software

I've been offered in a sale one of these three models of the Wolfgang with a floyd rose.

My questions are:

a) what are the tonal differences between the three?

b) How can you tell the differences between the three? (archtop vs flattop, markings, serial numbers, birdseye vs non-birdseye, binding etc)

c) Pickups - the same for all or are there differences?

Thanks guys...

The only thing about the Korean Model that is the same as the USA one is the pickup bobbins. The rest is all cheaper alternatives. The Korean one has a flat, quilted maple top, die cast (rather than milled) lisenced floyd rose.

That said, I love my Korean one to pieces, its not usually the look I would go for, a bit modern, but it just won me over with its sound and playability for the price. I also really like the stock pickups, articualted, and fairly hot.

bump-o-rama

American standard- basswood body, arched maple top, binding, birdseye maple neck.

American special - flat top basswood body, no maple top, no binding, plain rock maple neck. Everything else is the same I believe.

There was also an american special flame/quilt top that they made for a while before the Korean model came out. It was just like the American special with an added flame/quilt maple flat top laminate and binding.

As far as the sound of difference between the standard and special... I have never compared them side by side one after the other, because I do not own a standard just a special. But from what I can tell from the standards I've played in stores, they are extremely similar.

A real easy way to tell if it's a Korean model is the korean models have oval tuning keys and the american models have square keys.

Thanks El Dorado...

Will check out the tuning keys on this particular wolfgang. The main problem is that nowhere on the guitar does it say ' made in USA/Korea'. This sort of situation is prime for rip-off merchants trying to pass off Korean models as US ones. I know some have 1vol /1tone control setup whereas some have just 1 volume control. Does anyone know which one is which?

checkout this site
from : localhost/made by my good mate Ned.

That lists all the differences and stuff like that.

I have a Wolfie Special Korean. I love it to pieces also. Yes, it may have inferior parts, but it has soul. It has Grover tuners which is a plus. My only gripe is the Allen Key screws on the Floyd are a tad weak and wear easily.

I like them all, even the cheaper one.. I think the korean ones only came in quilt top so if it's a solid colour or flame top it's the american one.

Rid has one of the korean ones that he's swapped the pups out and put on an OFR, it sounds great. I think he also sanded off the Peavey logo though

I've got a Special Flametop. It's a great guitar, right in the middle of the Special and Standard. Tonally, the run of the mill Specials have a warmer, smoother tone. The Standards have a little more top end bite to them due to the maple top. The Special Flametop tonally is closer to the Standard, not much difference in fact. I prefer the flat top, myself. The Standard also has the birdseye neck while the Specials have regular hard rock maple. That being said, my Special has quite a bit of flame to the back of the neck.

Is there any real benefit to the birdseye maple, or is it purely cosmetic?

other than different woods I dont really understand what you pay for with the more expensive US models. AFAIK they all have licensed floyds and the pickups arent anything amazing. i think that there are better deals from other companies. just my opinion. they do play great tho.

The birdseye is purely cosmetic. That's another reason why I got the Special Flametop. I didn't really care to shell out the extra coin for a couple of cosmetic issues. That and I prefer the flat top as well as the volume only control layout. The Standard has the best hardware and electronics. The Specials have chrome tuners which seem to work just fine to me, especially witht the locking nut. But some people prefer the Standard's tuners. The electronics on the Korean models are pretty cheap. The biggest price increase between the US Specials and the Standards are the arctop. They're more expensive to make. So they cost more for the customer.

I'm guessing that the wood in the USA specials and USA standards are pretty much the same, except for the extra maple that you pay for the archtop. Is that about right?

Anyone got specs on the pickups?

Ha.. the million dollar qn (well, not quite Which one does Eddie Van Halen use to record / play onstage???

Does he even use any of these wolfgangs in the studio?

On stage, he used a first year sunburst Standard.