Desolation Revealed

[toejam]

low overheads, no store front, no sales staff, low inventory, simple supply chain.

The Carvin model.

But Carvin actually does have a few stores, and a sales staff. They've also been around for 65 years.

[Hellbat]

Is the bleached rosewood look supposed to imply the Desolation? Get some oil on that shit before you take pictures dealers!

[markD]

there is one on ebay....

http://www.ebay.com/itm/CHARVEL-DESOLATION-DS-2-ST-ELECTRIC-GUITAR-/220844815078?pt=Guitar&hash=item336b6072e6

still disappointed...though, i will go and see if my charvel dealer has any yet. curiosity has me for sure....

[Animus]

Not really digging these. They are too flashy like those inlay LTDs or something. And the rosewood doesn't really look right. They should have least died it a deeper hue.

[VitaminG]

I know it sounds dumb but I can't figure it out.
So this little shop has managed to do something that a large corporation can't figure out.

How to make a quality product at a reasonable price without resorting to Chinese labor.
I doubt he is ordering a 1/4th as much volume as FMIC does.

low overheads, no store front, no sales staff, low inventory, simple supply chain.

The Carvin model.

Baden Guitars tried the same thing, but it didn't work out as well because of the lack of brand recognition. You get a helluva lot of guitar for the money, but their pricepoint was putting them firmly in amongst some serious NAME brands. When it comes down to it, many folks would rather rock an entry level Taylor or Martin (or in Oz, a Maton) than a high quality unknown. It's a prestige thing.

Agile have done a great job of having forum fanboys promoting the hell out of them as a cheap way to get a nice LP copy, or a 7 or 8 string for playing whatever metal trend the kiddies are into. Forum buzz has saved them spending a bunch to try to compete with the advertising juggernauts of the big boys. Again, keeping prices down. How many times have people here complained that Jackson needs to spend more to advertise the brand? And then bitched and moaned when instrument prices subsequently rose?

[Flatpicker]

I know it sounds dumb but I can't figure it out.
So this little shop has managed to do something that a large corporation can't figure out.

How to make a quality product at a reasonable price without resorting to Chinese labor.
I doubt he is ordering a 1/4th as much volume as FMIC does.

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

The thing that is getting me is how does RondoMusic do MIK when FMIC does MIC.

I didn't even think of that, but yeah. I think I'd rather have an Agile than one of these anyway.

[BenoA]

@dg keep us posted once you checked them out.

[Robert Hendrix]

Just checked my local store's site and they have a couple of each model. I'll try to get by and play them later today or tomorrow. I'll give an unbiased review based on the usual criteria, but I won't be buying one of these no matter what. The bottom line for me is basically what I said way upthread: if the guitar played well and I liked it, I'd happily throw down the extra $100 - $150 for it to be made in Korea, a democratic country which at least tries to have some worker safety & environmental protection, doesn't have the huge counterfeit goods industry, and doesn't deflate its currency to attract companies to build there. If I can't find a pair of socks made anywhere else, that's one thing, but I refuse to knowingly reward that system by buying a big-ticket item made there.

-edit- on closer look, they just have 1 DS1 in right now (non-floyd), but I'll still check it out

+10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 I ABSOLUTELY agree!

[Flatpicker]

The thing that is getting me is how does RondoMusic do MIK when FMIC does MIC.

I'm going to make the assumption that the profit margins on these Desolations are very good and they are trading on the Charvel name to wring out some extra cash before ending the line.
There is really no excuse for the terrible quality we've seen in this pics.

[Nightbat]

The bottom line for me is basically what I said way upthread: if the guitar played well and I liked it, I'd happily throw down the extra $100 - $150 for it to be made in Korea

at the current price (for the higher end models) I'd already expect them to come from korea, at $150 extra we should read "Made in japan" on the headstock

[Devotee]

If I can't find a pair of socks made anywhere else, that's one thing, but I refuse to knowingly reward that system by buying a big-ticket item made there.

I disagree, if you're going to boycott a whole system, might as well start with the socks.

[dg]

Just checked my local store's site and they have a couple of each model. I'll try to get by and play them later today or tomorrow. I'll give an unbiased review based on the usual criteria, but I won't be buying one of these no matter what. The bottom line for me is basically what I said way upthread: if the guitar played well and I liked it, I'd happily throw down the extra $100 - $150 for it to be made in Korea, a democratic country which at least tries to have some worker safety & environmental protection, doesn't have the huge counterfeit goods industry, and doesn't deflate its currency to attract companies to build there. If I can't find a pair of socks made anywhere else, that's one thing, but I refuse to knowingly reward that system by buying a big-ticket item made there.

-edit- on closer look, they just have 1 DS1 in right now (non-floyd), but I'll still check it out

[toejam]

The dessicated rosewood board pictured earlier in this thread reminds me of the cheapest LTDs and Ibanezes at the local dealer. It's like they are gathering deadfall bleached out in the sun on a dry creekbed.

When I got my '01 USA Fender, the board also looked like that! A bit of oil cured it so it looks pretty dark now, but I don't know why they don't do that at the factory to begin with.

[SLY]

New one on e bay.