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(More customer reviews)I bought this on a lark when it showed up as a Gold Box deal one day for half its normal price. I've long had a hankering for a V-shaped guitar ever since having my mind bent by Michael Schenker and his Gibson Flying V with UFO circa 1982, and this seemed like a good opportunity to finally feed that Jones.
This made-in-China BC Rich is cosmetically quite nice. The high gloss finish is pristine, the tribal graphic is flashy without quite crossing the line to gaudy, the chrome is shiny, the many pointy corners arrived unchipped, and the frets are reasonably well-dressed. The only minor quibble I have with appearance is the mild splotchiness of the rosewood fretboard.
Functionally, however, this guitar feels decidedly mediocre for the following reasons:
- The action was buzzy on the low E, though that was easily fixed by raising the bridge a bit.
- The intonation, on the other hand, could not quite be dialed in -- I cannot simultaneously get both the high and low strings intonated correctly. I had to set the bridge to a compromise position where neither the high strings nor low strings are exactly right.
- The tuners are mediocre at keeping the guitar in tune from session to session.
- The BDSM (that's Broad Dynamic Sonically Matched, you perverts) humbuckers' tone is quite unremarkable, and there is not much difference between the neck and bridge pickups. That in combination with the single tone control means there is not a very broad range of tones possible with this guitar. I suppose BC Rich assumed that this guitar would only be played through heavy distortion effects, and that this wouldn't be a serious drawback.
Had I paid full price for this guitar, I'd probably feel pretty grumpy every time I looked at it. At its Gold Box price, however, I'm pretty happy to just look at this pretty piece of eye candy hanging on the wall. Fortunately, I have several better guitars to pick up for actually playing.
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B.C. Rich Kerry King Metal Master V Generation 2 Guitar, Black with Tribal GraphicFeaturing Kerry King's own Generation 2 tribal graphic design over gloss black, a wrap-around bridge, and two B.C. Rich B.D.S.M. humbucker pickups, the Metal Master V2 is a force to be reckoned with. Get ready to break some eardrums without breaking the bank.
The B.C. Rich Metal Master SeriesThe Metal Master Series comprises the most affordable Kerry King models available from B.C. Rich. Featuring Generation 1 & 2 tribal designs influenced by Kerry's tats, these axes boast B.C. Rich humbucker pickups, rosewood fingerboards, wrap-around bridges, and vicious body and headstock shapes. The stuff of Kings.
Basswood Body With Beveled TopBasswood provides a warmer tone than maple and other hardwoods, along with great low-end response, and is overall a lightweight wood. It's perfect for "V" style body shapes just like this one.
The "Generation 2" tribal graphic on gloss black is the icing on the cake.
Beveled TopMost of B.C. Rich's body styles employ a beveled edge around the shape, including this one. In many ways bevels on a top are similar to facets on a cut stone. They catch the light and reflect at different angles, giving the instrument more of a three dimensional look. Some of the B.C. Rich top bevels are extreme and wide while others are subtle and narrow. Occasionally the shape of the instrument is accented by painting the bevels a contrasting color.
Bolt-on ConstructionA number of B.C. Rich guitars use a classic Bolt-on construction. On these instruments a neck (typically maple) is bolted on with 4 screws to the body. This construction offers some added flexibility in the instruments adjustment and provides the option to change the neck in the future.
The Metal master V2 features a maple neck with an ultra-playable natural satin finish, and a 24-fret rosewood fingerboard with pearloid dot inlays. The "V" body shape makes access to higher notes a breeze, so you can shred away in that upper register without any problems.
B.C. Rich BDSM PickupsB.C. Rich designed their BDSM humbucking pickups to provide a solid sound and to be durable while delivering high output. BDSM stands for Broad Dynamic Sonically Matched. Which simply means that the pickup is designed to reproduce a wide range of frequencies accurately (broad dynamic). Then they are tested and matched in pairs (Neck and Bridge) by their inherent individual and signature tonal and output characteristics to give a solidly balanced tone (sonically matched).
HardwareThe Kerry King Metal Master V2 features a wrap-around, adjustable tailpiece for added sustain and proper intonation. The chrome diecast tuners offer solid tuning, and, like the other hardware, feature a chrome finish.
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