B.C.Rich History

B.C. Rich is a brand known for its many so-called "unconventional" guitar models, with iconic models like the Mockingbird and Warlock featuring unique, unconventional shapes. Today, it is one of the guitar brands favored by artists who use heavy distortion and deep overdrive.

Personally, I used to think of B.C. Rich as a brand of “guitars meant to be distorted” or “guitars used by metal guitarists.”

I wanted more people to discover B.C. Rich, which is why I decided to write this column.

So, starting here, we’ll trace the history ofB.C. Rich.

Then, in 1972, Rico completed the first guitar he designed, the Seagull, and Bass. The Seagull featured a single-cutaway design with a through-neck construction utilizing a heel-less neck joint, but the body had an unconventional shape: it was thin like an SG, with the cutaway on the G-string side protruding outward and the area around the toggle switch on the D-string side tapering to a point.

While many brands now adopt the heel-less neck joint, the Seagull was one of the earliest models in the history of electric guitars to incorporate this design. Regarding the through-neck construction, it is said that they shared information with builders like Rick Turner of Allen-Bickat the time. As a result, the through-neck construction and heel-less joint became synonymous with B.C. Rich and were carried over to subsequent models.

Around the same time, they also developed a model called the Bich. The Bich had an even more eccentric shape than the models released earlier and was designed by Neil Moser, who had worked on the controls for the Seagull. I think the most eye-catching feature of the Bich is the design where a large section of the body end has been cut out. Why such an eccentric design? The reason is that it was conceived for a 10-string guitar with fourauxiliarystrings onthe body end. The cutout is positioned precisely so that tuning pegs for the auxiliary strings can be mounted directly under the bridge, and the wood in that area has been thinned to accommodate the pegs.

On 12-string guitars and other instruments that use auxiliary strings, the tuning pegs are naturally placed at the headstock, but this has the structural drawback of making them difficult to turn. However, by placing the pegs on the body, the Bich eliminates this inconvenience. Additionally, since the weight isn’t overly concentrated at the headstock, the body balance isn’t as bad as it looks; despite its unconventional design, it’s built with playability in mind. Some models feature two preamp boosters based on Seagull’s standard controls.

In 1981, about five years after the birth of the Bich, the Warlock model was released. This was the first model Rico designed on a drafting table, featuring a sharp, angular design with distinct contours that stood in stark contrast to the smooth curves of previous models. Also, while B.C. Rich had previously used 3:3 tuners, the Warlock was the first to feature single-row tuners. Bernardo himself apparently wasn’t particularly fond of the Warlock’s design when he first created it, but Spencer Sercum, the guitarist for the band Shark Island, liked the design, and production moved forward. It went on to be used by prominent artists such as Rita Ford and Nikki Sixx, gaining explosive popularity.

Joe Perry used a Bich, but personally, I think the fact that the Warlock was used by HR/HM artists has had a major influence on the current image of B.C. Rich.

Later, in 1982, they released the Ironbird, featuring a lightning-bolt design. In 1983, they released the Wave and the Stealth. The Wave, true to its name, is another distinctive model with a body shape that undulates like a wave. The Stealth features a body shape resembling a slimmer version of the Gibson Explorer with a reverse headstock, and it is said to have been designed by Rick Derringer.

In 1984, the company began selling the NJ Series, which was manufactured in Nagoya. However, due to the strong yen, production was moved to South Korea, and the company began manufacturing a more affordable series. By 1995, the company was exploring various approaches, such as selling acoustic guitars, but in 1999, Rico tragically passed away from a heart attack. In 2001, the company was acquired by the Hanser Music Group, and it remains under their ownership today.

While B.C. Rich continues to release affordable series today, you can still get a sense of the era through the expansion of the Custom Shop and certain models featuring 1970s-style controls.

As a side note, when I previously wrote a column about the Aria Pro II, I mentioned that there was a history of Aria creating a B.C. Rich copy model and then using that as the basis for their own original model. The MK, a Mockingbird copy model of the Aria Pro II, went on sale in the late 1970s. The fact that copy models were released so soon after the Mockingbird’s debut in 1976 speaks to Japan’s resilience, as well as its admiration and passion for artists. Additionally, B.C. Rich copy models were released by Burny , a brand under Fernandes, further demonstrating the immeasurable influence B.C. Rich has had in Japan.

As I mentioned at the beginning, there aren’t many guitars that change your impression so drastically before and after you actually play them.

In a nutshell: It was a shocking experience when I first played the 1970s Seagull, which inspired me to write this B.C. Rich column.
I still cannot forget the excitement I felt at that moment, and models—and brands—that have changed my impression this much between “before I knew” and “after I knew” are extremely rare to me.
And I suspect there are quite a few people out there who still hold the same image of the B.C. Rich brand that I once did.
I want those people to discover the true appeal of B.C. Rich. That desire is what led me to write this column.
I would be delighted if reading this column sparks even a little interest in B.C. Rich for you.

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