Charvel DX1 String Through Flat Black MIC review

[xenophobe]

[updated 8-29-12]

Charvel Model DX1ST
Completion date 12/29/11
Made in China
Retail Price: $799
Price Paid: $439


I stopped by one of my local guitar shops to see what they had in the consignment section. Nothing as usual. On a whim I decided to go into their main store and see if anything unusual is there (a 24 fret custom Koa Fender Stagemaster for like $9k, but I'm not paying that lol). Lo and behold, a bunch of new "Charvels".

I look them over briefly as I can't help but to think that they're too blingy, much like a Schecter. Even the carved body reminded me of one. So I walk past them all giving them the eye. Not impressed. Surprised, but not impressed. Scroll down to post #9 if you want to see what else was there.

So I picked up the least flashy, a DX1 string-thru in flat black with dark grey binding. I index finger pick a couple of notes. Wow, something about this guitar... the action was really low, I didn't find any dead spots, the high register fret access was pretty amazing compared to a Select Soloist. I bring it up to the counter, pay for it and am on my way.

Here's what it looks like:



The body has a mild carve top to it, very subtle. The body is also noticeably slimmer than other Charvel or Jackson neck-thrus. I've owned CJ archtops before and find them comfortable. This body is nowhere near as thick as a 750XL or JA archtop. The triangle inlays look really nice and are very well done. The binding, feels like cheap sort of rubbery plastic, but it's consistent. Not perfect but not horrible either. On the front, it's pretty decent. The binding doesn't follow the edge of the body perfectly, but if you're not holding the guitar, it looks fine. Closer inspection is necessary to reveal the flaws. For the price, it's absolutely acceptable.

The back of the neck is raw, rough wood. After getting home and playing for a few minutes I get thumb burn. I set it down, I picked it back up, played a few more minutes, my thumb was on fire. The cure is to sand it. I'll talk more about that later. It's a three piece neck without a scarf joint. It has a nice backshape, but different than most Charvels and Jacksons.



I have to say, one of the reasons I bought it was because the headstocks do look really nice. The logos are much prettier in person as well. The actual squareness of the cuts, nothing like the Model series. In fact, the neck reminds me more of an older Ibanez Wizard profile than anything I've felt from a production Charvel or Jackson neck. The neck is very similar to the 2002? MIJ Model A Pro with Live Wires that I reviewed on the older version of this board. I'd link it, but it's long gone.

The back of the neck, including all of the unfinished wood is raw. The headstock still had a bunch of machine/saw/tool marks which itself is meaningless except to point out the shortcuts taken with this guitar. I've gone over this neck 3 different times to get the feel I want. I first tried oil and 0000 steel wool. It was a definite improvement, but still felt nothing like the natural Jackson or Charvel necks that I am more familiar with. Then I took some 1500 grit wet/dry paper and dry sanded with it until it was uniformly smooth. Then I went over it with 2000 to get a natural satin feel. I was happy with this, but there were a few spots I had missed as well as not having done the headstock or it's edges. So I just removed the tuners and completely sanded the back of the headstock and exposed neck with 1500 until it was consistent, then went over it with 2000 giving it a nice semi-gloss satin feel. Slippery, not sticky... and now it feels smooth just like a MIJ or USA neck.



The fretwork is pretty amazing for a neck-thru guitar that cost under $500 out the door. The factory inspection tag reports a 1st fret action height of 0.5mm. At the 12th it's measuring 1.5mm/1.55mm. The inlays look very well done. I actually like these new inlays. They're different and some people may never get used to them, but they're different and well done. I have to give them props for doing something new. My major gripe is that the side markers are black on dark grey... not very visible in low light.



If you look closely, you'll notice the grey binding doesn't always match up with the top. It's really only noticeable at certain angles and if you're looking specifically for flaws. Otherwise, it's acceptable. Also, the soft archtop is a little more noticeable here. You can also see where the binding matches the paint line at the neck, a little raised spot. This kinda bugged me, but then I think of the price and how well the guitar plays and it's not a big deal, but worth mentioning.

The body paint? I'm not sure what it is. It appears to be one thick coat. Resembles a dip finish. It's really laid on thick. It looks fine. It's just weird. I have no issues with the paint except for the bulky paint line.

The tuners and all the hardware are black chrome. I usually think black chrome looks and feels cheap. I don't particularly notice that here. The tuners are locking and work well. They have a fair bit of smooth turning resistance. They hold tune very well. I've also owned Sperzels on a number of different guitars, and honestly I think I'll take these over the Sperzels. Even though these are probably much cheaper, these tuners feel great.



I tried capturing the texture of the wood. You can see it a little, but it's a noticeable feel. It feels more rough than the smooth side of generic white wood planks at Home Depot. I swear, I was not initially happy with this at all. Sanding makes a world of difference. In total I spent at least 45 minutes to an hour, slowly sanding with that extra fine sandpaper and it was really worth it.



And as you can see. The string ferrules on the back of the guitar were drilled haphazardly. This bugs me a little, but the guitar, overall, is nice enough to overlook the flaws.

[xenophobe]

It's a pretty Charvel logo on a pretty Charvel headstock. Sure, this isn't the one with the abalone binding, but the logo on a flat black headstock did glare out at me. It screamed buy me! And I did.





Pros:

High grade components. USA EMGs, really nice locking tuners of some unknown brand to me.
Great, low action, fast neck, smooth fret ends.
Excellent high fret access that is better than any soloist or dinky I've played.
Pretty logo, well done inlays.
Nice mild archtop. Slimline body.
No dead spots, no real string buzz if you're a light picker.
Overall design is really well thought out and obviously play tested.
Chords stay in tune relatively easily and consistently. No real fighting or quirks to learn.
The high E string does not easily slip off the nut. It's on there really good.

Cons:

Overall build quality is kinda cheap, but acceptable. Nowhere near MIJ.
MSRP of $799 is too high. You can get a new MIJ or used USA for a little more.
Many little flaws everywhere. If you're OCD, you won't want one of these. Everything will bug you.
Exposed neck paintline not sanded smooth.
Binding looks, feels and is cheap. Not even in many spots.
Black dots on grey binding. Don't bother looking if you're not in decent lighting.
Raw neck. Feels like it was final sanded with 600 or 800 grit. If you buy one, you should really follow my advice.


Overall:

I'm glad I bought mine. I reach for it more often than not. It's a great player. It sounds a little thin and even switching the bridge pickup from 81 to the 85 didn't change it that much. It's a string through and the bridge height and bridge pickup spacing have a really nice alignment that the edge of my palm fits into perfectly. Pinch harmonics are relatively easy and repeatable on this guitar. On some Jacksons I've struggled, this one is a bit more squeaky and predictable than the typical Model 5/6 series or USA Soloists I've owned.

Would I recommend this guitar? That's tough. Unconditionally? Definitely not. Well, not unless you want a brand new Charvel and it has the specs you want. If you're a gear whore, go out and buy one. If you're a gear snob, you should probably try one just to spite yourself. If your budget is tight, your money would probably be better spent on a used MIJ Pro Mod, Professional Series or a USA. Those are selling for bargain prices right now and all of them have a definite and glaring edge in build quality, so saying you should buy one of these Desolation models? Not sure I can do it.


Please note: As everyone knows, I'm not happy about Fender's management of Charvel and Jackson brands and assets. I'm not happy that this series basically put the Japan shop out of business. This guitar with Japanese build quality would definitely put USA Selects out of business. That's why they're not built in Japan. It's a shame, if these had Jackson Professional build quality behind them, these would be an amazing guitar for $1000 or so. They're not. They're made in Communist China.

[update 8-29-12]
So, I've had this for about a month now, and have played it at least 30-40 hours. This thing kinda rocks. It has a bit of a thin tone with the EMGs that I noted, but it sounds nice all over the neck. I just tweaked the neck a little, less than 1/8 a turn on the truss and the neck flattened just a touch and the action is even lower.

Tuning stability is incredible. I can tune it, leave it in a non-temperature controlled environment, come back to it a week later, and it's still perfectly in tune. I figured cheap wood, hot and cold but not to any extremes, and the woods would expand/contract and the tuning would go off. My SL2GX for example, would always need to be retuned after not playing for a while. I have to say, the value for what I received was pretty awesome. Sure, I leave it in the studio so I don't need to bother bringing a guitar with me every time I go to practice, but so far, I can't find additional fault. I corrected all of the initial issues and it's holding steady.

Balls.

[DonP]

I haven't paid much attention to these. Three piece neck with no scarf join?

[pro-fusion]

I haven't paid much attention to these. Three piece neck with no scarf join?

The earliest San Dimas Soloists were built like that, but they switched to one-piece + scarf joint some time in late '84. A three-piece neck is strong enough that you don't really need a scarf joint.

I'll be curious to compare these to my SLXT if I ever manage to see them in local stores. The GCs around here don't seem much interested in J/Cs of any type.

[xenophobe]

It sounds a bit thin and tinny, even with the EMG 85 switched to the bridge. Fret access is impossibly easy. It feels like a cheap toy. It looks decent if you're looking at it from looking distance. Close up inspection reveals a lot of minor cosmetic and workmanship issues. I will probably need to go over the neck with 1000 grit. The neck isn't just unfininished, it's completely raw wood. Like more rough than wood moulding you'd get at home depot. In fact, it resembles the smooth side texture of the whitewood you get at home depot. I need to take the tuners off and do the whole neck. Also the paintline at the neck is raised and not smooth at all. But with all that, I have to say, this thing is probably a keeper. It really plays well.

[Nightbat]

I'm afraid if you vibrato the high E, the string is gonna pop out of the nut

[pro-fusion]

I'm afraid if you vibrato the high E, the string is gonna pop out of the nut

Yeah, it might be worth having a new nut put on, with the slots correctly angled. I do recall some Japanese J/Cs having that same problem, though.

[silar]

I have the DC-2 ST and it plays really well also and mine has the bump up to the finish at the heel from the neck. It's hard not to have a bump at the heel when you go from raw Mahogany to a finished surface. Mahogany is really porous and so is this neck. I used some tung oil on it and 0000 steel wool and it made if feel really good. A raw unfinished maple neck would have been better.

[xenophobe]

Just got home, still too tired to finish the review, but I like the guitar. It reminds me nothing of the old Charvels, they're updated and modernized. I'm glad I bought the one I did... all the others are too blingy.

I stopped by there earlier today to buy the non-existant hard case that I figured mine shipped in. I did get the original shipping boxes for it though. Here are the rest at Guitar Showcase in San Jose... the Fender rep *was* desperate to get rid of them, they're on consignment. Fender is getting 45% of the retail price, GS is getting 10% for the consignment.

They were all really nice to look at, they all had similar issues with the raw neck wood. They need to be sanded and oiled. I pulled down a couple to strum on, all of the necks felt mostly identical. My main problem with them is that, while they play nicely, they're kinda expensive for an entry level guitar.

I do like the necks. They're not vintage Charvel profiles, but they're not too far off and they're pretty decent. Actually, it reminds me a lot like he Charvel Model A Pro that I had. Very similar neck profile, but the quality difference is huge.

Sorry for the crappy pics, it was really dark in that room and I took about 30 pictures and only about 5 came out well...







Oh, BTW, mine was made in Dec 2011, before the Japanese plant shut down. I still think that Fender sunk that factory in a really brutal and cold way that I will hold a grudge against. They bankrupt the owner who is nearing retirement age. Fender can go fuck themselves for all I'm concerned. And as much as I like my guitar, Jackson/Charvel is just not the same company I fell in love with. Maybe some of the people are the same... different factory, different management, different owners.

[Force]

Any day now I should be receiving my Star, same as in the 2nd pic, can't wait. I am expecting some flaws as they look so much dearer than they are, but i'm still pretty excited.

[xenophobe]

Well.... I think you should be happy with it knowing what to expect. 1000 grit sandpaper or 0000 steel wool and some oil of some sort. As for flaws, nothing is visible if you're not the one holding the guitar, for the most part. Fender took a big risk making these. Time will tell how it works out for them.

[Nightbat]

Fender took a big risk making these. Time will tell how it works out for them.

Did they?
First thing is that the headstock doesn't say "Fender"

Second is that the axe probably cost 25%from the price you bought it for to produce

and if all else fails, FMIC can bankrupt JCMI as a tax writeoff like Harley Davidson did Buell

[Rich#6]

Fender took a chance buying Kaman which these are coming thru.

[Rich#6]

Except for the last one I sanded and used tung oil on all my usa and mij promods so if I ever get one of these I won't complain. I didn't think they were smooth enough. the only oiled mahagany neck I have had felt very different then the maples ones. something to get used to I guess.

[xenophobe]

Did they?
First thing is that the headstock doesn't say "Fender"

Second is that the axe probably cost 25%from the price you bought it for to produce

and if all else fails, FMIC can bankrupt JCMI as a tax writeoff like Harley Davidson did Buell

Umm... It wasn't a Jackson rep who basically begged Guitar Showcase to take 7 Charvels on consignment. It was a Fender rep trying to get rid of his stock. My guitar was manufactured in Dec 2011, so he's probably had them for months. He drove from Corona to San Jose to put guitars on consignment. Please explain what about that situation doesn't scream desperation?

Look at the prices on the tag. Compare them to what everyone else on ebay is selling them for. My DX1 cost me $435 + tax. Everyone online is selling them for $550+. Even OEM EMGs probably cost $55 each. So that's $110 minimum for the pickups. Fender is getting $360 from that sale. So that's a neck-thru guitar that they're netting $250 or less from. So you're saying that it probably cost them $75 to build it with all the hardware? Haha, what drugs are you on, I'd like to try some.

Go to your local guitar stores. How many of them have Charvels or Jacksons. How many of them have Fenders? Ask your store why they won't carry them. The answer is pretty simple. Nobody wants them and stores don't want to be forced into purchase requirements to stock the brand.