USA Wild Card quality?

[jclogston]

Hi -

I've always wanted to get the Wild Card #3 (single hum, black San Dimas) and one came up. How are the wild card's quality compared to the USA production line; any different or the same?

Thanks

Jeff

[Number Of The Priest]

It's the third of the three USA Wild Cards. So it should be the same as all other USA Pro-Mods.

This is my favorite-looking Wild Card out of the eight that were released (3 American, 5 Japanese).

How much is the seller asking?

[jclogston]

It's the third of the three USA Wild Cards. So it should be the same as all other USA Pro-Mods.

This is my favorite-looking Wild Card out of the eight that were released (3 American, 5 Japanese).

How much is the seller asking?

$950 plus $50 shipping.
I love how it looks. If it only had a single coil in the neck, it would be perfect!

[Number Of The Priest]

They retailed for $1099 back in 2010 (without case). See catalog scan here: http://www.jcfonline.com/threads/145...ls-catalog-ads (Look at the last scan in the first post for the Wild Card #3).

There were only two Wild Cards that had HS pickups, but they were Japanese:

Wild Card #6:


Wild Card #7:

[jclogston]

They retailed for $1099 back in 2010 (without case). See catalog scan here: http://www.jcfonline.com/threads/145...ls-catalog-ads (Look at the last scan in the first post for the Wild Card #3).

There were only two Wild Cards that had HS pickups, but they were Japanese:

Wild Card #6:


Wild Card #7:

Thanks for the info. I like the WC#7 but want a maple board unfortunately.
Seems like a fair price I would think?

[guirat]

I'm in the UK, and in 2010 my Wildcard3 cost £899 new which equated to about $1340. We have to pay 20% tax. Then I had to buy a case
The last used one I saw on Ebay went for £700 ($1044). Previously I've seen them go for less, but maybe they're getting harder to find now.
Of course you would want to check the condition, whether it has been modded (and if you like the mods, or are they reversible).

Quality feels very good to me, it seems a very 'solid' guitar, tight tolerances. But I'm not an expert who has compared many guitars.

[Number Of The Priest]

Personally $1000 is on the upper edge of what I'm currently willing to pay for a production USA Jackson/Charvel on the used market. I would love to have a Wild Card #3, but at that price (which is close to its original retail price) it better be in excellent-to-mint condition and I better fall in love with it.

Not sure what will happen to the value of the USA Pro-Mods now that Charvel announced the USA Select Series. The USA Pro-Mods were advertised selling for $1099 (no case) and the Charvel website lists the current Mexican Pro-Mods in roughly the same ballpark (no case either). The USA Select Series will likely be at least $1500 (probably much higher) and maybe people will seek out the initial USA Pro-Mods with more enthusiasm. Time will tell.

[paranoid]

I have wild cards 3-8 and will tell you that the #3 is buy far may favorite. As far as I am concerned it is worth what it sold for new, if you wanted custom shop quality at production cost(if it is in mint condition)

[jclogston]

I have wild cards 3-8 and will tell you that the #3 is buy far may favorite. As far as I am concerned it is worth what it sold for new, if you wanted custom shop quality at production cost(if it is in mint condition)

I've never played a MIA Charvel, but have 3 MIJ (2 So Cals, 1 San Dimas) which I love. I know there is much debate between MIA vs MIJ (and vs MIM for that matter), but without opening a huge can of worms, what are the main differences?

Thanks

Jeff

[Number Of The Priest]

I have a USA Pro-Mod So-Cal and an early Japanese Pro-Mod So-Cal (before they started recessing the trems and replacing the DiMarzios for Duncans). They're virtually indistinguishable. I wrote about some of the subtle differences here: http://www.jcfonline.com/threads/149...l-in-candy-red

Biggest differences came with the 2016 Mexican Pro-Mods. By now, all guitars have Duncans, volume knob moved further back, flatsawn maple necks with graphite reinforcement rods, truss rod spokewheel at the heel, bypassable tone knob, and the versatile six pack of sound electronics suite. I believe the 2015 models (also Mexican) had the standard volume knob location, quartersawn maple necks, no truss rod spokewheel, no tone knob, and no electronics versatility suite.

[paranoid]

I've never played a MIA Charvel, but have 3 MIJ (2 So Cals, 1 San Dimas) which I love. I know there is much debate between MIA vs MIJ (and vs MIM for that matter), but without opening a huge can of worms, what are the main differences?

Thanks

Jeff

the feel of the neck is the biggest dif for me. The neck is a little thinner feeling and much smoother. it also seems to have a cleaner tighter tone, but that may be all in my head.

[jclogston]

So I ended up buying, hopefully it will arrive in the next few days.
Question for y'all, since it has a single humbucker, I was thinking of adding a push/pull to have either coil splitting or parallel wiring. Which would you do? I'm more inclined to go with splitting as parallel is probably weak as hell in the bridge position. And any thoughts on good humbuckers? I'm not a fan of the JB so I might swap that out for something else, maybe a Duncan Custom 8?

Thanks

Jeff

[jclogston]

I got the guitar today (talk about really quick shipping). The guitar feels great! I love the flat black; is this like matte black essentially?
The neck is very nice, feels different than my MIJ necks but different in a good way.

Now do all USA production models feel like this or is it because this is a wild card?

Jeff

[toejam]

So I ended up buying, hopefully it will arrive in the next few days.
Question for y'all, since it has a single humbucker, I was thinking of adding a push/pull to have either coil splitting or parallel wiring. Which would you do? I'm more inclined to go with splitting as parallel is probably weak as hell in the bridge position. And any thoughts on good humbuckers? I'm not a fan of the JB so I might swap that out for something else, maybe a Duncan Custom 8?

Thanks

Jeff

I'd go with something kind of hot, since those sound a little closer to single coils when split. A Custom 8 might be pretty nice, perhaps the Alternative 8 for something a little hotter. I know a Nazgul works well split.

[DRM]

Put an Alnico 8 magnet in that JB.