B.C. Rich Mockingbird SLP

 

I recently had a Mockingbird SLP in the studio for a couple of days and put it through its paces. Very Interesting. The SLP (Slash Les Paul!) is a giant among custom guitars. This particular model did not pass quality control due to a misroute on the rear cavities but was otherwise perfect. The frets are huge – maybe too huge.

 

The fit and finish (except the rear routes) were as good as any prs I’ve played. The aaaa quilt top was exceptional ,etc. This had sustain for days, and the balance was good. Despite the odd “wing” it feels good playing standing up and sitting down.

 

The neck is a bit on the wide thin side for me – a bit more meat than the prs wide thin necks, but not too much. I like the C shape of a Les Paul better.

 

The sound is dark, and very growlish. The Neck through mahogany design seems to downplay the sonic character which would be introduced by the Maple cap. In other words, you don’t hear Maple.

 

This guitar can’t jangle while a Les Paul can. Its not meant to. This guitar is clearly meant for one thing: Hi Gain distortion – big overdrive. Slam to the wall dime-your-plexi crunch. In this regard it’s a one trick pony – but boy does it do that trick well. With my tophat on 11 you could hear the meanest growl I’ve ever heard – and the strings kept their definition. The balance between strings stayed perfect with the higher strings ringing out and the low strings not too muddy. If you play Metal of any ilk this is your baby.

If you plan on turning down you’ll get nuthin’ but a dull sounding low mid-rangy lump. That can sound ok in the right context – but just forget about sheen.

 

The wide thin neck is good for guys who think they get paid for how many notes they play. Or maybe you actually play that many notes for a reason, hell I don’t know.  If you sit on the nut all night with that neck, your hand will get tired.

 

I put it next to my favorite Balls to the Walls guitar – a les paul special and they sounded similar cranked, but the les paul sounded better balanced when turned down, and the Mock sounded slightly better defined when turned way up. All as you’d expect. In the model I had the switch was reversed so that the bridge pickup was controlled by the top knobs. Very odd. I’d say it was a mistake.

 

Given the bad route, the backwards knobs, etc, this guitar was an enigma. Even though it didn’t pass quality control I wouldn’t buy a BC rich without a warranty – especially a 3200 dollar (list) guitar. The politics of the purchase of BC rich from Bernie by D&H are ugly. The cheaper BC Rich models are pretty trashy.  As BC rich guitars go, this was a fine one. I’ve played lots of the best custom guitars out there and this feels like the best of them. Rock solid. There’s rumors out there about bad workmanship on BC Rich guitars. I believe most of the cheap ones were made mostly in Mexico but had just enough done to them in the US to qualify as American.   The hand-built designs made recently by Voodoo Guitars in Cincinnati by Peter Baer and Chris Meade go directly into the hands of Stars and are among the best guitars being made today by anybody from a standpoint of workmanship, beauty (if you like the look of a “bitch”), and creative features. As I understand it Peter never made an instrument priced under fifteen thousand dollars prior to making the BC rich custom line. These guys only know one way to make a guitar, the right way.

 

The neck was stable – I switched from 10’s to 11’s and it hardly moved. Considering you can play the 24th fret with ease, and its mahogany (weak), its rock solid. It was light too - lighter than a Les Paul.

 

Tedrank: ***. One trick pony, but oh my, what a trick. Not my Bag, but a cool axe.  Don’t buy one on Ebay.