San Dimas Style 1 and So-Cal

[RR3DKMG]

I know that they are virtually the same guitar, only one has a pickguard and DiMarzio pups and the other no pickguard and Seymour Duncan pups, which one do you prefer?

P.S. This is my first post

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

Hi and welcome to the forums.

I prefer rear-routed guitars, so I would vote for the San Dimas Style 1. But you really can't go wrong with either of these. Which do YOU prefer?

[RR3DKMG]

Hi and welcome to the forums.

I prefer rear-routed guitars, so I would vote for the San Dimas Style 1. But you really can't go wrong with either of these. Which do YOU prefer?

I'd go San Dimas Style 1 just because it's more what I'm leaning towards buying on terms of the pick-ups, I played both of them just to make sure I knew which one I was gonna put my money on. You're right that you can't go wrong with either of these stunning guitars but I vote the San Dimas.

Thank You.

[cvansickle]

Do what I did - buy one of each!

And I disagree with the OP. They are not virtually the same guitar except for pickup differences. The So-Cal is routed like a Fender with H-S-H channels under the pickguard. (When Guitar World magazine reviewed the Pro Mods last year, they actually printed that the So-Cal's pickguard was just for show, mounted on top of a San Dimas body, but that statement isn't true.) This rout gives the So-Cal more acoustic resonance than the San Dimas. In contrast, the solid top gives the San Dimas more bite. These features don't make one model better or worse than the other, just different.

[Acesofbelkan]

I'd go with the So-cal. I really like the look of the pickgaurd. It gives it such a hot-rod look. Besides I feel its easier to customize a So-cal. You can have so many different pickup setups with the quick change of a pickguard.

[cvansickle]

You can have so many different pickup setups with the quick change of a pickguard.

I'm going to have at least three variations for this. The first one is the stock, of course. Second is a one pickup guard with coil split and Stellartone ToneStyler - this goes on with the next string change. The third will be a H-S-H configuration with a five-way blade switch.

[Newc]

I set one of my SoCals up for H-S-H and another for S-S-S. Had to cut a bit out of the cavity to get the bridge single coil in place (Warmoth Strat pickguard).

[Grim]

I've got a So-Cal and I love it, even the look. It's got a similar colour to my beloved '79 strat (which I cut up and put a DiMarzio Super Distortion in, and never got the original back!) and the black pickguard, and it sounds incredible and plays wonderfully.