Did Charvel make any inexpensive guitars?

leevc5

leevc5

New member
I have heard a lot of good things about Charvel guitars and have been looking around for one. They all seem to be in the ~$500+ range. Am I missing something, or are all Charvel's high end guitars?
Also, I have seen Charvel by Jackson. What are those? I saw one at the swap meet today for $40 and figured it must be some cheap knock off.
 
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Re: Did Charvel make any inexpensive guitars?

Are you looking for new or used?

I've seen some new ones for under $500 at several local Guitar Centers--but those were the Star body and LPish body (Desolation series rings a bell.)

Here in Atlanta they seem to come and go on Craigslist...
 
Re: Did Charvel make any inexpensive guitars?

How old are you willing to go? Some of the Eighties and Nineties models can be picked up cheaply - especially if they need a little work. Guitars with a collapsed JT-6 double locking vibrato, or the horrid two-post Asian design that Höhner, Marlin and other MIK instruments used, are worthy of your attention.
 
Re: Did Charvel make any inexpensive guitars?

Funkfingers said:
How old are you willing to go? Some of the Eighties and Nineties models can be picked up cheaply - especially if they need a little work. Guitars with a collapsed JT-6 double locking vibrato, or the horrid two-post Asian design that Höhner, Marlin and other MIK instruments used, are worthy of your attention.
Click to expand...

Age doesn't matter. I just want a good guitar.
 
Re: Did Charvel make any inexpensive guitars?

Should have grabbed the swap meet axe. Charvel by Jackson guitars were made in Japan in the late 80's. There are a lot of them out there. They sold in huge quantities all over the world in the 80's and early 90's.
Other budget Charvel stuff are the Korean made Charvettes and CX's. These are from the earlier days of Korean guitar making when the quality was best described as "suspect"!!

Cheers,PJ
 
Re: Did Charvel make any inexpensive guitars?

Charvette bodies are ply.

The CX models are worth checking over. For the right price and with a few hardware and electronics upgrades, they can make serviceable instruments.
 
Re: Did Charvel make any inexpensive guitars?

The most smoking values around are early '90s MIJ Charvels. Save up and get one of those (I've got 3 + a modern MIJ Charvel). They weren't far behind the Jacksons of the time (long before Jackson introduced a cheapo line...... :( ).
 
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Re: Did Charvel make any inexpensive guitars?

Pontiac Jack said:
Should have grabbed the swap meet axe. Charvel by Jackson guitars were made in Japan in the late 80's. There are a lot of them out there. They sold in huge quantities all over the world in the 80's and early 90's.
Other budget Charvel stuff are the Korean made Charvettes and CX's. These are from the earlier days of Korean guitar making when the quality was best described as "suspect"!!

Cheers,PJ
Click to expand...

OK, I went back to the swap meet and talked the guy into $30 with a gig bag. I figured if the guitar was worthless at least the gig bag would soften by losses.

Played a little bit but the wife was cranky about me buying another guitar and so I stopped and took her and the dog to the park.

Will sneak it out later once things have cooled down and give it a better listen.

Does anyone know anything about this? Is it a Charvette, OMG? Here are some pics:

char1.jpgchar2.jpgchar3.jpgchar5.jpgchar4.jpg
 
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Re: Did Charvel make any inexpensive guitars?

OK, at least I got a nice gig bag. I found it, I think, CHS2 made in Korea. The pictures and serial number sequence all say Republic of KOREA.
 
Re: Did Charvel make any inexpensive guitars?

Not all charvettes are ply you rookies.

Mine is and it rips along fine. Got it for $50 but it didnt look like this at the time.

 
Re: Did Charvel make any inexpensive guitars?

Charvel WEB site says Alder body so it least has the possibility of a good platform. I'll have to take a look inside and see what it's really made of.
If it looks decent maybe use as another experimental guitar.
 
Re: Did Charvel make any inexpensive guitars?

Looks to be in good shape. Being Korean &/or ply does'nt automatically make it a dog. Set it up and jam...it just might SING :bigthumb:
 
Re: Did Charvel make any inexpensive guitars?

There was a cluster of well-made Japanese production in the mid-late 1980s and a bit on. Fender-style instruments with more of less Superstrat featurettes.
  • Charvel Model 1-6
  • Kramer Focus
  • Fernandez
  • Fender MIJ around E series (not the really early ones)

Made by the Japanese ESP factories, some in Fujigen. All of them have perfect craftsmanship and can have wood choice concerns. They can have bulletproof body finish. Neck finish is usually a nicely made hard poly gloss, with some satin thrown in (Fernandez).

Hardware can be a bit tricky, some wanted to do good and used "only the best" and put on the very heavy Schaller stuff. Works well, but can be questionable for sound. Some heavy handed truss rods can also be found. Others have cheap hardware but in vintage format so that you can exchange for light, quality hardware easily. Pickups are questionable on all of them.

Used prices are ridiculously low given quality, except for Fender E.
 
Re: Did Charvel make any inexpensive guitars?

+1

I would add to that list the Roland G-series and Casio MG synthesizer controller guitars. Well-made instruments (except for the stock pickups). You might pick them up cheaply because, if/when the synthesizer half of the outfit dies, many owners do not know what to do with them.
 
Re: Did Charvel make any inexpensive guitars?

So it's a MIK Charvel CHS-2. Anyone have any idea what it may be worth?

I'm not sure it's worth investing in new electronics and pickups.
 
Re: Did Charvel make any inexpensive guitars?

Seems like a gimmie for $30,esp w/bag...

String it up & set it up & take it from there!!!
:D

'Grats!
 
Re: Did Charvel make any inexpensive guitars?

$500 is an inexpensive guitar, imho.


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