Old Charvel vs New Charvel

[herbychimp]

Looking for advice regarding the original hot-rod brand which is Charvel! I am looking to purchase a Charvel but have a dilema which people might be able to help me with. There are quite a few early - late eighties Charvels available on ebay-uk right now for anywhere between £250 -500. I have my eye on a model 2A from 84 ish (The models before the toothpaste logo era) however I wonder how these have aged and can't help wondering whether I should scrape together a bit more cash and buy one of the new San Dimas production models? I know that the older 2A would require a bit of restoration (fret dress + SD pup + possibly original floyd) which would take the overall cost to beyond £450. The new San Dimas models are quiet scarce in the UK (Non in Denmark street for a start!!) They look great but are likley to cost around £800 new. Is there that much difference between new / old charvel? The whole 'made in the US' thing doesn't really mean that much to me as the Japanese Charvels are known for their quality. Any opinions on this would be gratefully received!

 

[vinterland]

Re: Old Charvel vs New Charvel

USA Charvels of old and new are pinnacle guitars. The toothpaste model Charvels are almost on par with USA Jackson soloists, they were great guitars having owned a 650xl myself. I know plenty of guys love their old model 3,4,5,6's.

 

[Binnerscot]

Re: Old Charvel vs New Charvel

...and the new guitars are a pretty sweet, my only complaint is that I would have spent a few extra bucks on an OFR (the licensed one on it isn't bad though).

 

[Zerberus]

Re: Old Charvel vs New Charvel

USA Charvels of old and new are pinnacle guitars. The toothpaste model Charvels are almost on par with USA Jackson soloists, they were great guitars having owned a 650xl myself. I know plenty of guys love their old model 3,4,5,6's.

Agreed

While I love my Model 6, it doesn´t compare feelwise to any of the New or old USA Charvels, completely different necks on the mid 80s imports for the most part.

I personally prefer the USA Charvels, old or new. The new production ones are slightly stripped down, but still feel "right".

That said a model series Charvel in good condition will still blow away just about anything else on the market, it really comes down to which necks you prefer, as the rest can be swapped out.

 

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: Old Charvel vs New Charvel

...and the new guitars are a pretty sweet, my only complaint is that I would have spent a few extra bucks on an OFR (the licensed one on it isn't bad though).

It's not a "licensed" Floyd, it's an Original Floyd Rose. Granted it's not made by Schaller, but no one has yet proven either way whether they're as good as a Schaller-made or not.


I've had plenty of the older import Charvels, and I have 6 of the new ones. They are two totally different guitars, mostly because of the neck profile. The Model models from the 80s had a slightly thinner neck profile than the current models.

The current neck profile is based on an average of the most common San Dimas-era Charvel neck (which, being all hand-made and mostly custom-ordered, those old USA necks could vary widely).


If you found an older import Charvel that needed a refret, and your total cost (purchase plus refret) was $600, you're still coming out cheaper than a new Charvel. If you add in the cost of a refinish (if it needs it), then you may end up with a more desireable guitar if it's done to your favored specs.

The one weakness with the new Charvels is the lack of pickup and control configurations (though the SoCal can easily be modded with a new pickguard with almost any configuration of knobs and up to H-S-H pickups).

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Old Charvel vs New Charvel

Some day... Some day... I want a real Strathead Charvel. Of course that may be like saying I want a real '63 Strat here in a few years.

 

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: Old Charvel vs New Charvel

That's one of the great things about Fender now owning the Charvel brand name and trade marks. I never really liked the pointy looking Charvels as much (not that they arn't great guitars) but now they can use the real deal strat head on Charvels again, and without any legal problems. If you don't mind the pointy looks then the tooth paste Charvels are a steal for a great player guitar.

There's just something cool about a strat head Charvel though.

 

[greene2mac]

Re: Old Charvel vs New Charvel

I have a mid 80's model 5 with active pickups, and love it. I have a strat, a tele, and a Ibanez RG and by far the charvel is my guitar of choise. I would get what my buget would alow either way ,new or old it would be worth it

 

[YHWH]

Re: Old Charvel vs New Charvel

... US made "San Dimas"-era (late '70s/early '80s) Strat head to @ '85 pointy 'stock were *THE* Charvels... by the late '80s most were MIJ... but still great guitars... they just didn't have that SoCal/Hollywood Sunset Strip mojo to 'em.

... I've only glanced at them briefly @ NAMM... but do the new Fender Charvels have real brass hardware/knobs? Are they maple-bodied as the old ones were or just alder? There were other differences between the old and new... I believe the old necks were lightly lacquered w/ an 11" radius (not a compound radius)... bodies were finished in polyester (NOT polyurethane) and the standard Charvel pickups were DiMarzios... not Duncans... which were available only upon request...

 

[Zerberus]

Re: Old Charvel vs New Charvel

...

... I've only glanced at them briefly @ NAMM... but do the new Fender Charvels have real brass hardware/knobs?

Most do where applicable.

Are they maple-bodied as the old ones were or just alder?

Nowherer near all of the old ones were maple, most were poplar, alder or mahogany, and the CS will still do whatever wood you desire just as they would back then. Today's production guitars are alder.

There were other differences between the old and new... I believe the old necks were lightly lacquered w/ an 11" radius (not a compound radius)...

Some had a compound radius, some didn´t, and almost all were finished in oil just like the new ones. They could however be ordered with a hard finish.

bodies were finished in polyester (NOT polyurethane) and the standard Charvel pickups were DiMarzios... not Duncans... which were available only upon request...

Remember, back then there were no "production" Charvels, each and every single one was a one off custom order (or a parts mutt). Dimarios were just as "special order" as Duncans, because the player speced out the guitar not the factory. Todays production Charvels are essentially just a slightly stripped down version with the most common options. The Custom shop will still do whatever your heart desires just as they always have

 

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: Old Charvel vs New Charvel

My 81 pre pro has a 12-16" compound radius. It came with Dimarzios and it has a maple body. The neck has a hard finish. However, I encountered several that didn't quite meet those same specs back in the day.

A band mate had one that was Alder and had an unfinished neck. I'm sure it was compound radius too. There were more rosewood and ebony fretboards than many think today too. It seems that we think that almost all had one peice maple with oil finishes, but not always. My band mates also came stock with Duncans. Both of our guitars don't have Floyds. Very few had Floyds early on.

 

[vinterland]

Re: Old Charvel vs New Charvel

My 81 pre pro has a 12-16" compound radius. It came with Dimarzios and it has a maple body. The neck has a hard finish. However, I encountered several that didn't quite meet those same specs back in the day.

A band mate had one that was Alder and had an unfinished neck. I'm sure it was compound radius too. There were more rosewood and ebony fretboards than many think today too. It seems that we think that almost all had one peice maple with oil finishes, but not always. My band mates also came stock with Duncans. Both of our guitars don't have Floyds. Very few had Floyds early on.

Pre-pro's FTW! I would never try and buy one nowdays unless I knew the seller personally. Too many Charvies trying to be passed off as them.

 

[HighGain]

Re: Old Charvel vs New Charvel

If you haven't played a pre-'86 oil finished Charvel neck, you have my sympathy. I've accumulated several nice guitars over the last 25 years, and my '85 pointy head Charvel is still the best of the bunch. It may sound better now than the first 15 years I had it.

 

[BloodRose]

Re: Old Charvel vs New Charvel

I love my Model 4! Until recently, I had 2, an 87 and an 88. I just sold one cuz I gotta pay bills. I'd still love to have a custom shop one, but cant afford that kinda loot.


An interesting tidbit.. The girl that bough my model 4 (with a crazy 8 in it) LOVES it and she wasnt even born when they were orig made...:eyecrazy:

 

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: Old Charvel vs New Charvel

My 81 pre pro has a 12-16" compound radius. It came with Dimarzios and it has a maple body. The neck has a hard finish. However, I encountered several that didn't quite meet those same specs back in the day.

A band mate had one that was Alder and had an unfinished neck. I'm sure it was compound radius too. There were more rosewood and ebony fretboards than many think today too. It seems that we think that almost all had one peice maple with oil finishes, but not always. My band mates also came stock with Duncans. Both of our guitars don't have Floyds. Very few had Floyds early on.

This was due more to the fact that the only way to get a Floyd back in 81-84 was to buy a Kramer or to get one directly from Floyd Rose himself. Many vintage Charvel fans mistakenly assume that they used v-trems and Kahlers because of some blind adherence to Leo Fender's design or that the Kahler was better. However, it's a simple matter of Kramer having exclusive rights to and total control over the Floyd Rose bridge. Many people bought a brand new Kramer just for the Floyd for their Charvel Custom Shop, then sold the rest of the guitar as parts.


And the new ones are made with 1-piece maple necks because it's the least-expensive manufacturing process. That's also why the truss rod adjusts at the heel as opposed to the head. It's a cost-cutting choice.

 

[YHWH]

Re: Old Charvel vs New Charvel

... I thought the compound neck radius wasn't invented by Warmoth until the mid-late '80s... :banghead:

... Charvel used 11" straight radius necks... these authentic vintage Charvel flyers don't lie.

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...

...

... most early '80s Charvel bodies were alder or maple. Poplar wasn't even considered to be a viable tone wood yet... basswood... forgetaboutit. Only Allan Holdworth's custom red Charvel Strat used that wood. Ibanez was then copied it for their Holdsworth sig guitar (they were also the first company to use basswood as a standard for its bodies in 1987). DiMarzios were also standard on the earliest Charvels... as was the "2 coats of lacquer" on the necks.

... Charvel didn't have the templates to install Floyds on their guits in the early days either... independent luthiers/outside repairmen handled that task.

 

[JacksonMIA]

Re: Old Charvel vs New Charvel

Man, I wish they still had those prices!

 

[Uk Ant]

Re: Old Charvel vs New Charvel

I used to own a MIJ Charvel Spectrum SP3 (catchy) which was arguably the best guitar I've ever owned.
Sounded great (although I'd swap out the oddball active electronics these days), played like a dream and really well made.
Of all the guitars I've had down the years it's the one I'd really want back.

 

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: Old Charvel vs New Charvel

... Charvel didn't have the templates to install Floyds on their guits in the early days either... independent luthiers/outside repairmen handled that task.

But they did have skilled luthiers who could figure out that the only difference between routing for the Fender-style trem they'd been using and the Floyd Rose was the combination wood screws+pivot posts and taking a little bit off the underside for the springs to flex, which is why you find so many with an angle at the end of the trem cavity under the slot.

 

[ken361]

Re: Old Charvel vs New Charvel

any good?
http://detroit.craigslist.org/msg/1270803075.html