subject: History of B.C. Rich Guitars [print this page] BC Rich Guitars are an organization specialising in angular and extreme electric guitar shapes and styles best suited for rock, hard rock and heavy metal music. Bernardo Chavez Rico was a doubtful person to build distinct guitars. Bernardo Rico (aka "Bernie") was an accomplished Flamenco acoustic player. From the early-to-mid 60s Bernie Rico exclusively created Flamenco guitars in Bernardo's Guitar Store in LA, Cal. Ex- executive Vice President, Mal Stich, said, "When you walked into Bernardo's shop the first thing you noticed was wall to wall guitars hanging from the wall like birthday celebration balloons. There was a glass counter with picks, strings, guitar components and accessories. Behind the counter was a window and you could watch the guys constructing electric guitars. And, the best thing was that there were usually Flamenco and Classical players pickin away. I recall Flamenco musicians firing at each other with riff after riff. Bernie's dad, Bernardo Mason Rico, was usually sitting in his chair next to the Coca-Cola machine while friends and neighbors, even the postman, stood spellbound as they listened to the music."
We're recognizing BC Rich's Fortieth Anniversary stamping 1969 as the time Bernie set out on his first real try to manufacture guitars and basses. It was recorded that ten basses influenced by the Gibson EB-3 electric bass in addition to 10 matching Les Paul influenced electric guitars were hand-crafted. At present few of these musical instruments exist, and it's rumored that fewer than the number above had been actually finished.
The period around 1972 was exceptionally auspicious. The first original electric guitar design, the Seagull, was handcrafted in Bernardo's shop. True to future style, the Seagull guitar was visually distinctive as well as revolutionary. Its neck-through design (now an embarkment of BC Rich Guitars) featured a heel-less design very rare for that point in time.
Bernie soon hired a number of proficient designers to compliment his extremely proficient craftsmen. Most of the distinct shapes that would emerge from this expansion had become legendary shapes associated with electric guitars. Around 1976 arrived the Mockingbird, and then the additional development of the Seagull, the Eagle guitar emerged, and around 1978 came the Bich was introduced. A few of the most respected musicians instantly took to the brand new trend of BC Rich Guitars.
With growing success, there was a need for a inexpensive mass-produced BC Rich guitar. Nearly around 1978 Bernie developed the BC Rico brand name to designate guitars to be imported from Japan. This first try was not profitable when the Rico Reed Company filed a lawsuit over using the brand. Regardless of the consequence, the choice was already made to use the BC Rich name on imported electric guitars. Merely a small portion, perhaps a hundred or so BC Rico guitars ever made it to the United States.
When the early 1980s came, the Warlock was introduced. Almost instantly the hair metal culture of the era took to the Warlock's edgy and distinctive sculpt. The Warlock, while nowhere near the newest style created, rounds out the primary 5 legendary BC Rich shapes and styles.
The 90s and 2000s witnessed a new crop of nasty models even pointier than the 80s models. These included the Draco, Zombie, Ignitor, Beast (master-minded by Brian Hoffman, guitarists of death metal band Deicide), Warbeast (a mixture of Beast and Warlock).
BC Rich are also known for their endorsement deals with a number of important and revered hard rock and metal artists including Kerry King of Slayer (whose signature guitar is diabolic V-shaped axe that has intensive tribal visual work over the body. He also has a signature guitar primarily based on the Warlock). The late Chuck Schuldiner of Death (when Schuldiner died of cancer in 2001 BC Rich launched a tribute guitar based on his preferred guitar, the BC Rich Stealth). Paul Stanley of KISS, and Paolo Gregoletto (bassist of Trivium) are also endorsed BC Rich players. If you are like me, when you think of hard rock and metal... you think of recognizable guitars like BC Rich Guitars. They helped shape rock and roll.
