Need help! Charvel Crackle real or fake?

[Sky7]

I'm looking to possibly buy a couple of guitars from a friend. Among them is a Charvel/Jackson Crackle. I have some concerns. First being it has a shiny blank neck plate. I was expecting the standard Charvel neckplate with a serial number on it. The second is there is no labeling on the pickups. Third there does not appear to be a serial number anywhere on the guitar. This looks to be a Model 4 variety I believe. It's in good shape. I do know there are Chinese copies out there but I have not seen a Chinese fake Charvel Crackle. I have seen the fake San Dimas models.

Pics are below. Can anyone offer any opinion?

[toejam]

A Model 4 would have a Strat body. That's a Dinky body, but not sure it's a Charvel. The control cavity looks off. How about a full pic of the back.

[TKEblue]

Body doesn't look legit. Control cavity is weird as toejam said. Though to go to the lengths of faking a terrible kahler to floyd conversion, you have to wonder. Lol also none of the hardware matches down to the screws for the tuners..

Paint looks cool though!

[Gartron]

that looks like a charvel model neck on a bc rich assassin body

http://romanguitars.com/images/products//prod_1313_5885_large.jpg

[Number Of The Priest]

Is it just me or does the headstock shape look weird? Normally there is a "curve" that goes between the nut to the low E tuner. It's virtually straight here. That's the part that confuses me.

[toejam]

Yeah, looks like the curve was sanded down a little or something...

[pianoguyy]

Is it just me or does the headstock shape look weird? Normally there is a "curve" that goes between the nut to the low E tuner. It's virtually straight here. That's the part that confuses me.

I thought the headstock looked odd as well. Almost like it is "too" angled.



My vote would be not real. There's just too much wrong with it.

But, that doesn't mean it is garbage. Play it. If it plays nice and is built nice and is priced right, who cares if it has the brand name or not.

[pianoguyy]

Going back to the headstock.
It is hard to tell because of the quality of the image. But... what is going on? Below the logo, is that a clear coat peel or a reflection? Even the logo, is that just a blurry reflection or can you see where the decal was applied?

[TKEblue]

Good eye, the headstock is definitely missing the curve, but if you look on the back there is a crack coming from the tuner screw. Above the tuner you can see where there looks to be 2 pieces mated together. Harder to tell below the crack but could be that it split and was repaired. Under normal circumstances I would be inclined to believe that but I'd say it's probably more likely it's all fake.

I see what you're talking about as well, pianoguyy. Does look like clear peeling up along the edge and the logo does look blurry compared to the rest but that could just be the picture.

['84RR]

Good eye, the headstock is definitely missing the curve, but if you look on the back there is a crack coming from the tuner screw. Above the tuner you can see where there looks to be 2 pieces mated together. Harder to tell below the crack but could be that it split and was repaired. Under normal circumstances I would be inclined to believe that but I'd say it's probably more likely it's all fake.

I see what you're talking about as well, pianoguyy. Does look like clear peeling up along the edge and the logo does look blurry compared to the rest but that could just be the picture.

my way too many years of experience as a carpenter says that while that may be a split at the screw, it's not two pieces mated back together...that piece lacking the curve is a totally different piece of wood and that's a glue joint that looks to have failed

[JCB RR1]

my way too many years of experience as a carpenter says that while that may be a split at the screw, it's not two pieces mated back together...that piece lacking the curve is a totally different piece of wood and that's a glue joint that looks to have failed

+1

It looks like a wood triangle glued to rest of the headstock.

[Number Of The Priest]

WHOA! OP enlarged the pics. They were tiny before but now I can easily see the different piece of wood at the headstock.

[toejam]

Wow. Definitely an extra piece there.

[Number Of The Priest]

Hmm, that's odd. The pics are huge when viewed on my home computer, but small on my work computer. I'll blame my internet browser.

[toejam]

I was gonna say, I don't think the pics have been changed. The OP hasn't been back since.