Today I pulled the trigger on this baby:

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll ... 0589939238

I really love the USA made Flame Up Pro Mod I got earlier this year and I have been wanting more of the same as my backup/second guitar in the band. We tune to E flat so I don't want to mess with my other fave guitars set ups which are perfect in E. Solution? Get another guitar!

The new Japanese Pro Mod line is even better playing from reviews I have read and they come with a great Charvel case already, so with the prices being so low it's win-win.

I really like the classic black body with maple neck combo on this, you can't go wrong!

I ordered a Charvel case for my Flame Up from Sam Ash which has been on back order for months, so it has been costly and time consuming to get the case sorted so I would have had the same issue with the other USA Pro Mods that came with gig bags initially. I am hoping to get that case this month.

The biggest difference from USA to Japanese Pro Mods, besides slightly better quality, lol, is that the hardware is now chrome on the San Dimas models, like this one, and the pickups are solid mounted into the body. I am debating putting them back into pickup rings as I generally like that look but I'll wait till I get it and see what I think.

I love these Charvel strats Pro Mods, they are really incredible for the price.

Going to one of my other USA Charvels from before there is a difference in the feel of the tuners and volume knob, but not enough to make up for the difference in price between these and the Custom Shop guitars they make to the same quality as before. The Pro Mods just get a bit cheaper hardware but it all works.

Nice.....I have been looking at these as a possible next guitar. I have yet to play one but want something strat like with a floyd rose. I like the Ibanez stuff but the prestige line is out of my pricerange. What are the necks on these like Genebaby ? Thin ?

The necks on these are by all accounts perfect, not to thick, not too thin. That's how my Flame Up is, which was the US made version. The Japanese one I am getting now is meant to have nicer fretwork and nicer rolled edges too for a comfy feel, though I have no issues with that on my Flame Up. I flat out love that guitar.

I hope to love this one as much.

I've also ordered a Tremol-No and D-Tuna for this one too. I have them for the Flame Up but haven't installed them yet.

Good LORD above! Will you're G.A.S. never end?????!!!!!!!!!!!







I can't talk! Just bought a new Volvo semi today!!!

I don't know, but it's better for now.

I am again wondering if I should sell a few.....naaahhhh....

At least we sold one to buy this! VIC YOU HOARDER!!!!!!

Hey now, trucks are a different matter. I'm not in the Bowden family here!!! Only got two cars!!

I do think my level of guitar ownership is a bit much but I just can't justify getting rid of any, and I really wanted another of these new Charvels to play in the new band with the other one.

It's workded out quite well. In the previous band I had my Pod XTLive and I played my Custom 24 fret Charvel and it's sibling, the Koa SD1, was the backup.

Now I have the Pod HD500 and the two 22 fret San Dimas Charvels, which are tuned to Eflat.

If we were still playing in E I would have a bunch of my other guitars to choose from but not wanting to mess with their set ups I now have these axes for Eflat action!!

I probably would have bought the Flame Up anyhow, the graphic and price both spoke to me but I probably, probably wouldn't have ended up with this one. Maybe.....perhaps....lol...

Tracking guitars as they are on their way is part of the fun. This one has left US soil now after visiting a few facilities. It's somewhere over the ocean, heading to Sydney!

How much was it?

Dude, just under $800 delivered! I was trying to find a local bargain but gave up waiting, there are plenty in the US.

Sweet! That IS cheap!

Yeah, it's hard to say no when they are so good. I will try to stop now.

Just check EBay, the Same guy has others. I was trying to decide between black and white and as the black was classy and cheaper I went with that one.

A store had a black one for $100 less but they had taken away the case that comes standard, which meant about $250 for me to replace so they lost a sale.

Damn!
Another one!
You sure your not just a little bit mentally ill?
...must be at the right place then eh?
(madly thinking how i can intercept the package at Sydney)

Quick, get a job at Mascot, there's LOTS of stuff there!

I am pretty sure I'm ok, mental wise. Pretty sure. Of course I don't have a certificate of sanity, but there isn't one for insanity either so I take that as a good sign.

They look nice, i like "plain" guitars. I don't however like that enormous heel on the Charvels!

It's a fairly standard heel, I know some Ibanez guitars have a different thing going on there and others have the standard neck plate, yeah?

Don't forget I was once a set-neck, neck-thru snob so it says a lot that I just love these bolt-ons. I'm not chasing anymore Soloists, just these, though I should not be chasing anything really!!

Alright, she has hit Sydney! I hope it was a soft landing!

I'll give you a dollar for the 650 XL!!!!! Got a feeling you'd want at least a thousand + more though!!!!

You mean the 750XL?.....no way man, that thing is cool, I just don't play it!!! It cost me $1800 in 93/94 so I won't be taking a bath on it anytime soon. I did used to play it live regularly for a while, before I started using the SD1. There is video footage I will try and dig up.

My wife does not like that guitar at all, thinks it's too pretty. I'm like, what???!!!! No way can it be too pretty.

However, as well as no longer caring for neck-thru and set-neck guitars I am also less caring about the bling, so the binding and sharkfins I used to love are not so important now. Love these bare maple boards with simple dots. Gotta at least have dots though, not into bare fretboards.

Sorry, yeah 750. D'oh! But to be honest, the Aussie dollar in 93/94 was worth a lot less so you wouldn't really be taking a hit………from a certain point of view! (my view obviously)


Alright, keep you're stinking guitar that your wife doesn't like. Ignore your wife at your peril!

It's been hidden away in it's case, far from her hostile gaze. I like to keep it safe!!!

The dollar notwithstanding, this is now a rare and much sought after guitar. I think I will retire when I finally do sell it!!! See your financial management specialist and ask about a line of credit to purchase this guitar!!!

"Hostile Gaze"... Bahahaha! I love it!

I'm lucky, my wife loves all of my guitars!

Well that one in particular she just really dislikes, she has some faves like the Les Paul and Flying V. She is not super fond of the "number" of guitars I have these days, lol.

Yes they add up when you buy enough of them I don't think they'll ever understand!

They do creep up on you don't they?

Got it yet???

I was thinking of posting about that!!!! Stupid UPS, there's been crap all updates online for it since it was held up for about a day while they acquired a phone number for me, which I did by providing proof I had paid for this item, yada, yada, yada.

Soooooo this morning I rang to check and she said it would be delivered tomorrow, which was a downer as I was off sick today and now I'll be off the rest of the week. I tried to get her to change the delivery but they said they must make the first attempt before they can do that and that anybody can sing for it.

Pretty crappy but I figured I would organise someone at work to be on the lookout for it and provide them a number to call.

So what happens? No change in the status until just recently where it now shows delivery was attempted today but they couldn't get hold of me! And they didn't ring my number! The number they were desperate to get!

Their call center closed at 8pm so I will be on the phone at 8am to find out what kind of business they are running.

I can't remember if I've had a guitar come in from UPS before but I am used to seeing that it's on the truck to Canberra overnight and then in the morning it's out for delivery. Which is a good heads up.

Being sick from work is a pain but I don't know how different it would have been if I was there without a phone call.

This happened to some video camera stuff I ordered from Amazon via DHL. I paid for express courier and found out that there was a failed attempt but no call was made. They offloaded it onto the regular Aussie post system for routine delivery!

I was PISSED!!! Paying for express courier and ending up with regular mail and missing my deadline for needing the items. It was the weekend of the video shoot and I wanted the larger battery and memory card to use for my own footage.

It seems DHL were swamped with deliveries from Amazon and decided it was easier to offload. Someone admitted this during my inquiries. Which is a load of crap right there.

I got by on the video shoot with the standard battery and storage and Amazon refunded my shipping money after I told them what happened and what DHL were doing over here.

So, after all that, I'm hoping to get it tomorrow!!!!!

Hope so! I bought a cheap video card and Fastway delivered it(ie left it on the front steps!) to the right number but wrong street??? Luckily I'm in a small town and the lady was honest.
Got some RAM too today in the post and one of the sticks is dead! Hopefully eBay guy is honest?!?!?! Want another 2 gig stick for work PC so hopefully he'll sell me two for the price of one???? Hopefully!!!!

The guitar is here! Not much thanks to UPS and their crappy system. I was cleaning up and found that my GMW came via UPS at least the second time he sent it to me. I was in a different building so I guess they got hold of me better then.

Anyway, it's very nice, the case is great too. I just need to set her up and tweak it to perfection. Also need to install the tremol-no and D-tuna in this guitar and then I'll do the same for the Flame Up.

Congrats Vic! At least it finally arrived! My Jackson Gold Rhoads was delivered via UPS from the US and it arrived in less than a week for $180 man was I jazzed!

I am not stoked at their antiquated systems but they were a very good price for a non-shop for shipping.

Almost the cheapest I have paid for an overseas guitar.

I have to watch myself now, no more guitars!!!!

"No more Guitars"?? I'm going to pretend I didn't read that Vic... You know deep down you want more guitars!!

We all do don't we?!!!!.....lol.....I am trying to control it. For the near future I can't see a need for another....but tomorrow is another day!!

I call bullshit. Fuck whores or buy guitars??? Your wife should support you either way !!!

Uhh, maybe not......

At least the whores then...

That's the dream!!