How are the So Cal Charvels?

[Norton]

Hey guys,


I'm kinda lookin' for a new guitar. I had my eye set on the Japanese made Charvel So Cal. I might also consider a USA or Mexico strat so I'm kinda split between these three. Can you compare the quality of these so that I'll have a new opinion on them.


Thanks.

[Mr Sandman]

G`Day Mate,

I`ll have a crack at answering your Q cause you`re probably in the same sitiuation as me and cannot test drive a new Pro-Mod even though I live in a small city with over 2 million people not a Charvel to be found here in the guitar shops so...

So-Cal verses Fender Strat...
Two completely different axes hardware wise and just about everthing else except for the strat shape.
I can`t comment on the tech specs due to my lack of equipment knowledge but as someone who considers themselves a player I gotta say that the neck on the So-Cal is killer and that wins it for me as an overall guitar.
But if you`re right into picking dynamics then you`ll need the single coils in the strat although absolutely nothing wrong with the pair of Dimarzios in the Charvel.
If you plugging into something decent then the So-Cal sounds great all the way from clean tones to full distortion but you`ll miss out on the little picking nuances you only get from single coils...

I own three Pro-Mods (USA San Dimas 2, USA So-Cal and an MIJ Wild Card #5) and if I lost all three of them tomorrow and had to replace just one I`d take the Wild Card again in a flash....
The neck on the #5 is also killer and this axe sounds great! Don`t listen to bullshit like "noiseless = soul less" cause that`s a load of shit man! The classic stack in the neck gives great big fat bluesy sounds and you can add some gain and not get all the crap noise with it... plus all the little picking nuances come straight though...
There`s been some talk in here about a place in the USA called Sam Ash blowing out the number #4 on the cheap. That would be a good buy man although I really like the look of the #7. If the #7 had the same neck as the #5 then I`d be jumping on that!

The only problem I`ve had with my #5 is that the action jumps up slighty after a string change... I think that`s cause of the recessed floyd because neither of my other two pro-mods have any problem like that whatsoever...
Small cure to that problem is before I do a string change, I push down on the whammy and put a DVD case under the floyd to block it, then change the strings.
This helps alot but the problem still exists only slighty though...but I`d buy this axe again in a flash if I had to...

Another thing, if you`re gonna import...
I`ve read some words in here about how freight charges vary dramatically from different parts of the USA. I`ve been quoted $500 for freight before when enquiring about a purchase from the USA and that was enough to put me off the deal. But I imported an axe from Georgia, freight on that guitar was $140 delivered to my door here in Australia so that was OK. So do your research on the freight charges from different places in the USA if your gonna import...

I played an MIJ Fender Strat for over twenty years... That strat was a good work-horse of a guitar but now sits in it`s case im my cupboard since I bought my first Charvel a bit over 8 months ago...

Bottom line man,,,... Have a serious look at those Wild Cards. They`re real bang for your buck!

Hope you don`t mind the lllllllooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnggggggggggg reply just trying to answer your question man...
Hope that helps,
ROCK ON!!!

[Rich#6]

The MIM strat is a nice guitar but the other 2 are far better guitars. The Japanese charvels are said to be better that the usa ones which means that since the usa charvels were built in the same factory as a usa strat the japanese is going to be a better build( in theory at least). The feel of the neck on these new charvels is killer so f*ck the fenders. The socal has a HSH config under the pickgaurd so even is you don't like HH you can change it.

[DonP]

I have a Wildcard and several MIM Strats. The Wildcard sounds strattier than the strats. It totally puts them to shame IMO, but I'll keep them just because...

The reasons why I love the Wildcard over the MIM's:
Jumbo Frets
Compound radius
Floyd Rose
Thinner neck (I could shave down the MIM necks)
Rolled fretboard (I can roll the Fender fretboards so this isn't that big of a deal, but it feels better).
Came with an excellent hard case

Now if you aren't into these features you may like the MIM better. I have an Excellent MIM Strat - dual humbucker Fender Special Run for Guitar Center in a metalic sunburst. This is very close because this guitar sounds great too (5 way has coil split options).

[Mr Sandman]

As for picking dynamics... I`ve never had any success whatsoever from splitting the coils on these humbuckers... Other people may have had better results than me.

Funny thing is though, the Duncan classic stack in the Wildcard... Now, is that a humbucker? cause the picking dynamics seem to jump right out of it. :think:

I`ve played many a strat over the years... MIM, MIJ, USA and yes, they are all very nice guitars. But hardware differences put aside and whether the pup config is HH, HSS or SSS for what you get for your money the neck on the Pro-Mod seals the deal for me.

Just my 2 cents

[Chief_CrazyTalk]

I have a MIM strat which is a nice playing and sounding strat, although not quite as nice as the classic player 50s (also MIM) strat I once owned...but close.

I've never played the new Pro Mods, either USA or MIJ, but I'd imagine those are completely different guitars than strats. Much more to my personal liking.

I just placed an order on a MIJ SD, and I'm looking forward to see how these compare to the Model series, which I love.