Mockingbird that I bought used in 1986 from the Hollywood Guitar Center. It is still my favorite guitar. I also have a 1981 Bich that is also a really awesome guitar. I bought one of the later 2010+ ST Mockingbirds because I wanted a guitar with a floyd trem, it plays nice but not near as well as the original American made guitars. I was considering buying a new Shredzilla Z6 Prophecy but the only color I could find in stock is the reptile eye and I'm not a huge fan of that color scheme. Still looking.
I sadly only found the super strats attractive. But I’m glad there is a company out there specializing in those death metal shapes
It's your 2020 Mockingbird video that convince me to buy my 2019 Legacy Mockingbird as a B-Stock on a dealer web site here in France in 2021!
It's a well built Korean guitar, with zero issue !! I love it !!
11:40 I own a Pro 7 FR Warlock... Super nice... Always wanted an affordable NT like invisibolt.... As you said, why WOULDN'T THEY????
A Chuck stealth but with a Floating bridge please 👌
A lot of people hated on BC Rich in recent years. I don't think I've ever touched one made after 2000, but I have a Warlock I bought in the late 90s & it's been my main guitar since. I did upgrade the bridge because the original was trash. & the pickups even though the originals aren't that bad. Other than that, it's all original. But I have played many guitars around the same price, & many that are as much as 10x the price & I'm sticking with my Warlock. The only thing I've really seriously considered when considering a new guitar is making my own. (& I intend to once I have the extra money, but now saving for new recording equip because my old stuff is messed up somehow.)
Edit: I also liked the BC Rich Virgin too.
$60 warlock. Best black metal guitar ever. Change my mind.
56 years old school metal head. I've got 6 BC Richs. My ironbird exotic extreme purple haze is absolutely beautiful and plays like butter
I've always loved BC Rich. I've owned 3 warlocks. Currently have a Core series gold from a few yrs ago.
This lineup seams like a supply chain nightmare! That's a lot of stock components to keep on hand and offer. Still love their shapes
B.C.Rich has my support. 2 big misses though were a black Bich 10 string and a black Doubleneck. They have the best shapes. Full stop. 🤘🏻😎🤘🏻
I still love my BC Rich Warbeast... Sure, its the edgiest edgelord of edginess design ever mass produced. But hey, I mostly use it for Black Metal, so it fits lol.
The MKI and MKII designation for the Ironbirds actually doesn’t refer to the series but to to the shape; there’s some minute differences between the 2. The only one I know from the top of my head are the 2 sides on the bass side being slightly offset on the MKI and parallel on the MKII.
A lot of people in the BCR fan community have an extremely strong preference for one over the other, so it’s kinda cool they’re actually making both as import guitars. But I can totally see how it’s confusing to anyone who’s not deep into BCR history 😅.
The mk2 points are thinner and more extended, as well I prefer the mk1 myself just because it seems slightly less fragile.
Warlock (no bevel) with single Demarzio Super Distortion pickup in bridge position, hardtail bridge and (reverse) large harpoon headstock in onxy finish or maybe black cherry burst.
I'm still playing my evil edge mockingbird and KK flying V with red tribal. So happy they're back but I'm not sure about this "shredzilla" neck as I prefer the wider neck on the KK that the thin neck on the mockingbird. Really want to get a beast as it's the one that got away when I was younger, so glad the orig shape is back and not the warbeast.
Hi. Damien Warlock here. I'm a B.C. Rich exclusive player. The new guy took over and said hey, we're gonna build quality guitars again; (keep in mind this is the 5th time B.C. Rich went bankrupt, but who's counting) and then he decides: Let's not make Warlocks. And if we do, let's make them trash and undesirable. Also, let's put reverse or widow headstocks on everything, because that worked out really good in the past, said nobody ever. And yet the main guitar shape of the brand, the Warlock, is left as some afterthought. No one is screaming for double neck Bich's. Chuck is awesome but very few people want a Stealth. Who in the world is really looking for an Ironbird. You want a pretty flame maple top with iridescent colors? Go buy a Gibson. Why is any of this on a B.C Rich guitar. This is the perfect example of how every time some dope takes control of the company they ruin it yet again. I'll be waiting for the next catastrophic failure while I'm playing on my oldschool guitars that I have from the small pockets in time when B.C. Rich wasn't a complete disaster. Because here we are again. And this time, they've modeled the company around overpriced guitars nobody wants or asked for as they try to position themselves as an elevated guitar brand. Bad move. Literally destined for Chapter 11 yet again. You don't listen to the players and this is where you are.
I just purchased the Legacy Stealth in Spalted Maple from Sweetwater, and it is hands down my favorite guitar. Gorgeous to look at, and brutal sounding. I used to have the Chuck Schuldiner tribute, and this one takes everything that I loved about that guitar to the next level. Now... getting a case for this guitar appears to be mission impossible.
Obsessed with BC Rich guitars since the 80’s. Just bought the IRONBIRD MK1 & BICH Legacy model. Finally these were available in gloss black neck thru. They are sick as fuck! Custom shop quality! Thx Sweetwater🤘🏼
I'm the kind of person who's a little tired of the starts, the teles, the les pauls, etc so I have mad respect for B.C.Rich and these different shapes no one else has. It's also nice to see 7 string guitars in shapes that aren't just a super strat or a headless even if they seem a little expensive at the moment.
I actually own a korean-made Mockingbird ST (looks very close to the current legacy Mockingbirds) that I got second hand for like $250. It's neck-through and plays super nice, though I agree there are far too many switches on it for my taste.
Going complete NT with the necks like in the old days is not a bad move by BC Rich, but they made some very nice bolt on axes as well. I've never hated one of their guitars based on neck to body but by their series. I hated bronze, and was not a huge fan of platinum. Also, there are fans of the original guitars that will hate me for saying I hate the 3 by 3 headstocks, but I have never liked them. I like their pointy inline headstocks, especially inverse. I will say the pointy 3 by 3 headstocks are cool. still like the inlines better.
I loved my pointy B.C. Rich guitars. Caved in to the pear pressure. Wish I could find one again
I hope they put out some good quality stuff. I feel in love with the Mockingbird shape because of Hide from X-Japan and have always wanted one.
I picked up a Shredzilla Prophecy series from Sweetwater about 2 months ago. Only had to wait about 3 weeks for it. It’s become my fav guitar. Love it.
At the beginning of the pandemic, I purchased a used American bolt on series mockingbird.
I am over 50 years old. My inner 15 year old absolutely loves that guitar.
A couple of my first albums i used an Avenge S O B for the rhythm sections. I still have it and man things held up for a long time
Jeeeeeze the dark cherry and abalone triggered some major memories. That colorway is an era.
I actually own one of the B.C. Rich KKW guitars. It's actually one of my main axes that I play and noodle on. I upgraded it a bit to make it a little better. That stock plastic nut was really messing up tuning stability
the 7 string evertune shredzilla is kinda sick ngl.
No one:
Bc rich: Im not a regular mom, I'm a cool mom
I love the classic headstock on the classic Mockingbird.
If I could get a left handed stealth that would be so freakin sick
man with those acoustics they maybe should start making more of them
I have a old iron bird pro with a stirng through and its fucking shredder . i wish my other guitars had its neck and pickups cuz the body is pointy and sharper then you expect
I got a speed loader equipped BC warlock for free from a buddy that could not for the life of him keep the guitar tuned. I ripped that shit speedloader the fuck outta there and installed an authentic FR 1000 system and it keeps tune really good now
I have the Mockingbird Extreme and it's definetly the heaviest guitar I own, but it's also the best one to play
i've always loved the warlock and mockingbird. i'm currently building a 90s platinum warlock with a licensed floyd i had and emg 81/85 combo and i just ordered purple and black crackle for the paint. i never saw they made a purple crackle from the factory until this video! great video
The NJ series of BC rich has alway been good, along with original American boutique stuff. My only beef with them is if you are gonna install a floyd rose on a guitar, please put a string tension bar on the headstock especially on a 3x3 offset.
Happy Holidays , this was a great video on BC Rich Guitars. Wish they would come out with a their BC Rich Eagle again. Can't wait to see you do your review on the Rich B 10, and maybe the Rich B doubleneck. Now that would be some cool review. Have a great New Years. Keep rockin' \m/
Last year or so I remember seeing a single custom shop bc rich and thinking how weird it was because I hadn’t seen them on the market for a while. Then when browsing sweetwater I noticed a plethora of custom shop and standard models for sale in multiple colors and configurations.
They need to do the Chiodos signature pink from their early days.
Own the Shredzilla Prophecy Exotic 7 string multiscale, fishmens, hipshot, locking tuners, in the spalted maple finish. I was lucky enough to come across one on market place that was in mint condition for 700$ I love that guitar.. plays amazing.. just as good as my top end S1.7 Solar and N7FX Legator. I would definitely pick another BC Rich up.
I kind of miss the widow headstock. Especially on the JR V and the Warlock.
Definitely Glad to see B.C. rich back... With that said though, They should really make some extended rang warlock import models. The Lava burst 8 string and 7 string are really cool. Why can't we get that in warlock form? or with Cyan blue? The first electric guitar that i really fell in love with was a B.C. rich warlock. Played that thing til it couldn't play no more. Always been wanting a new one since. Just waiting for the right one..
Good idea! Stable platform, could be a bit neck heavy?
Depends on what kind of wood or woods they use for the neck. Mahogany makes lighter necks than hard maple, and then there are other woods more dense then maple...@@philliplee1193