Guess so, I don't know what the headstock reminds me off, Bc rich maybe?

its gonna be a straight bar about 10mm/5mm (12th/24th) going across, i was gonna get my initials put in there, but i think it'll look a little rubbish :P I love that headstock, and i want dariusz to 'over-angle' it about 8* more than he would usually do (if its structurally possible)

why angle it more?

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Just a little more, to add to the effect, i like the way it looks irregular, its kinda eye catching. Personal tastes and all that

Isnt that a slightly more angled BCR headstock?

Can't wait for my RR now i'm allready planning my next custom which will be based on Mick thompsons Ibanez's in some ways.

Ozz

wicked, im a big mick thomson fan, what are you planning for your next guitar, what features?

I alway thought those BC Rich headstocks looked like big oars(think rowing boats )

Yeah it will be a Snow White Mirage with matching headstock two EMG's 81/85, V/V/T Satin neck finish, Gotoh Floyd.

Maybe a larger lower cutout or sculpted area for my pinky.

Ozz

We are looking at 2 weeks for the arrival of my first Ran!!!!

Looks like an excellent month for Ran, mine's supposed to come around the 25th, and I think Def's is not far off either.

yup, I should get the final message this or next week, I'm curious about the first pics!!

yea, you shoud DEF (get what i did there ...yea im sad ) post the finals pics if you get them. and please give me your ibanez when you get the ran

you can buy it off me

I can't wait for all these lusious Ran pics

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same! cant wait either

I've sent a few quotes to Ran before now and have been saving up for a while, although my attempts at saving have been hampered somewhat; girlfriends are expensive :P

I had been drooling over various customisations of Vs with Dimebag heads, but just now I realised how sexy the Ironbird copy is, and I've got a bit nuts with my quote. Thought you guys might like to see what I may be ordering soon...



R_or_L_handed=right handed
body_shape=Thunder
construction=neck thru
body_material=alder
top_wood_options=flamed maple
binding_top=yes
binding_back=no
binding_color=black
pickup_configuration=HUM-HUM
finish=satin black black see-thru (blending outward into red see-thru)
headstock_shape=Thunder
neck_material=maple
reverse=yes
headstock_finish=match body finish (red see-thru)
neck_finish=clear satin
fingerboard=ebony
number_of_frets=24
fret_size=extra jumbo
fingerboard_inlays=no
custom_inlays=yes (specify below)
fingerboard_end=square
fingerboard_binding=yes
headstock_binding=yes
binding_color=black
nut=locking
width=1 11/16''
hardware_color=black
bridge_system=Schaller Locking Floyd Rose Tremolo
tuning_machines=Schaller M6
pickups=EMG
pickups_neck=EMG 89
pickups_middle=N/A
pickups_bridge=EMG 81
control_knobs=2 x volume + tone
pickup_selector=3-way lever
hard_case=yes
additional=Instead of the standard Schaller Locking Floyd Rose Tremelo, could I have the Schaller Locked Low Profile Floyd Rose Tremelo (Schaller ref #: 15370)?

With regard to the body and headstock finish, could the centre of the body be black see-thru, and have this blend outward into red see-thru? Also, I'd like the Ran logo to be black against a see-thru red headstock

One more thing, could I have a Mother of Pearl block inlay at the 12th fret with the initials 'DM' centred on the inlay? Other than that, no inlays at all

Please let me know how much all this will cost, including shipping. Also, how do you take payment, in installments or all at once?



A little nutty, I know :P Hopefully I'll be able to afford this sometime soon, I've always dreamed of owning a custom guitar

wow... that sounds like a really awsome guitar! expesially the finish

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Cheers man! I just hope that the finish combo doesn't inflate the price too much :S

Incidentally, does anyone know how comfortable it is to play an Ironbird sitting in classical position?

hey

i have just emailed for quote from ran for a price
and i was just wondering if they can do built in effects
like delay etc....

BTW i have seen a few guitars made by jackson charvel
and burns with these effects built in.I'm just hoping ran do it

If you source the part numbers and will pay for the work, I don't see why they shouldn't do anything like that

thanks

i have just emailed them about it
just waiting for a reply

Just got the quote back... €1420! Ouch! Better get some overtime in at work and pay off my credit card before I even think about ordering this baby :P

dumbass question i know.

but what's a low profile trem

Standard Floyd:
http://www.vintagekramer.com/parts/floydblkorg.jpg
http://www.floydrose.com/images/bridges/original.jpg
http://www.floydrose.com/images/parts/original.jpg

Low Profile Floyd:
http://www.vintagekramer.com/parts/floydpro.jpg
http://www.floydrose.com/images/bridges/pro.jpg
http://www.floydrose.com/images/parts/FR-ProParts.jpg

oh

The one thing most poeple love about Ran is the fact you can pay half as a deposit and half on completion, allthough this is probably very bad for htose who have a credit card and a very high limit!

Damm i'm so excited about the RR and then i've allready planned my next Ran, allthough I need a better amp if i get my band going.

Ozz

The main reason I got my credit card in the first place was so that I could get a Ran, but then they told me that they only accept wire transfer

heheheh, can;'t you take money out of your accountor just wire it from your account thats what i did with my debit account I shouldnt see why a credit card one should be different, in fact it's worse as the money isnt actually yours, and the bigger limit's.

Ozz

A debit card is usually linked to your bank account, so you wire the money from your bank account

If I'd wanted to, I could have taken out money from an ATM using my credit card, then put that in my bank account and wired it, but that would have been alot of hassle, as well as a hugely bad idea

Yea man, withdrawing cash from your creditr card at an ATM is a very bad idea as the interest they charge on that compared to a normal credit card purchase is crazy and not really worth it in the long run.

It's not so bad when you have 0% interest on everything for the first year

What card gives you 0% on cash withdrawls in the UK?

I'd like to know because I want one. Althou I think you are mistaken, it might be 0% on ALL purchases but a uk credit card has never offered 0% interest on cash withdrawls.

Not sure about the UK, but US card companies will give you 0% for a few months if you just call and ask them... or threaten to cancel your account with them. I would suggest saving the money and paying it all without credit though. It is the best way. Never use money you don't own.

Ran guitars are very nice. During my excel here I have had lot of time to play mine. I just completed my biannual cleaning/adjustment checks and I had to fix the truss rod adjustment on the ran. I had just a slight relief on the neck so I fixed that, reset-up the bridge level, intonation, and fine tuned the action. The neck is so thin that I assumed that I would have to adjust the truss after about a year. It performs like day 1 again now. Long live Ran guitars

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There's a surcharge, but I didn't read anything in the Ts&Cs that said interest would be charged on cash withdrawals. I'm with Sainsbury's Bank, it was the only one I could find that offered 12months 0% on purchases, and their savings accounts have pretty good rates

did u have to ask for a thin neck or did it come as standard?

i love thin necks :P

I believe that is the standard for Ran

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they come with a thin neck, designed by Peter from the metalband Vader.

Yup, the thin neck is standard. I don't think it could get much thiner actually. Kinda makes other necks feel huge.

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def you got yours yet man?

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nope... delayed...

I hope mine doesnt get delayed.....1 and a half months to go

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I think mine is gonna take half a year, exactly

must have been my crazy demands

Wauw, my first question answered before i stated it But i would like to know if anybody can tell me how thin the necks are compared to those nice Ibanez Wizard necks. Thinner/thicker?

Also i would like to have bit of help making the final touches before submitting my ran to get a price(not that i have the money right now but it's nice to know).

1)It ought to seem quite obvious to anyone that these guitars are made for metal but i would like for it to be able to handle other genres. At least to some extent. So to handle both different kinds of metal aswell as blues/rock(rock is not very important to me) what would you guys recomend for wood type(both body and neck/fretboard) and pickup configuration. I was thinking an Alder body, maple neck-thru with rosewood fretboard and for the PU's i was thinking EMG 89-SA-81(Neck-Middle-Bridge) to be able to both get SC-SC-HUM and HUM-SC-Hum configurations. But i don't know how well this will handle bluesy stuff so any sugestions?

2)What is the big difference between the Hivison and the Cruiser? I'm looking for a superstrat since i feel and get the impression that those are the best guitar type to go for i you want to play lightning fast leads(not that i'm anywhere near that good)

3) Bindings? I know what they are but would you recomend neck/headstock bindings?

Thanks for you're time and sorry for any misspells

I ordered white binding all around, top of the body, neck and headstock...

I went with a Kramer Stagemaster body, later known as the carved-top ESP MH bodies.

the neck have an even thinner profile then a Wizzard I/II neck, especially near the top 5 frets, if you want the exact dimension, I can find them for you, I've got them in an email somewhere. I got the dimensions of the wizzard necks too if you would need them.

I went with an 85/81 setup, which is fine for me. if you want a lot of versatility, I'de rather get a different set of pickups, I have an RG750 with dimarzio's in it, two tone-zone's and one blue velvet in the middle position, it's great for bluesy/jazzy stuff. I'de probably get passives instead, for versatility. ofcourse, thats a matter of your own taste too.

question: 'wauw' - are you Dutch?

Naah sorry, i'm one of those danish vikings

I don't need the exact mesures of those necks. I just played with an Ibanez a couple of times and was really impressed in the increase in speed i got from that thinner neck.

I think i'll stick to actives and then let my old guitar handle the blues. It's Epiphone SG Pierced and surprisingly it handles blues(clean or with little crunch) quite well IMO.

But then as a metal only akse what would you sugestfor PU's? i made my config because i really like the sound of EMG's and as stated before it allows me to get both Hum-SC-Hum and Sc-SC-Hum config as i would like it to be able to handle both stuff like maiden and Metallica and nastier stuff like Melodeath(In Flames, Soilwork, Dark tranquility, Children of Bodom) and true black from the cold north(Immortal, Satyricon, darkthrone)

And while were at it. fret size? i was thinking extre jumbo but i don't really have a clue as to how it will work for me. I'm a bit scared that i might accidently press the strings down to the fretboards and make "bends" if i get it with XJ frets

Any thought on that Def?

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I like EMG's too, some people prefer passives like seymour duncan jazz/jb sets or dimarzio setups. it's a matter of taste really, some people thing EMG's sound sterile but that's pretty relative.

I think for your taste in bands, the EMG's will do just fine, what amp are you using?

about frets, I'm not too high on XJ frets, I prefer medium frets like found on gibson les pauls and shit, I just play way faster on guitars with medium frets (you don't have to push down that hard and you can set it up for terribly low action)

I really like EMG 85/81's (got them on my Strat), and I love the JB/Jazz set-up, which is what I'm getting for my Ran.

Concerning fret size, I prefer standard size, like the one's found on Strats - my playing's a lot smoother and faster with them, but that's because they're what I'm used to.

Hmm, Dariusz said my Ran should be ready around the 25-30th this month!

Right now i'm using a relly shitty behringer GX110(http://www.behringer.com/GX110/index.cfm?lang=ENG). It got okay cleans but really shitty distortion(but who can blame it, it's cheap and SS ). It's funny, i hear that they make good cabs but this amp really is shit(or maybe it's me it's wrong with, you never know). My dreams is to get my hands on either a used Peavey 5150 II or one of those new Peavey 6505, but i think a used 5150 II will be the cheapest solution. and if i can't get that kind of money anytime soon i will try to find another okay amp, hopefully tube.

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I guess mine too, or well, just about the same time. man, our's are gonna be twins!

Hah yeah

Except yours will be the ugly twin, and mine will be getting all the guitar-chicks.

I gotta ask this to someone that owns a Ran or has played one. Looking at a lot of these, the neck where it meets the body, it seems really thick and chunky like this:
http://ranguitars.floriandecher.de/.../KH2Custom8.jpg
Was is like that with ur Ran, or the Ran you played? And this is one Ran I found that seems okay, I'd prefer this more cuz it's flatter:
http://ranguitars.floriandecher.de/...yingCustom4.jpg

The First one is that 7 string KH alike, so I guess the heel need's to be that thick as it's gotta support more, a thinner heel might snap due to the extra tension of the low B.

The later is the usual heel i've seen on the neck through Ran 6 string's.

But you can always ask Dariusz what was up with the 7 stringer.

Mine shouldnt be toolong, only another few week's, and my dream axe will be here, well one of my dream axe's anyhoo.

Ozz

how much does it cost in total?

i have a couple questions.

Whats the difference between a bone and graphite nut? what will happen to the sound and such... and which is cheaper

and which is cheaper: string thru or stop bar.

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might be the same price with ran, but if there is a differance, i think the stop bar would be less, less drilling, but string throughs are badass.

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I imagine a graphite nut will be more expensive but, since graphite is a natural lubricant due to it's molecular structure, you won't get any of those 'ping' noises whenever you're tuning up the higher strings and they snag on the nut

And I agree, string throughs are much better than stopbars. They look better and improve tone

your joking ya? all you have to use with string thru's is furrels (i think thats what theyre call). the lil metal things. and you even NEED it with strings thrus. stop bar would cost more because of the actual hardware.

drilling holes cost jack shit.

so ya, string thru would be cheaper

a graphite nut should provide more sustain.

string thru's are allright but I prefer stopbars for fast muting plus it's faster to change strings, I don't know, I allways prefered the les paul style bridges because they give a nice handrest too.

whats the news on your ran def?

nothing. should be here round the end of the month

Better tuning stability aswell.

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That is the coolest avatar in the world

haha, thanks

Dammit, it better not be delayed even longer . And yeah, sweet avatar, beats the hell outta having some Dutch Flag...

Ahem.. Courtesy of yours truly.

so is it all made or are they just doing the finishing touches?

will they send you photos? if so, let us see

D. will send me pics before it gets shipped off, yeah.

they're busy with the finishing now

agreed!

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yea!! ***DIME*** is bangin it hardcore erhmmm, not rex,

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Damn mines been delayed til mid july
oh well.

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At least you're getting one bitch.

Jesus dude, when did you put your order in?

Did Dariusz give you a reason why it's been delayed?

Big D has got lots of orders this year. Last I know he was waiting on supplies. I told him I would try to help him get some parts from the US but I had problems with cost too. I feel bad cause I haven't sent him an e-mail to tell him about that in months. I hope he isn't pissed at me.

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i dont know when you placed your order but mid july really isnt that bad, so far the worst i have heard is a 6 month wait or so, thats awsome considering bigger guys like jackson and Bc rich wont even start your guitar for about a year after you place the order

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welcome back 'ol cunt

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Haha I have a cool idea, once Def and I get our Ran's, we should have a "Ran-off" and create a poll with every Ran on this forum.

hmm yea

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this one by far is still the best one i have seen, and is the basis for mine, if i ever get one http://ranguitars.floriandecher.de/...lueInVader.html

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I think mine should at least get a few bonus points for being the only one with a Kahler. That and I replaced the 3 way switch with a completely black one. Now all the hardware matches. I'm also replacing the control plate with black diamond deck in a week. I love my Ran. It's my, ....precious

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Soul wins... he has a Kahler.

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My Ran won't be ready till june................................................god dammit

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cool idea!

when is yours due? I emailed Dariusz to ask if there's been more delay... I see all these delays posted here and it doesn't make me happy after waiting since october

I don't understand what all this fuss is over Kahlers, what makes them so good?

easier to change strings, by 1000 times, easier to set up. Floyds are a bitch to deal with, kahlers just make it that much easier, and they stopped making kahlers, they make them now but there a lot of $$.

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You can get them new for about $290 USD, and many prefer the feel ofa kahler to a Floyd, the string changes are easier, and the bridge is higher so it isnt much of a difference for someone who likes TOM's.

Ozz

damn i wish i had one, my next custom will!!!!!
thats the next thing im savin up for, a 2300 flatmount

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I ordered my Ran around the 5th December.
Hmm, I haven't emailed him about the guitar since last month I think, but when I first ordered it he said it should be ready around April 25th-30th.
I'm gonna' wait till the 30th, and then contact him.

I emailed him today, so I'll hear about it. mine would be ready end of feb, early march though I made some slight changes, it's been delayed a bit

Just got an email from Big D:

Hi Alex,
Next week, we will start the painting process of your guitar...it takes
approx. 4 weeks.
The building time was delayed because of misunderstanding with flamed
maple
top option /I had to build new neck thru block/ and changes in your
specs.
Your guitar will be ready to dispatch about the 3rd of June.

Hey, at least with the flame top "misunderstanding" I get a free flame maple top.
Suck on that bitches!

*awaits his email of delayment* lol

thats pretty good that you get a flamed maple top

Haha yeah, it's because I originally ordered a Virgin with matt black paint and red bevels, but I included the maple top so I could get the tone. Dariusz omitted the maple top because I didn't want a flame maple finish, but now I do, so yeah, cool!

Oh and I found some fucking cool pics of the paintjob I'm getting, these aren't photoshopped like the other ones I posted:

http://img194.echo.cx/my.php?image=8833xp.jpg

http://img194.echo.cx/my.php?image=5339sl.jpg

http://img194.echo.cx/my.php?image=4736xv.jpg

http://img194.echo.cx/my.php?image=2e35pm.jpg

looks totally awesome man, our Ran's will totally own!!

what are those diamonds known as on the fingerboard
or are they just called diamonds.


with my ran i will be getting very soon i wouldnt mind having
them inlays.

they're not regular SG inlays, is the SG on the pic a Sg supreme?

just show the pics to Big D and he can make something of it, he's the friggin jedi master when it comes to guitars!

when was it originally planned to be finished??

what body shape are you having,

or am i not aloud to know untill it comes

Yep, it's an SG supreme.
Mine and Def's Rans will kick the utmost of ass!
Oh and I just emailed Dariusz again, I want a hardcase. My baby needs to be protected.

Kramer Stagemaster carved top....

Hah Def, what's your MSN, we need to talk about Ran!

cooool