New vid on Charvel website

[beachjammer]

Figures that they'd include hardshell cases with these.... I guess they need to have them better protected for that long trip OVERSEAS!

I like Japan made guitars and again, I'm not knocking their quality but..... I don't know about you guys but the "Made in U.S.A." on the headstock of a especially a Charvel means something to me. If that means that I have to spend more money to get a USA Charvel and provide an American with an income then I'm fine with that. I was hoping that USA Charvels were back to stay in the USA where they belong.

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

Wow, seems like Bionic is gonna be pissed that Sweetwater let the cat outta the bag like that... :think:

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

I don't see anything on Sweetwater's site like that.

I did just notice that Charvel's site's menu lists "US Custom Built" - Hmm.

[BenoA]

I went into my browser's history, tried to reach the page where I got that info and it looks like sweetwater has removed the page!

[BenoA]

I'm don't know exactly the specs of the previous San Dimas models, but from what I could read from my post above, this sounds quite similar to what they are offering right now except for the hard shell case...

[Rich#6]

200 less is a joke.

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

$200 less PLUS a hard case, for the same quality... That's not bad. If it's the same quality.

I dig the colors, too. If a certain Ebay part-out guy gets a hold of several of these I won't be disappointed.

[vondran]

Do I understand it correctly, no SoCal?

[powermacho]

Mmm I don't know about the quality of these, but I will probably get a so-cal in white from these MIJ charvels. I got a USA tele style from last producion models for less than $600 mint. I wonder how low can the Japan models can go on eBay. And I guaranty that the USA models are going up in price

[veniculum]

To me, one of the whole points of having the USA Pro Mod series was that Charvel diehards could get an actual "Made in USA" Charvel at an affordable price. There's the key to me "made in USA" where the originals were. I know it's not the same factory or the same people but you know what, Henry Ford isn't making the new Ford trucks either now is he? If you buy a new Ford though you're still getting a Ford that's made in USA. Samething here in my opinion. I play my USA Pro Mod So Cal more than any other guitar I have. I'm not knocking guitars made in Japan because I know that those guitars are made well. My point is that I'm an American, Charvel is an American company and I want to support Americans making a product that I want to buy.... in America. I have a model series made in Japan and it's a great guitar but is it a USA Charvel like my So Cal, 2005 Reissue or 86 San Dimas.... The answer is "NO". If they are in fact making them in Japan then I'll just stick with buying NOS or used USA promods.

I could not have said it better myself...I actually did basically say the same thing a few posts back...but not quite as eloquently as this gentleman. Thanks man...you're right on the money. Made in USA is usually the primary criteria for buying a guitar. If it doesn't say that, there better be a pretty good reason (or one hell of a deal on an established import brand). Otherwise, I only buy USA made guitars because I'm proud to be an American...and there's nothing more beautiful than a well made AMERICAN made guitar.

[powermacho]

If they do start making them in Japan it seems like they have gone through a lot of work to build a USA brand just to take production overseas. They came back with a big bang with bringing back USA production Charvel's and Custom Shops, then to the Pro-Mod USA series. How many years has that been, five or six all together? Its been two years of Pro-Mod's plus the three or four before that. If they do take production to Japan I think it would deserve a WTF? People will obviously argue the quality of the Pro-Mods to a Japanese made one and the used market will go crazy for Pro-Mods. Charvel doesn't make money on that. There has to be more to the story. I'll reserve my WTF until the truth comes out.

I am with you, I will wait to see the reactions, but I still want a so-cal. I hope the prices don't go up in those USA models. I am hopping maybe a model 4 re-issue or more variations of Crome, gold hardware on the guitars

[dg]

That Sweetwater description is missing a couple of very important words: "quartersawn" and "oil-finished". If these have the typical Japanese painted flatsawn necks, I'm not even going to be looking for a cheap used one.

[Grandturk]

Yeah - no way these have Qtr sawn and an oil finish.

[Predator1]

If you can live without a strathead the 04-06 Pointies RI are still the best bang for the buck. I even preffer the neck backshape to the Pro mods. I should have a NOS in my hands by the end of next week.

[plexipwrd]

If you can live without a strathead the 04-06 Pointies RI are still the best bang for the buck. I even preffer the neck backshape to the Pro mods. I should have a NOS in my hands by the end of next week.

I agree. I just picked up a mint '05 and it is a fantastic guitar.