Uk Ant
New member
Obviously this forum needed another Charvel So-cal thread like it needed a hole in the head, but as I'm enjoying mine so much I thought I'd do a compare and contrast with the rest of my electrics.
First lets start with the easy one... my Ibanez SA. Well as it's currently strung with 12's and open tuned with the action raised there's not really much point. Still a top guitar for the money mind, and it sounds pretty good... but it's not really in the same class.
Next my Tokai Love Rock LP clone. Pretty silly to even try to compare the two, but as they're both MIJ and from a similar price tag lets see what you can get for your money from those Japanese builders.
There's a big trade off between these guitars. The Charvel has a much better feel on the neck and plays much easier but the LP is an LP and just kills the Charvel in terms of tone and sustain but the stock pickups are not up to much (which is why it now has duncans). But the LP is much more classy than the so-cal and, like the charvel, excellent value for money next to many american made guitars.
In real terms the only guitar in my collection I can really compare the charvel with is my mutt of an Ibanez RG. It's an old 550 body with a Korean neck which I sanded the shoulders off and finished with danish oil. It does have the edge lo-pro trem but no lock nut and has a JB8 in the bridge and a '59 in the neck and some cheapo single coil in the middle. Despite being made from spare parts this thing played like a dream almost as soon as it was assembled and has been my main guitar since it was assembled.
On face value these guitars are not too far apart, both bolt on super strats with trems and top pickups.
So, where do they differ. First the Charvel has the edge (just) on playability, but it's mighty close. Tone and sustain wise the charvel wins more clearly. The RG only sustains with feeback assistance. The Charvel also has a darker, deeper tone.
trem wise the Edge beats the floyd. The action is smoother and lighter (both strung with nines) and does that frang noise nicely if you flick your finger off the arm. The floyd does have the locking collar for the arm mind, which I do wish more people would utilise. I do like the trem arm to stay where I put it.
The Ibanez does win in a couple of areas. First, upper fret access. My SA also beats the Charvel on this point as well. You've gotta love systems like the Ibanez all access neck joint (AANJ). All of a sudden there's not a great big block of wood getting in your way.
The other thing is the angled headstock, but that's because I find string trees etc a pain in the neck... then again I could get some staggered tuners.
All in all the Charvel has the edge but if I were to have a custom made guitar it would have aspects of both of them.
First lets start with the easy one... my Ibanez SA. Well as it's currently strung with 12's and open tuned with the action raised there's not really much point. Still a top guitar for the money mind, and it sounds pretty good... but it's not really in the same class.
Next my Tokai Love Rock LP clone. Pretty silly to even try to compare the two, but as they're both MIJ and from a similar price tag lets see what you can get for your money from those Japanese builders.
There's a big trade off between these guitars. The Charvel has a much better feel on the neck and plays much easier but the LP is an LP and just kills the Charvel in terms of tone and sustain but the stock pickups are not up to much (which is why it now has duncans). But the LP is much more classy than the so-cal and, like the charvel, excellent value for money next to many american made guitars.
In real terms the only guitar in my collection I can really compare the charvel with is my mutt of an Ibanez RG. It's an old 550 body with a Korean neck which I sanded the shoulders off and finished with danish oil. It does have the edge lo-pro trem but no lock nut and has a JB8 in the bridge and a '59 in the neck and some cheapo single coil in the middle. Despite being made from spare parts this thing played like a dream almost as soon as it was assembled and has been my main guitar since it was assembled.
On face value these guitars are not too far apart, both bolt on super strats with trems and top pickups.
So, where do they differ. First the Charvel has the edge (just) on playability, but it's mighty close. Tone and sustain wise the charvel wins more clearly. The RG only sustains with feeback assistance. The Charvel also has a darker, deeper tone.
trem wise the Edge beats the floyd. The action is smoother and lighter (both strung with nines) and does that frang noise nicely if you flick your finger off the arm. The floyd does have the locking collar for the arm mind, which I do wish more people would utilise. I do like the trem arm to stay where I put it.
The Ibanez does win in a couple of areas. First, upper fret access. My SA also beats the Charvel on this point as well. You've gotta love systems like the Ibanez all access neck joint (AANJ). All of a sudden there's not a great big block of wood getting in your way.
The other thing is the angled headstock, but that's because I find string trees etc a pain in the neck... then again I could get some staggered tuners.
All in all the Charvel has the edge but if I were to have a custom made guitar it would have aspects of both of them.
