80s Metal Axe Acquisition Dilemma - Need Some Guidance

You aren't really 80s guitar cool until you're Jo Bench raging on an IronBird cool. And, no one else is...

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Honest answer one: the Aria Pro, ditch the pickups and install a Gotoh GE1996T and matching nut.

Honest answer two: avoid this shop, I'm sure you can do much better elsewhere, even if just ordering online.

The '80s guitar I have always wanted is a Peavey Vandenberg. I don't like pointy guitars any more.

vandenberg.jpg
 
Dave Sloven said:
Honest answer one: the Aria Pro, ditch the pickups and install a Gotoh GE1996T and matching nut.

Honest answer two: avoid this shop, I'm sure you can do much better elsewhere, even if just ordering online.

The '80s guitar I have always wanted is a Peavey Vandenberg. I don't like pointy guitars any more.

vandenberg.jpg
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Dave, I went to the shop, tried the Aria,
SIx String Chef said:
Good morning, Everyone!

Update: I went to the store yesterday, to test drive the Aria... I was told that they just had it setup, but the guitar told me another story. The pups sounded shrill and tinny. Of course, the SS Vox Cambridge amp they had in the booth didn't help much, but I wasn't able to squeeze a decent tone out of the guitar. Even the push/pull coil splitter didn't seem to have any noticeable effect on the sound overall. Didn't look under the hood at the wiring and electronics. Had a bad hum, but nothing that good shielding and a properly grounded AC outlet wouldn't solve.

The trem is the original ACT3. I believe Aria's stab at their own FR-type locking trem. The whammy bar was missing, so... not the best way to test. Anyway, couldn't get the strings in tune with the fine tuners no matter what, and I didn't bring a hex key to try and tinker with it while in the booth. The angle of the picture does not show it, but the saddle intonation pattern, especially the position of the D saddle is way off, hopefully not a sign of trouble. Also, the fine tuners didn't seem to have much of an effect but most likely just because of crappy old strings. I sighted the neck... quite straight, it seemed to need some relief but no noticeable warps or twists so, nothing that a good REAL setup shouldn't be able to fix.

The finish looked overall OK (in the dimly lit testing booth) although the back seemed a lot rougher and was missing the spring cavity cover.

Bottomline: Even though I think it could have been a nice fixer-upper project, the guitar's sound and tone really put the kibosh in it for me. Couldn't shake off the bad first impression enough to want to put time and more money in it. SO I passed on that one.

But... I had a chance to take a closer look at the Jackson KVX10. Mitch, just like you mentioned, the headstock crack was a whole corner that got broken. off in what must have been one bad fall. The crack went through the peghole, clean from one edge of the headstock to the other. But the repair seemed to be, I guess as good as it could have been done. I may be wrong.

In any case, a world of difference in tone compared to the Aria (duh...). Duncan "Designed" pups, which to me translates as made somewhere else but the SD factory. Good shredder neck, nice thin profile... plays really well. Jackson locking trem working the way it should, good dives and lifts... I'm considering this one, although they will not budge one (Canadian) penny ;) on their asking price in spite of the headstock crack. They say it was professionally repaired, so... I believe I'll have to mull this one over a bit more.
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Another quick update: Mulled it over as promised, decided to follow the advice from Dave's honest answer #2 (Thank you, Dave!!) and decided I'll wait until something better and less risky crosses my path in the form of a vintage Kramer or Jackson, or Charvel, or Jackson / Charvel or an Ibby, or yes...ANOTHER BC Rich! TBC...
 
Dave Sloven said:
Honest answer one: the Aria Pro, ditch the pickups and install a Gotoh GE1996T and matching nut.

Honest answer two: avoid this shop, I'm sure you can do much better elsewhere, even if just ordering online.

The '80s guitar I have always wanted is a Peavey Vandenberg. I don't like pointy guitars any more.

vandenberg.jpg
Click to expand...


What this ?? it's a 1988 first year USA made.

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Cadorman said:
I gotta go with @gball here. If you were cool in the 80s you played a Gibson and rode a hog.
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My LPC was always my main axe, but for a period of time I had one of these ridiculous things:

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Needed the wang bar for a cover band I was in. Since nobody could lay off the dumb things in the '80s, I got the BC Rich in order to play those songs. As soon as I was no longer in the cover band and just back to playing all original music the Rich was gone.
 
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