Help me with my new (and rare!) BC Rich Gunslinger question

[devrock]

So, couple of weeks ago, I randomly decided to search GC for Gunslingers. Immediately, my eyes bugged out when I saw rare of the rare: A glow-in-the-dark Scary Face....for only $539. Boom. Bought it immediately. It was listed as a Retro, so I figured maybe some moron put a new truss rod cover on and the guys at GC had no idea what they had. I finally got it today and I'm wholesale confused by what I got. See the pics below.

Unfortunately, it IS a Retro neck. It's not an original '88 USA neck, which is a total bummer right there. But, it's the body that has me confused. Now, I have to go home and check my other Slinger, but I don't believe I've ever seen the scoop on the back of the lower horn on any older BCRs. This carving is seen on newer ones like the Retros, as well as the USA Custom Shop models of the past ten years. But the finish is IDENTICAL to one of the Scary Face pictures I was able to find (I emailed Dan Lawrence yesterday and he said they only made 12-15 of them). Each face is slightly different.

I can't imagine this being a refin, as it has plenty of swirl/pick marks in the clear coat on the front. And it certainly looks all original to me. Overall, it's in fantastic shape for a 30-year-old axe, but I would assume anyone would baby these. The question is, why the new neck and also Floyd Rose Special trem?

Anyway, I could use some honest feedback on this baby. I don't know if I should keep it and find an original neck, or just flip it on eBay before the return period runs out for me at GC. 

[Armitage]

None of my ST-lll have a neck joint quite like that.... but that doesn't really mean anything.

[Jeff R]

I've never seen that scoop on old ones, but I'm not a tribal elder on them either. I do recall many of the floyd recesses in the "real" era were oversized compared to a Floyd footprint. And many wore Gotohs, not Floyds. If I had to speculate, I'd say body is retro with a refin.

[singlehum]

I believe that same guitar was for sale at a Music Go Round Store in MA a short time ago. Definitely a strange one. In addition to the scoop contour, the neck plate is consistent with the retro guitars...and I don't believe the 80s guitars had recessed cavity covers. Electronics cavity covers had four screws on the 80s guitars.

Another strange one just popped up in a GC in FL...and it's a lefty Nagel graphic.

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Used/BC-Rich/Gunslinger-Retro-Solid-Body-Electric-Guitar.gc

 

 

 

[devrock]

So, it did turn out to be a fake. I've already returned it to GC (they were good about it). As I compared it with my old Gunslinger, there's NOTHING the same on them. (Which is why I'm so done with today's BC Rich - they can't even do these "tribute" models right in any way). That extra scoop was the first clue. Also, the plates on the back on the original aren't flush with the body. The neck plate. The trem. The padding in the trem cavity. Etc. Also, this is not in my pics, but there is one small spot in the belly cut that was showing white paint (or primer) that was below the clear coat. 

I will say, though, whoever did the refin did a SUPERB job. I don't know if it could have been sent to Dan Lawrence, but I think he would have said something about it when I emailed him. It looks like they made an exact replica of one of only a few of the available pics online. 

All that being said, there was no reason to keep it, esp at the price. SO bummed. Here I thought I had my big score. :-/

[devrock]

On 5/8/2017 at 8:57 PM, singlehum said:

I believe that same guitar was for sale at a Music Go Round Store in MA a short time ago. Definitely a strange one. In addition to the scoop contour, the neck plate is consistent with the retro guitars...and I don't believe the 80s guitars had recessed cavity covers. Electronics cavity covers had four screws on the 80s guitars.

Another strange one just popped up in a GC in FL...and it's a lefty Nagel graphic.

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Used/BC-Rich/Gunslinger-Retro-Solid-Body-Electric-Guitar.gc

 

 

 

I'd love to know who is doing such a great job on the old graphics. They look perfect.

[HAMERMAN]

On ‎5‎/‎8‎/‎2017 at 8:57 PM, singlehum said:

I believe that same guitar was for sale at a Music Go Round Store in MA a short time ago. Definitely a strange one. In addition to the scoop contour, the neck plate is consistent with the retro guitars...and I don't believe the 80s guitars had recessed cavity covers. Electronics cavity covers had four screws on the 80s guitars.

Another strange one just popped up in a GC in FL...and it's a lefty Nagel graphic.

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Used/BC-Rich/Gunslinger-Retro-Solid-Body-Electric-Guitar.gc

 

 

 

I like it!