I know sterling is a budget guitar but i think a figured neck would be key. I think a figured neck and real maple top would garner an extra $100. And i know people are gonna say " thats almost an axis!" But it would still have the sterling bridge and tuners, but here are my suggestions.
1) maple top
2) figured oil wax neck,
3) chrome toggle switch.
That would be key! And of course colors made to order, tribute colors, special run of tribute colors,
Maybe a BFR sterling? But the most important key is the unfinished highly figrued neck, i know that figured wood is more money, but totally worth it, if just one of my requests is met i wish it to be the unfinished figured birdseye flame necks.
Please Brian!!!!! Figured necks, give a taste of th best to us with shallower pockets.
Everytime i get to play an ebmm, i go home and try my best to make my sbmm neck feel like it. I finally have it really really close! And i wish you guys did the birdseye! Its such a touch of class that sets a guitar apart from the rest, as you can see the pics above of my new neck from you guys, I got it to look GREAT, and it did not have hardly any figure, until i sanded and oiled and re sanded and re oiled and waxed and so forth and so on. Now it looks and feels incredible, now imagine a neck that already had figure and then got that treatment? It would be stunning! maybe do a special run of sterling ax40s that have my suggestions, i would bet people would see the value, and people who already one , would get the new one because of its special features! What do you guys think?