80's BC Rich Bich And Guitar Refinishing

     Two guitar posts in a row! What am I thinking?

     This NJ Series BC Rich Bich was my first electric guitar and for that reason alone I'll never sell it. However, that doesn't mean that I won't mod the hell out of it. I liked the way the guitar played, the funky bastardised strat headstock, and the wacky body but I was never a fan of the lipstick red colour. I originally tried to change the appearance of the Bich by using electrical tape. I applied black and white tape in a Van Halen style but the tape started to peel off after a while where my hand would rest.

     My next design was a white tiger stripe but once again it didn't stick for very long.

     So... about a decade ago I decided to do a complete body refinish. I dismantled the guitar, purchased some chemical paint stripper and several different grits of sandpaper. I tried to use the paint stripper in the garage but it wouldn't eat through whatever BC Rich used to coat the paint. I was forced to take the body into the backyard and start sanding away.

     It was some HARD work (two or three evenings) as the sandpaper didn't even want to go through the paint but I eventually got it done. I was expecting the body to be made of several pieces of wood but was pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be a fairly nice single slab.

     Once sanded and completely smooth I attached a plank of wood to the neck pocket (using the existing screw holes) so the guitar would be easy to handle. I picked up some walnut coloured stain from Home Depot and applied it according to instructions. I used a think layer on the front and back and went much thicker on the bevels and sides.

     After the guitar was stained to my satisfaction I taped off the pickup cavities and neck pocket then used spray lacquer to seal and protect the body. It took about eight thin coats to get it where I wanted it.

    I then installed some GFS Power Rails humbuckers, the rest of the original wiring and some chicken head knobs on the controlls.

     I don't use the guitar often because I prefer many of my other guitars and the Power Rails are a bit more overdriven and darker than I prefer but I am very happy with the way the refinishing project came out. I give the guitar itself a 6/10 but the refinishing that I did a 9/10.

1995 MIM fender Strat

     I got this guitar in a trade ( I think it was for my Dillion Firebird but I can't quite remember). When I got the guitar it sounded and played great but the pickguard was a mess. It was white and looked like it had been shattered and glued back together. I decided to replace all of the electronics and ordered a Superstrat Wiring Kit and a set of grey bottom single coil pickups from Guitar Fetish. The Supertrat Wiring Kit allows for 13 different pickup configurations:

1) Bridge Pickup In Phase

2) Middle Pickup In Phase

3) Neck Pickup In Phase

4) Bridge/Middle Pickups In Phase

5) Middle/Neck Pickups In Phase

6) Bridge/Neck Pickups In Phase

7) All Three Pickups In Phase

8) Bridge/Middle Pickups Out Of Phase

9) Middle/Neck Pickups Out Of Phase

10) Bridge/Neck Pickups Out Of Phase

11) Neck/Middle Pickups In Phase, Bridge Out Of Phase

12) Bridge/Middle Pickups In Phase, Neck Out Of Phase

13) Bridge/Neck Pickups In Phase, Middle Out Of Phase

    
     The kit came with some nice and clear instructions and after about an hour worth of soldering everything was installed and working properly. Unfortunately, I did not like the new pickups or dealing with all the toggle switches (too many options to play with). I put the pre-wired pickguard up for sale at my cost and it sold in a day.

     I used the money from the pickguard sale to order a standard black H/S/S pickguard, a Crunchy Pat high output humbucker for the bridge and some black single coil pickup covers. I salvaged the neck and middle pickup from busted up white pickguard that originally came with the guitar and wired everything together. The guitar is set up with 9 gauge strings and plays like a dream. The MIM neck and middle pickups are nice and smooth and the bridge humbucker has some great crunch. I also love the black on red look. It reminds me of Brad Gillis of Night Ranger lol. I give the guitar a 9/10.