Model 1A

[QuantumRider]

I scored a Model 1A on Yahoo! Auction and it was delivered yesterday. The bridge saddles were all the same height and aligned in a straight line, but the saddle adjustment screws were all rusty, so I sprayed WD40 on the bridge and left it to sit overnight.

Adjusted the saddle heights and intonation earlier today.

This is the only guitar currently in my arsenal that has single coils (I swapped the Duncan STK-1's in my SL1 with HotRails). Plugged it in and dug playing "Sex Machine" using the bridge PU + middle PU combination.

You all know what these look like, but here's a pic anyway.



Some buckle rash, dings, and dents, but I'd say it's in pretty good shape for a guitar that's at least 25 years old.

Were these pure white when new? Mine is faded to a lemon/cream color.

Ron, guesstimate on year please? Serial is 277227.

[Chief_CrazyTalk]

I almost bought a NOS M1 like that, they didn't come in white. They were creme. Looks like yours has darkened nicely. Those are sweet guitars. IMO lose the singles!

[VitaminG]

I thought they were white, but the 88 catalog says it was Vintage Ivory. The Model 2 was available in Pearl White. My Model 2 has faded to a similar colour

[QuantumRider]

Chief,

I've had guitars with all sorts of PU configurations, but have always sold them or swapped out the single coils to HotRails/CoolRails after I got tired of the single coil sound/hum. I have a bunch of full size humbuckers lying around, so if these guitars have the swimming pool route, I can switch them out when I come to the realization that single coils aren't for me... again. But for now I am digging the sound of this guitar, and as you know the Model Series guitars play like butter

Gary,

Yeah, after I posted the above, I checked Henrik's site and saw that the color that this model was available in was referred to as Ivory. On a side note, haven't seen him around here for a while. I wonder how he's doing?

[Franx]

Nice score ! Just classy: black/white - white/black Strat and the proper headstock-design

Not to highjack your thread, but I received a parcel 2 hours ago ! Right out of the box:



Slightly younger than yours (S/N 290067); maybe I should start a new thread, after "the work" (EMGs) is done ?

[QuantumRider]

Franx,

Very nice!

I like that your new guitar has a humbucker in the bridge already.

I don't consider it a thread hijack, as the title is "Charvel Model 1A", not "MY Charvel Model 1A"

[VitaminG]

Franx, how does the bridge pickup balance against the J100s?

[Bobby8]

I had a Model 1A with a dimarzio fast track 2 in the bridge position, it was balanced very good with the J-100s. Nice guitar QR, always wanted one in pearl white.

[Franx]

Franx, how does the bridge pickup balance against the J100s?

I don't know, haven't plugged it in yet; I have an EMG loaded pickguard waiting to be installed (HSH 85/SA/89),
and I think I will go this way, since I'm not a friend of singlecoils anyway. - But I'll try the SD hotrail first !

[Carbuff]

I hope the emgs fit. The model 1 has a very shallow swimming pool rout. Emgs arent very deep though so it may work out for you. Usually its the screws that are too long.

[Franx]

Franx, how does the bridge pickup balance against the J100s?

The "balance" was OK, but (as expected) I didn't like the sound of both the SD und the J-100s.

I hope the emgs fit. The model 1 has a very shallow swimming pool rout. Emgs arent very deep though so it may work out for you. Usually its the screws that are too long.

I cut the screws as short as possible, but they were still too long, so I drilled 6 holes to countersink them,
I had to rout 1 mm at the trem side of the "pool" as well, to get the 85 in ! After all, it looks good and sounds great !!

[Carbuff]

I glad you got it worked out. I know I had a 1A mutt in that same finish that looked great. I took off the pickguard to check on the pickups and It was a horror show. Someone had used a hand chisel and hacked up the inside of the pool to accomodate the humbuckers. It worked fine so I just closed it back up and forgot about it.