Pro Mods being made in Mexico for 2013?!

[Hellbat]

I'm gassing for the hardtail white H/S one. I wish it was ebony instead of rosewood, but I can live with rosewood too.

[vector]

It'd be cool if they did pro mods of Stars as well... even better if they did MIM versions of the Desolation Stars with 1H, 24 fret, bolties and the 2H, 24 fret, neck thrus, & OFR's. But ditch those fugly cloud-like fret inlays.

[Carbuff]

So, judging from the namm thread, all the floyded pro mods have recessed trems? Say it aint so.

[Predator1]

Maybe they will do a Wildcard with a non recessed floyd.

[Steel City Psycho]

I'm interested to check these and the EVH Stripe Series out. I was greatly underwhelmed by the Japanese Pro-Mods, but as mentioned some MIM Fenders are great guitars, so I guess we'll see...

[Rich#6]

I don't see how you were underwhelmed by the promods and think the mim fenders are great.

[ginsambo]

I can to a degree. Mexican strats are barn door engineered but usually feel worn in and are so effortless to play from new, even with the neck pocket cracks going through the wood or the whole body that often develop.

Japanese Pro Mods on the other hand were expertly put together with a microscopic tolerance and I have never seen one even develop a laquer crack at the neck pocket, even with thick metallic base coats, the body wood was much better quality on the whole than the USA pro mods (Which were probably made by mexicans) but sometimes some of them can feel a little weird, a little frigid maybe. Also some of the latter ones did have a few issues like projecting walnut skunk stripes and I have a masking line on the primer on my dreamsicle which was particular sinful for a Japanese built guitar. I think (some of) the Japanese guitars just need a little more breaking in, maybe as they weren't finished to the same degree, very well made but kind of rushed with the final neck sanding and stuff.

Saying that though the maple necks on the earlier Japanese ones were great. Heavily rolled and often with a slightly smaller neck pocket, just like the USA's.


Things that concern me about these MIM Promods though are, are the necks still quartersawn and unlaquered and is the neck profile the same as the USA's?


I know people would moan, but secretly I'm hoping they come with a smaller Fender neck pocket and a USA Charvel neck profile and 1 and 11/16" nut, that would make my day, I'd buy a thousand. I'm really looking forward to the MIM Pro Mods and I can't wait to get my hands on one. I reckon they'll be genius.

[Hellbat]

[Prince Vultan]

Thanks for the video man. Really excited to get my hands on one of these now. Roll on April.

[G333]

Thanks Hellbat - I was curious to see what the bridge on the hardtails looked like. From what I could make out it's different from the wildcard 6's. Not as bulky and maybe they got the string spacing over the pup poles this time - my only complaint about the dreamsickill.

[Boojakki]

Wait, what? No maple fretboard option for the hs hardtail? Bummer...
...and direct mount pu's would've been cool. Ah, well...

[Steel City Psycho]

I don't see how you were underwhelmed by the promods and think the mim fenders are great.

I said SOME are great. I played a Jim Root Sig telecaster I thought was better than a Japanese Pro Mod. However the price was still too high for a MIM Fender.

And like Ginsambo said, I played some with necks that weren't that great. And one thing that annoyed me I saw on a lot of them was it seemed the necks shrank a little after fretting and gave this weird almost sort of scalloped appearance.

[ginsambo]

The 12th Fret Dots....THEY ARE TOO WIDE FMIC. THEY ARE TOO WIDE!

I knew something would be amiss
Everything is ruined.

[Rich#6]

I saw on a lot of them was it seemed the necks shrank a little after fretting and gave this weird almost sort of scalloped appearance.

That was done on purpose to give the necks that worn in feel, tey rolled the edges.

[ginsambo]

As well as the fret dots, the body contours look a little off too. Like the wrong size roundover bit or too thick or something, which makes me wonder if the rear body tummy tuck contour is actually Fender or Charvel. Lack of this attention to detail is putting me off a bit and considering Fender owns the copyright they are kind of looking like the least Charvel like Pro mods to me. Look like some foreign knock off, like those Chinese Demartini's you get. Although I bet they do play great, even if they don't look like Charvels.

These features being wrong, either they were rushed without due communication. Or FMIC doesn't give two shits are are stupid, or they are deliberately made to look less authentic and cheaper, because of the CS line, or maybe a future new line of US Pro Mods is in the pipeline???

A return to white necks is good though, I hated those 'Vintage' Tango, Umpa Lumpa, Teriyaki sauce covered Japanese ones.

I think the lack of attention to the details that are renound with the brand Charvel is a little stupid on FMIC's part, I mean when it says Charvel on the headstock, you are buying into the vintage 70's 80's Wayne pedigree, especially so if it's a Pro Mod you're buying. Together with the recessed trem, I hope this wasn't an intentional thing to water down the brand and ESP-ify them, in order to spread themselves thinner and cover all the bases. Most upsetting, I think I will buy a Wayne guitar instead. Although I might fancy the blue one and the white HS hardtail first.

Dreamsicle's use a genuine CS Charvel Bridge, which is Gibson spaced. You just need a non trem spaced Humbucker. I don't know what hardtail they have used on these? As I say the attention to detail and quality does seem down a little from first glance.