Guitars | Amps and Effects | Recording    :: Xander's Main Guitars ::   Bernie Rico Jr. 627 Prototype This is the guitar that started my "gear revolution". I had decided some time ago that I was really sick of switching guitars here and there. Some people have said, "Isn't it a great feeling to get a new guitar?" - well, I would say yes - however, I am a believer that someday it has to come to a point where you reach a level of satisfaction and you just don't want to buy anymore! This guitar has a nice story behind it. It started as an idea after the NAMM show in January of 2007. It was delivered to me in December of that year and I have been playing it ever since. It's quite heavy! It definitely has some beef to it. I have it loaded with a set of EMG pickups now mated to an Ernie Ball Petrucci switch. I also use the EMG Expander on this guitar for some nice effects. There is no tone knob on it though, that space is being occupied by a Chandler Tone-X. For those that don't know, it is sort of an onboard wah effect. Very cool! Also on this guitar is an Earvana Compensated Tuning Nut. Very cool considering I don't use a locking nut even though it has a Floyd Rose whammy bar. The Sperzel Locking tuners keep the guitar in tune though - it is a different dynamic to not have the locking nut. Finally, just to add to the flexibility, I have a Tremel-No device which locks the bridge so I can flip the tuners down to Drop-D tuning if I want. I will say though, Bernie and I are working on my second one that will include some great features that are not included on the prototype here. When I take delivery of that guitar, I will "officially" retire this one even though it's the one that I am identified with. Keep in mind that this is serial numbered "#1" - so I want to keep this preserved. Read the history of this guitar here. This is a small diary of how the guitar went from concept to reality...   Steinberger GS This is probably one of the coolest guitars that I own. It is incredibly flexible in the fact that it has a set of revolutionary tuners that have a super high ratio so it allows you to tune the guitar very quickly and accurately. Also, this one is equipped with the amazing TransTrem so I can drop the tuning if I want to or even tune "up". This adds a level of versatility that is un-matched by most guitars. This is also the guitar that I use as a benchmark for certain toys in my arsenal. Since this is the reknown "headstock" model, the GS has a very unique cult following. Less than 300 were made worldwide and because it has the ability to change pitch, it has become a hot item. I use this guitar in both my solo project and with Into The Arena. It helps that it can change tunings because when you are playing a great deal of covers you may find yourself with the need to change on the fly. It's a sin that these guitars aren't in production any more. My GS has a Sustainiac in the neck and an EMG 85 in the bridge. As an update, this guitar doesn't look anything like this anymore as it has a new paint job done by the "Guitar Guru" Rick Giarmo. I will dedicate a section of the site to this project.   Brian Moore MC/1 Not enough can ever be said about this guitar. I have a very low serial numbered model (# 103) and even the top dogs at Brian Moore have said that it's "good - but not as good as the more recent models". I have resurrected this guitar from what was once a project for someone. It's almost ready to go with a new GraphTech LB63 Floyd Rose with Piezo pickups. I had to have a new pickguard made for the guitar which was no biggie. Since I am such a whiner about control placement I simply had it made for a dual humbucker configuration then I drilled the holes myself for the rest. I replaced the 5-way switch (I don't like those very much) then I added knobs for volume, tone and piezo volume. There is also the blend switch for the acoustic preamp. This guitar is getting a set of EMGs (81TW in the bridge and an 89R in the neck). I have such a love for the composite-bodied guitars and I think that wood gets too much credit for good tone. I must say that my McNaughts, Ricos and Suhrs all have immense amounts of tone but nobody should dismiss the MC/1, Steinberger GS and even Parker Fly for their innovative designs. I have been recording parts of my solo CD "Guitarcadia" with the Steinberger and it just sounds unreal.   McNaught Tempest What can I say about these guitars? Not enough! This was the unicorn for me for a long time. I chased and chased around to try and find one of these amazing guitars for almost 10 years. When I finally landed one it was everything I hoped it would be. However - when I was lucky enough to finally get one it was one that was damaged - and by damaged I mean it was DAMAGED! There was a 6-inch gouge on the top and two of the frets were totally messed up. Dave McNaught, being the uber-talented luthier that he is, as well as Dave Mansell - the master of finsihes, brought this very guitar back to life. They re-topped it and since two of the frets were bad they put the nice Dunlop 6100's that I adore on there. I will post a new pic of the "reborn" soon. I seem to have this light obsession with piezo pickups for some reason. So, my friends at GraphTech provided me with a set of saddles and I have instant acoustic at the flick of a switch. I am using an Ernie Ball Petrucci switch (3-way) and it's in a nice out-of-the-way position so it's pretty cool. I am actually using Dimarzio passive pickups for this guitar but I may switch it up to my signature EMG combination. Dave Mansell has re-sprayed this guitar into a mix they call "Purple Haze". It's gorgeous - simply amazing work! I use this guitar for all projects when I need a non-tremolo guitar and when I may need to change tunings quick as well. Seems crazy since I paid around $5,000 for just this guitar. It was worth it though - I must have sold 4 or 5 guitars to get this one and I would do it again!   Suhr Modern Finally! The 24-fret Suhr has come home to roost! I was so excited to become one of their artists and to be able to finally get a guitar worthy of the Suhr name with the number of frets I wanted. I got to play one of their prototypes at NAMM 2008 and I was instantly hooked. This guitar oozes quality and it is simply a fantastic culmination of technology and tradition. Sounds like a sales pitch but I can seriously say that when it comes to a no nonsense twin humbucker shred machine, this ranks up there with the best of them. This particular guitar is equipped with a set of Suhr Aldrich model pickups and a Gotoh Floyd Rose. Now, Suhr has been using this tremolo for a while and I must say as someone who used to say "why get licensed when you can get the real thing", I was rather floored when I tried this trem. The set-up on it is flawless. It gets that "flutter" effect better than original Floyd Roses and it just feels good in your hand. Very stable. I also don't use a tone control on this guitar - I wanted some simplicity but in future models I will most likely use a volume and a tone. This is another guitar that I use in all of my projects and it is one of my "main" Into The Arena guitars. This is the guitar that I use for all of my "e-flat" tuning. It sounds amazing and is extremely dependable. The D-Tuna is also one of the most important features as it is coupled with a Tremol-No device that allows some bridge stablization when switching from regular playing to drop-D.   Ibanez RG2027x This is the only 7-string I have right now. Bernie and I are working on a 7-String "727" so this one will suffice for now. I bought this off of a fellow Jemsite.com member and I have been incredibly pleased with this instrument. It has the rare Double-Edge piezo bridge. Again - the piezo bridge calls me... This guitar is actually in a re-birth phase as well. New paint, new attitude - and new pics will follow as soon as it's re-assembled.   :: Other Guitars ::   News |  Bio |  Gear |  Media |  Home |  E-Mail Xander