Charvels vs GMW's

[kickaxeguitars]

Re: Charvels vs GMW\'s

The bottom line is that everyone likes something different.
I've owned a pre-serilaized '81 Charvel S-head and it is still my favorite playing guitar of all time.
I owned the '83 EVH red/white/blue strat-head and the neck was like playing a GMW S-Head..no difference and not very comfortable to my playing style.(although a very solid and well built instrument to say the least) Then I had too many pointies to even bother singling out. (The pointies seem consistant and I liked them quite a bit too)
I know guys who can't stand pointies but love S-Head necks. I know guys who only play Pre Pros.. Everyone has their own personal taste and that's OK.
I guess I don't see the need for "which is better" debate as i think we can all agree Charvel built a fine guitar, regardless of era or configuration or we wouldn't belong to this Forum!
AND, I can't remember EVER hearing any member complain about a GMW guitar so i think it is safe to say they spit out some VERY high quality stuff.

My conclusion: Charvel and GMW are both great guitars. [img]/images/graemlins/headbang.gif[/img]

[tmdiamond]

Re: Charvels vs GMW\'s

Excellent point Mudkicker...

[tmdiamond]

Re: Charvels vs GMW\'s

and I think Chuck just summed it up very nicely too.

[Oregon Jason]

Re: Charvels vs GMW\'s

This has been one of my favorite threads of all time...

I have owned a bunch of stratheads, and I have only owned one that I didnt like (I still own it, I just don't want to sell it), a bunch of pointies (I sold them all, I dont like the feel of the necks), and I have owned 3 GMWs. I agree with what has been said here. The GMWs are far more consistent, but they haven't been played for 20+ years and don't feel as broken in as the Charvels.

I'm pretty sure I own the 81 pre-pro that Chuck was talking about...it is the best playing guitar I have ever run across. Talk about mojo!

Bottom line for me is to each his own. Some people actually like Gibsons [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

Jason

[Hossman]

Re: Charvels vs GMW\'s

San Dimas Charvel
1) Were Charvel guitars selectively custom ordered.
2) Were they carefully and professionlly built in trying to compete with Fender and Gibson?
3) Did Gibson and Fender players go to Charvel for their great custom made Quality guitars better than Fender and Gibson were making at the time?
4) Was the wood good solid selected and inspected wood before and after cutting?
5) Are the necks are simply incredible fretwork and all?
6) Have Many super pros used them out of want and need, and not for endorsement and income reasons?
7) Rarity, were only 5000 or so made and does the guitar have 20+ yrs of seasoned age ?
8) Are Charvels great for playing, collecting,investing, wall art or whatever reason there is to acquire one?
9) Are they very unique compared to other collectable guitars such as Fenders and Gibsons high dollar rare guitars and worht the price difference?
10 Are they the original and historical superstrat hotrod guitars that many enthusiastic desire yesterday and today?

GMW.

1) OLD Select wood or new flexible wood?
2) Original or copies of Charvels?
3) Historical?
4) Aged and played 20+ yrs old with the real worn in feel?
5) Ever used, needed or wanted by celeb artists?
6) Rare or abundant?
7) On the same level as vintage Fender or Gibson
8) CNCed?
9) Built to rival quality or riding on the coatails of Charvel interests?
10) Collectible or unique or a copy of that?

[Chuckracer]

Re: Charvels vs GMW\'s

Hossman, you have a market to protect. The more people talk about how maybe every single Charvel made wasn't magic afterall, the more defensive you get.
You are one of the few who have paid astronomical prices to get certain peices. You are one of the reasons the market is as crazy as it is. It would be pretty bad for you if the SD Charvel market went down, wouldn't it?

[Ralph E.]

Re: Charvels vs GMW\'s

Uh-oh Chuckracer, you just pulverized the head on that nail...

The bottom line is that the only people who downplay the GMW's and new Charvel's are the guys who have a ton invested in them and/or the guys whose egos take a blow when people choose to look elsewhere for a more reasonable choice.

One of the reasons I respect Bret (SLO100) is because he hasn't been so defensive about GMW. And that is (in my opinion) because he was collecting Charvels way before they were being collected for "investment" or "ego", which is what has happened in the last 4 years. Bret could probably care less if the market for them rose or fell since he truly loves the guitars for what they are.

[sully]

Re: Charvels vs GMW\'s

[ QUOTE ]

GMW.

5) Ever used, needed or wanted by celeb artists?

[/ QUOTE ]
um... yeah. they've done considerable work for many celebrities and artists. there was a list of their customers on their site. who knows, it may still be there, and it was quite a who's who.
[ QUOTE ]

8) CNCed?


[/ QUOTE ]
don't even start with that. you know how GMWs are made. and it's not like the guys at charvel were sittin on the floor with tree trunks, chisels, and saws, carvin out bodies and necks like grandpa whittlin' on the porch.

no offense, dude, but the reasons behind your uneducated bias is very transparent.

sully

[LarryL]

Re: Charvels vs GMW\'s

Much of the discussion here sounds just like what you'd get on the Fender or Les Paul Forum. Nothing compares to the glory days and rarely does a post get made without mentioning "mojo", "vibe", or "mystique". You can't go wrong with a SD Charvel. The lack of availability and difficulty finding one spec'd to your playing needs makes a GMW the best option for many.

I would love get about a dozen Charvels together with a dozen GMW's (that had been played for a year), strap a blindfold on a few people and let them have a few minutes with each guitar. That might be very interesting.

[mudkicker]

Re: Charvels vs GMW\'s

[ QUOTE ]
Charvel
Rarity 5000 or so made.

[/ QUOTE ]
Now that GMW can't do the strat head stock how rare are they now? How many gmw stratheads are floating around?

[ QUOTE ]
GMW
Original or copies of Charvels.

[/ QUOTE ]
And Charvel is a copy of what guitar???? Ohh yeah the Fender Stratocaster. I forgot who is GMW copying again? [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[Hossman]

Re: Charvels vs GMW\'s

:lol No issues here - I own GMW's, along with other guitar mfg's. I just state my views - I could care less of value I would love to see the prices drop, as I could add more..
I just tend to like the old Charvel's

[kickaxeguitars]

Re: Charvels vs GMW\'s

WOW! The **** is flying now!! [img]/images/graemlins/popcorn.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/popcorn.gif[/img] popcorn

Hey Chuckracer, why don't don't you tell us how you really feel? Quit biting your tongue for once and just let it out![img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Nice post Larry... Glad to see you active again,, I must admit though.. you scared me for a minute. It was that whole "strap a blindfold on a few people and let them have a few minutes with each..." THANK GOD that sentence ended with "guitar"

And Jason, you know that's the guitar I was talking about and I still lose sleep over selling it :crazy

Whatever anyone says about Charvels, I think they are an ABSOLUTE waste of money in the vintage market. 3-Large for an S-Head?? WTF... I love finding them and flippin em for big money-that's it..
I have to add that I often chuckle at the behavior of the grown men in the Charvel group.. I can't think of any other "fan club" with more issues and drama then the Charvel group.I find it hilarious that the early Charvel guys are actually offended by newcomers. I never in my life thought I'd live to see the day when I could use the term "Charvel-snob".. I collected Kramers WAY before they were cool and i didn't get all pissed when others shared my interest. I welcomed it and enjoyed sharing my passion.
Nothing like coming to a Forum to share your hobby and get grilled for not knowing the difference between a "pre Pro" and non serialized guitar.( I still say there is NO DAMN difference.)
Even better yet is watching a bunch of guys kissing each others ass thread after thread in writing then hearing stab after stab in actual live conversation.. The truth is you almost all hate each other whether you want ot admit it or not.. you've all found a way to piss each other off and you only come undercover hoping to either buy or sell your next big score.
This obviously DOES NOT apply to all who post here. There is a list of usual suspects some still active memers, some banned, some just gave up.. you all know you are.(Don't worry, your secrets are safe with me)

Give up the Charvels and try perscription drugs.. I have one word for all of you "Xanax" .. [img]/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]

[A. Pulver]

Re: Charvels vs GMW\'s

[img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/popcorn.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[Guest]

Re: Charvels vs GMW\'s

I am sure glad I am a player, not a collector.

[hippietim]

Re: Charvels vs GMW\'s

Well, I'm relatively new to the Jackson/Charvel on-line community compared to some of you guys and I haven't done any major guitar buying until the last couple years (now that I've finally got some $$$). However, I owned and played a lot of the guitars in question over the years and I can easily say with a straight face that not all of those Charvels and Jacksons were magic. I wouldn't say they were dogs or that they sucked but they weren't all amazing.

I had an SD Explorer and an SD Strat. The Explorer was really lame - I bought it brand new at a Veneman Music "May-Day" sale for under $300 brand new. I felt like I got ripped off. The only reason I'd buy that guitar today is to immediately resell it. It played horribly and sounded like a monkey scraping his balls with a steel brush. The SD Strat was just a nice guitar, it was not the holy grail or anything. I played a bunch of others in that time period that were better than mine for sure. My HRF GMW that I just got is way better than that guitar was.

As some of you may recall, I stumbled upon a Strathead Star with a cherryburst flametop for a screaming deal. That was a cool looking guitar and the neck was very nice. But it wasn't magic to me - so I sold it to a JCF member within a couple weeks of getting it.

I had an SD Rhoads that I bought new in '84 that was truly amazing - and I'd pay more than top dollar to get it back - that's how good it was. Like an idiot, about ten years ago I traded it for a Soloist with a glow in the dark snakeskin finish. That was a fine guitar as well but it was not as good as the Rhoads by a long shot - I was very unhappy about that trade within a couple weeks.

I also had one of the early Kramer Stratheads back then and that was a great guitar - it kicked the crap out of both of my Charvels at the time (but not my Rhoads). I think those early Kramers were really nice guitars.

So now I've got a GMW with an EVH replica coming from Matt's. But no real SD Charvel. I'm fine with that because my memories of those things aren't "all that". I remember them as being some great guitars but some mediocre guitars as well. Also, a lot of those 80's Charvels and Jacksons have paint jobs that were so dorky I'd end up having to tease myself about them. Like that Prepro that was recently on Ebay with the X2N pickup - that was a goofy looking guitar - no way would I pay over 4k for anything that looked like that. I wouldn't have bought that back then and I wouldn't buy it now.