Charvels vs GMW's

[slo100]

Re: Charvels vs GMW\'s

Toby, GMW was always, until recently, the only place to go to get a Charvel-clone built to exacting specifications down to nut width, bridges, wood, electronics, and finish.

For stratheads, they were the only ones doing it right. By right I mean doing the best job of anyone giving you what is essentially a brand new Charvel guitar as you like it.
Charvel was not offering the product...they could not legally.

FWIW, Lee quit doing Charvel logos long ago though a few seemed to leak out every now and again.

So two years ago, let's say (before all the **** went down), I wanted a superstrat with a strathead neck with an oiled finish, wide fretboard, flat radius with vintage Charvel brass hardware, one humbucker and a bengal graphic. Where would I have bought such a guitar? Fender did not make it. Charvel could not make it with a strathead. I don't want some guy in a garage banging one out for me.

GMW was the only place to go for such an instrument that would be crafted in such a way that it would be as close to an early-80s Charvel as humanly possible.

If I didn't want a GMW or to have Jackson build me a custom shop guitar as close as they could get it (no strathead) I'd have to wait it out on ebay or luck out finding a real one which means either it would never happen in my lifetime or I'd have to pay $6,000 for one to win a bidding war (should it ever appear).

Yes, GMW was doing Jackson style necks, too, and the reason people ordered these is because of price. A custom shop Charvel would have been much more money without a graphic than GMW was making for $1250 with a graphic. (Why Jackson let this go on is beside me!)

GMW met a demand no one else was addressing. Jackson let him slide...they figured, "we can't make stratheads...who cares?" Fender is not letting him slide. Like 'em or not, you don't get to be the biggest guitar manufacturer in the world by letting others cut into your trademarks, product line, or market.

For those others who don't like it...don't buy Fender products. That is really your only recourse besides whining on Internet forums about it.

[Toby]

Re: Charvels vs GMW\'s

I understand that GMW was the only source for authentic Strathead replicas. It's nothing wrong with that.
I only can't follow why some need Charvel logos on these GMWs.
What if somedody is going to sell one of the GMWs with a Charvel logo, and maybe with a Charvel neck plate? Maybe once these GMWs appear on ebay, claimed to be real San Dimas Stratheads.

[Toby]

Re: Charvels vs GMW\'s

What about Warmoth?

They are still licensed to build Stratheads. Would Warmoth be able to build authentic San Dimas Charvel Strathead necks and bodies?

[tmdiamond]

Re: Charvels vs GMW\'s

Toby, I see where you're coming from. I think it is a bad idea to logo a GMW with a Charvel logo, IF there is any chance that it'll ever be sold. I have my GMW Crossed Swords and I am going to put a Charvel logo on it. Why, because I want it to look like a Charvel CS when I play it live, period. The guitar will never be sold, period. I have about 10 or 12 guitars that will never be sold under any circumstance and that GMW is one of them. Now, if for some reason, I was forced to sell (which won't happen, but let's say that it did). The logo comes off before it leaves my hands. For me, it's strictly a visual statement. I haven't logo'd it yet but I plan on it. And to protect it's origin on the off chance that it gets stolen, I'llmark the guitar in some other fashion that will say that it is not a real Charvel. I may make a change to the logo itself or mark the neck pocket or whatever. It's strictly a visual element that I want. Or maybe it's that I just want the aura that playing that GMW with a Charvel logo would have. Flame away...

[Jim Shine]

Re: Charvels vs GMW\'s

[ QUOTE ]
What about Warmoth?

They are still licensed to build Stratheads. Would Warmoth be able to build authentic San Dimas Charvel Strathead necks and bodies?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, they could. But by that token Lee could try to obtain a license and make them as well. However, the licensed shops are only allowed to supply replacement bodies and necks, not complete, fully assembled guitars.

[DTP]

Re: Charvels vs GMW\'s

[ QUOTE ]


Yes, they could. But by that token Lee could try to obtain a license and make them as well. However, the licensed shops are only allowed to supply replacement bodies and necks, not complete, fully assembled guitars.

[/ QUOTE ]

Maybe he could do that and send everyone's guitar in two boxes! [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

I love my GMW, I don't have a U.S. Charvel, but if it played as well as my GMW I would like to have one of them too.


Jason

[Jim Shine]

Re: Charvels vs GMW\'s

Many people don't know how to pop a neck on and setup a guitar. That would be the main drawback to doing something like that.

[bluebullet]

Re: Charvels vs GMW\'s

its simple marketing, fender wants to keep the strathead charvels rare so they can charge more for them when they sell them as reissues or evh models, by keeping the numbers low they figure people will pay more and they get more of a profit, the cost to manufacture is the same because all your talking about is a different headstock. personally i dont care that much but i do think stratheads look better. im not going to pay a huge premium for it but you cant blame fender for being smart enough to notice that a lot of people have been paying big bucks for stratheads

[kickaxeguitars]

Re: Charvels vs GMW\'s

TOBY, the funny part is GMW is ALOT closer to Charvel/Jackson then you, or most people for that matter, know.
With that said, you're not too far off in putting a Charvel logo on a GMW..

Trust Me... If you played a GMW S-Head you basically played a NOS Charvel S-Head.. Not kinda close-you did! Trust me.
Not just in spirit either.. SO I suggest everyone hold onto your coveted S-Head GMW's... It is(was) the best game in town if Charvel San Dimas is your bag.

[RP]

Re: Charvels vs GMW\'s

[ QUOTE ]
its simple marketing, fender wants to keep the strathead charvels rare so they can charge more for them when they sell them as reissues or evh models, by keeping the numbers low they figure people will pay more and they get more of a profit, the cost to manufacture is the same because all your talking about is a different headstock.

[/ QUOTE ]

Considering how few of the Retros they apparently sold and how small the premium on them really was (Retro Bullseye had a MSRP of $2,999. A Pointy Charvel Standard with v-trem starts at $1,999... add the Bullseye paintjob, which would run, what? $410, and you're at $2,409 MSRP, leaving maybe a $300 premium wholesale. Even assuming 100 Retro Bulleyes sold, which I think is too high a number, and that's just an additional $30,000 to the bottom line). I don't understand the logic, personally, of keeping them rare, especially since they could likely get the same premium on custom shop instruments and quite possibly sell more of them than the limited edition runs do.

[snc2716]

Re: Charvels vs GMW\'s

I think anytime people start collecting, things can get ugly. Let's face it, these are just niche market guitars and anybody with 100k in cash or credit could become a huge fish in this pond.
Try that in the vintage Fender world or the vintage car
hobby. You could be a very minor collector at best.

These guitars are at their strongest when they are shared and played because they bring back great memories for the majority of us here. The 80's memories, music, and attitude was very cool and these guitars are symbols, but for the most part they are not holy grails of tone or quality.

To be honest I have never found a San Dimas that
blew me away, but I'm still looking because I know it is possible to get a really good guitar from this era, but
most likely GMW will fill the bill. I played a Hot rod flame back in 1982 that sucked badly but looked beautiful. At the time my Dean Z chewed it up and spit it out. It was embarrassing how much better my budget model Dean flame series was.

In the last 5-7 years I've found a white traditional strat style SD strathead with factory emgs, and a surf green SD tele with humbuckers and both of these guitars were kinda crummy in my opinion so I passed them on to other Charvel enthusiasts. Neither guitar was especially nice playing or sounding and I was a little shocked.
For years I bought into the vintage mystique and had 50's and 60's strats and teles that were at best good guitars. One day I decided that it was the individual instrument, not a certain model or year and got rid of tons of stuff. There are doggy 59 Les Pauls out there as well as 50's black guard teles, but the vintage world doesn't admit to that very often because they want to protect their market.

I personally think GMW rules, the one GMW guitar I've seen and played was absolutely stunning in quality and easily blew away the real SD guitars I've found in recent years. I have a GMW strathead maple board neck, and the rest of the parts, so I will probably be building my dream guitar from the 80's with GMW's help.

Fender and EVH need to put some of the 80's fun back into these guitars if they want the market to grow.
Oh yeah...Fender, how about making great guitars available with any custom options just like the good ol' days.
This is what built this brand you just bought.
If I want a pink strathead Nagel graphic with a Floyd and three X2n's, just shut up, charge me, and make me a great guitar. But don't hound me about what headstock, etc, because you are totally capable of doing anything I want.

Just my .02..and nothing more.

[Chuckracer]

Re: Charvels vs GMW\'s

I have a hunch the new Charvels pretty well aren't selling worth a crap anyhoo.

[RP]

Re: Charvels vs GMW\'s

[ QUOTE ]
I have a hunch the new Charvels pretty well aren't selling worth a crap anyhoo.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm sure everyone is waiting for the 3D neckplates before buying. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Honestly, I would've purchased a new one, but my financial position has not allowed it as of yet.

Plus, I'm not entirely clear on some pricing issues as the price list isn't as clear as it could be, especially when it comes to paint options beyond the standard colors.

I honestly think, too, that without the dealers pushing the new Charvels a bit, they're going to have trouble. I've not yet seen much of a marketing push for them. For that matter, there's not even a catalog for the new Charvels yet and the website is still fairly new (and not really all that info-packed).

[dinkyjacksonman]

Re: Charvels vs GMW\'s

Whoever ordered their customs(not standrad) and when they receive them, we will know how they will turn out.
Until then, I can not say anything about how they are.
Just by seeing NAMM guitars and some guitars floating around, It is too early to say if they are great as they used to back in 80's.

[Birdzeyeee]

Re: Charvels vs GMW\'s

I like the look of the 80's production 3D neckplate, but can it now be made like that - but with even better quality than the old ones; ie: no breaking, cracking, or finish peeling (of the gold or black) surface? [img]/images/graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img]