Guitar Post: I Pulled the Trigger

[Sleeping in EQ]

I finally purchased a shredder. I had to shake off the "Made in China" manufacturing and realize that this is one hell of a guitar for the money. It has a fast, compound radius neck, neck-through-body design, original Floyd Rose Tremolo, active EMG 81 and EMG 85 humbuckers and a gorgeous, classy paint job. It plays like a guitar that costs twice as much.

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/DX1FRSW

For a mahogany guitar it is light, but are strap locks worth it?

[Shaka]

Congrats on your new axe. Work in some pinch harmonics in honor of Zak Wylde.

Strap locks go on all my guitars before I ever put a strap on them. Actually this is not true. The tele I built doesn't have strap locks. If you're gigging or play a lot standing up strap locks are a must.

[Harry Tic]

I finally purchased a shredder. I had to shake off the "Made in China" manufacturing and realize that this is one hell of a guitar for the money. It has a fast, compound radius neck, neck-through-body design, original Floyd Rose Tremolo, active EMG 81 and EMG 85 humbuckers and a gorgeous, classy paint job. It plays like a guitar that costs twice as much.

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/DX1FRSW

For a mahogany guitar it is light, but are strap locks worth it?

No idea about the strap locks, but that's a nice-looking guitar. It's one of about three or four that have been on my wish list so I hope that you post more later after you've had a chance to put it through its paces. The Floyd Rose is the sine qua non of my next purchase so I'll be curious to see how it works out for you.

For me, the only drawback is that a shredding guitar might create in some people the expectation that you can, you know, shred. I'm quite the disappointment in that regard. But it's extremely therapeutic to make some noise sometimes.

[woot]

Ooh my first guitar was a Charvel that looked a lot like that (without the inlays, and it was... pink. A little). I love that style of guitar. Mine had individual switches for each of the pickups, which you don't see anymore but seems a lot better in terms of control. My SO already knows to expect a mid-life crisis during which I buy a few guitars. I currently only have my Taylor acoustic, which I barely ever play anymore. I should get an electric.

Do you do a lot of 80s style guitar hoola-hoop? Or do you ever swing your electric onto your back and pick up an acoustic for the first half of a power ballad? Seems like strap locks could allow some freedom that way, but I guess I don't really know why a regular strap would have issues.

[pellegrino]

Ooh my first guitar was a Charvel that looked a lot like that (without the inlays, and it was... pink. A little). I love that style of guitar. Mine had individual switches for each of the pickups, which you don't see anymore but seems a lot better in terms of control. My SO already knows to expect a mid-life crisis during which I buy a few guitars. I currently only have my Taylor acoustic, which I barely ever play anymore. I should get an electric.

Do you do a lot of 80s style guitar hoola-hoop? Or do you ever swing your electric onto your back and pick up an acoustic for the first half of a power ballad? Seems like strap locks could allow some freedom that way, but I guess I don't really know why a regular strap would have issues.

I agree, Charvels are pretty badass. Congrats SIEQ!

[Sleeping in EQ]

Do you do a lot of 80s style guitar hoola-hoop? Or do you ever swing your electric onto your back and pick up an acoustic for the first half of a power ballad? Seems like strap locks could allow some freedom that way, but I guess I don't really know why a regular strap would have issues.

It's funny that you should ask this. I play with a bunch of folky, bluesy, jazzy guys who, when they play rock, prefer stuff from the 60s and early 70s. The bottom line is that they don't like the idea of the rock star, and that's pretty much the persona for the arena rock bands from the 70s through 1991. There are a couple of guys I play with who like the Cars, Pink Floyd, and U2, but they aren't eager to start rocking the sh*t up with Def Leppard or G n' R, or any of those 80s LA bands. I'm the guy flying that flag!

I like to move around on the stage more than most of my band mates. There's one other guy who emotes when he plays--usually during a Pink Floyd solo--but these folk cats just want to stand there or sit there or look laid back and cool. That's OK, and I do some of that, but I want to put on a show! *throws horns*

So I move around some, but I don't pose or do C.C. Deville guitar throws or anything.

[Shaka]

Here's a technique for you would be shredders.

Dirt up your amp to full shred mode. Pluck an open G string followed by an immediate dive bomb with the Floyd. As it gets close to bottoming out lightly touch the G string above the third fret. This will produce a harmonic. Then pull up on that Floyd and take it way above the original open G. Wiggle the bar until you see underwear flying your way.

[Sleeping in EQ]

Should I go fat bottoms skinny tops for this guitar? Maybe just go with 9s? What would you do string wise with this beast?

[Moliere]

Here's a technique for you would be shredders.

Dirt up your amp to full shred mode. Pluck an open G string followed by an immediate dive bomb with the Floyd. As it gets close to bottoming out lightly touch the G string above the third fret. This will produce a harmonic. Then pull up on that Floyd and take it way above the original open G. Wiggle the bar until you see underwear flying your way.

I have no idea how to even play what you just said, but I think I'm going to go buy a guitar, figure it out and practice like crazy until I get the promised end result.

[Shaka]

I have no idea how to even play what you just said, but I think I'm going to go buy a guitar, figure it out and practice like crazy until I get the promised end result.

You don't even have to be able to play to do this particular technique. As long as you can pluck the third string (you don't have to fret a note) you can do it.

[Sleeping in EQ]

I've spent the evening ripping it up with my new axe. It's quite different from my fat strat. Where the strat has rock and roll rumble, the Charvel has a sharp, metal edge. The tremolo system is nice and stable too.

[Sleeping in EQ]

Here's a review:

http://www.iguitarmag.com/magazine-editions/iguitar-magazine-issue-11/reviews-(1)/charvel-desolation-dst-1-fr-dx-1-st-soloist/

The paint issue he mentions didn't apply to my axe. The paint was tapered, as it usually is on high-end neck-throughs.

Also, I only paid $599, which is less than the listed price of $866. This guitar would be good, but not stunning, at $866. At $599, it's a deal. The price point must be because it's made in China. I wouldn't let that stop you from trying it. It's an excellent mid-range guitar and is miles ahead of what Ibanez is offering for the same money.

[Shaka]

Oh I forgot, I run 9's or 9.5's on my shredder guitars. Make sure you only lightly tighten any of the allen bolts related to the trem locking and intonation system You will strip them out if you over-tighten.

[Sleeping in EQ]

Oh I forgot, I run 9's or 9.5's on my shredder guitars. Make sure you only lightly tighten any of the allen bolts related to the trem locking and intonation system You will strip them out if you over-tighten.

Thanks for the tip. I am about to sound very uncool, but I'm actually going to a workshop on how to handle a Floyd Rose....

In other news, one of my bandmates asked if my new axe was "blinged up with Abalone, gray and crimson paint, and faux-gold tuners, like a gypsy model Schecter?" I told him it was a bit showy, but not overly stylized. For me, the white paint job keeps this guitar from being gaudy. The black looked good too.

[Sleeping in EQ]

This guitar has the fastest neck of any I've played. This neck may ruin me for other guitars.