Made in USA Pagan Gold So Cal 2010/11

[traynor_garnet]

Hi everyone,

First post on the board. I am also new to Charvels in general and I am looking to find a good guitar for when I want to pretend a.) I don't suck and b.) I'm 15 and will one day be in Iron Maiden or Van Halen! I am drawn to Charvel because I hate most Ibanez necks.

I have a line on a 2010/2011 USA SO CAL in Pagan Gold. The seller says he bought it new from the major music retailer in Canada (Long and McQuade) in 2011. Does it look legit? Anything of special note about this run? I know this guitar came loaded with Dimarzios rather than the more usual SD. Is this a concern?

Thanks so much for any info and having me on the board.

TG

[traynor_garnet]

And a few more:

[Number Of The Priest]

2010/2011 is incorrect for the production years of the USA Production Models. He could have bought the guitar in 2011 but it could have sat in the store since 2009.

Reference thread: https://www.jcfonline.com/threads/14...ls-catalog-ads

That guitar belongs to the 3rd Batch Custom Colors, January 2009.

Just observing the photos provided, everything looks stock on that guitar. Yes, the So-Cals came factory-equipped with DiMarzio Tone Zone (bridge) and DiMarzio Evolution (neck). Aside from the USA and Japanese So-Cals of 2008-2011, no other stock Jackson/Charvel guitar in the history of Jackson/Charvel ever came equipped with this interesting pickup combination. It's nice to see something a little different than the usual Seymour Duncan JB/59 (which you can see on the San Dimas variants).

You'll find specification sheets in the above link, not for the So-Cal models specifically, but the whole family of guitars shared very similar specs aside from minor differences (such as the occasional rosewood fretboard instead of maple, Style 2 Tele bodies instead of Style 1 Strat bodies, various pickups).

[traynor_garnet]

Thanks for the info. The seller didn't actually say what year the guitar was made. He just told me he bought it in 2011; I just assumed it was made in 10/11 given that info but I guess I was wrong.

There are so many fakes floating around I also wanted to get confirmation that this is legit. The last USA Charvel I almost bought turned out to be a Mexican Body on a USA neck!

TG

[shreddermon]

Legit

[Number Of The Priest]

The USAs are easy to spot and identify because there were only 8 total Batches of Custom Colors over two years (2008-10) and the specs are so rigidly defined and well-documented. Because of this, deviations from the norm are also easily spotted. For example, if that gold guitar had a recessed Floyd then I'd begin to wonder if it was a Mexican So-Cal body mated to a USA neck. But no, I literally spot nothing wrong with that gold guitar.

I bought my So-Cal 6th Batch Polar White two years ago for CAD$800 (USD$608).

Original NGD thread: https://www.jcfonline.com/threads/14...in-polar-white

Updated photo post: https://www.jcfonline.com/threads/15...-(Polar-White)

In Canada, these USA Production Models occasionally dip down quite low in price:

https://www.jcfonline.com/threads/157044-Belleville-ON-Canada-Deal-alert-Charvel-USA-Pro-Mod-Style-2-w-HSC-(CAD-550)

https://www.jcfonline.com/threads/151058-Edmonton-Canada-Deal-alert-2009-Charvel-USA-Pro-Mod-San-Dimas-(CAD-650)

https://www.jcfonline.com/threads/156282-Calgary-AB-Canada-Deal-alert-2008-Charvel-USA-San-Dimas-Style-2-(CAD-524-97)

https://www.jcfonline.com/threads/154565-Edmonton-AB-Deal-alert-2008-USA-Charvel-So-Cal-(CAD-700)

https://www.jcfonline.com/threads/150828-Windsor-Canada-Deal-alert-2008-Charvel-So-Cal-5th-USA-batch-Ferrari-Red

https://www.jcfonline.com/threads/150747-Saguenay-amp-Quebec-Canada-Deal-alert-2009-Charvel-USA-Pro-Mod-San-Dimas-(CAD-700)

https://www.jcfonline.com/threads/151058-Edmonton-Canada-Deal-alert-2009-Charvel-USA-Pro-Mod-San-Dimas-(CAD-650)

https://www.jcfonline.com/threads/150488-Muskoka-Canada-Deal-alert-USA-Charvel-Pro-Mod-So-Cal-(CAD-500)

https://www.jcfonline.com/threads/150037-Saguenay-Canada-Deal-alert-2008-Charvel-USA-Pro-Mod-San-Dimas-(CAD-675)

[traynor_garnet]

Thanks again guys. I just made an offer to the seller. Did these originally come with a hardshell case or gig bag?

[Number Of The Priest]

Gig bag. I don't even know what they looked like at the time. My So-Cal came with a Yorkville YEC-6H generic teardrop case that the seller included in the price.

Succeeding the 2008-10 USA guitars were the virtually-identical Japanese guitars of 2010-11 which did come with SKB 90915000 cases.

[traynor_garnet]

Thanks again. Looking like this will be mine!

[Capelo]

Really hope you score it! I owned exactly the same guitar a few years ago and I am still kicking myself for selling it. Of the three US production models I have owned it was hands down my favorite one.

[metalhobo]

the gig bag they came with is a basic, padded, flat-looking affair. I think I remember there being a charvel logo affixed to it.

I never gelled with the tone zone in that guitar. you may or may not. I find a brighter pickup works better. if you hate ibanez necks and are like me you will love this one.

[xenophobe]

That's a really nice guitar for only being 15. Good luck, hope you score it.

[traynor_garnet]

Payment sent! It's on it's way! Argh, I hate waiting for shipping . . .

[lefty]

Tell ya what, whatever it is, seems like a pretty nice guitar!
Good-looking quarter sawn neck, spiffy gold paint. I think ya got a
nice guitar coming. Good luck on it...

[traynor_garnet]

That's a really nice guitar for only being 15. Good luck, hope you score it.

You may want to carefully reread my post LOL