feraledge
Heard the Good News about Maple Fretboards?
Been a while since a NGD, eh?
Pics first:
How about them curves??
The last year has been a pretty shitty one. I've had to sell almost all of my guitars (my custom ESP Horizon and Sully 624T are here to stay), including, most recently, my 97 ESP USA Horizon. I think things are slowly turning up (fingers crossed), but I was able to pocket enough cash from the US Horizon to ease the pain a bit with another guitar. I had eyes for a Schecter KM6 MKI. Particularly a see-thru white one.
Specifically, this one:
Got a solid deal on it through GC, or so I thought. The condition wasn't what they said, which isn't shocking. A couple scratches, dings around the edges, corrosion on the bridge hex screws, but mostly just filthy. I cleaned it up eagerly, but the satin feel on the neck was long gone and the sticky residue of just not cleaning the guitar enough was harder to get off than the accumulated filth on the fretboard.
I'll say this: it's a solid guitar, but the condition on this one was a bit of a buzzkill overall and probably just amplified the fact that, while it's a clearer place holder for the Horizon I had to sell, it was no competition for my Custom Horizon. Took a solid look, figured that if it was going to compete with for attention, it was going to lose most of the time. Admittedly an unfair fight.
Nothing against the KM, but I took a page from the book of @Blytheryn and went right back to GC, Reverb and Craigslist.
The MIM Charvel was in town, I was headed there in days and that's where the KM6 could be returned anyways.
The starts and strats aligned.
The condition on this one is mint, super well cared for 2016 Pro Mod.
A number of you might have noticed that I'm often talking up Charvels and I still consider them to be the comfort food of guitar necks. Still holds true.
I've owned a few MIA Pro Mods, a first run MIM So Cal, played a ton of MIJ and MIM Pro Mods as well. When there are slight differences, it is noticeable. On this one, the coat on the neck is even thinner than before, seemingly without sealer since you can feel the neck grain, which I really dig. Spoke wheel truss? Awesome. On lightly finished maple necks, a tiny bit of change in the truss makes a massive difference, so I consider that a perk over having to take the neck off every time.
Fret work is excellent, I have the action pretty damn low on this and no buzz or high spots. Fret ends are zero issue and I don't see them becoming one at all.
I was fine with the lack of tone knob on previous Pro Mods, but with the no load option (on 10 = tone knob bypass), it's hard to complain. Push-pull volume, gives you a bunch of straty tones that I rarely use, but, again, not a bad option.
Comes with a JB/59 set. JB is a bit chimey for me, so I have an SD Custom bridge that'll be here on Thursday which I'm looking forward to. Sully sold me on the Custom, grabbed one off of him that was comfortably at home in my MIM So Cal until I unloaded it. The guitar is a bit on the brighter side, so the Custom balances it better, especially in Drop C.
Overall: Love it. I made the right moves, fully inspired by Chris and his ability to be untethered to GAS idealizations and make quick jumps till you find the one that sticks.
The downside is that I suspect the 2018 Pro Mod line will have sculpted neck heels on all the models, not just the San Dimas Style 2s. That's really the only thing that's missing from this. I can live with the heel as is, but when the option presents itself, I'll probably jump on that, finances permitting. Until then, when there's a Charvel itch, there's not a ton of ways to scratch it.
So the pressing question: why not a Sun Valley Shredder instead?
Two main points:
1: Call me vain, but I just love the strat head. I wanted a Charvel, got a Charvel.
2: I got a killer price on this, a bit less than a new/discounted Sun Valley, which is crazy because they're insanely cheap for what they are. Also with a case. I was able to pocket an additional $150 over the KM. Big perk.
I stand by all my fanfare for the Sun Valley. It, admittedly, has more specs that I'd request than this does: sculpted neck heel and also a spoke wheel truss access. It also has 24 frets. I've played four and all felt great. That said, I think the Charvel is the better guitar, though I wouldn't take issue with owning the SVSS at all. Given my options, I went with what I know. I don't think there was a wrong answer, but I still feel this was the right one.
No love for the KM6?
It's not only a solid guitar, it's got, IMO, some of the best off-the-rack specs of any production guitar out there. Had I gotten the deal I got for a new one, I think there's a better chance it would have stayed. Since my racks are tighter these days, I'm not messing around with anything that is either redundant or less likely to be picked up as often as the others.
The KM6 is a great guitar. I applaud Keith and Schecter for it, but for right now, Charvel made more sense for me.
Closing argument: Specific ocean.
I mean, for real, how sick is that finish? No pickup rings? Even better. And, yes, have no fear, the Custom is zebra as well.
Pics first:
How about them curves??
The last year has been a pretty shitty one. I've had to sell almost all of my guitars (my custom ESP Horizon and Sully 624T are here to stay), including, most recently, my 97 ESP USA Horizon. I think things are slowly turning up (fingers crossed), but I was able to pocket enough cash from the US Horizon to ease the pain a bit with another guitar. I had eyes for a Schecter KM6 MKI. Particularly a see-thru white one.
Specifically, this one:
Got a solid deal on it through GC, or so I thought. The condition wasn't what they said, which isn't shocking. A couple scratches, dings around the edges, corrosion on the bridge hex screws, but mostly just filthy. I cleaned it up eagerly, but the satin feel on the neck was long gone and the sticky residue of just not cleaning the guitar enough was harder to get off than the accumulated filth on the fretboard.
I'll say this: it's a solid guitar, but the condition on this one was a bit of a buzzkill overall and probably just amplified the fact that, while it's a clearer place holder for the Horizon I had to sell, it was no competition for my Custom Horizon. Took a solid look, figured that if it was going to compete with for attention, it was going to lose most of the time. Admittedly an unfair fight.
Nothing against the KM, but I took a page from the book of @Blytheryn and went right back to GC, Reverb and Craigslist.
The MIM Charvel was in town, I was headed there in days and that's where the KM6 could be returned anyways.
The starts and strats aligned.
The condition on this one is mint, super well cared for 2016 Pro Mod.
A number of you might have noticed that I'm often talking up Charvels and I still consider them to be the comfort food of guitar necks. Still holds true.
I've owned a few MIA Pro Mods, a first run MIM So Cal, played a ton of MIJ and MIM Pro Mods as well. When there are slight differences, it is noticeable. On this one, the coat on the neck is even thinner than before, seemingly without sealer since you can feel the neck grain, which I really dig. Spoke wheel truss? Awesome. On lightly finished maple necks, a tiny bit of change in the truss makes a massive difference, so I consider that a perk over having to take the neck off every time.
Fret work is excellent, I have the action pretty damn low on this and no buzz or high spots. Fret ends are zero issue and I don't see them becoming one at all.
I was fine with the lack of tone knob on previous Pro Mods, but with the no load option (on 10 = tone knob bypass), it's hard to complain. Push-pull volume, gives you a bunch of straty tones that I rarely use, but, again, not a bad option.
Comes with a JB/59 set. JB is a bit chimey for me, so I have an SD Custom bridge that'll be here on Thursday which I'm looking forward to. Sully sold me on the Custom, grabbed one off of him that was comfortably at home in my MIM So Cal until I unloaded it. The guitar is a bit on the brighter side, so the Custom balances it better, especially in Drop C.
Overall: Love it. I made the right moves, fully inspired by Chris and his ability to be untethered to GAS idealizations and make quick jumps till you find the one that sticks.
The downside is that I suspect the 2018 Pro Mod line will have sculpted neck heels on all the models, not just the San Dimas Style 2s. That's really the only thing that's missing from this. I can live with the heel as is, but when the option presents itself, I'll probably jump on that, finances permitting. Until then, when there's a Charvel itch, there's not a ton of ways to scratch it.
So the pressing question: why not a Sun Valley Shredder instead?
Two main points:
1: Call me vain, but I just love the strat head. I wanted a Charvel, got a Charvel.
2: I got a killer price on this, a bit less than a new/discounted Sun Valley, which is crazy because they're insanely cheap for what they are. Also with a case. I was able to pocket an additional $150 over the KM. Big perk.
I stand by all my fanfare for the Sun Valley. It, admittedly, has more specs that I'd request than this does: sculpted neck heel and also a spoke wheel truss access. It also has 24 frets. I've played four and all felt great. That said, I think the Charvel is the better guitar, though I wouldn't take issue with owning the SVSS at all. Given my options, I went with what I know. I don't think there was a wrong answer, but I still feel this was the right one.
No love for the KM6?
It's not only a solid guitar, it's got, IMO, some of the best off-the-rack specs of any production guitar out there. Had I gotten the deal I got for a new one, I think there's a better chance it would have stayed. Since my racks are tighter these days, I'm not messing around with anything that is either redundant or less likely to be picked up as often as the others.
The KM6 is a great guitar. I applaud Keith and Schecter for it, but for right now, Charvel made more sense for me.
Closing argument: Specific ocean.
I mean, for real, how sick is that finish? No pickup rings? Even better. And, yes, have no fear, the Custom is zebra as well.
