NGD - finally have the complete USA pro-mod collection

[veniculum]

Hey guys...I am a HUGE fan of the USA Pro-mod Charvels...just this past 6 months, I've bought two of them. I don't know what it is...I love the necks...I love the way they look and play. It's almost like they were made exactly for my playing style.

As it turns out, there's only one Charvel dealer in NJ...and their supply was a bit limited. Actually, at first, it wasn't. They were letting the SD 2's (Tellies) go for 699. So I had to buy one. I was hooked. This was the guitar for me. Then a month or two later, I convinced the powers that be that I had to have a So Cal...and the amount I play it, it will more than make it for the expense. So I picked up a Ferrari Red. I had it for about a week, when I decided to bring it back to the store. It really need a setup...must have been sitting on the wall for a long time. Just as I was completing the paperwork, I took a glance over at the guitars on the wall. Well wouldn't you know it...they got a new shipment in....and being that I was within the exchange period, I had to trade it for the Trans Kandy...and no regrets since. It's a stunning guitar. But since doing that, I've always felt I still need a So Cal.

I really wanted a white So Cal...but it wasn't urgent. figured I'd find something eventually...and then Charvel did it. They announced production to Japan...which I'm sure will result in some great guitars for the price...but I have a thing for USA made guitars...so I was on that mission. Had to get a USA So Cal. I finally found a red ale on ebay for a good price (well under list). It wasn't the white that I initially wanted, but it was really cool looking nonetheless.

So here are some pics that I took. It's so cool to see all three models in my collection.

So now my evaluation. I've noticed that my two SD models (with the Duncan JB) has a fatter/hotter sound. The bottom end is definitely heavier...if that makes sence. This new So Cal (with the DiMarzios) isn't quite as ballsy...but it still sounds great. I'd sure love to hear your comparisons, to those of you in the know...particularly those who have both models in their collection. I guess the question is, is this typically the case when people compare the Dimarzios to the Duncans? One thing I should add...both my San Dimas models have the floydupgrades.com brass block upgrade. Some claim this doesn't do much...but I definitely beg to differ. When I installed the brass blocks, it made my Charvel MIK floyds just sound better...it's not night and day..but definitely an improvement.
So I'm wondering if I add another brass block to the new So Cal, if It'll give those Dimarzios a little more kick.

Anyway...here's my pics. The camera does absolutely no justice for these Trans -finishes. But I promised to post them anyway. Let me know your thoughts comparing the SD to the So Cal (pickup/tone-wise)

[Johnnyryche]

Nice group of pro mods. Now you need a Style 1 with 2 hums to complete it.

[Grandturk]

I like both of those Trannys.

[THOMO]

Nice...............

[roodyrocker]

The bridge pickup in the So-Cal is a Tone Zone. Thats a pretty ballsy pickup. I have it in one of my Soloists and of course in my Candy Tangerine So-Cal. It should also have more bottom end than a JB. Perhaps you need to adjust the pickup height?
I have guitars with Tone Zones and others with JBs, among others as well, and they both sound good to me. The Tone Zone tends to have a bit of a flubby sounding open low E string on clean settings. Its definetly not lacking in bottom end. Also, pinch harmonics seems to be relatively easy to get with this pickup.

[slash]

I was expecting to see all the colors... you have work to do to complete your collection

[veniculum]

I was expecting to see all the colors... you have work to do to complete your collection

I love charvel guitars...but I'm not crazy...there's a lot of other nice stuff out there that's got to make it's way into my living room first. I kinda dig the Music Man guitars..they make some nice stuff...and I don't know if any collection is complete without an SG in there somewhere. I see stuff I want all the time in Guitar World/Guitar Aficionado...Thing is...I always loved Charvel...and the Pro-Mods really took me in. So I've got a pretty mixed up collection...and I don't ever think I've owned more than one type of guitar at a time. Now I've got three (albeit, they're different models - but they still are USA made production charvels...so they're pretty similar)

Going back to Roody...Maybe it's just me...I just find the JB to be a harder edged, hotter pickup. It could be my rig....or it could be that I play through a Pocket Pod quite a bit. For whatever reason, they just kick my balls more. Not to say that the Dimarzio doesn't sound good...it sounds really good. I'm just finding more sustain and low end with the JB. That said..I've got brass big blocks in both SD models (with the Duncan pickups)...and despite what some folks have said, I did notice a bit of a difference when I installed it. I'm gonna install one in the So Cal as well...I've said it before...what's another $30?
I suppose once that's installed, I'll have a better basis for comparison. I will say this...both my SD Charvels seem to have a little more balls than the DiMarzio in my PC-1. That's a great guitar, and it sounds great...don't get me wrong. I just don't think it's as heavy.

I got one question for anyone who can answer it. This most recent purchase (So Cal), it was brand new in a Charvel box. Amazingly, it made it through all that shipping to my house, not only in one piece, but the neck was dead on straight, and intonation and string height was perfect. I am curious though...what kind of strings does Charvel put on their guitars from the factory. I'm not thrilled with them...and I do, typically, play 9's. I'm gonna re-string it with some DRs...I would love to know what's in there now. Any idea?

Thanks guys.

[Izegrim]

Awesome guitars! Ofcourse in real life the colors will be different but still, they look great! I have to wait until I can pay off my Trans Ale So-Cal (I made a deposit). So I'm not really sure as of what the color is REALLY like when you see it in person. My impression is that it should look darker and deeper than your pics display - is that correct?

[veniculum]

Awesome guitars! Ofcourse in real life the colors will be different but still, they look great! I have to wait until I can pay off my Trans Ale So-Cal (I made a deposit). So I'm not really sure as of what the color is REALLY like when you see it in person. My impression is that it should look darker and deeper than your pics display - is that correct?

Yes...pictures just cannot do justice to these 'trans' colors. I'm looking at the pictures I posted above, and it doesn't look too much different than a Ferrari Red So Cal. I can tell you from experience (because I had a Ferrari Red)...the two colors couldn't be more different. The Ferrari red looks just like that....they could call it fire engine red, cherry red, etc...but at the end of the day, it's just red. The trans ale colors are wayyy different. It's like they took wood, and used a stain that happens to be tinted red (or kandy/gold, etc). Very hard to capture in pics.

[roodyrocker]

Veniculum, the Dimarzio in the PC-1 is a Super 3 whereas the Dimarzio in the Promods is a Tone Zone. I have several guitars with different Dimarzios and Duncans in them. I like the JB, nothing wrong with it, but I also have Distortion, Custom Custom, Pearly Gates, and Screamin Demon equipped guitars as well as Dimarzio Tone Zone, Super 2, Super 3, PAF Pro, and Super Distortion ones. I've also tried a few others and one of my Promods has a Bare Knuckles Pain Killer in it. I've played them through big amps like Marshall, Bogner, Bad Cat, Mesa, etc... and An Axe Fx. After a while you start to notice that the same pickup in different guitar bodies sounds a bit different. I used to stick a Screamin Demon into just about everything but then noticed it sounds better to me in heavier bodied guitars for whatever reason. Maybe your guitar would indeed sound better with something other than a Tone Zone in it, or perhaps your ear doesn't like the basic characteristics of the Tone Zone. Only one way to find out, bust out the soldering iron and try a bunch of pickups

[slash]

I love charvel guitars...but I'm not crazy...there's a lot of other nice stuff out there that's got to make it's way into my living room first. I kinda dig the Music Man guitars..they make some nice stuff...and I don't know if any collection is complete without an SG in there somewhere. I see stuff I want all the time in Guitar World/Guitar Aficionado...Thing is...I always loved Charvel...and the Pro-Mods really took me in. So I've got a pretty mixed up collection...and I don't ever think I've owned more than one type of guitar at a time. Now I've got three (albeit, they're different models - but they still are USA made production charvels...so they're pretty similar)

Thanks guys.

I agree... but unfortunatly your title is wrong... It's not a complete collection... the colors were limited so if you would have grabbed one of each color plus the wild cards then I would consider it complete... crazy I know.. but I wouldn't be surprised if someone has done it or is on the quest to do it..

[veniculum]

Veniculum, the Dimarzio in the PC-1 is a Super 3 whereas the Dimarzio in the Promods is a Tone Zone. I have several guitars with different Dimarzios and Duncans in them. I like the JB, nothing wrong with it, but I also have Distortion, Custom Custom, Pearly Gates, and Screamin Demon equipped guitars as well as Dimarzio Tone Zone, Super 2, Super 3, PAF Pro, and Super Distortion ones. I've also tried a few others and one of my Promods has a Bare Knuckles Pain Killer in it. I've played them through big amps like Marshall, Bogner, Bad Cat, Mesa, etc... and An Axe Fx. After a while you start to notice that the same pickup in different guitar bodies sounds a bit different. I used to stick a Screamin Demon into just about everything but then noticed it sounds better to me in heavier bodied guitars for whatever reason. Maybe your guitar would indeed sound better with something other than a Tone Zone in it, or perhaps your ear doesn't like the basic characteristics of the Tone Zone. Only one way to find out, bust out the soldering iron and try a bunch of pickups

You make a really good point. I guess where I'm going with this is...these Charvels are all pretty similar in terms of wood, shape, weight, etc etc. So it's a good platform to make a comparison. If I had to choose between a JB and a Tone Zone...I like the JB better...just for my style of playing. Over the years, I've used Pearly Gates, Burkbusters, Dragons, lots of different IBZ, and of course lots of Duncans...the list goes on. But if I have to choose between EMG, Dimarzio, and Duncan...typically, I like the sound of SD's the best..in most cases. That said, the PC-1 is a good example. They designed that guitar based on a set of specs from one player (a player that I do admire, and like his sound), and it has a very particular sound. I probably wouldn't change it. As an overall package, it sounds really good to me. But I do have to tweak things a little..in terms of my amp settings, effects, pickup height, etc, to get what I want.
Personally, my favorite pickup of all is the Dragon IIs in my PRS. For whatever reason, they have just the right amount of bite, clarity, low end, etc.

I guess, where I'm going is...typically, I keep my guitars in their original configuration..just because I bought the guitar that way for a reason...whether it was sound, playability...and at the end of the day, once again, it's a package sound. I realize that I can change this stuff...and occasionally, no matter how much I tweak things, I can't get it to sound right...in those situations, obviously, I have no problem swapping out pickups (or making other modifications)

Since 2006, I basically sold off all my old guitars and started a whole new collection. With this new collection, I haven't felt like I need to change pickups on any guitar. On the other hand, in some cases, I've been unhappy with the amount of "adjustability" of a certain pickup...or pickup setup. My Ibanez J-custom has IBZ-Dimarzios (and I wish I knew what pickups they are based on...any spec sheet i've ever seen just says IBZ-dimarzio humbucker)...anyway, they're a direct mount, and I just can't get them high enough to the strings. Now playing through an amp, this is fine...I get plenty of sustain...but playing that guitar through a little pocket pod, I need to get those pickups higher..and the way they're setup, I can't do it. Of course, I understand that this is probably an easy fix with a little "duct tape and grease"...just not easy for me, because I'm not a guitar tech by any stretch. I gotta pay for these adjustments

I guess I could go on...At this point, I wanna drop a big block in the So Cal...then I can really get a good comparison between the two. Like I said...I actually do hear a difference when I install those blocks...call me crazy.

Thanks for the reply man. I agree with everything you're saying

[roodyrocker]

The way I got started on swapping pickups goes way back to my first Jackson/Charvel guitar which I bought new, a Charvel Model 6. I love Jackson/Charvel guitars but never cared for their pickups so any older models I buy I usually swap out the pickups. You would think that the same guitars with same pickups would sound similar and for the most part its true. however, every now and then I get one that doesn't sound so well with certain pickups. Prime example is my 89 Rhoads which I gig with frequently. Originally a friend of mine ordered it new then I bought it from him almost 10 years ago. It had Jackson pickups in it originally. I swapped them for a Screamin Demon and a JB (Yep, I have a JB in the neck position). The Demon didn't sound good in it so I took that out and replaced it with a Duncan Distortion and that did the trick. I've used the Screamin Demon in other Rhoads' and it sounded fine. Just have to keep trying pickups out I guess Good luck with your Charvel Promod.

[veniculum]

The way I got started on swapping pickups goes way back to my first Jackson/Charvel guitar which I bought new, a Charvel Model 6. I love Jackson/Charvel guitars but never cared for their pickups so any older models I buy I usually swap out the pickups. You would think that the same guitars with same pickups would sound similar and for the most part its true. however, every now and then I get one that doesn't sound so well with certain pickups. Prime example is my 89 Rhoads which I gig with frequently. Originally a friend of mine ordered it new then I bought it from him almost 10 years ago. It had Jackson pickups in it originally. I swapped them for a Screamin Demon and a JB (Yep, I have a JB in the neck position). The Demon didn't sound good in it so I took that out and replaced it with a Duncan Distortion and that did the trick. I've used the Screamin Demon in other Rhoads' and it sounded fine. Just have to keep trying pickups out I guess Good luck with your Charvel Promod.

I had an older "Toothpaste" Charvel with Jackson pickups...not impressed. I never did swap them out. I liked the way the guitar played...but I didn't like the pickups...and the color was pretty bad. Totally 80's hot pink! I paid a buddy of mine to paint it black, at which point, it looked pretty cool. And I never even minded the toothpaste logo on the pointy. Lookin back, i wish I would've swapped that pickup.
I had another guitar for a very short time....ESP (early 90s)...I was in debt and had to sell it off pretty quick. It was the only guitar I've ever owned with EMGs. Since then, I've been curious how they sound in some of these other guitars. They seem to be pretty popular in the current ESP line.

I have a question for you. I'm considering actually making a switch, but I'm not sure if I'd like it (or if it would be worth the change at all). I have an Epi Sheraton II that I had a SD 59 in the neck and a Pearly Gates in the bridge. Since I purchased that Pearly, I've wondered how it would sound in the bridge of one of my San Dimas models. Maybe swap the JB in my SD HSS for the Pearly Gates. Any suggestions about that pickup in a hotter guitar than a semi-hollowbody?

Thanks man

[roodyrocker]

First, I'd have left that guitar hot pink! But hey thats just me, what can I say? My band does 80's hard rock covers so I approve of all those bright colored, pointy guitars
On the Pearly Gates pickup... The Shannon Soloists have that pickup in the bridge from the factory. Its a pretty weak sounding pickup for a bridge position. I have two Shannon Soloists, one which is stock (Slime Green) and the other in Blue Ghost Flames which has a Dimarzio Super 2 in place of the original Pearly Gates. I've used the Pearly Gates in the neck position in my other guitars and its fine there. But for a bridge position its weak IMO.