NGFMD: Charvel Pro Mod So Cal Style 1 HH FR

[LLL]

N.ew G.uitar F.or M.odding D.ay

It was time for a NG and I was considering building another (Warmoth perhaps), but I'm not waiting months and months for parts (due to "covid" or other BS).

...so I spec'd a guitar with good "bones":


Charvel Pro Mod So Cal Style 1 HH FR


This is the white Jake E Lee sorta looking superstrat with all black hardware and pickguard.


- 2x SD Distortions, with the bridge being a Trembucker

- "6-pack of tone" 3 way switch, push-pull coil tap and push-pull no-load

- Charvel "speed profile" maple-capped-fretboard maple neck, Fender strat-shaped headstock

Neck feels incredibly satin and smooth; barely any finish (hand rubbed oil IIRC) there.

22 medium jumbo frets, rolled fretboard edges, no fretwork needed


- recessed Floyd Rose 1000 (Korean) - L3 nut (R3 for the righties out there)

- All black hardware

- Made in Fender Ensenada plant, Baja Cali (Mexico).


My take:

Plays excellent, neck feels excellent, frets feel excellent.

Hardware feels... middle of the road, but I'm not surprised.

Floyd 1000 stays in tune.

I do not care the the Distortions; they're okay once you EQ things, but there's too much "hash" in the upper midrange, at least with the stock wound strings on there (unknown manufacturer) which makes the lower 5,6 string power chords and such sound "hashy" and not clear on the top end of the EQ spectrum. I use nickel-plated strings (GHS Burnished), so maybe these strings are the brighter steel plated type.

But that's no biggie because I'm modding this puppy anyways.

I'll be replacing all hardware with chrome:

- OFR chrome with pop in arm and fat brass block
- Hipshot chrome locking (yes, locking - because makes changing strings a breeze) tuners
- Custom pickguard by WD Custom
- Chrome knobs
- Chrome 3 way switch tip
etc

Pickups will be my 80's JBJ in the bridge and a new SH-10n in the neck

So, my whole goal here again was to get a good player guitar with good "bones" (shreddy style) and gut it and put what I want in/on it.

 

[LLL]

Here's a representation

 

[GuitarStv]

I think those So Cal's are really solid guitars. Comfy neck, good body. The US one that I have came with an OFR , but I swapped almost everything out for an SSL-2, SSL-2, SSL-6 and never looked back. They've got a wider neck than your typical Fender up at the heel, not sure that I'd want the narrow spaced R3 nut on it.

 

[LLL]

I think those So Cal's are really solid guitars..

They really are. Been breaking it in and it just gets better and better.

The paint job was immaculate, as well.

Excellent mod platform... just waiting for parts.

 

[PFDarkside]

Cool, enjoy!

I’d find myself cutting a Jake style angled pickguard for it. Haha

 

[PFDarkside]

I think those So Cal's are really solid guitars. Comfy neck, good body. The US one that I have came with an OFR , but I swapped almost everything out for an SSL-2, SSL-2, SSL-6 and never looked back. They've got a wider neck than your typical Fender up at the heel, not sure that I'd want the narrow spaced R3 nut on it.

Are they a 2-1/4” heel? 1-11/16” nut?

 

[GuitarStv]

Are they a 2-1/4” heel? 1-11/16” nut?

Yep. It's the secret of why the neck is so nice to play. It's way thinner than most necks that I like, but because of the added width down near the heel somehow it feels thicker in the hand.

 

[LLL]

It's also a compound radius (a la Warmoth) - 12-16"

 

[LLL]

All parts ordered and some parts trickling in... some info that may be of use to others in the following:

Floyd Rose stuff came in - swapped out the block with a 32mm fat brass block (for those interested, the Floyd Rose 1000 in the So Cal uses a 32mm block)

Took out the bridge shim (for those interested, the So Cal uses an R3/L3 nut with 12" radius - the Floyd Rose Original bridge has a 10" radius, without shim, it's 12" radius)

Got a push in style arm but getting the old coupler out of the FRO bridge is going to require a rubber mallet or such.

 

[LLL]

Also, a Floyd Rose Original nut and a Floyd Rose 1000 nut are different.

The FRO nut is taller by a decent amount, so swapping out the 1000 nut with the FRO nut won't work unless you're prepared to do some trimming/grinding.

 

[LLL]

This part-that part orders coming in by the bunches. Still waiting on a few packages to arrive.

Customized OG Floyd is all done. Stainless screws, brass fine tuners etc

Hipshot locking tuners are a perfect fit.

After mulling over the myriad of possibilities, I've decided that wiring-wise, not gonna replicate the "Charvel 6-pack of sound".

I don't need all that/those switching/tones and I'm not a fan coil tap/split.

Going to have the bridge humbucker (80s JBJ) do series/parallel via push-pull, and a no-load tone pot with a 3 way switch.

 

[Bogner]

Sounds legit.

 

[Top-L]

Looking at pictures of left handed guitars too long causes brain damage.

Nice axe, but because its left handed my mind is having problems seeing it. Really, if I look at it longer than five seconds it stops looking like a guitar and looks more like a Rorshack blob.

 

[Bogner]

 

[LLL]

Hahaha