Current BC Rich Thread

[electriceye]

I was skeptical when a new owner took over licensing of the brand two years ago. They came out with a very limited lineup and some hideous finishes. Promised a lot more in the year that followed. Since then, no real new updates. Their twitter and FB accounts are virtually dormant. I know there was/is someone on here who had some insider knowledge, so hoping he can pprovide some insight. As a lifeling BCR fanboy, the past 15 years of the brand flopping around on life support has been sad to see. They completely missed out on the superstrat revival and just can't seem to do anything that registers with people anymore outside of 13-year-old metalheads. It's as if they've disappeared.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

I don't know if they are, but after they decided to get in touch with Jr. they fucking deserve to be.

I hope Moser buys the scraps and sets them on fire.

 

[KnightBrolaire]

BC Rich should've died in the 80/90s along with dean. Some of the worst designs ever created imo (except the eagle).

 

[RG570EX]

they decided to get in touch with Jr.

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat???????

What's the story with that?

 

[MaxOfMetal]

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat???????

What's the story with that?

Some of those involved with the most recent revival of the company were BRJ apologists and defenders. They were going to have him work with the custom shop again and even brought the walking sack of excrement to NAMM.

 

[RG570EX]

Wow fuck that. BCR just needs to stop. Im really surprised that there are enough slayer fanboys playing cheap guitars to keep them in business so long.

 

[manu80]

well seeing the new ziricote warlock at 1500 euros for a guitar made in China, something is wrong at bc rich.
Some models from 2016 appeared only this year in england. In france nobody stocks them almost....

 

[RG570EX]

Also don't they know he doesn't actually build guitars? He doesn't even supervise. He's just a "face of the company" guy posting staged pictures and taking in money...

 

[MaxOfMetal]

Also don't they know he doesn't actually build guitars? He doesn't even supervise. He's just a "face of the company" guy posting staged pictures and taking in money...

That's been BCR in a nutshell for the last decade or two. All image no substance.

 

[Curt]

The only thing I ever wanted from BCR was a white baritone 7 string stealth, but I couldn't afford custom shop shit, so that was never going to happen. Nothing else they've ever made has appealed to me, tbh.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

The only thing I ever wanted from BCR was a white baritone 7 string stealth, but I couldn't afford custom shop shit, so that was never going to happen. Nothing else they've ever made has appealed to me, tbh.

RAN will shamelessly copy BCR shapes, and would probably be cheaper.

 

[KnightBrolaire]

RAN will shamelessly copy BCR shapes, and would probably be cheaper.

you also forgot to mention that Ran can actually build a good guitar

 

[MaxOfMetal]

you also forgot to mention that Ran can actually build a good guitar

Typically, though like a lot of brands there are horror stories. I've heard RAN has gotten much more consistent in the last several years.

Though, the BCR Custom Shop never really had a major quality problem in recent memory. They farmed out a lot of the work though.

 

[cardinal]

Very sad that BC Rich has been a mess for decades.

 

[downburst82]

BC Rich should've died in the 80/90s along with dean. Some of the worst designs ever created imo (except the eagle).

+1 for the eagle (beautiful guitar), the mockingbird deserves to exist as well but that was 70's BC Rich...pretty much everything else (no offence to Neal Moser)

 

[RG570EX]

I heard RAN will only do their own shapes now. At least when I wanted a quote for an RGT 7 string style guitar a couple of years ago that's what I was told.

 

[cardinal]

Typically, though like a lot of brands there are horror stories. I've heard RAN has gotten much more consistent in the last several years.

Though, the BCR Custom Shop never really had a major quality problem in recent memory. They farmed out a lot of the work though.

I remember a 7-string archtop Warlock build from the early 2000s that was a complete debacle. I think they tried two rebuilds and took years to make a pile of junk. And I’ve heard that guitars around that time had truss rod issues. I had one that was fine but at the end of its adjustment range.

 

[bostjan]

I love my USA 7 string mockingbird. I commissioned the build in the late 1990's at the same time as a friend, who ordered a king v. A number of months later, I had my guitar, but my friend didn't get his. After many many months passed, with numerous phone calls and no answers, he tried to cancel his order to get his deposit back. Then he received a king v in the mail and it was complete junk. Having laid hands on both my MB7 and his KV6 the first day they arrived, I can honestly say that my guitar turned out perfectly while his was just cheap feeling. The fretwork was fine, but the finish on it was a mess, the wood hadn't been dried/treated properly, the points were broken in shipping, there were problems with the wiring and/or electronics, etc.

I think I dodged a bullet. Then again, my guitar was finished right around the time Bernie Sr. passed away, and I get the feeling that the company has been crumbling apart ever since then.

 

[mastapimp]

well seeing the new ziricote warlock at 1500 euros for a guitar made in China, something is wrong at bc rich.
Some models from 2016 appeared only this year in england. In france nobody stocks them almost....

I picked up a brand new b-stock ziricote warlock about 2 months ago for $500 USD. The street price was in the $1000-1200 range depending on if it came with the dimarzio pickup upgrade. For a Chinese guitar I was impressed. The quality was on par with schecter diamond series instruments (the only exception being a mix up in the control wiring). Glad I didn't pay too much more, but it's a fun guitar to play.

I will add that it was very difficult researching this guitar. As others have pointed out, their website doesn't really give you much info (or it's not up to date) and I wasn't seeing them offered or advertised at my usual vendors. You only see the quality issues when you open it up (I adjusted the springs and swapped the pickups to a dimebag set). The guitar arrived with the volume controls in opposite positions from what was logical (neck volume was physically located behind the bridge volume). It was a quick fix when installing the new pickups, but I couldn't find any of the control descriptions anywhere online. I too was left with the impression that B.C. Rich was no longer putting effort into selling these guitars.

 

[zappatton2]

I really regret selling my CS '07 Beast and '03 Eagle, they were impeccable guitars. Aside from the Draco and Warbeast, I love, and I mean adoringly, unapologetically LOVE every shape they have. It's sad that they went so downhill and barely register these days. I still do XLS spreadsheets of dream BCR custom orders, but it looks like that will forever be an exercise in fantasy. Maybe Neal will buy the company one day? One can dare to dream!