Demartini Vs Pro Mods

[The Rossness]

Is there a big difference in tone and feel between a Warren DeMartini San Dimas and a Pro Mod? Is the difference enough to justify the rather large price difference?

[DonP]

dunno. Never had a DeMartini. I like the crossed swords a lot, but I guess not enough to own one.

[j2379]

i have not played a DeMartini, but based on the PRO-MOD i had i would sure hope so. IMHO the USA promods were very generic feeling and didn't have a typical charvel neck profile, unlike the WDM which i hear is dead on to the old charvie necks.

[Johnnyryche]

Is there a big difference in tone and feel between a Warren DeMartini San Dimas and a Pro Mod? Is the difference enough to justify the rather large price difference?

Yes, BIG difference in tone and feel between the WDM and a Pro Mod. And IMO, yes, the differences justify the higher price. I have a blood drip and skull WDM and a candy blue pro mod. I've played a handful of the WDM (except the snakeskin) and they have all played great. My candy blue pro mod is the only one I've played but it is still a great guitar. If price is the issue, you can't go wrong with the pro mod. If you have a little extra to spend, grab a WDM. I love the neck shape of them and the RTM pickup is kick ass.

[chrisolson]

I had all the WDM's and about 6 different Pro Mods (US & Japan). My advice - play first , then decide. They are all GREAT guitars IMO. At the end of the day, YOU need to decide. It's a lot of coin to drop for a relatively one-trick pony. If it weren't for that DAMN graphic, I wouldn't have bought them, but my inner-fanboi got me! The necks were all good ones for me. I wouldn't say that I really preferred one over the other. The WDM's had a bit more variation to my hands.

[Rupe]

i have not played a DeMartini, but based on the PRO-MOD i had i would sure hope so. IMHO the USA promods were very generic feeling and didn't have a typical charvel neck profile, unlike the WDM which i hear is dead on to the old charvie necks.

There's really no such thing as a typical Charvel neck profile...they were handmade and varied greatly. The pointy heads were a bit more consistent but still varied. Where the Promods missed was in the feel of the oil neck finish, but that's an easy fix.

The WDMs that I played were clearly of a higher quality than the Promods but only the person who is going to buy and play the guitar can determine if the extra cost is worth it. With a few tweaks, I think the Promods offer a lot of bang for the buck.

[ginsambo]

Didn't the original Demartini guitars, made for the man himself, have a wider neck on them than the production Demartini versions anyway? Looking at Ratt pics the necks often almost look like a seven string neck to me. Wasn't he into a classical fretboard feel back in the day for his spanner fingers?

I can't see how without a few minor DIY finishing details, you can't get a pro mod neck to be as good as a production Demartini neck? And some select ones are just as good I would think. Certainly if you started off with a USA pro mod neck to begin with and were select with that. Maybe some of Japanese ones I've had have been a bit dodgy and a funny colour, with sunken walnut skunk stripe issues and stuff, but nothing that won't sand out with a radius block, although the two tone looks pretty bad.

Although, without a doubt I would guess/hope that the body wood and detail are better or more select on the Demartini models than the pro mods for that money.

It is amazing how just a tenth of a mil in neck width and contour/depth can have a profound effect on how it feels as it seems exaggerated by your hands, so I guess if uniformity and consistency is better, then that is something worth paying for too, but I can't see how they are sooooo much better than USA pro mod necks really.

[j2379]

I realize that but most of the ones I own/ed had that same flat spot feel on the back of the neck. even if they were thicker or thinner or slightly different carve on the sides they still had the flat spot. Its that same flat spot profile thats on early ST-3s and gunslingers.

There's really no such thing as a typical Charvel neck profile...they were handmade and varied greatly. The pointy heads were a bit more consistent but still varied.

[The Rossness]

Well, I've been had an itch for a new guitar and someone suggested that if I like my Charvel promods so much, I look for a DeMartini guitar or a used CS charvel. I played a few 2 CS Charvels and the bloody skull Warren model. To my surprise, I didn't like the necks on the CS and DeMartini guitars. They felt skinnier and smaller than my pro mods. I also think that the neck on my Grey Primer Wildcard San Dimas is the best charvel neck there is, so That's what I'm comparing things with

[toejam]

Didn't the original Demartini guitars, made for the man himself, have a wider neck on them than the production Demartini versions anyway? Looking at Ratt pics the necks often almost look like a seven string neck to me. Wasn't he into a classical fretboard feel back in the day for his spanner fingers?

He used to use a 1 & 3/4" nut but now uses 1 & 11/16" these days.

[j2379]

1 3/4" wide can be very strange. I had a bich that size and it wasnt comfortable at all, i felt like i was always straining to reach. My soloist also 1 3/4 but much thinner backshape you hardly notice. Its actually one of my favorite players.

[Rupe]

He used to use a 1 & 3/4" nut but now uses 1 & 11/16" these days.

IIRC, he started out with 1 3/4" necks but at some point stepped up to something larger (1 7/8" or 2") based on his preference at that time for a particular classical guitar neck. My memory is fuzzy on this...anybody have a more specific recollection?

[toejam]

I have no idea if he went larger. I do recall Bionic saying here that Warren prefers the 1 11/16" these days and that's what he had on the production models.

[diablomozart]

yeah i remember an interview where he said one of his guitars was a 1 7/8" nut width...i usually prefer 1 3/4" myself assuming the backshape is right...mike shannon said my main player for years was a demartini profile from back in the day...shoulda never sold that guitar...d.m.