Charvel Hot Rodding 101 (Mike Learn content)

[roodyrocker]

So, I got this idea about hot rodding a current production USA Charvel and here is what happened:

Step 1: Buy a new plain black San Dimas Style 1 Charvel. Better yet, use Bing.com for some cash back along the way So here is what it looked like new, plastic still on the pickups.



Step 2: Strip it down to just the body.



Step 3: Wrap it up as UPS/Fedex proof as possible. For comparison, its next to an ADA 2x12 cab


Now its ready to go to Mike Learn


Step 4: Sawp out the Duncan JB for a Bare Knuckles Painkiller recently aquired through the JCF classifieds, been wanting to try one out and this seemed like the perfect guitar to do it with. Mike Learn painted pickup covers so I could swap pickups if need be.


Step 5: My good friend Bill Yekel who owns The Guitar Mechanic assembled the newly arrived Charvel and gave it the proper set up it deserves;



Step 6: Here she is in all her shredding glory back in one piece



thank you Charvel, Mike Learn, and The Guitar Mechanic

[VitaminG]

very cool, Rudy. She looks great!

[KBRR]

very cool

[gtrbuyer]

awesome job....it is nice to see these production models getting hot rodded

[dannyr]

Nice job! Congrats.

[Matt_B]

So that one is yours? Very cool. Simply and effective and significantly less expensive than a custom shop. Congratulations.

[slowhand66]

That came out great!

[Robert Hendrix]

Nice!!

[roodyrocker]

Thanks guys. The speed with which Mike Learn turned this around is amazing. I called him to make sure the body arrived to him and he said not only did it arrive but that he had the graphic outlined on it already and that the paint would be dry at the end of the week! once again, a big thank you goes out to Mike Learn

[Axewielder]

Kickass! So was the graphic just done over the factory paint, or was the body stripped down and redone?

[roodyrocker]

Kickass! So was the graphic just done over the factory paint, or was the body stripped down and redone?

Over the factory paint. No need to strip it all the way down. I called Mike Learn ahead of time to see what background he prefferred for this graphic, I suspected black, and he said black so thats what I bought and sent him. You can get good deals on plain, basic, boring black and use them for such projects

[Axewielder]

Over the factory paint. No need to strip it all the way down. I called Mike Learn ahead of time to see what background he prefferred for this graphic, I suspected black, and he said black so thats what I bought and sent him. You can get good deals on plain, basic, boring black and use them for such projects

Good to know! Why, I may have two such guitars suitable for this type of project!

[beachjammer]

Killer guitar Rudy!

[Charlz]

Very cool graphic!!! Love it!!

[JediHalen]

Hi Rudy,

Can I be so bold as to ask what Mike charged you for the graphic, and did he also clear coat the graphic afterwards?

Looks killer BTW