Help ID a San Dimas

[perattzi]

Hi, thanks in advance. I'm interested in possibly buying a San Dimas style 1 HH FR Strathead which I see on an auction site, as it seemingly fits the bill for what I'm after. After trying to research on my own and just went in circles. Is it kosher for me to link to the auction page or post sellers photos?
I'll describe the guitar here and if OK to do so, will link/post pics. Thanks!
From what I can tell it has a 00XXXX serial number, which indicates not a CS, like the seller claims. But it does have a sloped and carved neck heel, unlike any of the other USA production San Dimas I see. WIth bolt together guitars I guess anything is possible.

*sellers description:*
This is a Custom US early model. See the cutout on the back for easier play-ability to the upper frets. This one, just like the other early models weighs a ton! not Les Paul weight, but more than a standard Charvel. I was told this was custom made out of solid maple by Lee Garver himself. It's pretty! plays perfectly! Neck doesn not say custom shop, Charvel made in USA only.

Comes with Frets on the Net steel pickup rings, Pure Brass Floyd Big Block, Original Floyd Rose, 3 position switch, Dimarzio Humbucker from Hell in the neck I believe, and a Dimarzio Super Distortion in the bridge, and Schaller strap-locks.

Also comes with an SKB hard-soft case? it is rigid, and super comfortable to carry. Has shoulder straps like a backpack but is solid.

There is a chip in the paint under the floyd, hard to see, tried to photograph in last pic, but it's there.

This guitar plays and sounds incredible!!!

Charvel High Gain Hot Rod Guitar!

[mthibeau]

https://reverb.com/item/29998419-charvel-usa-custom

The neck plate with 6 digits is most likely from 2008, as per this guide - http://www.usacharvels.com/id/pg01.htm

It's not a custom shop, it's a Charvel USA Production Model Series. I think they retailed for around $999. Nothing about this makes it an "early" model. Nice looking guitar though.

[perattzi]

Thanks for the reply. Yea I thought the same. However, I can’t find any pics of the USA production models with that type of contoured neck heel. ?

[Number Of The Priest]

Hmm, I am really intrigued by that scallop on the backside of the lower horn because I've never seen it on a 2008-09 era USA Production Model before either.

I'm not doubting its authenticity, but a few interesting points came to mind:

The color is Polar White, and if it were a standard guitar, it would have been part of Batch 4's Custom Colors (April 2009). See catalog ads and history here: https://www.jcfonline.com/forum/equi...19#post2422619

Note that the standard guitar has chrome hardware. It's not impossible for an owner to swap it all out for black, but the fact the color swap isn't mentioned in the selling description leads me to believe that black hardware was stock to that guitar. After all, the seller went to great lengths to disclose many other easily-changeable features:

- Pickup rings
- Big sustain block
- Original Floyd Rose (standard guitars had a 1000 Series Floyd Rose)
- 3 position switch (OK, not sure why this was added, considering the stock configuration was also a 3-way toggle)
- Dimarzio Humbucker from Hell in the neck I believe, and a Dimarzio Super Distortion in the bridge (standard San Dimas models had Seymour Duncan JB bridge & 59 neck)
- Schaller strap-locks (standard guitars had Dunlop Dual Design Straploks)

Here's where things get interesting. Serial number 007034 would place it well after my 2009 So-Cal Polar White (serial number 005998), and the So-Cal Polar White was part of Batch 6 (October 2009). If it were a standard guitar from Batch 4, it seems odd that its serial number would be a later one than my Batch 6 guitar.

Because of the horn scallop and "later" serial number, I'm not ruling out that this guitar could have been a special one, made after late 2009 as per its serial number, but not considered Custom Shop because it was given a "production" serial number and lack of any Custom Shop decal anywhere.

[perattzi]

Yea it is an interesting one! Definitely a cool guitar regardless, with the sloped body and scallop for fret access a plus for me. Makes it a bit harder to part with the cash not knowing for sure what it is though. 🤷‍♂️ Either way, makes for fun internet sleuthing.

[suzuka_joe]

that neck heel is also slanted so i'm thinking its a custom shop now. I had originally assumed it was a production model as well.

[toejam]

that neck heel is also slanted so i'm thinking its a custom shop now. I had originally assumed it was a production model as well.

Jackson/Charvel has done slanted neck heels for a very long time...

[Number Of The Priest]

A slanted heel is abnormal for this type of guitar though. The USA Production Models and Japanese Pro-Mods of 2008-2011, which is what this particular guitar resembles most closely, certainly didn't have slanted heels. I cannot speak for the Mexican Pro-Mods because I've never played one.

My 2009 KE3 has a slanted heel though.