Checked out some CS charvels in UK (review)

[darrellm]

Thanks for posting. I'm also in the UK and have been watching their website since they started getting custom shop Charvels in, thinking about buying one.

Lifelong Charvel fan here. Picked up a Model 4 in the late 80s (still got it) and spent the next 20 years searching the UK for a USA Charvel: no Internet back then, so it was case of travelling city to city trawling music shops. Nothing. Finally picked up one of the limited-run production USAs in 2008, this seemed to be the first time USA Charvel's were generally available in the UK.

Some of those guitars have been there a while, and were discounted in the Chrismas sale but still didn't sell. It's a funny old market over here, the rock/metal scene is a bit depressed and there's a much bigger alternative market, so things like Teles and semi-acoustics sell well. A lot of people haven't heard of Charvel, although I do occasionally get the odd enthusiatic guy coming up to me at gigs saying "wow, a USA Charvel". So I'm still thinking about those custom shops but like you can't justify the extra 1000 pounds (think my USA was 899 new): that's the price of a second-hand Musicman Axis.

[ed]

You can also spec your own Charvel thru their web page. Which i did but the wait time for them are 4-6 months according to RTM.

[1994]

Good post, thanks for sharing. Great to see a lot of UK Charvel fans in the forum - likewise as a teenager my dream guitar was a Charvel (Model 88 or a 750XL) but could never afford one. I am on the Richtone mail list, so was curious to find out about these guitars and it's nice to see Richtone giving Charvel CS select a decent push (The Jackson CS select never really got going in the UK as far as I know, although I think they are still available).

I think Darrell has it spot on - the models that didn't sell even though they had a decent discount applied show that rock guitars aren't really that fashionable anymore - I can't remember the last time I went into a guitar shop and saw a high end Charvel or Ibanez. At the £1,800 to £2,200 there is some stiff competition from Vigier, Suhr (a Modern Pro satin fro example) and Musicman (Axis, JP) to name but a few.

[Slashaxl]

Were these the CS RTM models? I am considering getting one, but cannot try it before I buy, as I am in Norway. Like the looks of these, but it is all depending on what offer they give me on one.

[ed]

Were these the CS RTM models? I am considering getting one, but cannot try it before I buy, as I am in Norway. Like the looks of these, but it is all depending on what offer they give me on one.

Did you ask for a deal on one? Let me know if you get a discount. They have actually taken down the custom builder thing on their website.

I was also thinking of getting one of those and have been emailing them but kinda get the feeling they dont even want to sell anything.