PC2 or PC3

[fullmetalguitar]

Which model had the Wilkinson tremolo? I tried a search, but it said zero matches.

Anyway, how are these guitars? Were they USA made? I've only seen them in one color, the sort of amber trans. Were there any other colors available? Was it just a limited production? Anyone got one? How do they play? I see them on eBay occassionally and wonder if they are worth the money.

[shreddermon]

PC2 was only made for one year. It had a Wilky and locking tuners. US made.

PC3 was import only, made for a few years. Early ones had a Wilky (I think?), too. Later on, though, they swtiched to the Jackson import locking trem.

[rjohnstone]

Yep... early PC3 had a Wilky and then in 2000 it got a JT-580LP.
The actual PC2 was a huge POS. There are a few Custom Shop pieces out there claiming to be a PC2, but they are just CS pieces with a PC1 "style" neck and a Wilky... no sustainer and PC's sig is not on their either.
There was one up on ebay last week. I think it was part of a GC limited run.

[Dave L]

Yeah, the PC2 was a limited run for some big dealer. But how come the PC2´s were POS? I´ve never seen one in person, but I´d imagine what´s basically a USA-made early PC3 would be pretty killer.

[rjohnstone]

The actual PC2 prototype was ugly as hell. It never went into full production either. I think Brooks had a pic of it on his site at one time.
The CS run by GC is not a PC2... it was never given that designation by Jackson. The CS run was basicaly a Charvel Model A Plus with a Wilikinson trem and a Jackson logo. It had a PC1 neck profile.
GC called it a PC2.

[fullmetalguitar]

So what made it such a POS? Looks like a nice guitar in pictures.

[rjohnstone]

So what made it such a POS? Looks like a nice guitar in pictures.

What pictures? What you've been seeing on ebay is NOT a PC2.
It's a CS piece that GC "called" a PC2.
The actual PC2 prototype had a vtrem and a sunburst finish.
It looked like crap.
The GC limited run looks nice, but it's not an actual PC2.

I'm trying to find a pic of the PC2 prototype now... I will post it when I find it.

Edit: best I could find. Brooks may still have the higher res image from his old site.
It's fugly and looks cheap.

[fullmetalguitar]

Oh I see. I don't think I've ever seen that one. I guess maybe I've only seen the amber colored one that was on eBay recently.

Was that the only finish available? Other than the color, was there something wrong with it? To me, it looks just like a PC1 without the sustainer electronics and a Wilkinson instead of a Floyd.

So none of you guys ownes one of these? I want to know if they sound and play alright.

[rjohnstone]

The ones you see on ebay... from the GC run, are very nice.
Same neck profile as a PC1... not as heavy though.
I played a used one at a GC here in town like 6 or 8 months ago and it was very nice. They wanted $1,000 for it... it wasn't that nice.

IIRC the trem on the PC2 prototype is not a Wilky... hard to tell from the pics.

[Newc]

So the proto was identical to the production PC-2? Usually guitar protos are different from their production versions in some way.

[neilli]

Someone here was selling a PC2 (or whatever) a few weeks back. That was amber as I recall....

[rjohnstone]

So the proto was identical to the production PC-2? Usually guitar protos are different from their production versions in some way.

No, the proto PC2 was different from the GC limited run.
Control layout, trem, pickups and finish are all different.
The GC run came in three colors... Natural, Amber and Red trans finishes.
The proto has the same control layout (minus the sustainer stuff) as a PC1.
The GC guitar used a standard Dinky control layout.
My opinion is the GC run is just a Dinky with a PC neck. I mean c'mon... they didn't even bother to put DiMarzio's in it!

[fullmetalguitar]

OK, so the one in that pic above is from the GC run? I prefer Duncans anyway.

[rjohnstone]

Yep.

[fullmetalguitar]

Do the GC models also say Custom Shop on the headstock? Were they actually custom shop models or was that just part of the GC deal? I thought I read that somewhere. Any pics of the natural finish? Is that a JB in the bridge?