Is B.C. Rich Back?

B.C. Rich is a guitar company that not many people may know today. And they’re not to blame. The aforementioned company was biggest in the 80’s period of hair metal and pointy guitars until they faded into obscurity as a whole by the early 90’s. The new lines (there are not one but three) look like they could bring B.C. Rich back into the spotlight. Again.

Their first new line of guitars, or their Legacy line, is the same as it was in the past. Classic B.C. Rich shapes like the Warlock, Mockingbird, Ten String Bitch, Stealth and Iron Bird. Specs look to be similar to the past in the form of passive pickups, controls as well as control layout with classic colors, a wraparound bridge, diamond inlays on the fingerboard and beveled, pointy edges.

The all new Extreme line looks promising as far as modern metal and shred guitars go. A new spin on the classic models with the addition of the new, super start inspired Shredzilla model. The line boasts more flashy specs like Evertune bridges, locking Hipshot tuners, active fishman fluence pickups for higher gain metal chugs and spalted maple caps with all models bound in abalone, an X inlay on the 12th fret as opposed to the double diamond inlay with the Legacy line and feature flashy burst finishes. 

Their third line, or Prophecy series, is identical to the Extreme line in cosmetics(flashy tops, stunning finishes, inlays and abalone binding) for the exception of them having passive pickups as opposed to active ones as well as maple fret boards instead of the ebony boards featured on both the Legacy and Extreme models.

In addition to the three new lines, B.C.Rich put out a special line for their 50th anniversary. The three models in the anniversary lineup are the classic Warlock and Mockingbird shapes as well as the new Shredzilla. All three are in a natural finish with spalted maple tops with matching head stocks. Spected out with passive pickups and a wraparound bridge, the 50th line looks to blend the legacy and extreme series as well. The fret board features a 50 inlay topped with a crown to replace the 12th fret double diamond inlay.

B.C.Rich seems to be going the way of Gibson in that they have two main lines in their new release cycle, One for the newer, modern style guitars and another for the classic, golden age look and feel for long time fans and new people looking for a unique instrument alike. The last spec to mention coming to all the models in the release cycle is neck through bodies. This feature eliminates the bulky join between the neck and body of the guitar you would most famously find on a Les Paul or Stratocaster by extending the neck completely through the body.

You can find the new models on the Reverb website and the new, revamped B.C.Rich website that launched on November 12th.