1987 BC Rich ST-III

Details

This is my second BC Rich ST-III, which I purchased from an ebay seller only a few months after acquiring my first one. I far prefer the paint finish of this guitar compared to the natural wood of that, but they both have nearly identical necks and play very similarly.

It is still equipped with its factory hardware, which is an Ibanez Edge tremolo, Grover tuners, and OEM Dimarzio pickups. While the fit and finish is excellent and on par with many other US guitar makers of this era, I do think the pickups stand for some improvement, especially compared to production model Seymour Duncan’s on Kramers, or the great Jackson pickups etc. The bridge humbucker is a bit on the thin side and medium output, so it just doesn’t stand out - not aggressive enough to think it was designed after scooped metal tones, but not articulate or smooth enough to have been designed for more classic tones. The same can be said for the fairly weak sounding single coils. This may sound very critical, but this is a truly excellent guitar so I’m just picking on the one thing I don’t think it excels at in factory form.

The original receipt and paperwork was included in the case, along with the trem arm. Now that’s a rarity, and very cool to see. The original owner paid $627 with case in June 1987. That’s a little over $1400 today.

I no longer own this instrument