Swamp Ash Studio - Can't believe I let this slip through my fingers...

grausch

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While looking to see if I could get a good deal for a used McCarty 594, I found a great deal on a 2012 Swamp Ash Studio. However, there is a large dealer about 6 hrs away who still has 4 regular 2012 Studios in stock. So I am guessing these aren't selling too well and am curious why. Are there any owners of the Studios or Swamp Ash Studios willing to share their impressions?

Bear in mind that I play mostly rhythm, I don't currently gig (bedroom player and Rocksmith expert), have got already got guitars that cover the Singlecut PAF spectrum, have got guitars that cover the NWOBHM spectrum reasonably well and probably need to start selling some of my cheaper guitars to make room for the new ones.

I guess that the big appeal for me is the 57/08 bridge pickup. I have played a SC245 with 57/08s and that was a serious rock 'n roll machine. However, the longer scale length on the Studio, combined with the swamp ash body and maple neck would make it sound less like a PAF Singlecut. No clue how it will sound, but I reckon it would work reasonably well for early NWOBHM type music.

The two narrowfield 57/08 pickups promise some Strat-like tones, without any of the noise. I tend to keep an eye out for used Strats since I don't own one, but I always tend to gravitate towards the Dave Murray Strat which doesn't sound very much like a Strat in any case. One of the real draws of this guitar is that it would be built better than the Dave Murray Strat and I am guessing would work well for the music I like to play.

Currently I use a Standard 24 for the NWOBHM stuff and I like the HFS pickup quite a lot, but I have not yet found a proper use for the VB pickup. Part of the reason for this thread is to find out what others think of the two narrowfields and whether this guitar would complement the Standard 24 or whether it would sound very similar.
 
I have a Swamp Ash Special. Like the swamp ash studios, the model was not an overwhelming sensation. IT sounds fantastic to me, and I`d buy an SA Studio in a heartbeat. These don`t sound "like" a typical PRS. There are no quality issues that I`ve ever heard of. Keep in mind that the original LP and Explorer were flops sales wise. And who is this dealer? I definitely want to see what they have. I do think the narrow fields are great pickups.
 
Well, it's been a couple of weeks since this query and unfortunately I decided to be the responsible adult. The Swamp Ash Studio I was eyeing was a multifoil 2012 Experience SAS and it sold on eBay to a single bidder who bid a couple of seconds before the auction expired. He got a real steal on the guitar and I have not managed to find any Studios selling for that low. Here are some pictures of the guitar and I accept that I should probably be slapped repeatedly for not bidding on it.

4RigKod.jpg


sDiTKz5.jpg


0XWFNjS.jpg
 
Don't be too hard on yourself. I have been "that close" a number of times. I find that I'm either ready, or I'm not. Sometimes I decide I'm going for it and wind up relieved to find that someone beat me to it.
 
Yeah, depending on what the other guy's max bid was I probably would not have gotten the guitar either way since I would not have bid much higher than the starting bid. The sad thing is that it was in truly excellent condition, there were only 40 of those made and it sold for a very cheap price. The seller must wonder how that happened...the guitar was significantly cheaper than all of those I linked to above.
 
This one sold on eBay in Germany a couple of days after I started the thread.

@bodia - Have you sold your studio yet? I recall you stating that you might.

@sergiodeblanc - Right now I am eyeing a white PRS with gold hardware. Wonder who is to blame for that? Green guitars tend to be pretty rare which is one of the things I like about them, but I was a little worried about how the finish would hold up for this guitar.
 
@bodia - Have you sold your studio yet? I recall you stating that you might.

As a matter of fact, I dropped it off at the UPS Store last night. It's on its way to Texas. It was up on Reverb for all of 12 hours. I'd like to say I'm going to miss it, but I never got on with the Pattern Thin neck. I've got a Wide/Thin on my Cu22 that I love. That Pattern Thin always felt weird, to me.
 
Sometimes things are just not meant to be. Another one will come along eventually :)

> I guess that the big appeal for me is the 57/08 bridge pickup.

A little bird told me that you can buy these off the shelf now (shh)!
 
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I have a Swamp Ash Special. Like the swamp ash studios, the model was not an overwhelming sensation. IT sounds fantastic to me, and I`d buy an SA Studio in a heartbeat. These don`t sound "like" a typical PRS. There are no quality issues that I`ve ever heard of. Keep in mind that the original LP and Explorer were flops sales wise. And who is this dealer? I definitely want to see what they have. I do think the narrow fields are great pickups.


I totally agree. I have a 2012 SAS-NF and love it. I also have narrowfields in a 07 satin singlecut. the narrowfield's are FANTASTIC pickups!
 
Here are some pictures of the guitar and I accept that I should probably be slapped repeatedly for not bidding on it.

4RigKod.jpg


sDiTKz5.jpg


0XWFNjS.jpg
[/QUOTE]

I agree 100% ! (lol)
 
As a matter of fact, I dropped it off at the UPS Store last night. It's on its way to Texas. It was up on Reverb for all of 12 hours. I'd like to say I'm going to miss it, but I never got on with the Pattern Thin neck. I've got a Wide/Thin on my Cu22 that I love. That Pattern Thin always felt weird, to me.

This one had a pattern regular neck so it would be the same as my Standard 24. No excuses really on my part...
 
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