Good to know they are available on the after market.
2009 is still pretty new.
How is the Korean reputation for quality?

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Thanks for sharing a bit of history.
I have been eyeing some Schecter guitars, lately.
Heard they are Korean made.
Heard they had better days a decade ago. I could be wrong.
Their guitars look good.

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Lace sensors...I like mine.

Many do. Few Plus guitars are for sale. Toppscore

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chromeface - when I said "Charvel was their bolt-on line and Jackson was there neck-through line" I was referring only to the time period of 1981-1985 when they only had USA production. I should have been more clear about that; of course you're right that after 1986 both the Charvel (which was moved to MIJ) and the Jackson (which was USA-made) lines had both bolt-on and neck through models - which I meant to mention but didn't in the original post .

Yep - I did forget the Charvettes; that was their first MIK line, which was introduced after Grover had left the company. And I believe some of them might have even been made in Indonesia or somewhere else.

Schecter literally isn't the same company any more; they really focus on their MIK lineup but they do still have a custom shop in California that churns out a couple of hundred fairly expensive pieces every year.

Rewinding to about 1975 Schecter was in CA and was producing bodies and necks from high quality and exotic wood; they also produced some nice replacement parts (typical for the day things like brass trems, etc.). The wierd link is they had the same financial backing as Wayne Charvel did for his shop. At any rate, Dave Schecter in around 1977 hired another like-minded young guy name of Tom Anderson in his shop; Tom went to work developing some of their pickup lines and also was building some completed guitars from their parts. So for say 1977 until about 1982 or so Schecter was balancing between parts and building guitars.

They also had a fairly unique arrangement with their dealers so the dealers could sell completed guitars, parts, and also assemble guitars from Schecter parts and sell them as sort-of "Schecters" - but it was up to the stores to warranty the guitar, not the main company. Some of those dealers included Valley Arts Music in CA and Rudy's Music in NYC - and Rudy's had this like-minded young guy working for him as a luthier named John Suhr.

Back to Schecter - that financial backer, after losing Charvel to Grover Jackson, put more pressure on Schecter to build and sell guitars. The eventually started up a Japanese facility (selling to the Asian market). Dave Schecter left in early 1983, and the company made plans to move from CA to Dallas, TX in 1984. After spending several months in Japan, Tom Anderson decided he wanted no part of moving to Texas and left the firm in 1984. Over 1983 through 1986 Schecter concentrated on building guitars over the parts business. They cut off the parts supply to their dealers like Valley Arts and Rudy's who were building guitars from their parts and added more dealers. Eventually Fender took notice that Schecter was using their headstocks and sent a "cease and desisit" letter. At some point in early 1986 Schecter came crashing down and went bankrupt - unable to change headstocks, get new parts, and meet their orders. They were bought out by one of the owners of ESP Guitars, who owns them to this day. He moved them back to California, where they retooled as a small custom shop. It wasn't until the late 1990s that they made the big move into all these MIK guitars they currently offer. I should also state that they aren't owned by ESP; it is more like their owner owns 100% of Schecter and I believe 33% of ESP so he owns two companies that don't interact.

Back to Tom Anderson - he bought some of Schecter's equipment that they didn't want to move to Dallas and started making bodies and necks in his garage. He also wound pickups. By 1988 he decided to get out of the body & neck business and only produce complete guitars (but he does sell his pickups aftermarket as well).

John Suhr and his boss, Rudy Pensa, went into business as Pensa-Suhr guitars. Fun fact - from 1984 to 1988 John & Rudy bought their unfinished bodies and necks from Tom Anderson. In fact, Mark Knopfler's famous yellow carved top Pensa-Suhr has Anderson wood. Now John hand-carved the top, but in NYC they didn't have room for routers and all the woodworking tools to make numbers of bodies and necks. After Anderson stopped selling bodies and necks Pensa-Suhr got their wood parts from Warmoth. John had a falling out with Rudy and left in ealry 1991. Rudy's still produces small numbers of guitars under the "Pensa" name.

John Suhr moved on to California, made amps with Bob Bradshaw for a while, then joined the Fender Custom Shop as a Master Builder, and eventually he left in 1996 to start his own company where they do everything - cut the wood, finish it, build pickups, etc.

Valley Arts also built their own line of guitars; they got parts from Warmoth and eventually started building some necks in-house. Right before they sold out to Samick they hired another one of those "like-minded" guys named Don Grosh. Don left Valley Arts when Samick took over and started his own company - first in California but he relocated in the mid-2000s to the Denver area.

More than you wanted to know I'm sure.

You are not that "John", are you?
Fantastic story. How are you involved and why are you so knowledgable
about the industry and all of your past shares?
Toppscore

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The superstrat-style Modern was introduced in 2009.



This guitar was quickly adopted by notable Suhr endorsing artists such as Guthrie Govan and Reb Beach, both having their own signature Moderns since 2010.

Recently, John introduced the 80's Shred for guitarists seeking that old-school hard rock/heavy metal nostalgia. This guitar comes equipped with an alder body, maple neck and the choice of maple or ebony fingerboard. These choice tone woods embody the shred style and sound of the 1980s.



Every 80's Shred is equipped with dual Adrich humbuckers, Gotoh Floyd Rose tremolo and a head turning reverse headstock. Modern elliptical neck shape, rolled fingerboard edges, stainless steel frets, 16” radius and optional scalloped fretboard combine to offer effortless playability suited for fast lines and huge bends.

Available in neon drip or tiger stripe finishes, these huge shredding tone monsters are accompanied by a matching Riot stomp distortion floor box.



Only 50 examples will be made until December 31st, 2012.

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That "head turning reverse headstock" is beginning to look like those
Jimi Hendrix Strats. I am sure the reversed the nut, right?

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Swedish neo-classical metal supremo Yngwie Malmsteen occasionally plays scalloped CBS Strats with reverse headstocks.



Surely Suhr was somewhat inspired from him when he went designing those old-school Moderns.

No - I'm not that "John". I'm a marketing researcher by trade; guitars are just a passion of mine. At one point 5-6 years ago I was going to try to write a free-lance article on the growth of the custom guitar industry from the 1970s to present. I never did get anything polished enough to submit to say Vintage Guitar or Premier Guitar magazine but I do have all of my notes floating around on my personal laptop.

Regarding Fender models and changes - well, I screwed up an passed on what was an "old Fender" at the time without realizing that it had already become a "vintage guitar". I've told the story before, but this is how a little mis-information can hurt you: back in 1985 I was looking at an old Strat - it was a big headstock one with what I now know was the "transition" logo on the headstock. Sunburst, naturally reliced, and the owner had replaced the "worn-out" plastic parts with a late 70s set of black plastic (but had the old parts in a bag in the case). They wanted $500 for it, which I thought was a bit much for just an "old, worn Strat" that wasn't a "vintage" Pre-CBS. Of course this was a '67 Strat; someone else bought it, flipped it to the local vintage guitar dealer who reinstalled the original plastic and priced it at $875. Not that I was going to flip it, but it did let me know that back then those '66 and '67s were considered kind of "players classic guitars". I made it a point to get to be knowledgeable on this stuff from then on.

In May, I purchased a scalloped necked 1990s Stratocaster:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/160802172653?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649
because I was studying unique Stratocasters. Some had mentioned Yngwie Malmsteen,
who I had never heard of before. I researched his bio and discovered that he is into some
of the things I enjoy. Therefore, I just got the following guitar in with a scalloped neck.
I have not taken it out of the shipping box, but when I do, I will post it.
Actually, cannot wait to see hos a scalloped guitar plays & sounds.
Hopefully, it is an American Strat or at least an MIM Strat. Toppscore

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American Strats came with 22 frets while the Mexico ones use 21. This guitar is definitely a MIM.

The pickguard is routed for a single humbucker though the pickup is missing. Also, the neck has a locking nut installed and there are only two knobs for volume and MDX boost controls, like Andy Fairweather Low's modified EC Strats. I think the guitar deserves a Floyd Rose tremolo.

I saw AFL with two such guitars in May of 2009, when he joined Eric Clapton's touring band for their 11-night performances at the RAH.

Thanks, ChromeFace. Good to know. It just arrived and I have to get after it.
Will see what kind of tremolo is installed. Floyd Rose has so many models
and many guitars have "Floyd Rose" licensed tremolos from Asia.

Thanks again. I will share a full report, especially regarding the cool scalloped neck.
Toppscore

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