Chonny
10-23-2007, 11:15 PM
I have been a fan of ESPs for years and always will be. Recently I was looking into getting something new like a BC Rich guitar and I had found some stuff about Bernie Rico Jr. Apparently he started a new company around '01 or '02.
Bernie Rico Sr. was the founder of BC Rich guitars. As we all know BC Rich was an amazing company making truly exotic American electric guitars with all sorts of wild body styles out of high quality materials with intricate electronic setups. BC Rich started becoming the axe of choice for many of the worlds best players. Eventually BC Rich was sold to some corporate guys. In 1999 Bernie Rico passed away, rest his soul.
Bernie Rico Jr was unhappy with the direction BC Rich had gone and decided to start making handmade custom guitars in his shop in California with his own company called Bernie Rico Jr guitars. He has gone back to the roots of his father's company in the glory years personally dealing with his customers and making guitars to their exact wants and specifications. His instruments are top notch.
Right now his prices are pretty reasonable especially if the dealer is willing to work with you with some extremely nice not too elaborate models being had at under 3k. If you add a bunch of crazy options like custom fretboard inlay or body inlay you can get the price a lot higher but that stuff looks gawdy anway.
I can guarantee that within a few years a ton of artists will switch over to Bernie Rico Jr guitars. I also predict that demand will outweigh supply and he will start making production model guitars while keeping his custom shop open, this will make the original ones raise in value (like PRS) and make the price of new custom shop models insane, think at least 30-50% price increase on new custom shops.
Bernie Rico is a badass luthier and a hell of a guy. He was apprenticed by the best of the best like his father and Im sure hes learned stuff from Neal Moser and others that worked at BC Rich when he did. Current guitar custom shops produce good instruments by good luthiers but they are no Bernie Rico Jr.
My favorite models are the Vixen, Sinister, SN, Xcaliber singlecut and Hyde. I recently bought a Vixen from a dealer online. I cannot begin to describe the quality of this guitar other than the word perfect. If I had the money I would buy 5 more but realistically I might get another. I will continue to play my ESPs live because I would hate to spill beer on this thing, ding it or anything. Its a work of freaking art.
Bernie Rico Sr. was the founder of BC Rich guitars. As we all know BC Rich was an amazing company making truly exotic American electric guitars with all sorts of wild body styles out of high quality materials with intricate electronic setups. BC Rich started becoming the axe of choice for many of the worlds best players. Eventually BC Rich was sold to some corporate guys. In 1999 Bernie Rico passed away, rest his soul.
Bernie Rico Jr was unhappy with the direction BC Rich had gone and decided to start making handmade custom guitars in his shop in California with his own company called Bernie Rico Jr guitars. He has gone back to the roots of his father's company in the glory years personally dealing with his customers and making guitars to their exact wants and specifications. His instruments are top notch.
Right now his prices are pretty reasonable especially if the dealer is willing to work with you with some extremely nice not too elaborate models being had at under 3k. If you add a bunch of crazy options like custom fretboard inlay or body inlay you can get the price a lot higher but that stuff looks gawdy anway.
I can guarantee that within a few years a ton of artists will switch over to Bernie Rico Jr guitars. I also predict that demand will outweigh supply and he will start making production model guitars while keeping his custom shop open, this will make the original ones raise in value (like PRS) and make the price of new custom shop models insane, think at least 30-50% price increase on new custom shops.
Bernie Rico is a badass luthier and a hell of a guy. He was apprenticed by the best of the best like his father and Im sure hes learned stuff from Neal Moser and others that worked at BC Rich when he did. Current guitar custom shops produce good instruments by good luthiers but they are no Bernie Rico Jr.
My favorite models are the Vixen, Sinister, SN, Xcaliber singlecut and Hyde. I recently bought a Vixen from a dealer online. I cannot begin to describe the quality of this guitar other than the word perfect. If I had the money I would buy 5 more but realistically I might get another. I will continue to play my ESPs live because I would hate to spill beer on this thing, ding it or anything. Its a work of freaking art.