Tell me why Charvel is the best for you

[sixx_ gunner]

I want to understand why Charvel is the "one" for you. I read alot of these threads like some kinda addict, everyday checking NEW POSTS for info. Alot of you seem to horde the Charvel's like they are golden. I feel like I am missing something big. I just got into the Jackson world and THANKS to FIREBIRD V, I have a Duncan Distortion making great noise for me. I am banging away learning with Doug Mark's Metal Method. I have played Strats, Les Pauls, BC Rich, ESP, LTD,Schecter & Ibanez. I know why I like a certain brand of guitar, neck, weight, smoothness of playing....sound is subjective... But have never even held a Charvel. There seems to be a great lack of them for sale in the South Florida area! I have combed thru Guitar Centers and Mom & Pop shops, but I am lucky to even find a USA Jackson, Ibanez JEM or ESP Horizion. My fiance is telling me once I learn more on the guitar....I can choose "THE ONE". She is the same one that surprised me with my pretty good Chibanez UV777BK.
Give me some reasons why you all are crazy about Charvels.

[FlyingSkull]

Well I have only had a Charvel for 1 year. A bit more on that in a second... When I first got into playing guitar, Jackson's/Charvels were always out of reach price wise and literally as the guy in the guitar shop I frequented had them hanging from the ceiling! They were the supermodels... out of reach, awesome shapes, finishes, shark fins. I gazed from afar, hoping one day to partake. Time went by I owned a few Fenders, a Flying V, Hamer, Les Paul copies, Ibanez. I stumbled across JCF one day last year and spent hours looking at the great pics of the many guitars and knew it was time to somehow step into this world. I found a Charvel Model 1 on Ebay, price was great, emailed the guy for some more info/pics and took the plunge.

It showed up at my house the day after the VH concert so I was recovering a bit. Damn even the chainsaw cases are cool! I plugged it in and it's just a moment where everything is right. The neck shape and action is perfect, maple fret board just pops. Single J90 pickup screams, I must have played Dokken's In My Dreams 10x that day! It's a rock and roll animal plain and simple. Looks awesome, fits just right, everything is ergonomic about it to me. I used to think guitars needed a bunch of dials and knobs and switchs but am totally sold on the single pickup concept. It made me learn to adjust the volume knob when running through tunes with buddies to get the nuance you want for each song. I find myself taking this guitar with me in the truck when I leave home for a few days out to the farm or wherever there is an amp where I am headed. It's that good and that important to me. Never felt this with another guitar.

I hope this block of text helps you.

[Bionic]

Hi Sixx Gunner... you read about them or you can find out why...by actually playing one. You will know immediatly, the neck is king.... here are some Dealers in Florida... They have Charvel's in stock...

Metal Shop Music
751 S Pinellas Ave
Tarpon Springs, FL 34689
Ph. 727 326 3775

Seminole Music
10720 74th Ave North
Seminole, FL 33772
Ph: 727 394 1653-233

Total Entertainment
501 W International Speedway Blvd
Daytona Beach, FL 32114
Ph: 386 254 8727

[diablomozart]

it's all in the neck...d.m.

[KBRR]

once you hold one you will understand what we are talking about... the necks are GOD! not to mention quaility and finish.

[shreddermon]

it's all in the neck...d.m.

+1

[RR05xx]

+1

Pretty much says it.

The classic Charvel neck shape is neither fender nor gibson and when combined with an oil finished (no paint or laquer etc.), it simply plays better than anything else out there. Ever wonder why people think that really old fenders and gibsons are the cats ass, well for people who play them, one reason it because a naturally relic'd guitar will loose finish over 40+ years of playing - "breaking" the neck in. Charvel necks start 1/2 way broken in and only get better with age.

[gtrbuyer]

neck (oil only finish) gives that broken in feel right out of the box..plus there were TRUE Custom Shop guitars where anything and everything was possible during the original era.

[scotty]

Besides its comfort, playability, and price? I like the fact that you can slap a Floyd on it. And even better its not recessed.

[Sunbane]

And even better its not recessed.

+1! The non-recessed, fully floating Floyd is what makes the difference for me.

[skorb]

nothing feels or plays better.

it's the necks and the jumbo frets.

plus I just favor the more classic look/designs on Charvels rather than the more metal push-the-edge designs on Jacksons.

they were the first non-pickguarded strats. that alone is super cool and blazing a new path.

[jrnic]

My first Charvel was my Model 2. Like you said, simple 1 pickup guitar. I changed the pickup to an EMG 81 and the thing just plain rocks....no other way to describe it. It also just sits right on my lap while playing. Even my Fender Strats don't feel that good. Maybe it's the balance because the Fenders have a lot of wood routed out under the guard while the Model 2 just has the single p/u route. I don't know, maybe the planets just lined up right (with the combination of wood, neck, p/u, etc), but I will say that out of all my guitars, (including Jacksons) I love the playability and sound of my Model 2 the best!

[dimobag]

Thin fast maple neck! Mmmmm...
Sounds!
Playability!

My reasons why i play with Charvel

[Cuthbert]

I want to understand why Charvel is the "one" for you. I read alot of these threads like some kinda addict, everyday checking NEW POSTS for info. Alot of you seem to horde the Charvel's like they are golden. I feel like I am missing something big. I just got into the Jackson world and THANKS to FIREBIRD V, I have a Duncan Distortion making great noise for me. I am banging away learning with Doug Mark's Metal Method. I have played Strats, Les Pauls, BC Rich, ESP, LTD,Schecter & Ibanez. I know why I like a certain brand of guitar, neck, weight, smoothness of playing....sound is subjective... But have never even held a Charvel. There seems to be a great lack of them for sale in the South Florida area! I have combed thru Guitar Centers and Mom & Pop shops, but I am lucky to even find a USA Jackson, Ibanez JEM or ESP Horizion. My fiance is telling me once I learn more on the guitar....I can choose "THE ONE". She is the same one that surprised me with my pretty good Chibanez UV777BK.
Give me some reasons why you all are crazy about Charvels.

I think that Charvel represent the ideal of hot rodded custom made Superstrat: oustanding quality, choice of pickups that usually are aftermarket (dimarzio humbuckers in particular), Floyd Rose, and "weird finish".

[sixx_ gunner]

Thanks for the locations.....about 2hrs from the closest one, but due to what you are telling me, it'd be worth the drive.

Thanks for each of your input, I wil make this trek to see if I can get this "Zen" guitar!