3rd batch Charvels in the flesh! Pics

[Chubtone]

The BC Rich Gunslingers are now $699 to $860 though they include a cheap quality hard case.

http://www.onlinestagegear.com/brand/BC-Rich/ASM_ASSASSIN_GUNSLINGER/Gunslinger_Retro_Blade.html

As for the Kramers and the Carvin, I know this will sound wrong, but growing up in that Charvel era, the Charvels were always substantially more expensive than Kramers and Carvins. They were also substantially more hip and awe-inspiring. If you told someone you had a Charvel or you saw a guy come out on stage with a Charvel, you really stood up and took notice. It was the sign that you were a guitarist "in the know". So now here we are 25 years later and we have a USA made guitar and it is a Charvel. AND IT HAS A STRAT HEADSTOCK!

[JHo66]

The BC Rich Gunslingers are now $699 to $860 though they include a cheap quality hard case.

http://www.onlinestagegear.com/brand/BC-Rich/ASM_ASSASSIN_GUNSLINGER/Gunslinger_Retro_Blade.html

As for the Kramers and the Carvin, I know this will sound wrong, but growing up in that Charvel era, the Charvels were always substantially more expensive than Kramers and Carvins. They were also substantially more hip and awe-inspiring. If you told someone you had a Charvel or you saw a guy come out on stage with a Charvel, you really stood up and took notice. It was the sign that you were a guitarist "in the know". So now here we are 25 years later and we have a USA made guitar and it is a Charvel. AND IT HAS A STRAT HEADSTOCK!

Here's some Gunslingers for less than $600, don't know about the case or not, but I pretty sure these are the same prices I remember from before.

http://www.musicians-muse.com/bc-rich-gunslinger-retro-electric-guitar-red.html

That's funny about the Charvels because back in the day (roughly 86-90) it seemed like no one had a Charvel or even mentioned them. Everyone wanted a Kramer, but most actually played an Ibanez, Jackson or ESP of some kind, or a Fender HM Strat (as far as super-strat type guitars went anyway). Not that there was anything wrong with Charvel, I had 2 Model 6's and a Model 5 at the time, it just seemed that no one wanted them in the mid to late 80s around here.

[Chubtone]

Well by 1986, Charvels were only Japanese made and the name suffered huge from the decision to move production to Japan. I am really talking like 1982-1985 and that is kind of the heyday of USA Charvels. In LA, hardly anyone played Kramers and no one played Ibanez's before 1986. It was all Charvels. If you went to see Jake, or Warren, or George, or Vai, or Rough Cutt or Malice or Icon, or Kurt James (Steeler) or Doug Aldrich or Joe Holmes it was all USA Charvels. They were THE guitar that up and coming players played, period. Now of course there were never enough of them made, and they were too expensive so if you weren't in LA, or a city that had one of the very scarce Charvels dealers, you settled for the readily available Kramers and Ibanezs. But there was just no comparison between those and the original San Dimas Charvels. That's like a Porsche to Toyota comparison. Yes, more people had Toyota's, like Kramers and Ibanez's.

You say you had some of the "model" era Japanese Charvels and those were good. But maybe you were getting rolling in the later mid 80's and kind of missed that whole underground hype and excitement that surrounded those up and coming players and their new type of up and coming guitar, Charvel. By 1986, hard rock was mainstream and Charvel was pretty much done for. There were only a few thousand of them out there and the guys that had them weren't giving them up. I will say to this day that I have never felt an Ibanez, Kramer or HM Strat that felt as good as those old Charvels.... or even these new ones. But that is obviously just subjective.

To me, that's why these new Charvels are so exciting. The neck feels right and they are a total throwback to that era when hard rock and metal and the players playing them were still slightly underground and the Charvel owners thing was like some some exclusive country club that not everyone could get into.

[AndyK]

well by 1986, charvels were only japanese made and the name suffered huge from the decision to move production to japan. I am really talking like 1982-1985 and that is kind of the heyday of usa charvels. In la, hardly anyone played kramers and no one played ibanez's before 1986. It was all charvels. If you went to see jake, or warren, or george, or vai, or rough cutt or malice or icon, or kurt james (steeler) or doug aldrich or joe holmes it was all usa charvels. They were the guitar that up and coming players played, period. Now of course there were never enough of them made, and they were too expensive so if you weren't in la, or a city that had one of the very scarce charvels dealers, you settled for the readily available kramers and ibanezs. But there was just no comparison between those and the original san dimas charvels. That's like a porsche to toyota comparison. Yes, more people had toyota's, like kramers and ibanez's.

You say you had some of the "model" era japanese charvels and those were good. But maybe you were getting rolling in the later mid 80's and kind of missed that whole underground hype and excitement that surrounded those up and coming players and their new type of up and coming guitar, charvel. By 1986, hard rock was mainstream and charvel was pretty much done for. There were only a few thousand of them out there and the guys that had them weren't giving them up. I will say to this day that i have never felt an ibanez, kramer or hm strat that felt as good as those old charvels.... Or even these new ones. But that is obviously just subjective.

To me, that's why these new charvels are so exciting. The neck feels right and they are a total throwback to that era when hard rock and metal and the players playing them were still slightly underground and the charvel owners thing was like some some exclusive country club that not everyone could get into.

Amen!

[phill_up]

What year was it that charvel started making there own bodies? I cant remember where I read it but initially they bought their bodies from someone else.

[Foulacy]

the slime green makes that other green look even worse

[JHo66]

Cool. I can see your perspective, but realistically, your sentimental attachment to the Charvels of yesterday does not make this new batch of Charvels worth $1100 to me.

That's all I've been saying all along. If they're worth that much to person 'A', that's great, but person 'B' may feel differently...

No big deal either way, they're still great guitars; just not $1100 guitars in my opinion...

[GodWentPUNK]

too bad non of these come in a lefty....like always, left behind.


joe...

[Dogbone]

I'm curious, so what did Charvel do to justify the extra 100 bucks in the price?? 1099.00 when the first two runs were 999.00. I don't get it...
As far as comparing the Charvel to the new Kramers, you need to try out the new Kramer Imperials... I own one, and I also own an 83 Pacer... They feel like twins. If you like an old school 10 degree radius, check one out... For an extra 100 bucks, you get a German Floyd and a Hardcase
For what it's worth, I'm not bashing on Charvel, and have already placed an order for a Slime Green SD style one, and I am looking forward to adding it to the collection

[joelayres]

I'm curious, so what did Charvel do to justify the extra 100 bucks in the price?? 1099.00 when the first two runs were 999.00. I don't get it...

They don't have to do anything. As long as they keep selling, all is well. Apparently they are betting on the fact that the economy is not as bad as the talking heads are making it out to be. Have any doubt? Try getting into a restaurant at dinner time - still 40 minute to 1 hour waits. If the economy were that bad, restaurants would be half full. People are still spending, so may as well take some more money off the table.

[ABSOLUT CHARVEL]

has the list price of a usa strat go up too?

[wanthairspray]

Didn't Fender in general put prices up by about 10 per cent this month? My local Fender dealer said it came in force from the 1 December.

[joelayres]

has the list price of a usa strat go up too?

Yup - same as the Charvels - $100.00

[SEEGERMANY]

I know it still has the plastic film on the pickguard, but the Pagan Gold will look spectacular with a gloss guard versus flat black. Same goes for the green model.

[Newc]

But are those people who are waiting in line to eat at Chez Chic buying these Charvels? Most of them aren't, I'll bet.

Yes, the rich still have money to burn. The working poor that keep companies in business do not have money to burn. The economy is as bad as the talking heads are saying, you just have to be one of the majority that are affected by it to see it.