With its outstanding construction, pro-quality parts and stellar tones, the B.C. Rich Shredzilla Prophecy Archtop provides the ideal platform for the impressive, revolutionary EverTune bridge.
Pros
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High-powered pickups with searing tones.
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Coil-tap feature makes it surprisingly versatile.
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EverTune bridge is consistently impressive.
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Fast and playable neck.
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Eye-catching finish.
Cons
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Finish will be too ostentatious for some.
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For those guitarists out there who want to try the revolutionary EverTune bridge pre-installed in an instrument, the choices at most retailers are somewhat limited – although the selection is improving.
Fortunately, the following companies offer EverTune-equipped models factory direct: B.C. Rich, ESP, Schecter, Framus, Jackson, Ibanez and Solar, with models coming by the end of the year from Dean and Epiphone.
EverTune’s website currently offers 70 different models, including six-, seven- and eight-string guitars and various artist signature models, and most cost only slightly more than their non-EverTune equivalents with prices ranging from $799 to $2,299.
We took a look at an EverTune-equipped B.C. Rich Shredzilla Prophecy Archtop, which features a factory-installed EverTune bridge and sells for a price about in the middle of EverTune’s offerings.
(Image credit: B.C. Rich)
Features
Living up to its name, the B.C. Rich Shredzilla Prophecy Archtop is built for speed, featuring extra-deep asymmetrical cutaways, shallow C-shape profile neck with 25.5-inch scale, flat 14-inch radius, 1.625-inch nut width and heel-free neck-thru-body construction that provides unrestricted access to all 24 extra jumbo frets.
The body is made from nyatoh palaquium, a southeast Asian tonewood that’s a good alternative to mahogany with a light reddish color similar to cherry. The neck is constructed from three pieces of maple with two center strips of wenge to enhance stability and stiffness, and it is capped with a dark Indian ebony fretboard surrounded by abalone purfling and single-ply cream binding.
Our example had a Cyan Blue burst gloss finish with a satin finish on the back of the neck. The Shredzilla’s hardware is all top-notch, including the EverTune F Model bridge, Grover Locking Rotomatic 18:1 tuners, Dunlop Straplok System Original strap buttons and strap locking pins and black metal knurled dome-top knobs.
I was very impressed with the EverTune bridge when I first evaluated it back in 2012, and it still knocks me out more than eight years later
The high-powered pickups are a DiMarzio D Activator X bridge and Super Distortion neck, both direct mounted to the body and wired to individual volume controls with push-pull coil tap functions and low-friction 500k linear taper pots.
Other electronics include a master tone control and three-position blade pickup selector switch with bridge/both/neck settings. Even the strings are deluxe, consisting of a set of D’Addario NYXL 09-42 high carbon steel strings that further stabilize tuning consistency and are more break-resistant than standard nickel and stainless-steel strings.
The neck-thru construction offers exceptional access to the upper frets. (Image credit: B.C. Rich)
Performance
I was very impressed with the EverTune bridge when I first evaluated it back in 2012, and it still knocks me out more than eight years later. Out of the box the Shredzilla’s tuning and intonation was dead-on perfect, and even after weeks of aggressive bends, slamming power chords and general ax abuse I never had to adjust the tuning once.
The strings feel solidly anchored even when performing extreme string bends, and the tone is as lively, full-bodied and dynamically responsive as any other standard bridge-equipped instrument. Changing strings is surprisingly easy, and setup is not complicated even though it’s not entirely intuitive at first.
The B.C. Rich Shredzilla Prophecy Archtop is a worthy platform for this impressive bridge, delivering stellar high-gain tones for solos and earth-shattering rhythm parts as well as crisp, percussive single-coil tones
Fortunately, the manual is very detailed and helpful with the procedure. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again — the EverTune bridge is an absolute miracle for studio guitarists who need perfect tuning as well as live players that want to consistently sound their best throughout marathon gigs.
The B.C. Rich Shredzilla Prophecy Archtop is a worthy platform for this impressive bridge, delivering stellar high-gain tones for solos and earth-shattering rhythm parts as well as crisp, percussive single-coil tones. The guitar is very well balanced and the neck is impressively fast and comfortable.
With its premium-quality electronics, hardware and strings, gorgeous-sounding tonewoods and impeccable craftsmanship, the addition of the EverTune bridge elevates it to a first-choice solidbody guitar for serious players who demand perfection from tone to tuning.
The Shredzilla is equipped with Grover Locking Rotomatic 18:1 tuners. (Image credit: B.C. Rich)
Specifications
PRICE: Starting from $1,649.99
BODY: Nyatoh palaquium
NECK: Maple, neck-through, 14" radius
SCALE: 25.5"
FINGERBOARD: Indian ebony
FRETS: 24
PICKUPS: DiMarzio D Activator X (bridge), DiMarzio Super Distortion (Neck)
CONTROLS: 2 x volume with push-pull coil tap (both low-friction 500k linear taper pots) 1 x tone, three-way selector
HARDWARE: EverTune F Model bridge, Grover Locking Rotomatic 18:1 tuners
Chris is the co-author of Eruption - Conversations with Eddie Van Halen. He is a 40-year music industry veteran who started at Boardwalk Entertainment (Joan Jett, Night Ranger) and Roland US before becoming a guitar journalist in 1991. He has interviewed more than 600 artists, written more than 1,400 product reviews and contributed to Jeff Beck’s Beck 01: Hot Rods and Rock & Roll and Eric Clapton’s Six String Stories.
