USA Charvel TX Custom, Real or Fake?

[GuitarObsessed]

I've been a guitar picker for 45 years yet just last year I discovered Charvel and am now the owner of two Japanese Charvel TX Customs. One sea green and one sunburst. Both are Frankinteles. I also own an Anderson, Parker Nightfly, a Fender USA Tele, a Fender USA Strat Deluxe and a Taylor yet my Sunburst Charvel with Dimarzio hotrail in the neck, Gold Lace sensor in the middle and Seymour Duncan '52 in the bridge is my player.

I recently ran across a Charvel TX Custom Tele for sale listed as made in USA. It has a headstock similar to a Fender Tele with a slight wobble cut into the larger curve (to avoid lawsuits?) It also has Gibson style speed knobs. A couple things have me wondering about this one. First, although the MADE IN USA matched the font on the decal it appeared to be a different color black with a purple cast. Second, it has a 6 digit serial number on the neck plate. (369643) I'd heard somewhere 6 digit numbers indicate overseas manufacture while 4 digits indicate MADE IN USA.

Sorry, I tried to post photos but wound up with little white boxes with red X's inside.

Does anyone know anything about this guitar and if it's for real?

[dg]

To post pics, you need to host them somewhere like photobucket.com and link to them. It's free and takes just a few minutes, or you can email them to me & I'll be happy put them up for you. Do you recall what address was on the neck plate? Ft. Worth TX, San Dimas CA?

[busdriver]

This one?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140377452951

Looks like a fake, there is no Charvel "Custon Shop"

[tcwil8]

Yep, that looks like an import body with some crap ass neck and hand made logo.

[dg]

[RacerX]

I'm glad you checked with us first!

[GuitarObsessed]

USA Charvel TX Custom, Real or Fake?

Thanks for the quick responses folks.

dg, there is no address only the Charvel logo, then Jackson/Charvel and then the serial number.

busdriver, yes that is the one I was referring to. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=140377452951

The seller told me she was selling her father's guitar to pay his medical bills. Just because I've heard that one before doesn't mean I'm totally inclined call her a fraud. I bought my strat from a guy who claimed to be a babtist minister who played it in church. It turned out he really was a babtist minister. Last August a friend passed away leaving behind 53 guitars (no Charvels or Jacksons), 11 amps and 57 effects pedals. Before he passed away he asked me and another friend to sell off his gear for his family. How many people read that and decided I was a store with a phony story trying to sucker some sympathy while sneaking inventory onto Craig's List?

The upshot is, given the benefit of the doubt, the seller's father may have been hoodwinked into thinking the Charvel TX Custom in question was MADE IN USA.

tcwil8, I tend to believe you're right, that body looks like my Japanese TX Customs (love the tummy cut). BTW, I just noticed the neck only has 21 frets while both my import TX Customs have 22.

RacerX, I'm glad I checked too.

Thanks again guys, nothing like a little controversy to get the blood pumping.

[straycat]

Well the logo is wrong, the neck has wide fret markers at the 12th fret so not a Charvel neck at all.Just a mutt of some kind.

[dg]

It's such a bad fake attempt, it's hardly worth going into too much, but the headstock is pretty obviously cut down from something else. Probably something like a Mighty Mite strat neck. The homemade (or made-to-order) "Custon Shop" logo is too classic. I had to save that one:






It's right up there with the guy who pasted a Charvel case badge on his headstock.

[tcwil8]

It's right up there with the guy who pasted a Charvel case badge on his headstock.

I remember that one. Or the dumbass that artistically sharpied the t into an L and te off of a Charvette logo. I wish I had a photo of that one. Friggin classic.

[RacerX]

a guy who claimed to be a babtist minister

Yeah, I've never heard of the babtist denomination, so I would've been very suspicious with that guy!

[skorb]

holy crap that is an abomination

is hanging still legal in that state?

[AlexL]

Does that actually say "Custon Shop"?

- E.

[RacerX]

Does that actually say "Custon Shop"?

- E.

It does! Har!

[m2pmd70]

Duh 'Custon' is one better than 'Custom'.