![]() The tuners are Gotoh 6-in-line with vintage style posts. HaHa! Maybe an official tungsten block from Floyd Rose, but I maintain that you should give it time with the stock block. I don’t know about you, but a $35 block isn’t worth hacking a $3800 guitar to me. A thicker block will not fit in to the top of the guitar without modifications. Trying a beefier-sounding brass block might be a but much for the bigger character of the stock pickup selection. I am suggesting players give it a go as-is for two reasons. With regard to the sustain block, I am finding that the guitar has a good voice and good vibe with the stock block. I do not know if the cavity was not routed deep enough or if the wrong block size was selected during assembly. I have a 42mm block on hand which resolves that issues. This one comes with a 37mm sustain block, but I’m finding it’s not long enough and the springs are rubbing the cavity and trying to pop out of the block. It’s not Ratt-n-Roll if there’s not a Floyd Rose! The USA Snake goes all out with the official German Floyd Rose tremolo system. The fret dressing is top notch and definitely world class. The frets are level and straight as an arrow everywhere else. Ye olde Fret Rocker reveals one slightly taller frets along the low E side down around the 11th-12th fret area. I am still a fan of the old-school Jumbo that passes today as more of a Medium-Jumbo. The fingerboard has a 12″-16″ compound radius and Jumbo nickel frets. On this USA Snake, I am initially wondering if there is anything on there at all! LOL! It is so light and natural to the touch that a close inspection reveals you can actually feel the grain in the walnut skunk stripe. You can also find necks from John Suhr and Grover Jackson with this finish. This happens with the application of Emmet’s Good Stuff urethane gel. ![]() One of the most natural-feeling necks to spoil my digits. If I have to stick a pin in the neck thickness, I might suggest it’s a little thicker than a Wizard at the 1st fret and about standard Strat thickness at the 12th. But after an initial tweak, it has not moved in the slightest. I cannot find in the official specs if this neck has the same type of neck reinforcement rods as the Jackson LE SD22 or the EVH Gear Bumblebee. The neck selection on this USA Snake is of a virtually ideal quartersawn piece of maple. That’s for the best, as the neck is the star of the show on this guitar! Neck They maintained an ultimate professionalism while the issue meets the final resolution. I have to say that it it awesome that Charvel was quick to step up to the plate to own the situation. No need to belabor the point and Charvel has no reason to be thrown under the bus. There is also an issue with the mounting of the locking nut. The input jack is a little crackly, so I put a new Pure Tone 1/4″ jack in it’s place. I will forego that soapbox, but I simply replace with new parts from my own inventory. As is the case here, the pivot points on the posts are now dull and the knife edges have premature wear. ![]() NOTE: I don’t care what YouTube or Google says, this is a cardinal sin. The issue is that they are making the adjustment with the bridge in-tune at full tension. In this instance, they think the Floyd Rose needs to be a little lower. The retailer is one that likes to perform a “set up” on guitars. Inside the case is some fun case candy, including a very presentable Certificate of Authenticity. If you gig or travel, you might want to invest in your own hard case for this one. Which is to say it’s not a terribly snug fit. The more practical side does wish the case is one with a custom fit. Good thing too, because the MSRP jumps up several hundred dollars less than a month later. Believe it or not, there are a few out in the wild not long ago. Even then, it is whatever the store is ordering for their inventory. Sometimes you can find a store (or two) with some in stock. ![]() They are made-to-order and the current wait can be well over 6 months. The USA-made DeMartini guitars actually aren’t all that common. If you scale the Pro-Mod neck to the same position, the Pro-Mod is a shorter body. Now pay attention to where the 12th fret rests. Those are both presented as found from Charvel, with sizing to fit the same footprint. One of these things is not like the other.
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