2013 Charvel Line up.

mantis

mantis

New member
Whats up everyone?
I'm new around here and this might have been posted already. I'll take a link if anyone has one.
Anyway , I would like to know who played the new models? I was kinda fond and turned off a bit from the last few years models. I don't like the Floyd Rose mounted onto the body. I like it recessed. I'm also not a huge fan of the Dimarizo Pickups they had in the So cal , yeah they where nice but I prefer the sound of Seymour Duncan TB4 and 59 in the neck position like the new models have. The New So cal is perfectly set up for me. Fender style Charvel Neck , Maple , Recessed Floyd and Seymour Duncans , I'm way in.

Back in the 80's I owned a Model 3A with HH setup and a pick guard. Kalher Trem and Jackson Pickups. I loved that Guitar as it looked basically like the Snow white So cal. It played incredible. I sold it like an idiot as one of my friends haunted me to own it. I was playing Gibson Les Paul Custom way more and had a Strat that I liked for many things , it was an american Standard 1985 model year. The Gibson was a 1982 model year. I had a JCM800 and a Fender Twin as my rig.

So whats up guys? Who played the new models?
 
Re: 2013 Charvel Line up.

I prefer the recessed Floyd as its easier to get low action without shimming the neck..... If I want it to dive only Ill use a trem stop
 
Re: 2013 Charvel Line up.

Cool I prefer the Recessed myself but I just played a Jackson Adrian Smith and it played very good. I was actually surprised as I was at the guitar center checking out the Boss GT100 ( I own the GT10 and heard it was much better) and saw the Jackson and just picked it up to use to test out the GT100. After awhile of going through the Gt 100 , I actually started to like this very affordable model ( it was only like $499.99 which is cheaper then anything I have ever owned). It's very much like a So cal except it has 2 single coil pickups which I have no use for. Playability is awesome and it sounds damn good for it's price tag. I'd like to play the actual model.

So no one has seen the 2013 models in person other then the show? No dealers have them in stock? I even went to a place where they carried Charvel for many years , Russo's Music in Trenton NJ and they don't even carry Charvel anymore. I left so disappointed .
 
Re: 2013 Charvel Line up.

Welcome to the forum!! I too am very interested in the new models. Ive not had the chance to see one in person tho. FWIW, Ive been told by a couple of reputable dealers, that they are pretty close in quality and playability to the former ones, as I was very concerned about this. (These dealers had both in stock and had little to gain by telling me that, so it wasnt a sales pitch) Having been a long time fan of the model series (own a 4) and have a couple of the Japanese Pro mods, I think VERY highly of Japanese built guitars. I bought a so cal and promptly pulled out the dimarzios and put in Duncans. Hybrid bridge and Jazz neck now. I bought a US Charvel too, so will probably sell my Black San Dimas, but the So Cal is prolly my fav axe! Also, this may get me banished, but I too played the import Adrian Smith back to back with the US one and could tell very little difference. Pickup and feel of the selector switch obviously, but neck and overall feel were definately nearly $1500 different. The import was actually heavier and seemed to sustain better.

Im sorry I cant really speak for the new ones yet, so this doesnt really answer your question, but I wanted to offer some input as Ive posted the same thread. Since they are starting to come into stock most places, perhaps the answer will come soon!
 
Re: 2013 Charvel Line up.

I have one of the older Japanese Charvels, it plays great, the neck is something you won't find anywhere else, its just fantastic.

There is one downside to the new models, they may have recessed the floyd but the trems they have are floyd rose specials and not the floyd rose 1000s that they had on the older models,on the other hand they are cheaper than the older ones. Apart from that they should be great axes, and I can't wait to try one.
 
Last edited:
Re: 2013 Charvel Line up.

JOLLY said:
Dude, you'd be interested in a mongoose turd if it had six strings on it.
Click to expand...

Ouch!! Dont see you on the forum for awhile.. Start to worry.. and you come in and dog me....
Yeah, I know Im a guitar slut.. Id own a million if I could. Im doing better tho. I still look at everything, but Ive finally figured out what really actually works for me. Im pretty much sold on my Charvels and my Lps
 
Re: 2013 Charvel Line up.

I myself prefer body-mounted Floyds at the moment. The pull ups aren't an issue because I have this technique (that I couldn't describe for the life of me) that makes it sound as if I were really pulling the bar up but I'm really just returning it to the neutral spot.

But now I am opening up to recessed Floyds as well because not only are they easier to setup (string height, more like annoying with the tension), I can slightly move the bridge with my right palm to give a quarter-tone bend. I am also into the idea of a Hipshot Tremsetter with recessed Floyds to make setup (tension) easier along with making double stop bends sounding more "correct".
 
Re: 2013 Charvel Line up.

BloodRose said:
Welcome to the forum!! I too am very interested in the new models. Ive not had the chance to see one in person tho. FWIW, Ive been told by a couple of reputable dealers, that they are pretty close in quality and playability to the former ones, as I was very concerned about this. (These dealers had both in stock and had little to gain by telling me that, so it wasnt a sales pitch) Having been a long time fan of the model series (own a 4) and have a couple of the Japanese Pro mods, I think VERY highly of Japanese built guitars. I bought a so cal and promptly pulled out the dimarzios and put in Duncans. Hybrid bridge and Jazz neck now. I bought a US Charvel too, so will probably sell my Black San Dimas, but the So Cal is prolly my fav axe! Also, this may get me banished, but I too played the import Adrian Smith back to back with the US one and could tell very little difference. Pickup and feel of the selector switch obviously, but neck and overall feel were definately nearly $1500 different. The import was actually heavier and seemed to sustain better.

Im sorry I cant really speak for the new ones yet, so this doesnt really answer your question, but I wanted to offer some input as Ive posted the same thread. Since they are starting to come into stock most places, perhaps the answer will come soon!
Click to expand...
Thank you,
I was pretty Impressed with the Adrian Smith , which is odd as I wasn't even checking it out , it just snuck up on me when I was checking out the GT100. Very few guitars leave an impression on me and It kinda sucks as I have liked many guitars by looks and setup yet left the guitar shop emty handed after playing them. Ibanez is the biggest let down for me as I have seen so many of them that I thought , that could be the one . Played it and hated it.
For the Sheer hell of it , I may go back and play it again. Maybe it will come home with me , it's a nice playing guitar. Sound wise I wasn't sure as I was running it through the GT100 and really didn't play it straight to the Twin which for me would let me know how it sounds.
 
Re: 2013 Charvel Line up.

Hairmail said:
I have one of the older Japanese Charvels, it plays great, the neck is something you won't find anywhere else, its just fantastic.

There is one downside to the new models, they may have recessed the floyd but the trems they have are floyd rose specials and not the floyd rose 1000s that they had on the older models,on the other hand they are cheaper than the older ones. Apart from that they should be great axes, and I can't wait to try one.
Click to expand...

From what I can see I thought they where the same price no? Whats the difference between the Special and 1000? I got 2 guitars with Original Floyd Rose systems.
I just want to play the entire new line. I like all the models in the Super Strat line up. Even the Hard tail models with the single coil(which I'm not fond of) look interesting.
 
Re: 2013 Charvel Line up.

Myaccount876 said:
I myself prefer body-mounted Floyds at the moment. The pull ups aren't an issue because I have this technique (that I couldn't describe for the life of me) that makes it sound as if I were really pulling the bar up but I'm really just returning it to the neutral spot.

But now I am opening up to recessed Floyds as well because not only are they easier to setup (string height, more like annoying with the tension), I can slightly move the bridge with my right palm to give a quarter-tone bend. I am also into the idea of a Hipshot Tremsetter with recessed Floyds to make setup (tension) easier along with making double stop bends sounding more "correct".
Click to expand...
It's the feel and height of the pickups that I don't like with top mounted Floyd's. I don't know if setting them up is harder or easier as I have only set up recessed models. I did however play the Adrian Smith Jackson and it was top mounted. It felt pretty damn good ( why do I keep talking about that guitar ? )
 
Re: 2013 Charvel Line up.

For double stops to sound right and be in tune with a floating Floyd you just have to bend both strings. Start by bending the first string and then right towards the end bend the second one up with it. I don't know how I came up with it. I wasn't trying....it just happened one day, it works.
 
Re: 2013 Charvel Line up.

mantis said:
From what I can see I thought they where the same price no? Whats the difference between the Special and 1000? I got 2 guitars with Original Floyd Rose systems.
I just want to play the entire new line. I like all the models in the Super Strat line up. Even the Hard tail models with the single coil(which I'm not fond of) look interesting.
Click to expand...

The new sold finished San Dimas models cost around $50 less than the older solid ones, the new burst finished models and the So-Cal cost the same as before, which is about $900 new.

The floyd rose 1000s are pretty much a licensed copy of the German one, with very similar materials, but they're made in Korea and they're only available OEM. The floyd rose specials though, use Zinc alloy saddles and sustain block so its a bit of a step down in quality.
 
Re: 2013 Charvel Line up.

Hairmail said:
The new sold finished San Dimas models cost around $50 less than the older solid ones, the new burst finished models and the So-Cal cost the same as before, which is about $900 new.

The floyd rose 1000s are pretty much a licensed copy of the German one, with very similar materials, but they're made in Korea and they're only available OEM. The floyd rose specials though, use Zinc alloy saddles and sustain block so its a bit of a step down in quality.
Click to expand...
Good to know , If I pick up one , I could always swap it out for an original or take one off one of my guitars and see if it changes anything.
 
Re: 2013 Charvel Line up.

BloodRose said:
Ouch!! Dont see you on the forum for awhile.. Start to worry.. and you come in and dog me....
Yeah, I know Im a guitar slut.. Id own a million if I could. Im doing better tho. I still look at everything, but Ive finally figured out what really actually works for me. Im pretty much sold on my Charvels and my Lps
Click to expand...

LOL.....I wasn't dogging you. I was just busting your balls a little bit.;)
 
Re: 2013 Charvel Line up.

My MIJ Charvels are awesome and I don't see the need to get a MIM Charvel. Don't like the recessed trem.
 
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