banner

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Upgrades/Changes: Charvel Model 5fx

Collapse
X
Collapse
 
  • Page of 1
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
Previous template Next
  • #1

    Upgrades/Changes: Charvel Model 5fx

    Hello everyone, so last night I took my Charvel Model 5FX to our practice spot after it had been sitting in the case for quite a while unplayed as it was unplayable and my other guitarist strung it up with D'Addario EXL125's .009 to .046 strings and used the 7mm truss rod tool and it was perfect fit and got it back to playable condition. We're both in a classic rock/hard rock covers band. The Charvel is now tuned to standard E tuning. We also discovered that there was a plastic plate in the trem cavity that was blocking the original Floyd rose trem and there were yellow slip covers over the 3 springs, I'm thinking this was done by a guitar tech I took my Charvel too some years ago to get rid of that annoying trem spring hum? Anyway, my other guitarist did a fantastic job getting the action nice and low.
    Now there's still other things to address on my Charvel, like the fact that the before mentioned guitar tech from some years ago took out the black phenolic nut and put in a fender LSR roller nut? I don't like the locking nut is behind the regular nut setup even though I know it came this way from the factory. The EMG single coil in the neck, which I don't know if it is an S or SA as there is no color on the EMG logo?, and the EMG-85 in the bridge just don't sound right to me and I'm just not gelling with them.

    My main guitar I've been using is an older Korean Epiphone Les Paul Custom with the SD Hot Rodded Set JB/Jazz with push/pull CTS 500K tone pots, and have been using through my other guitarist's EVH 5150 III 1X12 Combo with the speaker disconnected running through my Marshall 1960a 4x12 with 2 G12T75's and 2 WGS Retro 30's. I'm thinking of going to passive pickups on my Charvel but there is so many choices out there. The guitar seems very bright sounding right now. I've wondered what Seymour Duncan 59/Custom would sound like in the bridge and if this would this be a good pickup for what we play? My Charvel is the only guitar I have with active EMG's, all my other guitars have passive pickups and I've gotten used to the sound of passive pickups. Also, to get a nice sounding single coil for the slant neck position for it? Any thoughts?
    Charvel Model-5fx EMG 85/SA
    Epiphone Les Paul Custom Korean SD JB/Jazz
    Custom Made Ernie Ball Musicman Copy Dimarzio Super Distortion's
    2019 EVH 5150 III 50 Watt Head 6L6
    1995 Mesa Boogie Tremoverb converted to Head
    Mesa Tremoverb 2x12 cab (factory Vintage 30's) converted to closed back
    Marshall 1960A 4x12 (2 Celestion G12T-75's and 2 WGS Retro 30's X patterned
    Pedaltrain Mini: Currently on pedalboard: ModTone MT-CB Clean Boost, Zoom MS-70CDR, Korg Pitchblack Tuner)
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Re: Upgrades/Changes: Charvel Model 5fx

    Distortion + Hotrail probably if you wanna continue the 80s theme
    "New stuff always sucks" -Me

    Comment

    • #3
      Re: Upgrades/Changes: Charvel Model 5fx

      Originally posted by Adieu View Post
      Distortion + Hotrail probably if you wanna continue the 80s theme

      Well I want my Charvel to be able to do more than just 80's. Here's some of the covers we're doing now, seems like the EMG's in the guitar now are just like WAY overkill:

      Grand Funk - We're An American Band
      Judas Priest - Living After Midnight
      Kiss - Lick It Up
      Cinderella - Somebody Save Me
      Bryan Adams - Run To You
      Shine - Collective Soul
      Sin City - AC/DC
      Charvel Model-5fx EMG 85/SA
      Epiphone Les Paul Custom Korean SD JB/Jazz
      Custom Made Ernie Ball Musicman Copy Dimarzio Super Distortion's
      2019 EVH 5150 III 50 Watt Head 6L6
      1995 Mesa Boogie Tremoverb converted to Head
      Mesa Tremoverb 2x12 cab (factory Vintage 30's) converted to closed back
      Marshall 1960A 4x12 (2 Celestion G12T-75's and 2 WGS Retro 30's X patterned
      Pedaltrain Mini: Currently on pedalboard: ModTone MT-CB Clean Boost, Zoom MS-70CDR, Korg Pitchblack Tuner)

      Comment

      • #4
        Re: Upgrades/Changes: Charvel Model 5fx

        Originally posted by Charvel1975 View Post
        Well I want my Charvel to be able to do more than just 80's. Here's some of the covers we're doing now, seems like the EMG's in the guitar now are just like WAY overkill:

        Grand Funk - We're An American Band
        Judas Priest - Living After Midnight
        Kiss - Lick It Up
        Cinderella - Somebody Save Me
        Bryan Adams - Run To You
        Shine - Collective Soul
        Sin City - AC/DC
        Try the 18v mod, the reversible clip-the-clip version if it's just batteries in the electronics cavity and not a dedicated routed battery box

        Method: carefully separate the 9v clip into separate (+) and (-) wires and clips. Join via (clip+)(battery1-) (clip-)(battery2+) then click the unconnected ends of the two batteries into each other to use 18v... connect (+) and (-) to the same battery for back to 9v.


        But if you still don't like it, then you just wasted 3 minutes of your life but now know that EMGs won't ever work for you.... thenm hmm, idk, I think that list is perfectly playable on an 80s passive shredder with duncans.
        "New stuff always sucks" -Me

        Comment

        • #5
          Re: Upgrades/Changes: Charvel Model 5fx

          If you are going to ditch the EMG's and go with passives, i would recommend the following:

          SD Screamin' Demon/lil 59
          SD 59/Custom Hybrid/cool rails
          SD Parallel Axis (or even the Blues saraceno Version), Maybe a quarter pound in the neck

          IF i am not mistaken, the neck pickup route (slanted) is just oval, not able to take a triangular/flanged single coil pickup correct?
          Charvel, Kramer, Gibson, Fender, MIJ/US Epiphone, BC Rich
          Full Shred, Distortion, JB, Custom (Custom), Screamin' Demon, Cool Rails, Alternative 8, Mini Humbucker, Lil 59, 59, APH-1, Black Winter, Silverbird, SP90, PATB1,2,3, YJM, 59/custom hybrid, SSL-1 AH1BJ, Jazz, Antiquity JB/Jazz, Alpha/Omega

          Comment

          • #6
            Re: Upgrades/Changes: Charvel Model 5fx

            59/cool rails in a floyded superstrat is gonna be a little underpowered imho
            "New stuff always sucks" -Me

            Comment

            • #7
              Re: Upgrades/Changes: Charvel Model 5fx

              You might like a Hot Rails neck (it isn't as dark as the bridge) along with a Custom Custom in the bridge. It is a wonderful, quiet combination for hard rock.
              Administrator of the SDUGF

              Comment

              • #8
                Re: Upgrades/Changes: Charvel Model 5fx

                Originally posted by Adieu View Post
                59/cool rails in a floyded superstrat is gonna be a little underpowered imho
                The recommendation was for a 59/Custom Hybrid, not a 59 which I agree can be a bit under-powered in a superstrat. I'm pretty sure Ascension has a Hybrid in one of his Carvin / Kiesels.
                Originally posted by crusty philtrum
                And that's probably because most people with electric guitars seem more interested in their own performance rather than the effect on the listener ... in fact i don't think many people who own electric guitars even give a poop about the effect on a listener. Which is why many people play electric guitars but very very few of them are actually musicians.

                Comment

                • #9
                  Re: Upgrades/Changes: Charvel Model 5fx

                  Originally posted by Adieu View Post
                  Try the 18v mod, the reversible clip-the-clip version if it's just batteries in the electronics cavity and not a dedicated routed battery box

                  Method: carefully separate the 9v clip into separate (+) and (-) wires and clips. Join via (clip+)(battery1-) (clip-)(battery2+) then click the unconnected ends of the two batteries into each other to use 18v... connect (+) and (-) to the same battery for back to 9v.


                  But if you still don't like it, then you just wasted 3 minutes of your life but now know that EMGs won't ever work for you.... thenm hmm, idk, I think that list is perfectly playable on an 80s passive shredder with duncans.
                  I was on EMG's website looking at their different pickups as I had not been on their site for quite some time and say the EMG 57, anyone have experience with the EMG 57?
                  Charvel Model-5fx EMG 85/SA
                  Epiphone Les Paul Custom Korean SD JB/Jazz
                  Custom Made Ernie Ball Musicman Copy Dimarzio Super Distortion's
                  2019 EVH 5150 III 50 Watt Head 6L6
                  1995 Mesa Boogie Tremoverb converted to Head
                  Mesa Tremoverb 2x12 cab (factory Vintage 30's) converted to closed back
                  Marshall 1960A 4x12 (2 Celestion G12T-75's and 2 WGS Retro 30's X patterned
                  Pedaltrain Mini: Currently on pedalboard: ModTone MT-CB Clean Boost, Zoom MS-70CDR, Korg Pitchblack Tuner)

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    Re: Upgrades/Changes: Charvel Model 5fx

                    Where in Ohio are you?

                    I have a 5fx and a 550XL.

                    The 5fx came as a body only and I can't remember which bridge I used (a J80C I think), and a hot rails neck. Sounds pretty good.

                    But the 550XL has the stock J200R rail neck and a J90C. I wired it up with a Super 5 Way "E" switch and it has a killer set of tones coming out of it.

                    For a bright guitar the Custom Custom is a great choice.

                    Comment

                    Previous template Next
                    Working...
                    X