Charvel Guitars. Let's See Them.

[Frodebro]

Don’t have any pictures, but I have a MIJ Guthrie Govan sig. Hands down the most expensive impulse purchase I’ve ever made, but it’s a great guitar.

 

[johnny q]

Late 1980s-something highly customized Charvel! Snakeskin, Floyd Rose and Duncan Pickups (Bridge pickup recently replaced for Pariah Pasadena Black.)

This guitar was customized by a good friend of mine who is now a big shot over at Tech 21/Sansamp.

 

[DirtySteve]

Thank you! Good call, the MiJ is mahogany with a walnut top, a heavy thing (13# on the nose). I loved the look of it as soon as I saw it, gave me a Reb Beach meets Guthrie Govan vibe, sounds really fat too. It also has an interesting neck that plays extremely well. It's a great guitar and has become my #2 only behind the Suhr modern pro.

That neck is Wenge. Great smooth playing neck wood that needs no finish.

 

[Doug63]

No Charvel here either but several Jacksons and a Mexi stra and Tele same company

 

[SkyMonkey]

The first guitar I connected with was an MIJ Charvel Model 4 (Kahler).
I laid away whatever I could afford at the guitar shop for months until it was mine!
The same as this one.



I took it apart to make templates and made this Model 4/6/Fusion set-neck copy MI(England). But had to sell the M4 to pay for parts.



I now have a Charvel Fusion Custom (MIJ) and a Pro Mod San Dimas Style 1 HT (MIM) to go along with the copy I made.

 

[JJ119]

@SkyMonkey

The one you crafted looks just as Nice as the other Charvels!

 

[SkyMonkey]

The one you crafted looks just as Nice as the other Charvels!

Thanks @JJ119.
It does have its faults though.

1. Heavy. Mahogany, Maple, Ebony.
2. Miscalculation of bridge position. A fraction too far away.
3. Bad choice of electronic routs. Tight to work on the pots. The angled jack hole is a PITA to get the jack socket nuts tight.
4. Slightly flat fretboard. I have to use heavy strings (10-46 at least in E) to help with the neck relief needed.
5. Love a Kahler bridge, but never use a trem! I keep the 'Lock Bolt' in all the time. There was no hardtail Kahler in 1992!

But I love it.
The neck is super slim, just like the Fusion Custom.
The string/body height is perfect for me and my palm mute style.
Sustain is amazing (all that weight?). No dead spots.
It's an X2N thrash machine! I usually have it detuned to Eb, sometimes drop Db with 11-52.

 

[Deftone]

The first guitar I connected with was an MIJ Charvel Model 4 (Kahler).
I laid away whatever I could afford at the guitar shop for months until it was mine!

Same here! Mine was an '86 Model 3 I financed at Clarksville Music in Clarksville TN (I was stationed at Ft. Campbell) Had it for years. Only guitar I ever played in a band and on stage with. Took this pic just before I sold it.


Fortunately, I realized my mistake quickly and bought the '86 Model 2 for $200 before price went crazy. I like the Model 2 even better.

Just spotted this '83 San Dimas for sale.....

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/scz/msg/d/felton-1983-charvel-san-dimas/7715502697.html

 

[PowerTube44]

I picked this one up, a Model 2, back around 2001 for $100.00 OUT THE DOOR. I wish I hadn't stripped and painted it, because these are now stickered at $1000.00 at GC because they're "vintage."






But, last week I received a mint condition Pro Mod So-Cal Style 1 in Satin Burgundy Mist. I already installed a White Pearl pickguard.

 

[Kinkless Tetrode]

Same here! Mine was an '86 Model 3 I financed at Clarksville Music in Clarksville TN (I was stationed at Ft. Campbell) Had it for years. Only guitar I ever played in a band and on stage with. Took this pic just before I sold it.

View attachment 145723
Fortunately, I realized my mistake quickly and bought the '86 Model 2 for $200 before price went crazy. I like the Model 2 even better.

Just spotted this '83 San Dimas for sale.....

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/scz/msg/d/felton-1983-charvel-san-dimas/7715502697.html

That color of blue metallic on the 83 looks awesome highlighted by black. I was reminded of that by the other thread about the green vs blue modern Charvels and the posts about what color of pickups, PG, and hardware to go with them.

A bit of trivia: That hue of metallic blue was called Frost Blue Metallic when used on 60's vettes, or Ice Blue Metallic when applied to 60's Mustangs. I think Fender called it Blue Ice. Gibson's Pelham Blue is close but doesn't have the metallic.

 

[Vinsanitizer]

I owned this hideous looking thing for about 2 weeks. I don't know WHAT I was thinking when I bought it. I guess I just wanted something different. First time I took it to a band rehearsal I knew I made a mistake. It kept going out of tune the whole time, and the selector switch would keep popping back to the center position on its own. I do like Charvelle's necks though.

 

[Vinsanitizer]

I love their necks, very smooth/comfy...player friendly!

My little Charvel "world tour" (L to R: MiM, USA, MiJ).

To me, the (pink?) one is a great looking guitar. I prefer the look of maple necks though. Do you know the exact model? I like how the edges are squared off, as apposed to the rounded edges of the white one (Fender rounds the edges on their Strats too much, IMO). The horns are also better looking than the pointy ones on Ibanez models.

 

[Derek S]

To me, the (pink?) one is a great looking guitar. I prefer the look of maple necks though. Do you know the exact model? I like how the edges are squared off, as apposed to the rounded edges of the white one (Fender rounds the edges on their Strats too much, IMO). The horns are also better looking than the pointy ones on Ibanez models.

That flat pink one (Charvel calls the color "Burgundy Mist") is a DK24 Pro Mod (alder body, caramelized maple neck/board, jumbo frets, gotoh 510 trem and locking tuners). It came with Duncans that didn't make the cut for me (swapped in some Dimarzio's). MiM but solid.

 

[Dgd73]

I owned this hideous looking thing for about 2 weeks. I don't know WHAT I was thinking when I bought it. I guess I just wanted something different. First time I took it to a band rehearsal I knew I made a mistake. It kept going out of tune the whole time, and the selector switch would keep popping back to the center position on its own. I do like Charvelle's necks though.

View attachment 146452

Haha I like that color and think that guitar looks cool.

 

[Redguitar]

I have both a mid-late 80s Model 5 and Model 6. both are red with Kahler 2300 bridges. The M5 is my go-to sweet baby. Other than my avatar pic there aren't many, if any, individual pics of them. The M5 has a Dimarzio "Fred" in the bridge position. It will soon undergo surgery to install a JE1000 (modern version) preamp in it. I've used the JE 1200 pre for the last 35 years and have always wanted to try the other preamps.

Also it's a bit special to me in that Mr. Peter Frampton autographed it back in
'89 when I met him at a breakfast thing with the local radio station.

The M6 does drop D duties.

Update...I tried the modern version of the JE1000 pre

and didn't approve at all. (I got my 100 bones back and was able to keep it) I reinstalled the JE1200 pre and all is well...almost. It sounds great as usual, however the actual pot that brings in the mid boost is a design flaw per schematic. It will be swapped out for a B50k linear pot. It basically blends the pre-clean & pre mid boost outputs from the chip. Audio (log) taper has the mid boost being almost full boost by turning up the knob to only about 3 or 4. This might be more of a technical report, but, but, but, oh well. JE1200 is a nice boost...not the JE1000

 

[Redguitar]

Finally I just took a pick of my M5. I've had it since new from around '88. It's been my workhorse. I recently reinstalled the original JE-1200 preamp. It all sounds so nice. A stock J-80C for the neck pup...a Dimarzio "Fred" by the bridge.

 

[Bull Rock]

A Duplantier pro mod. Modified up a bit. Had it for a few years now.

 

[StrummerJoe]

I don't have one yet. Planning to make a rather spendy purchase on a CS that has caught my eye in the next couple of months.

 

[StrummerJoe]

Incoming.....NGD will be next week. Here's a pic of the actual guitar from the dealer.

 

[MantraSky]

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