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BC Rich are an organization specialising in pointed and extreme electric guitar shapes and styles appropriate for rock, hard rock and heavy metal music. Bernardo Chavez Rico was a doubtful person to create distinct guitars. Bernardo Rico (aka “Bernie”) was an accomplished Flamenco acoustic musician. From the early-to-mid 60s Bernie Rico exclusively created Flamenco guitars in Bernardo’s Guitar Shop in LA, California. Former Vice President, Mal Stich, explains, “When you walked into Bernardo's shop the first thing you saw was wall to wall guitars hanging from the ceiling like birthday party balloons. There was a glass counter with strings, picks, guitar components and accessories. Behind the counter was a window and you could watch the guys constructing electric guitars. But, the coolest thing was that there were always Flamenco and Classical players jamming. I remember the Flamenco musicians firing at each other with riff after riff. Bernie's dad, Bernardo Mason Rico, was always sitting in his chair next to the Coca-Cola machine while friends and neighbors, even the postman, stood awestruck as they listened to the music.” We're recognizing BC Rich Guitar’s 40th Anniversary stamping 1969 as the year Bernie embarked on his first attempt to manufacture electric guitars and basses. It was recorded that ten basses influenced by the Gibson EB-3 bass in addition to ten matching Les Paul inspired electric guitars were handcrafted. Today few of these instruments exist, it's rumored that fewer than the number above had been actually finished. The time around 1972 was very auspicious. The initial guitar design, the Seagull, was hand-crafted in Bernardo’s shop. True to future style, the Seagull guitar was visually unique along with innovative. The guitar's neck-through design (now a hallmark of BC Rich Guitars) featured a heel-less construction – extremely rare for that point in time. Bernie soon employed several talented creative designers to compliment his very proficient builders. Most of the distinct shapes and styles that emerges from this expansion have turn out to be iconic shapes associated with guitars. Around 1976 came the Mockingbird, and then the further improvement of the Seagull, the Eagle emerged, and around 1978 arrived the Bich. A number of the most admired guitarists instantly took to the revolutionary trend of BC Rich Guitars. With growing achievement, there was a need for a inexpensive mass-produced BC Rich guitar. Nearly around 1978 Bernie developed the BC Rico brand to devise electric guitars that would be imported from Japan. This first try was not profitable when the Rico Reed Company filed a lawsuit over the use of the brand. Regardless of the consequence, the decision had already been made to implement the BC Rich mark on imported electric guitars. Only a handful, perhaps 100 or so BC Rico guitars ever made it to the US. When the early 1980s arrived, the Warlock was born. Almost immediately the hair metal culture of the era slaved to the Warlock’s edgy and unique contour. The Warlock, though nowhere close to the newest style created, rounds out the primary five classic BC Rich shapes. The 1990s and 2000s witnessed a brand new crop of brutal models even pointier than the 80s designs. These included the Zombie, Draco, Ignitor, Beast (designed by Brian Hoffman, guitarists of death metal band Deicide), Warbeast (a combination of Beast and Warlock). BC Rich guitars are also recognized for their endorsement deals with a number of celebrated and respected hard rock and metal guitarists including Kerry King of Slayer (whose signature model is diabolic V-shape that has extensive tribal graphic work over the guitar's body. He also has a signature model primarily based on the Warlock). The deceased guitarists, Chuck Schuldiner of Death (when Schuldiner died of cancer in 2001 BC Rich Guitars launched a tribute model based on his preferred guitar, the BC Rich Stealth). Paul Stanley of KISS, and Paolo Gregoletto (bassist of Trivium) are also endorsed BC Rich players. If you are like me, when you think of hard rock and metal... you think of recognizable guitars such as BC Rich. They helped shape rock and roll.
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Steve is a passionate music lover and guitarist for over 25 years. One of his favorite guitar websites he uses for his guitar related research and resources is Gear-Vault.com, noted as the best guitar review website on the entire internet. Read the resource to History of B.C. Rich Guitars article.
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