DBZ HFRST-SB Hailfire Electric Guitar Silver Burst questions

[eakinj]

So I just ordered one of the Korean DBZ guitars, found it on sale brand new for 284.00. they show up on Ebay for 400-700 so I'm guessing that's a decent price I got.

So before I ask questions about this one, and in the interest of full disclosure the reason I picked this one up was to see if I can actually handle that body style before I really spec out what I want and put in for a quote for Sully. I did this same thing when I bought my Kelly PSwhatever and realized i liked how it looked but it didn't fit me when i played so.. this is an inexpensive way to see if it's really something that works for me.

OK now onto the questions.

Since I can't seem to find any real specs on the guitar besides the body and neck wood, I'm going to assume that it has mother of toilet seat inlays- am I correct in this guess?

How are the pickups in it? I'll likely be changing out to Ducan distortion or possibly the Seymour Duncan Nazgûl, seems like a decent choice any suggestions?

The other reason I'm picking this guitar up is for a project I'm working on and for some reason that body just puts me into the correct mind frame.

So anyone have experience with this model or the Korean models in general? Did I pay for a screwing or are they good? On par with something like the Agile or higher end then those (3000 models and up)?

[lepard]

You're going to be shocked at how nice that guitar is. They are made by World Musical Instruments South Korea, very high quality. The stock DBZ pickups are surprisingly good. Wait until you get it and try it out before buying replacement pickups. Did you get it from World Music Supply ? They blow out DBZ's all the time for cheap.

[eakinj]

Yup, I had been looking at them on ebay for a few weeks every since someone else posted a V (I think on this forum, I'll have to check) and randomly did a search and found it, it was 299 and then they knocked another 15 off and free shipping. I was looking at another forum I used to haunt, and one of their members got one with the flat black and apparently the neck is on the thinner side, that should be pretty cool.

[lepard]

Here's one I got from World Music Supply on blowout. Amazing guitar:

[eakinj]

that is pretty sweet, I was looking at the 7 string versions and drooling.

[eakinj]

my Haifire arrived today and the first thing I did was get rid of that ugly pickguard. It was only cosmetic, and honestly i wish they hadn't put it on there at all, now i'll have to dowel those holes before I take it to Daneen for paint.

[eakinj]

So sound wise this thing sings unplugged, really nicely in fact. Plugged in the pickups are good dirty but really muddy bassy on the clean channels. That may just be the Cube I'm running it through, I'll run it through the half stack later today. The paint is actually a lot better then it has any right to be at 280 dollars. I'm really happy that its rear routed and that pick guard was easy to remove, sounds like filling in the screw holes should be simple enough. All the pots and switches are full sized and put together really well. I'm actually debating picking up one or two more of these end of month when I get paid again, I actually really like this guitar. Since this one is most definitely getting the paint job I may get another silver burst and that blue one, i hate that blue though so it may get a different refinish.

so yeah, I can say I'm a fan.

Now to figure out all the pros and cons of it (which i'll figure out after playing more) and spec something out to have built.

I should also mention I've been playing my Jackson LTD a lot more lately so actually going from it to this actually felt alright. Not like going from the LTD to say an agile or the ESP-LTD etc. so, i have to say the neck feels pretty damn good on this thing. WMI does good work. Who else do they build for?

[lepard]

i have to say the neck feels pretty damn good on this thing. WMI does good work. Who else do they build for?

World used to make all the higher end Schecter and LTD's but most have been moved away to Indonesia and China for several years now. As of right now, World makes guitars for DBZ/Diamond, a few of the higher end neck-thru BC Rich's, the LTD Deluxe neck-thrus and the PRS SE's. Basically, if it's set-neck or neck-thru, says "Korea" and has a "W" serial number, it's a World Musical Instruments guitar.