Popular myths about Charvel and Jackson guitars

[Chameleonfong]

Re: Popular myths about Charvel and Jackson guitars

Truth:
Jackson and Charvel are NOT the best guitars in the world (it's a preference) and buying them won't make you a virtuoso overnight.


Fong

[xenophobe]

Re: Popular myths about Charvel and Jackson guitar

LOL! You sad monkey beaters!!!! [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] Anyways, Tal got her Visa and will be moving to the states sometime soon [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

I've owned my fair share of SD Charvels and SD Jacksons, and my Ontario built guitars consistently have had a better feel and better build quality to them.

[Riffmeister]

Re: Popular myths about Charvel and Jackson guitar


USA Jacksons are not affordable to most people... Oh wait, That's not a myth ,Sorry! [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[The Chase]

Re: Popular myths about Charvel and Jackson guitar

Hey, what's a MOJO? And how good the jackson pickups were?

[Budman68]

Re: Popular myths about Charvel and Jackson guitar

<font color="aqua">Here's one for ya Jim

Myth: Jackson covered pickups were "active" pickups.

Fact: They were all passive, the only thing "active" were the preamps that were installed in conjunction with them.
(*Added fact: Some of those pickups were actually designed to sound better with the preamp frequencies then as a stand alone pickup).

</font>

[VitaminG]

Re: Popular myths about Charvel and Jackson guitar

to add to that: Jackson pickups &amp; electronics were actually made by Jackson, not by EMG or some other aftermarket manufacturer &amp; rebadged.

[Newc]

Re: Popular myths about Charvel and Jackson guitar

Yeah that one always kills me [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

"Hey, them's got black plastic covers just like EMGs - must be EMGs!" [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] - damn, Sherlock, ya got it figured out huh? [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Of course the Uber-myths relate to EVH - his B&amp;W and B&amp;Y guitars were Boogie Bodies parts, not Charvel Mfg or Jackson - the neck on Frankie is a Boogie Bodies neck that was modded into a banana head!
That one came straight from John Walker at NAMM. Ed GAVE them Frankie to copy the neck profile. He said they took the neck off and there was the Boogie Bodies logo on the heel, and he said you could see on the head where they trimmed it and stuck the strips on it to make it a banana head.

The one thing I was never quite clear on, though - is Frankie just his B&amp;W VH-1 that was refinished and then hacked, or are they two different bodies?

I've also heard numerous times that Ed doesn't like Grover, and that had something to do with him going with Kramer.

Anyway, back to the C/J myths:

Myth: Charvel/Jackson imports are/were made in Korea/China/Taiwan/Ashcanistan/Europe
Fact (someone please verify?): The only C/J imports that were made in any of those countries were the Korean-made Charvel Star and Bullseye ReIssues from the late-90's. Everything else was made in Japan or India.

Uber-myth: There's a Japanese word that sounds like "Jackson" that means (enter any one of the 7 words you can't say on television here), which is why they have to put "Grover Jackson" and such on the Japanese-market models.
Fact: The name "Jackson" was already in non-guitar-related use by another company in Japan.

Newc

[Chuckracer]

Re: Popular myths about Charvel and Jackson guitar

Myth: John Walker worked at Charvel in the late seventies/very early eighties.

Fact: If Eddie had a bananna head neck, he was already hooked up with Kramer. So why would he give his #1 Kramer neck to someone at Charvel/Jackson to copy? If he was with Kramer, he was way done with C/J.

Boogie Bodies, Charvel, and Schecter all were one and the same. They all worked under the same roof in the late seventies. Yes, Eddies first body was labeled Boogie Bodies, but he got it from Wayne.
The necks were all Charvel.

What a bunch of BS that was.

[shreddermon]

Re: Popular myths about Charvel and Jackson guitar

Chuck, I think Newc meant that JW story happened recently with the new EVH / Charvel deal. Not back in the 80s.

And I agree with the latter.

[Chuckracer]

Re: Popular myths about Charvel and Jackson guitar

Whoopsss!!

Never mind...

[Newc]

Re: Popular myths about Charvel and Jackson guitar

Yeah Chuck - that was about the new EVH models. C'mon, bud, snap out of it [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/poke.gif[/img]

So Charvel Mfg (the actual issued business license bearing that name) built the Boogie Bodies, or were they done before the official start of the Charvel Mfg Company? [img]/images/graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img]

If it was done by Wayne Charvel working for/under The Boogie Bodies Company BEFORE he started Charvel Mfg, it's a big difference IMO. I mean, Wayne worked for Gibson on the U2, but that doesn't make the Gibson U2 a piece of The Charvel/Jackson Company's history. Only the things made under the state-issued business license of Charvel Mfg and Jackson/Charvel Co. can legitimately be classified as "Charvel" and "Jackson". If EVH's bodies were made by Wayne at Boogie Bodies before he started Charvel Mfg, then I wouldn't consider them Charvel bodies.
It's the same reasoning that says a Wayne is not a Charvel.

Newc

[mm2002]

Re: Popular myths about Charvel and Jackson guitar

I think it's a shame when any company get's all the recognition, and makes ALL the money for the work a single employee performed. I know that's the way it works though. That's exactly why I'm self employed. I'm glad Wayne finally got where he deserves to be. [img]/images/graemlins/toast.gif[/img]

[wulfe13]

Re: Popular myths about Charvel and Jackson guitar

Ok, here's one for ya...now bare with me here... I have a "friend" that no matter what you tell him, he says... "all Charvels are cheap copies of Jackson's"... He's an Idiot, obviously!

[VitaminG]

Re: Popular myths about Charvel and Jackson guitar

[ QUOTE ]
Myth: Charvel/Jackson imports are/were made in Korea/China/Taiwan/Ashcanistan/Europe
Fact (someone please verify?): The only C/J imports that were made in any of those countries were the Korean-made Charvel Star and Bullseye ReIssues from the late-90's. Everything else was made in Japan or India.

[/ QUOTE ]

Some of the late 90s Performers were also made in Korea. Check the neck sticker on the back of some of those wide-12th-fret-dot guitars of the period. If the normal C/J 12th fret dots look cross eyed, a Korean PS3 looks like Marty Feldman. [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

[Hossman]

Re: Popular myths about Charvel and Jackson guitars

GREAT TOPIC
Charvel mfg. started in Wayne's Garage in the early
70s. Fender eventually hired or contracted Wayne for
their out of guarantee repairs and paint etc. That was
were Wayne got his first Celeb customer.

Wayne eventually helped Lynn Elsworth start the Boogie
Bodies shop, what I like to call a satelite shop of
Charvel mfg. along with Warmoth invovled as well.

According to Tom Anderson, ex-employee of Schecter
Research, Dave Schecter made copies of Schecter
research's templates and set Wayne's machinery up with
those plates and that is were the VHI black and white
strat body, indeed made by Wayne, came from, again all
according to Tom Anderson. Tom Anderson made and
assembled one of the banana headstocks on
Franky and reset the Floyd Rose in the process in
noticing it was a 1/4 inch offset.

The original Franky neck was also bought from Wayne
but was from the Boogie Bodies shop or Lynn Elsworth,
EVH had bought that neck from Wayne's shop along with
the Wayne Charvel body. This was around 1975 or 1977.
Somewhere in the same time frame Wayne hired an Anvil
case salesman of the name of Grover Jackson.

Wayne taught both Grover and Lynn the art of making
guitars and was the main guy responsible for putting
these 2 people in the guitar making business.

Lynn was a skilled carpenter and an old school friend
or Wayne's. The Boogie Bodies' shop was in Washington
state and of course Wayne's was in CA, but they
together they are what an authentic real Charvel was
and is or should be legitimately considered and called
a Charvel.

Wayne was involved in legal trouble with ISA. He did
not want those types of pressures and he had a family
to support and did not realize what the EVH
association with Charvel would turn into. Probably,
the
timing just was not right for him. It was in Wayne
Charvel's best interest to sell the company and settle
his lawsuits and debts at that time and take care of
family life at that specific moment in time. Had he
held on just a yr. or 2 later for the VHII record and
continued success of EVH using his guitar products,
things could have been very different with Charvel
mfg. and Wayne Charvel would be more of a guitar
industry icon that he is today. Although he seems to
be quite happy with his "Waynes".

Grover Jackson bought Wayne out and nearly immediately
started supplying the public with EVH model guitars.
Of course EVH did not like this and he did not think
Charvel mfg was a cool business any longer. Very few
real Charvels were made before Jackson tookover.

Both the most famous EVH VHI and VHII guitars are REAL
deal Wayne Charvel "hands-on" Charvel gutiars made
under what Charvel mfg. consisted of before the late
78 early 79 Jackson buy out from Wayne.

THE BIGGEST MYTH OF ALL, about Charvels guitars is
that all production Charvels are Charvels.
THE FACT IS, only a few pre-Jackson owned and operated
guitars were actual Wayne Charvel hands-on Charvel
guitars. Most USA Charvel guitars are pure Jackson
company made guitars with a Charvel logo and there are
very few real Wayne charvel "Hands-0n" Charvel logoed
guitars, if any at all. The only one I know of is the
Black and Yellow VHII.

When the EVH Charvel Franky got one of the banana
headstocks, that most think is Kramer, it was a Tom
Anderson neck and/or other great luthiers that were
the ones that made those necks for EVH.

Tom Anderson came from Schecter and Kramer did not
have that kind of talent on-hand and were using
cheaper quality parts and overseas necks. They built
guitars as fast as possible to fill the EVH fan and
superstrat following as quick as possible to make a
quick buck.

What is important to understand is, Schecter, Charvel,
Boogie Bodies, Warmoth, Dimarzio, Mighty Mite and
Dimarzio are of the same "breed" for around that same
time period. EVH was using them all to build homemade
guitars. Many people were using these products at that
time to make there own homemade guitars, for a lot
better quality at less costs than Fender.

Of all the aftermarket and new guitar makers of that
time the Charvel name had the best reputation as many
celebs came to Charvel mfg. before and after the
Grover Jackson buyout, with their most influential
artist relation, of course, being EVH and Michael
Anthony.

Most of us know that between 77 and 81 things evolved
into Charvel serialize production guitars which are
all Jackson guitars with a Charvel logo and not really
real Charvels in the least except for a select few
that Wayne assemble and made. From 79 to 86 Charvels,
in a sense, are just a continuation and evoloution of
the first 2 most famous Charvels, the EVHI and the
EVHII.

Another big myth is that even Vintage Fenders and
Gibson are greater quality than San Dimas Charvels.

Fact is for quality, rareness, playabiltiy and
colletibilty there are far superior and have much more
MOJO that most guitars ever made. Back when Charvel
was in production it was difficult to convince the
veteran Fender/Gibson players of this fact.

Charvels and Jacksons were of high quality build and
wood products. That and EVH is the fact and the reason
USA Charvels survived the industry for 7 yrs.


Later Grover scored Randy Rhoades with another
influential Celeb relation later with Jeff Beck.
Even Randy called his guitar a Charvel but the Jackson
line of guitars was beginning to take off strongly by
84 with these 2 largerly infuentional guitarists. So
as it went, the end of USA Charvels was near.

With all that and EVH going with Kramer (Tom Anderson
and other greats making EVH's axes not Kramer). the
USA Charvel namebrand was soon eclipsed by Jackson,
Kramer and later Ibanez.

Also with Wayne no longer there at Charvel mfg, there
was no use for the name any longer after all the
competion and artist leaving Charvel for payola
companies etc. So we saw the not the complete end but
the sale of the Charvel name to the overseas company.
The Charvel name had a good reputation and was worth
keeping around in some form or another.

The Charvel artists association (mainly EVH) and the
charvel quality by Jackson's hard work to compete with
likes of Fender and Gibson all made Charvels the
great
axe's we collectors and players dream of today. That
is why it lasted as long as it did from 79 until 1986
great quality,playabiltiy, feel, vibe with cool Celeb
talent and relations. Charvels were Shortlived but did
lived a good 7 yrs. before being sold out to Akai.

Considering what went down and the affect on the
Charvel namebrand with the other namebrands like
Jackson, Kramer, Ibanez and ESP that is not all too
shabby history for Charvel.

Holdsworth had an Ibanez model, soon Steve Vai as
well. EVH was with Kramer and George Lynch nearly
with Kramer too but went ESP. Charvel was nearly
completely out of the picture with only around 5000
all great and unique guitars made.

Now if that is not Great MOJO I do not know what is.

At least that is the way I see it.

Cheers,
(PS: forgive the spelling -Dang Long Post- I must get back to work now [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] )