Bacchus BLC-57, worth it?

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p3kk1

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Hi everyone, my first post i in regards to hopefully my first MIJ guitar. I've decided to get my first 'more serious' instrument, and to be honest I initially wanted a strat, because I had learned how to play on a strat. Trying out guitars at the music store I thought to myself let's try a les paul, and I was actually blown away by how nice the guitar felt under my fingers. Now, I'm not particularly thrilled by the price tag on a few of these examples, which les me down the hole.
That's basically how I've stumbled on the name of Bacchus. Now I've found this beautiful example and am thinking of buying it. I can't test it, which is why I need help from the community. I would like to know, whether this example, a blc-57, belongs to the line of very well made vintage line of their guitars? This one was custom made, because of the inlay on the headstock (according to the seller). It was also made in 2005, the last year of production for the vintage period. do you guys it's worth rolling the dice on this one?

https://www.ebay.de/itm/16525096411...3EYok_4TtG&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
 
Looks legit. Bacchus vintage series are fantastic guitars. I’ve owned a SG and a BST62 Strat. Both were phenomenal guitars. The electronics and pickups in the SG were not very good and were replaced.
 
thanks for the reply. I decided not to go with the purchase of this example, since I was not satisfied with the seller's communication and honesty.
I have however indeed purchased an awesome example of Bacchus BLS-59V. These are screenshots from the original ad. I am not very experienced with the build quality etc. of guitars in general, and this has been my first purchase of a more serious guitar. Even to my untrained eye (and ear) it just feels and plays awesome. I had tested extensively some Gibson Les Pauls at one huge music shop and to be honest, the Bacchus just feels nices to play. Idk, maybe I'm biased :)
 
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That's a nice one from Takumisan; good score. :cool:

The incomplete headstock dimple and the serial # range places that one more/less a (transition era/pre BLS-59) BLS-120 as seen on page 14 from the 1998 Deviser catalog.
Looks to be either the HCS (heritage cherry sunburst) or LD (lemon drop) top color; difficult to say because of the lighting but I'm leaning more toward the HCS color.
Your example looks to be original and in excellent condition. These are hard to beat for the price point considering you get a long neck tenon and a 1 piece body back.

I would be interested to know if your example has the narrower body top binding typical of the BLS-120s or the wider binding typical of the (later) BLS-59s.
Also would be interested to know what the control route looks like.
I have an example in the 1016** serial # range that has a control route that is unusual compared to other BLS examples that I have had through my hands.


As far as the BLC examples I received a circa 1998 BLC-140 last year in the 1005** serial # range that turned out to have a nice surprise; that being a thicker than expected neck. Not completely stock/original but a good solid all hog custom with an Ebony fingerboard.
https://www.tokaiforum.com/threads/vintage-series-era-blc-140-and-blj-59v.26863/
Enjoy your BLS (y)
 
That's a nice one from Takumisan; good score. :cool:

The incomplete headstock dimple and the serial # range places that one more/less a (transition era/pre BLS-59) BLS-120 as seen on page 14 from the 1998 Deviser catalog.
Looks to be either the HCS (heritage cherry sunburst) or LD (lemon drop) top color; difficult to say because of the lighting but I'm leaning more toward the HCS color.
Your example looks to be original and in excellent condition. These are hard to beat for the price point considering you get a long neck tenon and a 1 piece body back.

I would be interested to know if your example has the narrower body top binding typical of the BLS-120s or the wider binding typical of the (later) BLS-59s.
Also would be interested to know what the control route looks like.
I have an example in the 1016** serial # range that has a control route that is unusual compared to other BLS examples that I have had through my hands.


As far as the BLC examples I received a circa 1998 BLC-140 last year in the 1005** serial # range that turned out to have a nice surprise; that being a thicker than expected neck. Not completely stock/original but a good solid all hog custom with an Ebony fingerboard.
https://www.tokaiforum.com/threads/vintage-series-era-blc-140-and-blj-59v.26863/
Enjoy your BLS (y)
After having realized that I don't enjoy the top end roll off when dialing back the volume, I opened the back to confirm that I don't have 50s wiring (I don't). I'll make somo photos when I open the back again. Don't know that is meant by "control route"? in regards to the top binding, I should make some photos of the guitar edge right?
 
That's a nice one from Takumisan; good score. :cool:

The incomplete headstock dimple and the serial # range places that one more/less a (transition era/pre BLS-59) BLS-120 as seen on page 14 from the 1998 Deviser catalog.
Looks to be either the HCS (heritage cherry sunburst) or LD (lemon drop) top color; difficult to say because of the lighting but I'm leaning more toward the HCS color.
Your example looks to be original and in excellent condition. These are hard to beat for the price point considering you get a long neck tenon and a 1 piece body back.

I would be interested to know if your example has the narrower body top binding typical of the BLS-120s or the wider binding typical of the (later) BLS-59s.
Also would be interested to know what the control route looks like.
I have an example in the 1016** serial # range that has a control route that is unusual compared to other BLS examples that I have had through my hands.


As far as the BLC examples I received a circa 1998 BLC-140 last year in the 1005** serial # range that turned out to have a nice surprise; that being a thicker than expected neck. Not completely stock/original but a good solid all hog custom with an Ebony fingerboard.
https://www.tokaiforum.com/threads/vintage-series-era-blc-140-and-blj-59v.26863/
Enjoy your BLS (y)
btw I've read your post about the blc140 numerous times, trying to find some clues on the BLC-57 :)
my example has a hefty neck, I actually enjoy it a lot. until now, the only guitar I've owned was a partcaster with a really slim neck. but testing some strat models, I figured that a chunky v neck feels really really good in my hands. i also habe kind of large hands, so slim necks feel kind of flimsy :)
 
Here is the control route from a circa 1998 BLS-120 GO serial # 100515

BLS-120 GO 9.jpg



Here is the control route from a circa 2004 BLS-59 HB serial # 102585 (non original caps)

BLS-59-585-31.jpg



Note the routes above have pretty much identical dimensional features and these examples are basically six years apart in production.

My circa 1998 transition era BLS serial # range 1016** has a control route that doesn't look like either of the above. It also has the incomplete head stock dimple, just as your example has. So, I'm guessing your control route doesn't look like either of the above photos but most likely looks like my BLS with the 1016** serial #.


As far as the top binding: BLS-120 examples typically have a narrower top binding and the BLS-59 examples typically have a wider top binding. It purely an aesthetic attribute but I prefer the wider top binding typical of the BLS-59 examples as the wider binding just seems to make the top 'pop' a bit more with the contrasting nature of the binding.
My transition era BLS with the 1016** serial number does have the wider top binding even though it's a circa 1998 production. I know; I'm a geek. LOL

1016** also has a thick head stock overlay that no other BLS I have owned has ever had. The guitar has some features of both BLS-120 examples and BLS-59 examples making it a true transition era BLS.
It is actually a BLS-DX; gold color hardware, Madagascar fingerboard, solid quilt maple top, blue tinted color position markers, etc. With the exception of the gold hardware these are the typical attributes for the very few DX examples I have been able to document. The gold hardware on this example sets it apart from any of the other few examples I have seen.


BLS-DX control route:
Note the strange dimensional difference of the route compared to the two above pictured routes; odd stuff

BLS-DX route.jpg


BLS-DX :)
solid quilt maple top, wide top binding, gold hardware, maddy board, blue tinted trap markers

BLS quilt.jpg
 
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wow man, you really know. your guitars :)
I've just started walking that road 😂 I've made some photos, and as far as I can see, the wiring looks the same as the BLS-120. I don't know about the binding though, whether what I have constitutes as narrow or wide 🤔

the more I play it, the more I love it. it really is an awesome guitar.
 

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wow man, you really know. your guitars :)
I've just started walking that road 😂 I've made some photos, and as far as I can see, the wiring looks the same as the BLS-120. I don't know about the binding though, whether what I have constitutes as narrow or wide 🤔

the more I play it, the more I love it. it really is an awesome guitar.

thanks for posting the control route photos.

I must say I am surprised the route does not have the dimensional features of my BLS-DX # 1016** as I was expecting. Since these two examples are basically 200 serial # digits apart I expected the control route to be the same. I am mystified as this BLS-DX is the only BLS I have ever owned with this control route dimension and I have owned several BLS examples.
Weird stuff
 
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