Customised Wild Card #6 Hardtail mutt or Customized DST-3 mule?

[ginsambo]

After finally getting comfortably used to non TOM Bridges/non angled neck pockets this last year, getting a Mexican Strat and a 2005 Charvel Vintage Trem Reissue mutt and to my horror finding them the most comfortable guitars to play in the world. Horror, because to me they were the antichrist when I was growing up. I am really in a quandry as how to next risk squandering my hard earned cash.

The white, mahogany bodied DST-3 FR H new is a stonking £266 ($420) delivered over here in the UK. I have two Tom bridge home built stars already, but I do have a black german floyd siting here spare and a dimarzio super distortion. The DST does have a mahogany body....I quite like a 12" fretboard radius but I wondered if I managed to fit a 12"-16" 24 fret Dinky neck on it, a genuine floyd and the pup and pot...I know I may have to score and superglue the poly laquer in order to rout widen the neck pocket on a brand new guitar to make it work, as my money is on the chinese having a narrower neck pocket than the Japanese bound Dinkies but it doesn't phase me. With the resale of the Korean Floyd and DST Jackson neck, it's not bad value for a painted Star Mahogany body no and they are both 24 fret 25.5" scale so...

The other option is a used Wildcard #6 Dreamsicle. Now, I hated these when they first came out, Fugly. But now the winds changed and I got an idea of old skool brassing it up with a Charvel Brass Hardtail, Brass Gotoh or maybe Grover Tuners to avoid new holes, a Cream Dimarzio Super Distortion and ring and a reverse wound cream Dimarzio DP111/SDS-1 in the neck...I've seen people on here swapping the necks out for maple ones also...

Ha, then I saw a retailer in the USA offering a black pinstripe RRT elite for $1300....quartersawn neck, alder body, floyded..beautiful but with shipping, probably too much for me at the mo.

These are the two mod options. I think I'II want them both and will wait for cashflow, but what do you do? Go on your gut and regret it and not bond or think it over for a few weeks or months as potentially things get more expensive or you lose your window or inspiration?



Ha, I know I should be sensible and just get the RRT instead of two or three part installments on Charvel Jackson two mutts which will probably work out more but then I've don't know if I'II bond with the RR and its a lot of cash upfront.


Edit, looking at it, I think the humble wildcard is speaking to me and calling my name, love the soft focus lense too....may give the Star a miss for now and maybe fit a cream Deactivator instead of the Super as I love them pups.

[Rich#6]

I played one or these wildcards. it was the best playing and feeling one I've played. I wish I would have bought it.

[RobRR]

Ive got one of the wildcards... after playing one in Sam Ash when they first came out, I HAD to have one, so I saved some dough and got one. I love it although I never get to play it, Im out of room to keep guitars so it stays in its case. Was going to sell it and put the money towards the new chrome rod flame wildcard that I really want, but Im kinda glad no one wanted it. Theyre phenominal guitars for the money.

BTW the ebony they use on these necks is KILLER, no way in hell Id swap it out for a generic piece of maple!

[ginsambo]

Well I picked it up last night. Mint, no fret wear, no swirl marks, standard used price I guess about equivalent to $700. Lovely paint.

Few small issues

- The nut slot or string tree is causing a few minor tuning issues with bends and tuning stability on the high E and B strings.

- The ebony fretboard is a hell of a thick slab, even by '90's Heyday Jackson standards, much thicker than the USA Rosewood wildcard. Its so thick that they actually routed some of it out when routing the neck of the guitar and it obviously chipped a little. With the extra rosewood it is definately a thicker neck than the USA pro mods. Also the nut is a bit low for the G string as it buzzes on an open string a touch. Nothing serious, as I want to fit a brass nut. Also I think the neck edges could be rolled a hell of a lot more before causing string slip issues. They are hardly rolled much at all compared to the maple USA or Japanese pro mod necks which feel way more comfortable. That combined with the extra thickness of the neck does make it feel a bit clunkier.

Main bug about it is that they must have routed the neck pocket too deep at the factory, or the neck heel too shallow as seriously, there is a canyon of an 1/8"+ gap between the heel end of the neck and the body. Its a truely massive gap and the bridge saddle intonation is almost at maximum for the low E on the regular saddle spring compression, although there is about 1/4" room in the saddle height screw grooves on the trem base, but no way it'll accommodate a neck plug and remount unless I get a shorter saddle spring maybe.

The gap doesn't really bother me, but the fact that the widest part of the neck is effectively forward in the pocket of where its supposed to be, so its real tight on the sides of the heel and this, combined with the extra thick sparkle paint job makes it seem kind of obvious that sooner or later the poly will definately crack by the neck pocket with humidity temperature changes if I leave it, as this seems to happen alot with thick metallic finishes. Maybe I should sort it sooner than later, never seen this before. Thing is the low E string through body angle would be near 90 degrees if I fixed it as there is only 1/8" until the strong hole aligns with the saddle. Maybe they just drilled the neck holes wrong without it mounted properly, I donno.

Overall though its better quality than the USA models for paint and finish, apart from the neck issue obviously but everything else is much sharper, although I got to admit that it doesn't feel as comfortable as a USA pro mod, feels more like a Jackson if you get what I mean, but with a thicker neck. Also noticed a raised mask line in the primer or basecoat by the neck pocket underneath the neck.

Now to save up for the DST-3

Just got the callipers out on the neck, its not fatter as it turns out. its almost spot on the USA. But it is wider than the USA, about 0.7mm all up the neck, that combined with the lesser rolled edges is what's giving it its feel. Time for the sandpaper I reckon! It simply won't do. Maybe the ebony is giving me psychosymosis.