tombo

Kilroy, GREAT story! Now, I'm just gonna break this to you the easiest way I can...They had the Rick N. custom Standard (a regular Std. with the R.N. sig on the headstock - Japan only, I guess) going for like $1,100. This wasn't just one place, this was any store that got one. Perfect condition, they just blew them out. This was maybe 3 or 4 years ago. I think I remember even telling Chris M. about it at the time. Just unbelievable deals on those R.N.s and some Studios, Diablos. I got a Diablo, new, for less than $800. They were going for like $1600 here.

I also played Bruce M's last summer when I was home. I played it through his Carmen Ghia and that was a RIPPING set-up!!! I think it takes a special kind of player to really do these guitars justice (I'm not one of them). There's all kinds of tones in there, you just have to experiment with the tone & volume knobs. I also think running through a single channel amp adds to the old school vibe/way of playing by just using your volume control on the guitar to coax different tones. I bet that guitar KILLS through that Reinhardt!

The Duncan Screamin' Demon is anything but "screamin." It's lower output than a '59, but does add a nice growl to some amps. It's a great pickup, but shoulda been named "The George Lynch-Before-I-Juiced-Up-And-Did-Roids" humbucker. I guess that woulda been a little long to put on the box that comes with the pickup.

ESP owns the Schecter name. Paul Rivera told me about the sale and said he's very good friends with Mr. Schecter (I say "Mr." cuz I can't remember his first name). Mr. S still makes pickups for the "Girl Brand" guitars. ESP makes Schecter U.S.A. models also in the L.A. ESP headquarters.