Help me choose a guitar?

[JD-MAN]

Can anyone give some comments and/or help me make a choice between these guitars?

Jackson Stealth XL Professional (early '90s)
MIJ, SSH, ash body, transparant finish, rosewood fretboard...

Charvel Model 3 (late 80s)
SSH, Basswood body, maple neck, rosewood fretboard.

Charvel Model 88 ('88
1x Humbucker, african mahogany, maple neck, rosewood fretboard.

Each seems to have a different wood.
How do these woods sound when comparing them?

 

[thetragichero]

get one with a maple board!

 

[HOT TUBES 70]

This would be my first choice ......



Jackson Stealth XL Professional (early '90s)
MIJ, SSH, ash body, transparant finish, rosewood fretboard...

 

[custom53]

Get a Marshall halfstack, plug 'em in, turn to 4 or 5 and play each one for 15 minutes or so...
You will know...

 

[JD-MAN]

Get a Marshall halfstack, plug 'em in, turn to 4 or 5 and play each one for 15 minutes or so...
You will know...

In an ideal world yes, unfortunately the guitars are at different sellers who do not live so near.

 

[sccloser]

Difficult to say without trying the guitars, but I have always liked the necks on the Charvel 3's, so I would lean towards it unless the others were considerably better.

 

[sccloser]

Oh, just as an aside, I believe all 3 of these guitars are Floyd Rose, or equivalent, equipped. I think that the body wood makes a little less difference with these type of guitars. You give up some tone with that full floating trem system. So, to me, the wood type is less important on this type of guitar.

 

[Reckless_Life]

I'd drop the Model 3 and go for either the Jackson Stealth or the Model 88.

I don't understand the idea behind the Model 88 either. Spec wise it looks to be a good guitar, but why reduce its versatility by giving it just one pickup? It makes it somewhat of a one trick pony, no?

I'm also curious why they put the pickup in a slanted position?

 

[ToneZone100]

I have a model 3 and love it. I used to own a Model 3a dinky which I think the Charvel 88 is based on. I found this to be quite a thin sounding guitar with little grunt or meat to the sound. I dunno if this was down to the wood/ pickups or body design but I ended up swapping it with my mate for the blue model 3 I own now:

http://www.marshallforum.com/guitars/22801-charvel-thread.html

 

[renips]

Can anyone give some comments and/or help me make a choice between these guitars?

Jackson Stealth XL Professional (early '90s)
MIJ, SSH, ash body, transparant finish, rosewood fretboard...

Charvel Model 3 (late 80s)
SSH, Basswood body, maple neck, rosewood fretboard.

Charvel Model 88 ('88
1x Humbucker, african mahogany, maple neck, rosewood fretboard.

Each seems to have a different wood.
How do these woods sound when comparing them?

I would say play each one first. My 87 JEM has a basswood body and that guitar rocks. It is a different guitar from the ones you are referring to in that it has a maple fingerboard and some other things. I believe the basswood will be the lighter of the 3 if I am not mistaken

 

[sccloser]

I would say play each one first. My 87 JEM has a basswood body and that guitar rocks. It is a different guitar from the ones you are referring to in that it has a maple fingerboard and some other things. I believe the basswood will be the lighter of the 3 if I am not mistaken

Basswood is generally lighter. I have no problem with basswood guitars. I notice no difference in tone between basswood and alder that I can remember. Alder just looks better sometimes under a transparent finish.

 

[stax]

The Model 3! I've had a few of them including some 5's over the years (or decades really). They were the shit back in the day, I let my last two go to auction (for a good cause) a few years back.

 

[stax]

P.S. I believe that Basswood is/was more abundant in Japan than other traditional tonewoods. It makes for a good guitar, ask EVH he seems to like Basswood.