Would you buy a modern Charvel strathead?

[Mickey_C]

Here's the Gallery Mickey C:

http://www.jcfonline.com/gallery/

& more folks sold off due to the stigma attached to "pointy headstocks" & the renewed popularity of Les Pauls & strats & the "retro" resurgence than whammy preferences!!

Which ones are yours?

I disagree with your analysis, as this really is in the past, in 1980-83 and there was no "retro-resurgence" involved whatsoever. There was no resurgence of strats and les pauls in 83 - people were dumping those other brands for dirt cheap. As for pointys, I bypassed them completely, and still have little interest.

Like I said there's no rediscovery involved. Due to legal issues, Charvel was unable to make strat headstock guitars. Now they can again - so there's a lot of folks like me that have a renewed interest.

That's all.

[~K~]

Still have my Bloodsplatter Kev....have sold it & bought it back a few times....point is not all of us sold off & went to other brands only to rediscover Charvels(or Jacksons)....some of us were always here & "interested" & weren't influenced by the "collectors market"!!

OK ..so you have 1 that you sold and got back from "back in the day" so at some point you abandoned the brand name. I'm not picking on ya I'm just pointing it out ...

I've NEVER been without a charvel in my aresenal. I fell in love with those necks early on and really stayed hooked on them ... I went through one period wher eit became so hard to find them I considered jumping to all wolfgangs.. Thankfully we did the GX run ...


Do I think they have issues to currently work our with quality etc? Yep I do!! But I'm also one of the guys that gets involved and points those things directly out in apositive manner. I'm also one of the guys that praises the good stuff. When the GX came out I faxed a letter to the custom shop thanking them for building a great run ..

In business we tend to kick pretty hard when things go wrong but forget to praise when they go well. It's a problem this entire country has now with manufacturing .. Everyone is spoiled and feels they have the right to just be assholes over things.

Instead of being a part of the problem more people need to be a part of the solution.

For instance.. You pointed out the old 4+2 tuner incident which was fukked. I assume that was from the BigRed run? Which was 2 years ago ... is this problem STILL going on? Is that STILL an issue?

if it is then it needs to be pointed out, but if it isn't no one moves forward by dwelling on the past... We need to be a part of todays solution for tomorrow ...

[Mickey_C]

All of my guitars are on my Chuckscharvels ez-board site Mickey....& several are included in the Gallery linked above!!

Yeah, I can't really access that site. I've tried, and surrendered to the fact that the ezboard credential system is smarter than I.

Is anybody really surprised?!?!

Hey - for the record - I think those of you who kept your original guitars are WAAAAAAAAYYYYY smarter than those like me who dumped them for whatever reason they did.

And, I'm glad I can buy them now for 2K. What a deal. That's cheap.

To get an original would cost twice that much, to even get the collector to talk.

[BLOOD SPLATTER]

That point was in answer to Kevs post re: the "swollen collector market" Mickey....then you mentioned selling stratheads due to unhappiness with V-trem tuning stability....yes many were sold or more commonly modded with a locking trem....but most players moved away from Charvels & Jacksons in the late 80s/early 90s not due to trems etc but the changing music scene & interest in all things vintage again!!The Charvel "heyday" was early 80s thru 86'....after that the "retro" fad came & LPs & Fenders ruled again....many "dumped" their "pointy" guitars for Gibsons & Fenders!!

Any of my guitars in the Gallery designate "owned by Bloodsplatter"....most are not in the Gallery!!

[Soap]

Lets say a compound radius.. 10-16 or whatever works best. Clasic wide thin Charvel back profile. Top or side ajustable truss (or back..thru the neck plate) some type of newer functioning trem like a PRS or suhr... (or floyd or standard 6 point...you choose)

Personally I would like to see Charvel come out with a less bulky looking floyd, sort of a locking vintage trem.

same 12th fret dots, same control cavity, same sexy body lines as the early 80s (that hand shapped look and feel)

Think evolution of the species, not reproduction of the past...

Would you buy one?

IMHO, (and I haven't read all the pages of this thread) but why fix it when it isn't broke? Myself included, many love strat heads and the OFR's as they are. Its one thing to be inovative to improve design and quality, its another thing to fiddle with a very good thing and potential make a mess of it. Leave well enough alone. I love Charvel's strat heads and putting an OFR on it makes for a fine rocking guitar. Current design of most guitars very abit from one manufacturer to the next, but overall, the OFR's and stratheads are fine as they are. No matter how sophisticated and innovative they may be, one still has to know how play it and use those OFR's as an expression tool. I think many today more so than before, place more emphasis on how cool or neat looking and a preference for a particular bridge, frets neck profile and etc. Sure, the individual landed a real snazy sharp playable guitar, but can he or she play it as good as it looks and feels in the hands.
In my experience, most don't its just a show off guitar that makes for great conversation.

Such a pity really, it use to be one graduated to a level of playing before they upgraded the old beater. It was part of the the journey, the pay off, you earned the right for working hard to get to that level of playing to reward yourself with a really top notch quality guitar. Things are truly different today, kids have mom and dad or grand parents buy them a two grand guitar and don't even know how to play the expensive thing. Ex. Kids rush out and get Kirk's Esp's KH-2 sig guitar. $2,200 for the kh-2 and they don't even know how to play it. My parents said to me, "prove yourself first with this one and the nicer guitar will come later." I earned my first real nice guitar and it felt like a treat. Today, we treat first and develop skills later, such a pity.

Would I buy I moderen charvel strathead?
Absolutely!

[~K~]

That point was in answer to Kevs post re: the "swollen collector market" Mickey....

How many of the current collectors on this board or in the so called circle are orginal from even 10 yrs ago .. and why .. They have either gone into hiding or sold off ... These were guys buying guitars in the ealry 90s because they were good guitars and the market was depressed....

Try and get your hands on a strathead for $500 now .. unheard of and it isn't all due to quality.. it's due to the limited supply chain and a growing interest in the 80s guitar market ..

[BLOOD SPLATTER]

so at some point you abandoned the brand name.

lol....just because I sold it breifly doesn't mean I didn't have another Charvel at the time Kev....I never "abandoned" the name....that is assumption....I've played Charvels or Jacksons all along....you've seen the old pics to prove that!!

I've NEVER been without a charvel in my aresenal.

Nor have I!!

But I'm also one of the guys that gets involved and points those things directly out in a positive manner. I'm also one of the guys that praises the good stuff.

I have posted nothing negative(rarely post much anymore anyway)just my honest opinion & I also praise the "good stuff"!!

For instance.. You pointed out the old 4+2 tuner incident which was fukked. I assume that was from the BigRed run? Which was 2 years ago ... is this problem STILL going on? Is that STILL an issue?

Actually that was a recent EVH Art Series iirc!!

As you posted "anytime I say anything positive I get beaten on for it"....well Kev...anytime I say ANYTHING it is assumed I am shitting on fmic jcmi & being negative....which just sux!!

[gtrbuyer]

Shawn your new Blood splatter is da bomb, love it. I like to grab a Bomber. Congrats

[Mickey_C]

Try and get your hands on a strathead for $500 now .. unheard of and it isn't all due to quality.. it's due to the limited supply chain and a growing interest in the 80s guitar market ..

BINGO!

And it's funny because these guitars were considered EXPENSIVE back then. Many people did scream and say "Yeah, it feels great... but there's no way I'm dropping 700.00 on a guitar.. that's nuts". Now they're 4K and up.

My Jimmy Page LP custom authentic gets the same remarks "You paid 5K for a les paul? Are you nuts? No way that's worth it... no guitar is." It's discontinued, and selling used now for 5700.00.. prices will climb, and some people who could've and should've will kick themselves for not.

I hear the 2K figure thrown around as overpriced for custom shop instruments. I paid 2250.00 for this:



The originals being completely unavailable for stupid money.

Okay, so show me a list of comparable guitars.

[Joe_Steeler]

Aside form the herein stablished pissing contest on who was where on who played what for so long or not.

The Charvels produced today are, for the most part and with very few exceptions, great feeling and playing instruments. I have and will buy Strat heads and pointys in the future as they contain my playing preferences, features and look.

From my standpoint, I drifted from them for years because of quality and looks. The pseudo Strat headstock was plain fugly. I drifted into Jacksons, they had and still do, the features and quality I was looking for. When FMIC bought the Jackson/Charvel name I was a bit skeptical on what their plans were. Once they determined they wanted to harvest that retro/superstrat market I was in.

[~K~]

Back to the intial idea of the thread and away from the piccing match ..

I'd love to see a charvel with a side adjuster like warmoth does...

[Shawn]

lol....just because I sold it breifly doesn't mean I didn't have another Charvel at the time Kev....I never "abandoned" the name....that is assumption....I've played Charvels or Jacksons all along....you've seen the old pics to prove that!!



Nor have I!!



I have posted nothing negative(rarely post much anymore anyway)just my honest opinion & I also praise the "good stuff"!!



Actually that was a recent EVH Art Series iirc!!

As you posted "anytime I say anything positive I get beaten on for it"....well Kev...anytime I say ANYTHING it is assumed I am shitting on fmic jcmi & being negative....which just sux!!

Hey Chuck, that was actually me that saw it. About a year ago in GC, and it was a Ghost flame pointy. The defenders tried to tell me it was ok, since they looked alike. Now THAT was some Kool-aid....

My sarcastic remarks were purely in jest, because thats who I am. Simply joking around, because in reality, this isnt all that important. Hopefully everyone knows that. I see all sides of this discussion, and I also believe that there isnt anyone who is wrong or right.

I think its essential for anyone who doesnt think they like the new stuff to try the very newest version of the neckshape. This Blood drip neckshape is absolutely perfect. Definitely a compound radius, much fuller than the past, and fit and finish is perfection personified. Goes from somewhat thin to totally full on the way up. Feels awesome.

I would defy anyone to say any differently once they picked this up.

[BLOOD SPLATTER]

Hey Chuck, that was actually me that saw it. About a year ago in GC, and it was a Ghost flame pointy. The defenders tried to tell me it was ok, since they looked alike. Now THAT was some Kool-aid....

Yup....that's some good Kool-aid!!

My sarcastic remarks were purely in jest, because thats who I am. Simply joking around, because in reality, this isnt all that important. Hopefully everyone knows that. I see all sides of this discussion, and I also believe that there isnt anyone who is wrong or right.

I know that bro....but not all are/were in jest....as you know anytime I post in any thread with the words "new" & "Charvel" assumptions are made & it becomes an instant argument....which is why I rarely post!!

I think its essential for anyone who doesnt think they like the new stuff to try the very newest version of the neckshape. This Blood drip neckshape is absolutely perfect. Definitely a compound radius, much fuller than the past, and fit and finish is perfection personified. Goes from somewhat thin to totally full on the way up. Feels awesome.

I would defy anyone to say any differently once they picked this up.

As you know I am really looking forward to trying the latest stratheads!!

[Top Jimmy B]

I'll trade you mine for Elvis. lol

[hippietim]

Back to the intial idea of the thread and away from the piccing match ..

I'd love to see a charvel with a side adjuster like warmoth does...

you like those? i have a couple of those necks - i'm not so sure - they work fair but they're ugly.