Jim Browne Posted March 25, 2015 Posted March 25, 2015 Those exposed-pole pickups were Schecter Z+ (designed by Armstrong, made by Schecter), which were prone to inner-pole corrosion, and were replaced by the Superrrocks. The "California-outline" neck plates are from the early-nineties, when Schecter production returned to California (under completely different ownership) those aren't really sought after, but are another level of quality, beyond most of the Dallas guitars.Even some early Van Nuys-made PT-style Teles lacked a control plate, but the controls were in a straight line (like the earliest Dallas examples), rather than diagonal. Serial's PT, while an early Dallas-assembled guitar, still utilized an imported neck and body, as no parts were actually produced in Texas. Tom Anderson had been arranging for Japanese production of necks and bodies, even before Schecter's meat-distributing (really) backers emptied out the Van Nuys shop, and trucked the remaining contents to Texas, in the dead of night. That squared-off skunk stripe is an immediate indicator that the neck was not domestically produced. The Dallas-based Schecter used necks and bodies from Cananda and Japan, at various times.
kizanski Posted March 25, 2015 Posted March 25, 2015 Those exposed-pole pickups were Schecter Z+ (designed by Armstrong, made by Schecter), which were prone to inner-pole corrosion, and were replaced by the Superrrocks.The fake which I mistakenly bought had actual Kent Armstrong pickups in it."Why?" is anyone's guess.
Jim Browne Posted March 25, 2015 Posted March 25, 2015 Well, they look exactly like the Z+, so they'd be the obvious choice for a fake.I believe that Dan Armstrong "designed" those Z+s for Schecter, but that were actually (his son) Kent's design, and he went on to produce them, after Schecter moved on to the Superrocks.Later Dallas pickups, which -when installed- have the same outward appearance as Superrocks were actually made by Schaller, as were all of the later Dallas pickups (Tom Anderson resumed making pickups for Schecter, but I believe that was when they returned to California, around '87 - those guitars look quite a bit more like the Van Nuys examples).
kizanski Posted March 25, 2015 Posted March 25, 2015 Well, they look exactly like the Z+, so they'd be the obvious choice for a fake.But a poor choice for a fake (given the expense) if the point of making the fake is to sell it and make some money.
Jim Browne Posted March 25, 2015 Posted March 25, 2015 True!They wouldn't hold up to closer scrutiny, but are close enough to pass, when used in eBay photos of the assembled guitar, and were more readily available. The Z+ pickups don't turn up frequently, much less so than the Superrocks, which were produced in greater numbers. I have a single Z+, and am curious if it will even work, when finally installed!It was a slightly flawed design.As the Van Nuys examples go up in value, so does the likelihood of forgeries. I even saw one recently that had a faked woodburn stamp on the neck!
kizanski Posted March 25, 2015 Posted March 25, 2015 I even saw one recently that had a faked woodburn stamp on the neck! You mean like this?
Jim Browne Posted March 25, 2015 Posted March 25, 2015 Yeah!It seems that they did use the woodburn on some late-eighties/early-nineties Los Angeles-made Schecters, but someone's fakin' it, too.All Van Nuys Schecters had skunk stripes, though, even when they did some two-piece (separate fingerboards) necks, towards the end.
Jim Browne Posted March 25, 2015 Posted March 25, 2015 They didn't even bother to brand it in the right location.That's placed where the serial number would've been impressed (with the wood code impressed above it).
kizanski Posted March 25, 2015 Posted March 25, 2015 They didn't even bother to brand it in the right location....or use the right size font. (Which only points out what a jackass I am for buying it).
Jim Browne Posted March 25, 2015 Posted March 25, 2015 Usually, you wouldn't have had to be too wary of an older Schecter; there wasn't enough demand or payoff for a forger, but I guess that has changed! And you're right, of course, that font is much too small. I remember reading the thread on this. You were able to return it, right?Was this one from the guy in Japan who included the black PT in auction photos, alongside whatever guitar he was actually listing?And found a way to include "Schecter" in the listing's title? What a lowlife!
carfish7 Posted March 26, 2015 Author Posted March 26, 2015 Here's a pair = TX era on the left (likely ESP stuff) and a '96 from Cali on the right. My desert island axe with the TA pickups (and coil-tap and insane birdseye neck as PT would like it). I was just playing Ted's "A plate" the other night and some of those were really fine guitars.
kizanski Posted March 26, 2015 Posted March 26, 2015 Here's a pair = TX era on the left (likely ESP stuff) and a '96 from Cali on the right. My desert island axe with the TA pickups (and coil-tap and insane birdseye neck as PT would like it). I was just playing Ted's "A plate" the other night and some of those were really fine guitars. I think Ted got that one from me? LOVE that red one!
serial Posted March 26, 2015 Posted March 26, 2015 Actually, he got it from me, but I got it from you.
LordsoftheJungle Posted March 26, 2015 Posted March 26, 2015 I concur, this is a texas era Schecter, quality was not the same -more like cheapo peavey USA made guitars. Hit or miss miss miss miss, you get it. My rule of thumb is avoid US made schecters that do not have the California shape etched in the back plate.+1I've never played an 80s Schecter but I do have a 90s California Custom strat that just kills.
kizanski Posted March 26, 2015 Posted March 26, 2015 Actually, he got it from me, but I got it from you.Ahhh yes..
hamersandstrats Posted March 26, 2015 Posted March 26, 2015 I think I sold one on this board years ago-black, maple neck. I don't about if it was TX era or CA. Even more years ago (early 90s) , I dealer offered me 2 for my Les Paul Studio. Should have taken that deal!
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