Shredsticks

[blindedbysilence]

I'm wanting to pick one up, but don't know much about the specs. Currently gassing for a Jackson Warrior, paging DrNewcenstein. What should I be looking for as far as body woods, fretboards, pickups, etc...? I know I can google specs, but I trust you guys to give honest opinions about what works for you. And yes Bloodrose I still want a WM526.

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: Shredsticks

Depends on your preference. Basswood has been the wood of choice for a couple of decades for Ibanez, arguably the World's Biggest Name in shredsticks. However, if you look at the guys who got that ball rolling in a big way - Satch, Vai, Rhoads, etc - you'll see everything from all-maple bodies with ebony boards (Lynch), to all-mahogany construction with ebony boards (Rhoads' LPC, Sykes' LPC, Satch's mahogany Ibby).

Then there's Yngwie with his alder Strats.

There's just too many players who have shattered all the myths about fretboard radius, neck profile/thickness, body wood, etc etc to say one is better for it than another. Ynqwie and Blackmore proved that 9" radius v-necked noisy-singled Strats can handle neo-Classical scalar runs as easily as a flat-boarded/pencil-necked RG with humbuckers. Randy's LPC had a baseball bat neck, and he was about the size of the average 10-year old.

Pickups and such are the same way - whatever works best for you.
Dozens of players have used hundreds of configurations over the years from EMGs to stock Fender/Gibsons with identical results.

[blindedbysilence]

Re: Shredsticks

I know you like the Warriors a lot, what makes them your axe of choice?

[kramer.geetar]

Re: Shredsticks

Whatever works best for you. For me I love my Music Man Axis and since I'm talking about Music Man guitars, check out the Music Man JP models, Petrucci signatures.

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: Shredsticks

I know you like the Warriors a lot, what makes them your axe of choice?

I like the way Warriors balance, both sitting and standing. They feel very Strattish or Dinkyish, unlike most other Explorer-based models like the Kelly which tend to sit a bit to the left, making my fretting arm jut out further and my picking arm/shoulder bend forward at an awkward angle. I don't do the hung-low Jimmy Page/James Hetfield thing, I wear them higher up, so the upper bout of Exps/KEs kicks my elbow and shoulder outward.

With Warriors, the design is such that the scooped-out rear of the body changes the rear strap pin placement as compared to Explorers, so the body sits further to the right putting the bridge in a more comfortable place. That in turn brings the neck further to the right so I'm not reaching out as far for the 1st fret.

By contrast, I'm not a fan of the Dinky or Soloist body because I find them uncomfortable, largely due to the upper front horn. However, my JacksonStars NASLs are as comfortable as the Warrior primarily due to the fact the contours leading up to the horns are centered over the neck pickup, rather than directly between the pickups as they are on the SL/DK body.

The SLS (USA, SLSMG, SLS3) is cut in the center like the SL/DK, but because it has shorter horns than those, and therefore the front strap pin is not so far out, the body fits me more naturally.