After several years with this guitar in mind, I finally bought it last night and it is on its way from California to Amsterdam to improve my collection and my life. Of course the 5000$ one with Fishman and the stripes on the back is the true dream, but 1500 on another whim isn't bad at all. It is one of those guitars that "bear my name" that are "made to my measure". The shape, the brand, the headstock, the stripes (I have most of my guitars decorated myself with stripes, usually yellow or white on black guitars, I love stripes above all other designs), the bridge, active pickups, woods, style, etc. I am very happy, it is a very beautiful guitar that will get along very well with its other sisters. Thanks for uploading this video, it has been what has finally tipped the balance. I cross my fingers that she doesn't suffer during such a long trip. 🎸
Well, I want to thank you for this review that made me pull the trigger on ordering this guitar! Getting it through Sweetwater and its scheduled to arrive soon.....Now I need to meet up with Michael on the road somewhere to have it signed that you luckily did in your other video a few weeks back. Play it in good health and GOD speed when shredding it!✡✝🛐
That is awesome to hear, and thank you for the kind words! I hope you really enjoy your MS "V"! It looks like they are already booking dates in 2019 so I'm sure you'll be able to get yours signed in the coming months! Stay in touch!!!
You nailed the Stryper tone! They have had that tone since the beginning, very trademark mid range push. First time I heard that tone was at Greenfest 85 in Ontario Canada. During the day before and after sound check Micheal and Oz were just up there jamming. I could not see what they were playing through as they did not reveal that at the time, but that was the tone.
YEah those are nuts all your tone in a pedal! It’s great to see Micheal and Oz finally getting the recognition they deserve as guitar players. I just watched this a couple of months ago. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-tFmK6Z5SmVo.html It is a Metal Mythos by Rageholic (a fellow youtuber) documentary on Stryper. I was blown away. This guy totally gets it. If you haven’t seen it, it’s the best Stryper documentary (maybe the only one) I have ever seen. He did a very very nice job. Also gotta say after your video I’m seriously thinking about getting that Stryper Parallax \m/
Dude, thanks for sharing! I was going to get the Epiphone Ritchie Faulkner V, but I saw this came out! Hopefully Zzounds or AMS gets them! Great job on the Michael Sweet preset...sounds like Stryper!
@@thelolguy007 The soft gig bag is nice, but a hard case is obviously preferred. A friend of mine who owns this model also, purchased a Jackson "V" case because Washburn doesn't sell their "V" cases separately??!! So as far as I know, that is the only option.
@@thelolguy007 Yeah, he apparently tried having a dealer contact Washburn directly. Didn't have any luck. They do make a "V" case but only include them on their US Custom Shop model....
Yeah, the Floyd could use some upgrades or swapped out with at least an FRT-01000. BUT, the DD pickups are active and they sound GREAT. I kept an open mind when I purchased it and honestly I see no need to change the pups. Also, you're getting a mahogany body with neck through construction, custom neck inlays, and an ebony board. You also get Grover tuners and a custom gig bag. It's really hard to beat...not to mention the graphics.
Yeah I know what you mean! I've been looking at old used Kelly's and trying to think of a way to make one myself...or send one off to GMW for a custom paint job. Michael recently unveiled a new Washburn that looks similar to his old Kelly. There is a photo of it on his Facebook page today.
It's a little awkward to play while seated, like any other "V" style guitar but it's manageable with a strap. The frets and neck feel great. The neck is a slightly more rounded profile (compared to a Jackson) but it's very comfortable. I've never had any issues with fret sprouting either, so I've been very happy with that! Thanks for watching!
Yeah, they are totally adequate! I was very surprised. They are good enough that I won’t be swapping them out. Also, check out the sound clips in my newer demo videos of the MSX Theta pedal if you want to hear a few more examples of these pickups.
CoffeeDrinker71 that thing is beautiful buddy! heck yea the blackouts are my favorite pickup, the first time i heard of them, steve from boston here on youtube put a set in one of his chibsons, and my god the sound and tone was out of this world powerful! thats awesome!
You've talked me into spending a couple hundred more than I was willing to spend...I skipped thru a little did you get yours thru that guitar peddle shop?
This version: Floyd Rose "Special", Duncan "Designed" Blackouts, Graphic only on the front of body. Made overseas. US Custom Shop version: Original Floyd Rose, Seymour Duncan "Blackouts", Graphic/stripes on back of body and back of neck.
Love the tone! I've been going back and forth on whether to buy the Helix or the MS Theta Pro. It seems to me the Helix has more in terms of different tones but the Theta seems like it's cleaner. But your Helix sounds incredible. I'm worried about that digital "fizz" which the Theta doesn't seem to have. I don't know, man! How's your experience been?
I've gone through a range of emotions, LOL. I had the ISP Theta PRO (MS version) and it simply nails the Stryper tone! ...but for all of my other needs, the Helix was better suited for those applications such as recording direct and playing live. Getting this patch to sound this way has taken quite a bit of time and I'm sure it could be tweaked some more. I have a few other related videos, one with the ISP Theta Pro, and another one on how to create the Styper sound on a budget using 2 pedals. To me, the Helix is much more versatile and user-friendly. The digital "Fizz" is hard to address as far as why people hear certain frequencies, but just remember nearly anything can be fixed with proper EQ'ing. I personally don't hear it that often so I don't struggle with it at all. Yeah, it's a tough call man, you just have to try to demo both and see which one you like better. The nice thing about the Helix is the frequent updates with new content, plus top notch support. ISP has great customer service but there is no way to do a firmware update without sending the unit to the them. To me, and this is solely based on my experience, the Helix seemd to be built for heavy gigging and is a much sturdier unit in terms of the chassis and power cord. Plus, I just love having a huge library of amps and effects. Good luck and keep me posted!
Yeah, I think the ability to update the firmware and the tons of new content is what will sway me to the Helix. The interface seems more user friendly as well. Thanks so much for the feedback. Much appreciated!
You bet man! Thanks for asking, and thanks for watching. These kinds of decisions require a lot of homework. I'd suggest ordering from a dealer with a good return policy just in case you change your mind after purchase. I'd say the key to either of these is finding the right amp or monitor situation. For my rig, the Helix came alive when I switched to an 8" studio monitor pair along with the ALTO-TS 210 wedge on the floor. The ISP didn't sound as good through them. However, the ISP sounded freaking amazing when plugged directly into the front of my Peavey JSX halfstack. So, that plays a big role in it too.
Not yet. I do have a Line 6 Custom Tone account that I can post it to. I have been tweaking on it for a while and finally got it to where I'm happy. I can post it there later tonight if you'd like to download it. My user name on Custom Tone is the same here...CoffeeDrinker71
Hi Adrian! The 9V battery is located in it's own small cavity on the back...so I just have to remove that one cover. If you pause the video at 4:31 you will see it. I'm not sure if the USA version has the same compartment? How do you like your USA model?
@@CoffeeDrinker71 hi Brian. I see. It's very different from mine. Mine is a rechargable one. With a micro USB charger where I don't have to remove the plate. My only concern is if the battery is in there for awhile I'm afraid if it corrodes the electronics and not sure how to replace the built in battery
@@adrianteo2421 Hmmm....I see. I would imagine it would be designed for nearly a lifetime of use but it's probably a good idea to check with Fishman on that. Cheers.
This one is the “import” version that retails for $999. The one Michael plays (the original) is a US custom shop model that retails for $4K. The specs of the import model are available online. Check out the Guitar Pedal Shoppe, that’s where I bought mine. All the specs should be listed there.
I have not tried the Fishman Fluence so I can't say for sure. Even though the stock pickups in this import model are "Duncan Designed" they still have plenty of attack and character. I don't plan on changing them out for any reason. They are totally capable of handling anything in the rock/metal genre.
@@CoffeeDrinker71 I own a couple indo guitars and for the money I paid used... they are fantastic. A good setup, some new pickups... great guitars. I really think it depends on what factory and parent company is overseeing production and QA/QC.
@@CoffeeDrinker71 I own a couple indo guitars and for the money I paid used... they are fantastic. A good setup, some new pickups... great guitars. I really think it depends on what factory and parent company is overseeing production and QA/QC.
@@tribunation I agree...Indo can make some really nice guitars. Ibanez has proven that with their "Premium" line. This one is no different. It really just suffers from having a Floyd Special trem, but that's an easy fix! Otherwise everything is built really well on this guitar.
I've seen Jacksons etc in the 700-1000 price range use FR specials as well. And from what I've heard these pups arent pretty good. and remember you're getting an ebony fretboard, the "cool paint" job, those cool inlays, the gig bag, etc. There's lots of cool little things to this.. And the real one is close to 4 grand I believe.. so.. this isn't bad at all I've seen them going between 800-1000.. not to bad...200.00 for a real German made Floyd and 200.00 for a real set of blackouts and there you go.
Also consider that this is a mahogany body with neck-through construction, plus Buzz Feiten tuning system. Sure, I see your argument that it has a Floyd Special and Duncan Designed pups but those can be easily swapped. These are also painted by hand, one at a time. So, if you're a fan of Stryper...just like any other signature model, it's worth it to have the genuine paint scheme already done because these other mods can be done fairly easily by the owner.
Thanks! I don't have any exact specs on it, just know that it feels more like a traditional "C" shaped profile. The fretboard isn't super flat...but it's easy to play, very comfortable, but not too extreme like an Ibanez on one hand, or a Gibson on the other. It's right in the middle. Hope that helps, I know it's mostly subjective.
Gisteravond heb ik er eindelijk een gekocht nadat ik, net als jij, er een tijdje naar op zoek was en hem blijkbaar nergens te krijgen was. Ik woon in Amsterdam. Ik vond hem op ebay, via een winkel in Californië genaamd New Quest Inc. Het lijkt erop dat ze de laatste nog hebben en ook nog een exemplaar van het prachtige € 5000-model. Schiet op!! 🥳🤝🎸
Yeah, there were 2 on display that night at Sweetwater for the clinic. I remember a guy who was spending his 16th birthday there got the other one. I actually asked my Sweetwater rep if there were any more, and he actually had this one made in the print shop the following week and then held it for me until I went back in person for GearFest. Sweetwater has amazing customer service!
@@jamesmauric7465 Oh wow! That's amazing! We were sitting directly behind you in the 2nd row of the ISP Theta clinic. I've got the video uploaded here on my channel as well. Man, how cool is that to be opening for them? That's unbelievable. Congrats! What's your band's name?
Good point. But I believe when these originally launched a few years ago they retailed for around $899. At that price point it made a little more sense...but now they retail for $1500, so I agree!
I like how these youtube "un-packers" point out everything obvious about their packages, lol. "Ok guys. I just got my brand new book in the mail today. I haven't opened the box yet. So here we go. Its packaged quite well, with clear packaging tape on the seems. It looks like.....yeah, its def the standard clear packaging tape that UPS uses! I know because its clear. Ok, so I am cutting away at the seam, now. Being very careful not to damage the book inside. Ok. So it looks like.....yeah, ok. Yeah they packaged the book with styrofoam peanuts. Now I've seen these peanuts before. I ordered another book.... different author....& it came packaged with the same "peanuts" as they call them. Ok, so here we have the book guys. Now I will say that this book has a hard cover & lots of pages. See the pages guys? Look at those pages. & notice how they are all rectangular. All the pages are rectangular. & the paper. Idk.....its kinda.... papery?? Yeah so that's the unwrapping of this package. Guys thanks for watching. Subscribe to my channels. Sign up for more cool stuff like this & I'll see you inthe next video."
