Brian Moore Guitars C-90

Awesome features:
*H/S/H Configuration in which the 2 seymour duncan humbuckers can be turned into single coils by pulling up the neck or tone control.
*Strings are put on very quickly and stays in tune because of the "Sperzal" locking system on the headstock.
*5 Way pickup switching, which, with the humbucker-->coil switching offers a huge variety of tones all within the guitar.
*Figured Maple neck, great feel rosewood fingerboard
*Gold Hardware
*Input jack is cool at the back of the guitar
*Mahogany Body

Very versatile guitar appropriate and competitive for all styles.

I mainly play 80's metal (Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Megadeth, etc.) through an Orange AD-30 with an original TS-9 Tubescreamer, and the brian moore is perfect. The bridge humbucker is very, very heavy on full volume/tone yet with great tone. Flipping it up into single coil gives it vintage Priest tone. S/H Bridge position gives a warmer less heavy combination of the two, but with a totally new sound. I rarely use the single coil pickup on its own because it kind of lacks the power of the other two pickups, but when combining it with the pickups it still sounds incredible - hence the reason I'm giving this a 9. Neck humbucker awesome for great tone solos, probably not quite a strat but unique and high quality. Single coil in this position gives a very, very warm clean tone.

Action and finish are great, but I bought it second hand from a guitar shop, and the guy fixed it up before I took it home. The only problem I've had is that when the volume knob is maxed out it loses its signal and goes very soft, so I have to move it back a tiny bit to get the full sound. I've ordered a replacement part, but because of the pickup switching it was very hard to find.

I think there's no chance of it breaking in a gig, it is handcrafted and well built. Second hand and the guy before me's son dropped it onto a concrete floor. It has a chip in it and was a lot cheaper. It's built strong enough to withstand that and come out perfect, so I guess its pretty damn reliable - except for the volume knob problem.

Never dealt with it, but other reviewers have had mixed results, some very very good, and one or two have a problem with it.

An awesome, professional, very versatile guitar.

1998 C-90, natural quilted maple top, standard Duncan pickups, Wilkinson tremelo, gold hardware

Amazing range of tones and styles available out of this guitar. It is like an encyclopedia of guitar sounds. The overall sound is on the bright side, but the humbucker modes are full and solid. This guitar can do it all and well.

Brian Moore is the best, great setup, fit and finish

Solid and dependable week after week, a great instrument and value

Stellar, just call or email and they are very helpful

This is a top notch instrument all around. I have some other great guitars and always reach for this one. I play very varied music in live and studio settings and this one guitar can do it all. By comparison, I have an asbolutely killer 1961 Strat but feel naked with it live. Despite how great it sounds, it always sounds like a Strat. With the C-90 I know I can flick the 5 ways and get the sounds I want, Strat, Tele, humbucker, boosted bridge humbucker. Sounds and feel great, I highly recommend it.

Ok I have had the guitar a week now, played at practice and a gig. I run it into a Demeter TGA2 50 watt head and a Marshall 4-12 vintage cab. The guitar feels so right, the quality is off the scale. Just a perfect neck. Great hardware all around.

The neck pickup is not my thing, however it blends it self so nice with the other pickups I might leave it alone. The middle & bridge pickups just sing with tones. The Duncan JB in the bridge screams the leads, but cleans up nice and warm on the cleans. When split with the other 2 pickups it sounds great. Lots of very cool tones in this guitar, and they sit so well in the mix with the band. The feel is just so killer, every note just flys out of this guitar with such easy effort. The big thing is this guitar can sound like so many others is uncanny. A 335, a hollow jazz box, a fat Tele, even a killer SG humbucker bridge, It even has a nice P-90 type tone on some settings. The only thing it will not do is a vintage strat neck tone...It does do the bridge/middle funk thing killer..NO NOISE AT ALL. I have had all the top boutique guitars and this C-90 is very near the top of the bunch...

The best I have held in my hands, hands down....as good or better then a PRS, Mcintuff, Mcnaught, Baker, and all the top names..

Time will tell, but it seems to be made excellent..all the hardware is 1st. rate. the electronics are top notch...

n/a

I have many posts on HC. Pro player, many many guitars & amps..This one is a very special guitar, it just plays & sounds deadly. I am allready looking for another one..I got this brand new at a close out deal for less then 1/2 of what it should sell for..
I played the DC-1 a few years ago at a store and it was the best guitar I ever felt, but was $3800 out the door..I also played the MC-1 about 8 yeras ago, that to was a killer guitar but a little on the thin side of tones. I can't stress enough of the sounds & feel of this guitar..it blew me away...I also make a custom line of hi end guitars called Cal Custom Guitars, and these are like Fender custom shops..but this BM is even on a higher scale...off the hook really.

I played a brand new C90 yesterday at my local music store. Its a Raspberry unreal 10 top flame maple. Has the Hum/single/Hum duncans. Has the Wilky trem in gold, and a nice feeling neck. After playing this guitar for over an hour I could not sleep last night. I AM BUYING IT TODAY...

It was not thin at all like most have said, it was very thick sounding to me. I loved all the pickup selections available. It played like butta and had just a right feel about it. The lead tones had so much girth behind them it will just ring out with tones when pushed. The rhythms were very smooth with just the right amount of chime. The guitar is a very fast rocking machine.

The finish & build of this guitar is off the scale...I have owned all the high end stuff, and this is right up there....

Don't know yet..but it seems to be very tight feeling...

don't know???

Playing forever, and go through stuff like crazy...This is my first Brian Moore guitar...very cool indeed. I think it just feels right to me. I have been looking for a high end monster that felt right for a long time...

This is my second BMC guitar. It is a 2001 model C-90 with the standard pickup config. My C-55P has the Peizo pickup for adding a high scheen over the top, but the center single-coil pickup on the standard C-90 adds this quality...with a slightly different (more jazzy)sound. First off, change the strings to .10's or .11's...and you are goint to need to add the extra spring that came with it. Also, you can adjust the two screws that hold the spring clip in place- for fine adjustment of the bridge level.

I usr a SWR California Blond with my BMC's. IT's high fidelity sound complements the BMC's native Hi-Fi sound. I use no effects..because clean- cuts through the mix best. The C-90 sounds very different from my C-55p. It is even more stratty than the c-55. The Neck pickup is very powerful, and needs to be physically lowered for best mix. The selectors and coil-tap work well for making tons of sounds. This is a bright and jazzy sounding guitar...and if you like a centered and focused sound, this ain't it. The C-90 is wide and dips in the middle. That said, it also sounds like no other guitar. It is an aural head-turner. Paired with the right amp, it sounds beautiful.

BMC guitars are perfect. They feel just a little better than PRS...and the import models are not anything like the USA shop models. There are none better.

BMC are orchestral quality Axes...super heavy-duty..and top-class all the way. I'd always have two of them at a gig..just for sound differences.The strap positions and jack positions are the best in the industry.

They seem to be very nice folks. The warrenty is 5 years...!

I've been playing consistantly for 38 years...blah blah blah...
I will never be without a BMC again. I went and tried every guitar I had not owned before I bought my first BMC...and NONE COMPARE. Well, PRS compare, but the BMC is clearly superior...it just feels totally right in your arms. The uniquely contoured body makes it the most comfortable guitar..period. Holding it is like hugging a perfectly built woman. The neck geometry and action...are ideal. The headstock is also very cool...and the tuners rock. Get one, burn your other guitars.(and I'd suggest a used C-55)

The guitar comes with a string set of gauge 9. However, I changed my "factory-prescribed" set to a set of gauge 11 and noticed a big difference between the tone of gauge 9 and gauge 11. I had previously experimented with that set on my other guitars.

Nine-gauge strings gave clear and focused sounds, but lacked some bass and mid-range. The sounds were not bad, but I felt that there could be some room for improvement. I had read from an other review that changing to heavier gauge could perhaps make it consoderably harder to play. So I hesitantly put on a set of 11's.

I was surprised in a positive sense. The heavier gauge "fixed" the tone so that you can't say that the guitar would sound thin anymore. It didn't affect the playability, either, since I am used to using a set of 11's.

I can recommend the same operation to anyone, but I suggest that you take the guitar to a luthier for a proper set up. A set of 11's won't make the guitar sound thick like a Les Paul, but I think that with the construction of C-90 (bolt-neck)it would be an unrealistic goal. However, I recommend trying with the neck pickup and dropping the tone by appr. 3/4. The tone control give quite a bright sound while rolled all the way up, so I rarely use its high settings.

Seymore Duncan S/S/H; Wilkinson Bridge; Sperzel locking tuners

Mostly gives various kind of strat- and tele-sounds without having their middle- and bass-volume. Instead the tone-control allowes kind of jazzy-soft-tones, that I don't find on strat and tele. Considering: The more various a guitar (oder anything else is) the less certain character is has. So: a good guitar for gigs you have to hide in different sounds, songs and styles. Keep hands off, if you want a characteristic sound often needing warmth in bass and middle. Except: The more you're playing solos in high scales, the more the guitar satisfies. Here the BM gives a thrilling clear sustain to every note, and you are much more inspired to deal with that tones than on a strat (or specially tele), which both tend to loose punchy sustain in the highest frets.

The Guitar was in perfect finish, with 2 shame exceptions
1. Two fretwires in the upper scale are in kind of 80-Degree-Position instead of 90
2. Neck-Stock does't seem to properly wind

Once you've achieved your personal setting, the guitar keeps and keeps it. In 4 years I'did not to have change anything. It keeps a tune over weeks (althoug I'm bending strings hard); once and I've played 2 rehersals and 3 gigs in a row without anything to change but a quick fine tuning.

Never asked for it.

I'll keep it, because it's of more playable value, than I would receive in money by selling in an 2nd-hand-deal. But I'wouldn't buy again.
Look out: The thin and narrow neck of BM is not ideal for players with long fingers.

This BMC was made in 1997, it has a hum/single/hum pickup configuration, Wilkinson bridge and Schaller locking tuners. The body reminds me of a stratocaster as a basic form, but it has actually much lighter appearance as it is also lighter in weight.

The output jack is positioned to the back of the body, which I find a very good solution, since it doesn't get accidentally unplugged that way. It also somewhat helps to prevent the cord from bending to extreme angles which is sure to weaken the cord.

The strap buttons are a bit wider than in traditional strat-style guitars, but I think that a good upgrade might be to attach strap-locks to the guitar. However, I'm reluctant to make changes to such a good-looking guitar.

The guitar can make an amazing variety of sounds. You can easily get telecaster- or stratocaster-like sounds from it, and you get hardly any noise at all. I find it suitable for many styles like jazz, blues and pop music.

The neck pickup (by Seymour Duncan) sounds just perfect for me. It sounds full and rich, not too bright for my taste, and still not too dark, like many Les Pauls. It's true that it sounds just a little bit too thin to be mistaken for a Les Paul, but I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing. The neck pickup sounds good to me all the same.

When you switch to the bridge pickup, you can get quite a good distortion from the guitar. However, I would like to get a bit thicker sound out of it. For that I have to deduct one point from the rating.

I have a Fender Lone Star stratocaster that is equipped with Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates Plus in the bridge. From that I can easily get some thick Petrucci-style distortion sounds through a Mesa-Boogie combo. Brian Moore custom doesn't work for me very well for that. Still, through a Marshall, I can get a decent distortion sound out of it.

The pickups in the bridge and neck have a really powerful output, so it has to be kept in mind that the volume levels may vary a bit when switching between different pickup combinations.

The action is very low, and the guitar is as a whole very easy to play. The neck finish is great. Fretwork it also very good. However, with string gauge nine (from the factory), I find chording a bit problematic. With thin strings it's easy to accidentally bend the strings while playing chords.

Otherwise I have nothing bad to say about this category. The visual appearance of the guitar is fantastic; I had never before during my career as a musician met such a beatiful-looking guitar.

The guitar has served me well. It's a shame that the gold parts get easily oxidized along the way. The strings are so thin that I have to keep a spare guitar with me (or actually this guitar works now as my spare). I've had some problems with the Schaller tuners, that's the minus. They do not always release the string for me when I open the locks. So I have to keep twisting and turning them a while to change strings. Otherwise I find the guitar very solid.

I haven't contacted the company yet, but I think that I'll have to e-mail them and ask about the problem with the tuners.

I have been playing with a lots of a good gear, and own a Music man Luke and Fender Lone Star Strat. It's a pity that Brian Moore guitars are not imported to Finland anymore because of such a strong rate of dollar, or so I've heard. Otherwise I might even be interested to buy another one...

I had mine custom shoped 24 fret, gold hardware, stop tail piece, solid quilted maple, with amber sunburst laquered. config was seymour duncan H/S/H/Rmc Piezo synth access, stop tailpiece, birdseye maple neck with ebony fretboard, locking sperzels, made this year in USA, with a neck thru

Perfect, It compliments my Gibson Howard Roberts beautifully. I played it through two amps one seymour duncan convertible on the clean channel, and also on a Vox AC-30/top boost. This guitar has a beautiful sound, and I question anyone who thinks otherwise at this point. I have compared it to peavy EVH special, as well as other various strat style guitars and always the tones are Rich and thick. I play Blues, Jazz, Rock, Hardcore(I am a studio guitarist), and I feel that position four reminds me of a female jazz singer.

nothing wrong when I received it, of course it needed a tuning, but otherwise everything was tip top

I have had it for 3 months no problem yet

no need for this

Awesome guitar, it doesn't have the richness of my semi-hollowbody, but that isn't what I bought it for. The action is great, playability is phenom, and I simply love it. I tested several other styles of guitars before deciding..

I ordered a custom made C-90.
The guitar was great looking, except it wasn't what I ordered.
I had the owners (Brian and Susie) bring the guitar to this years
NAMM show and played it through a Rivera like mine there at the show.
It had a quilted maple top and alder body, 2 Duncan singles and a
Jeff Beck in the bridge. Piezo and standard tremelo also.
Try as I may it sounded so thin.
Lots of bells and whistles but no soul.

I play jazz, funk, R & B and rock. I do sessions from San Francisco
to L.A and I'm a tone freak.
Disappointed is the best way to describe this guitar sound.
I believe it sounds great if you run it with distortion, more of a
rockers guitar, but not a guitar for any occasion.

You can't beat the looks and the feel. Thats where Brian Moore makes
their mark. Well done on the action, alignments, woods, etc.
You probably won't find a better looking guitar, but it helps to get
the one you ordered.

Brian Moore makes a fine looking guitar. Well made and should be able
to withstand serious gigging. It's a quality piece of equipment w/out
the quality sound. I don't get what they're doing.....

This is where Brian Moore gets the pathetic mark. They took almost a
year to get my guitar completed. I would call and ask for a status and
they would promise to call me back, but never would. Susie is the
owner's wife and she'll run interception when trying to reach the
president, Patrick Cummings. Due to my frustration in trying to get a
status on a guitar that was promised to me within 16 weeks I'm asking
for his help 8 months later, he promised he would help and that I can
always contact him directly. Guess what...when you call he directs you
back to Susie.
I would e-mail....no response. I would call Patrick to see if he got
my e-mail, guess what... he directed me back to Susie.
As mentioned before they finally bring the completed guitar to the
NAMM show, although great looking it wasn't what I ordered.........
PATHETIC.

THIS GUITAR REMINDS ME OF A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN WITH NO SOUL....
ALL LOOKS, BUT NO SUBSTANCE.
THE GUITAR TENDS TO REFLECT THE GENERAL ATTITUDE OF THE COMPANY...
THEY'VE GOT A LOT OF PEOPLE FOOLED!