# New Guitar Day. Bernie Rico Jr Jekyll 828 No.1! Mega-Pronz



## REDBEARD (Aug 28, 2008)

First of all, I ordered this in late May and its already in my hands, which needless to say is screaming fast for a completely hand built custom guitar. As for the guitar itself, its nothing short of amazing. The fit and finish, materials, and playability are better than Ive ever seen on a guitar. This is the first 8 string Bernie has built and I'd call it a great success. The tone is as huge as one could imagine. The neck is thin and very fast, and the action is incredibly low. This thing is so much fun to play. Also, I want to give a big thanks to Jon at FunkyMunky Music. He was incredibly cool with me, even though I'd bug him regularily asking for updates and just picking his brain in general. He had a lot of enthusiasm for this and I really appreciate that in a dealer. If you need a guitar, custom or production, Bernie Rico Jr, or anything else he is a dealer for, dont hesitate to get a hold of him. He will take care of you.

Specs: 

Body: Bernie Rico Jr Jekyll-Maple neck through, mahogany wings, Quilted maple top, 28 frets
Scale: 27.5"
Fretboard: Ebony
Pickups: EMG 808
Bridge: Kahler 8
Tuners: Grover Minis
Controls: Single push/pull acting as volume and pickup selector.
Inlays: Side block Mother of Pearl
Frets: SS 6100
Finish: Natural with black burst with matching headstock. Gloss finish on top and headstock. Tung oiled sides, back, and neck.

NOW ON WITH THE PICS!!!

WHAT?! WHAT IS THIS?






My pulse was quite elevated at this point....










OH SNAP SON!










Side blocks own





Fret dress is crazy good





MMMMM.....quilted maple















Im in love with the Jekyll headstocks










Now THAT's a top!





TALK ABOUT UPPER FRET ACCESS





More side block love for ya










No. 1 beotch!










Sculpted lower horn


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## D-EJ915 (Aug 28, 2008)

That thing is amazing dude


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## zimbloth (Aug 28, 2008)

HOLY SHIT! AMAZING! I'm don't know what to say... I'm floored. Congrats man, welcome to the Bernie Rico Jr family  

That's also cool that it only took 3 months to complete, Bernie delivers once again


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## REDBEARD (Aug 28, 2008)

zimbloth said:


> HOLY SHIT! AMAZING! I'm don't know what to say... I'm floored. Congrats man, welcome to the Bernie Rico Jr family



Thanks man. I HIGHLY doubt that this will be my only Rico Jr.


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## Celiak (Aug 28, 2008)

Holy shit! Thanks for all the pics!

It looks perfect, simply breath taking. You ordered some very nice specs too.


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## zimbloth (Aug 28, 2008)

REDBEARD said:


> Thanks man. I HIGHLY doubt that this will be my only Rico Jr.



I doubt that too. It'll never be enough for me. I own two custom Vixens from him, and can't wait to order more. I should probably be a responsible dealer and not spend all my money on guitars though


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## Sepultorture (Aug 29, 2008)

zimbloth said:


> I doubt that too. It'll never be enough for me. I own two custom Vixens from him, and can't wait to order more. I should probably be a responsible dealer and not spend all my money on guitars though



your still going too anyway


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## twiztedchild (Aug 29, 2008)

that is sweet!



I want to know would he make any of his models into a 7 or 8 string?


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## Shawn (Aug 29, 2008)

The very first one! That guitar is absolutely stunning.


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## bulletbass man (Aug 29, 2008)

Why be responsible when you can have more guitars?

That's a killer guitar. I love those sideblocks. That's awesome. I'm definitely going to be stealing that Idea from you (or whomever thought of it) whenever I get a custom built. (though I'll make it weebit diffferent atleast)


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## Zepp88 (Aug 29, 2008)

You know man, these Bernie Jr. super strats are growing on me, fucking nice guitar!


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## REDBEARD (Aug 29, 2008)

twiztedchild said:


> that is sweet!
> 
> 
> 
> I want to know would he make any of his models into a 7 or 8 string?



I believe all models are now available in 627, 727, 828, and I think 929 also.



bulletbass man said:


> Why be responsible when you can have more guitars?
> 
> That's a killer guitar. I love those sideblocks. That's awesome. I'm definitely going to be stealing that Idea from you (or whomever thought of it) whenever I get a custom built. (though I'll make it weebit diffferent atleast)



Mine wasnt the first to have sideblocks on it. Bernie has made a couple guitars already with them. I think they were his idea. However it happened, im just glad to have em on mine. Alot easier to see than some tiny little dot!


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## playstopause (Aug 29, 2008)

Wow.





Beautiful.


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## zimbloth (Aug 29, 2008)

twiztedchild said:


> I want to know would he make any of his models into a 7 or 8 string?



Yes all his models are available in 6, 7, or 8-strings, with any scale you want, and any amount of frets.


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## twiztedchild (Aug 29, 2008)

zimbloth said:


> Yes all his models are available in 6, 7, or 8-strings, with any scale you want, and any amount of frets.



cool. and what is 929? is that a 9 string or something else?

I wish i had the cash for one of his guitars. maybe in the furture.


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## voiceguitar (Aug 29, 2008)

nice


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## zimbloth (Aug 29, 2008)

twiztedchild said:


> cool. and what is 929? is that a 9 string or something else?
> 
> I wish i had the cash for one of his guitars. maybe in the furture.



Dude all that stuff... 627, 727, etc.. it just means the 27 fret versions of whatever model it is. A Vixen 727 would just be a 27-fret Vixen, it just so happens most people who are getting the extended frets models are ordering Jekylls 

Yeah hand-crafted custom guitars are never cheap, but you'd be surprised at his prices I'm guessing. Extremely reasonable, thousands less than the majority of other custom shops.


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## bulletbass man (Aug 29, 2008)

zimbloth said:


> Dude all that stuff... 627, 727, etc.. it just means the 27 fret versions of whatever model it is. A Vixen 727 would just be a 27-fret Vixen, it just so happens most people who are getting the extended frets models are ordering Jekylls
> 
> Yeah hand-crafted custom guitars are never cheap, but you'd be surprised at his prices I'm guessing. Extremely reasonable, thousands less than the majority of other custom shops.


 
And easily of just as high if not higher in quality (though it's rare you'll ever find a good custom shop that isn't putting out quality)

That's only if you never shop halo though.


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## BUCKETASS (Aug 29, 2008)

Well worth the wait Brotha! 

now get some clips going biotch!


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## zimbloth (Aug 29, 2008)

bulletbass man said:


> And easily of just as high if not higher in quality (though it's rare you'll ever find a good custom shop that isn't putting out quality)
> 
> That's only if you never shop halo though.



Actually you may be surprised, I hear horror stories all the time from people who order from custom shops who shall remain nameless. Customers not getting what they asked for, finish flaws, etc. BRJ's work is perfect every time. No exceptions. 

I know I sound like a broken record, but it's the truth. I wish everyone could visit his shop out in California so more people could understand like us BRJ owners do. This is a good time to be in the market for a custom guitar, with the likes of him and the luthiers on this forum, etc. Should be no reason to overpay for mediocre production models anymore


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## bulletbass man (Aug 29, 2008)

zimbloth said:


> Actually you may be surprised, I hear horror stories all the time from people who order from custom shops who shall remain nameless. BRJ's work is perfect every time. No exceptions.
> 
> I know I sound like a broken record, but it's the truth. I wish everyone could visit his shop out in California so more people could understand like us BRJ owners do.


 

Well generally they're certain shops you want to avoid. But I don't see why you would spend that much money on a guitar you're not sure the quality is going to be. There are loads of luthiers out there. I don't see why anyone would go with a certain one without knowing what they're getting.


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## BUCKETASS (Aug 29, 2008)

HAUCH said:


> Congrats bro. That thing is incredible.
> 
> And don't let the arctic Wisconsin temperature put that thing on the fritz.
> Also, no butter burgers near that guitar either...Period.


 
no doubt, with no finish on the back or sides ... cheeseburger grease will sink right in


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## zimbloth (Aug 29, 2008)

HAUCH said:


> Congrats bro. That thing is incredible.
> 
> And don't let the arctic Wisconsin temperature put that thing on the fritz.
> Also, no butter burgers near that guitar either...Period.



Yeah always keep it in its case when not being played. My Ricos made it through the bitter cold winter without any issues thankfully. I kept them in their case and in a room with a consistent temperature. I did buy a little Planetr Waves humidifier to use occasionally but I actually haven't even used it yet.


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## zimbloth (Aug 29, 2008)

bulletbass man said:


> Well generally they're certain shops you want to avoid. But I don't see why you would spend that much money on a guitar you're not sure the quality is going to be. There are loads of luthiers out there. I don't see why anyone would go with a certain one without knowing what they're getting.



I'm not sure what you're saying, but yeah there are a lot of good custom shops out there. I'm just saying some of them, even the ones widely regarded as reputable, have run into serious problems. Some widely publicized, some that most people don't know about. This goes for both big-time company's custom shops as well as independent luthiers.

You just have to do your homework and talk to as many people as possible and it shouldn't be a problem.


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## REDBEARD (Aug 29, 2008)

HAUCH said:


> Congrats bro. That thing is incredible.
> 
> And don't let the arctic Wisconsin temperature put that thing on the fritz.
> Also, no butter burgers near that guitar either...Period.



Haha, yeah, im gonna have to keep the house a little warmer this winter. I might have to bump the thermostat up to 65. Speaking of butterburgers, i need on like fuckin yesterday. Its been too long.


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## DyvimTvar (Aug 29, 2008)

There should be a ban on posting things this BEAUTIFUL! My bank account would never forgive me!


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## bulletbass man (Aug 29, 2008)

zimbloth said:


> I'm not sure what you're saying, but yeah there are a lot of good custom shops out there. I'm just saying some of them, even the ones widely regarded as reputable, have run into serious problems. Some widely publicized, some that most people don't know about. This goes for both big-time company's custom shops as well as independent luthiers.
> 
> You just have to do your homework and talk to as many people as possible and it shouldn't be a problem.


 

I'm not sure I know what I was trying to say. It was like 2 in the morning and I was completely wasted. "shrug"

Anyways you pretty much nailed it on the head (I think)


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## kmanick (Aug 29, 2008)

Congrats ! that thing is just flat out gorgeous.
I can't wait till I can actually order my rico 7


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## 70Seven (Aug 29, 2008)

That's so nice the guys from Meshuggah would be jealous.


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## Nick (Aug 29, 2008)

oh my fucking god.

First time in a while ive been totally amazed with a guitar on here.


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## daemon barbeque (Aug 29, 2008)

That's a Killer Guitar man!Congrats!
I think ,the 8 string version looks the best! The proportions are somehow more beautifull ,and the headstock is not ugly ,alltough it'S the same.

Thanx for the time and the pics man!
And please play the shit out of it!
We need clips as soon as possible!


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## Nick (Aug 29, 2008)

i dont think the headstocks ugly on any of the models.


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## TimSE (Aug 29, 2008)

holy balls 
watta top


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## Diogene303 (Aug 29, 2008)

Nice score my friend !

The thing looks amazing .........


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## st2012 (Aug 29, 2008)

Wow....Just....WOW.


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## guitarplayerone (Aug 29, 2008)

wait so are the truss rod routes as sloppy as they seemed in the build pics or not under teh cover?

great guitar though


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## noodleplugerine (Aug 29, 2008)

LOVE IT.

OMG.

AWESOME!


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## Groff (Aug 29, 2008)

That's a nice looking gee-tar!

28 frets too.


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## Jzbass25 (Aug 29, 2008)

How much do these usually run for a 7 string? They seem like they'd be expensive but worth it


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## UGH (Aug 29, 2008)

True pwnage, gorgeous, gasserific, greatgooglymoogly. Well done.


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## drawnQ (Aug 29, 2008)

that definitely makes me want to consider a BRJr.


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## Wolfv11 (Aug 29, 2008)

Im speechless after seeing that. Wow, congratulations, that is the best 8 string I've ever seen. Post sound clips!!! Low F# Dive Bombs FTW!!!!


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## zimbloth (Aug 29, 2008)

Jzbass25 said:


> How much do these usually run for a 7 string? They seem like they'd be expensive but worth it



The base price for a Bernie Rico Jr 7-string (at least through my place) is about what a new Ibanez Universe costs. Base options include: neck-thru, mahogany wings, maple neck, ebony board, bone nut, tone pros bridge, solid-color or natural finish, pickups of your choice, regular or baritone scale, case, etc.



guitarplayerone said:


> wait so are the truss rod routes as sloppy as they seemed in the build pics or not under teh cover?


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## theshred201 (Aug 29, 2008)

zimbloth said:


> Dude all that stuff... 627, 727, etc.. it just means the 27 fret versions of whatever model it is. A Vixen 727 would just be a 27-fret Vixen, it just so happens most people who are getting the extended frets models are ordering Jekylls
> 
> Yeah hand-crafted custom guitars are never cheap, but you'd be surprised at his prices I'm guessing. Extremely reasonable, thousands less than the majority of other custom shops.



I assume part of the jekyll think is the fact that with the cutaway extended to the 27th fret, it has DAMN good upper fret access... 

And yeah, the Rico Jr. Prices i've seen have been quite nice.


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## NiCkMiLnE (Aug 29, 2008)

hooo...leeee...fuuuuckkk!LOL

thats increeeeeeeeedible!!
only thing thatp uts me off is how much the lower strings "hover" over the headstock cutaway...they look like they shouldnt even though its designed like that 


ah well, thats sex with strigns mate, nice one!


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## Stealthdjentstic (Aug 29, 2008)

I love the headstock on that one, but your friend already posted its pics


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## BUCKETASS (Aug 31, 2008)

It owns hard son!


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## Pauly (Aug 31, 2008)

Incredible guitar...well, bar the headstock lol, but hey. Enjoy!


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## damigu (Aug 31, 2008)

it doesn't matter how many times i look at the pictures, that thing is killer every single time!


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## COBHC (Aug 31, 2008)

damn , thats gotta be one of the nicest 8s around


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## REDBEARD (Aug 31, 2008)

theshred201 said:


> I assume part of the jekyll think is the fact that with the cutaway extended to the 27th fret, it has DAMN good upper fret access...
> 
> And yeah, the Rico Jr. Prices i've seen have been quite nice.




The upper fret access on this is better than I've EVER seen or played before. Not only is the cut away nice, but the neck heel DOESNT EVER START until the 21st fret. It truly is the best playing guitar ive played, much less owned. Buy one of these damn things. You'll be glad you did.


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## TheHandOfStone (Aug 31, 2008)

Awesome guitar...can't...stop...fapping.


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## Desecrated (Sep 1, 2008)

Congrats


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## Drew (Sep 3, 2008)

guitarplayerone said:


> wait so are the truss rod routes as sloppy as they seemed in the build pics or not under teh cover?



+1. Redbeard, could you pull the cover and take a few pics?


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## Naren (Sep 4, 2008)

Amazing. Simply breathtaking. 

Just... wow...


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## winterlover (Sep 7, 2008)

WOW!


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## nuclearvoodoo (Sep 7, 2008)

Guitar of the month right there! Fuckin beautiful 8 string man, congrats.


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## Mattmc74 (Sep 7, 2008)

That is one badass looking guitar!


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## guitarplayerone (Sep 7, 2008)

nuclearvoodoo said:


> Guitar of the month right there! Fuckin beautiful 8 string man, congrats.



unfortunately 8s aren't allowed


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## Project2501 (Sep 7, 2008)

Very very nice. Such a high class and exceptional quality instrument.


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## nuclearvoodoo (Sep 7, 2008)

guitarplayerone said:


> unfortunately 8s aren't allowed



Such a shame


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## Despised_0515 (Sep 7, 2008)

That shit looks bomb!


CONGRATS MAN!


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## st2012 (Sep 8, 2008)

guitarplayerone said:


> unfortunately 8s aren't allowed


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## guitarbuilder93 (Sep 10, 2008)

Holy-8-strings-of-WIN-Batman! It's totally beyond words. I sat here for 5 minutes tryin to think of something, but it's just beyond everything. That gets the horns!


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## REDBEARD (Sep 13, 2008)

Well guys, after having this monster for a couple weeks, i can honestly say its the best guitar i've ever played. I havent touched anything else. This is what I call a "gas-killer" because now I can look at all these killer guitars everywhere on the internet and just think to myself..."meh". This thing strait up owns. Tone, playability, quality. The shits all there guys. Get yourself a rico jr. You wont regret it. Im sure at some point in the future, I'll put up some clips, but right now Im just workin on playin this thing and selling my other guitars


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## Vairocarnal (Sep 13, 2008)

So...I was happy now that I have my seven...but now I want an eight...GOD DAMN YOU!!!!
I was fine until I realized that the only difference (string/tuning wise) is a half step and a higher string.


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## Jerich (Oct 23, 2008)

this guitar is awesome congrates man...sweet looking 8 string machine BRC comes through again with top notch looks....


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## Totem_37 (Oct 23, 2008)

that guitar brings a tear to my eye. I want it!


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## REDBEARD (Jan 9, 2009)

Sweet. Its now on the BRJ site......

Bernie Rico Jr. Guitars: The Rico Jr 828 series guitars


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## Dusty201087 (Jan 9, 2009)

REDBEARD said:


> Sweet. Its now on the BRJ site......
> 
> Bernie Rico Jr. Guitars: The Rico Jr 828 series guitars



Can anyone else not see the BRJ website at all? This has been going on for a month for me, it's getting annoying.

But on a side note I'm seriously thinking about an 8 string Jeykell or a 8 string Vixen, both with Kahlers, unless FR puts out an 8 string trem, which would be more than epic


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## Jzbass25 (Jan 9, 2009)

The site works for me, but that is sick. I didnt even know there were 8 string trems, but I agree an fr-8 would be crazy


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## damigu (Jan 13, 2009)

an FR8 would be a step backward from a kahler 8, if you ask me.


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## LOUDONE (Jan 13, 2009)

That guitar is incredible.. I'm really digging the Kahler trems..


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## Jzbass25 (Jan 13, 2009)

I don't like the fact that Kahlers have bending problems with high bends, and SRV being one of the first influences on guitar makes big bends and perfect tuning ideal


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## renzoip (Jan 13, 2009)

Coolest freaking Rico guitar I've ever seen!


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## Apophis (Jan 14, 2009)

congrats, looks just "WOW"


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## phaeded0ut (Jan 14, 2009)

Dude, 

That is a VERY pretty guitar! Are you tuning it with a low F# to E? Thanks again for posting the pictures and the information about your instrument! I agree, definitely there for guitar of the month!


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## REDBEARD (Jan 14, 2009)

phaeded0ut said:


> Dude,
> 
> That is a VERY pretty guitar! Are you tuning it with a low F# to E? Thanks again for posting the pictures and the information about your instrument! I agree, definitely there for guitar of the month!



Thanks man. Im still in love with this guitar. I have it tuned from Eb to a low F.


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