NGD Charvel Overdue

[Cygnus X1]

1986 (or 87) Charvel Model 6.
Neck through, MOP inlays, active preamp (passive pickups).
Plays like a dream and I have wanted to own one of these for many years.
Unusual for me to own a Kahler equipped but I like it on this one.
The actual color is really hard to capture but in real life it looks more like copper than that, and black in darker light.
It seems to have a little flip-flop quality to it.
Description is Black Cherry.

[Rich#6]

congrats. I had one in that color back in 2006. def a flipflop color. from a few feet away I always thought mine looked brown. my red one I've owned for 25 years. these seem to have the perfect neck angle to make the action low and easy to play. When I had mine refretted I was asked if it was short scale the tension is so light.

[jwoods986]

Congrats! You have an '86, only year with the kahler (I have the same guitar but in red).

[bombtek]

Looks like chocolate!
Nice guitar!
To be perfectly honest, the Charvel Model series ARE the best guitars I've ever played for the $ spent, and you just scored one of the cream of the crop! One day, I'd love to own one of each model and in each color. Gotta hit the lotto first

[Cygnus X1]

Thanks, the guitar is awesome.
I knew it's an 86 by the sticker on the back of the headstock.
Wasn't conscious when I started the thread.
Newer ones changed to a stamped serial at the end of the FB like Jacksons.

Only thing I would change is to be able to get the middle pickup lower.
I use that pickup but it sits too high even when screwed down tight.
There might be foam under it?

[Hellbat]

Black cherry is a hard color to capture in a picture. It always photographs more brown than it looks in person. My model 5 was black cherry before I sent it to Mike Learn. If the finish hadn't been dinged up I probably would have kept it that color.

[Axegrinder87]

When I had mine refretted I was asked if it was short scale the tension is so light.

You let a tech who had to ask what the scale was, refret your guitar? :think:

[Rich#6]

Originally Posted by Rich#6
When I had mine refretted I was asked if it was short scale the tension is so light.



You let a tech who had to ask what the scale was, refret your guitar? :think:

you have not played my guitar right? He asked me it as a question since he thought they were 25.5. I took it too Sully's mentor/teacher, so yes I trusted the guy.

[DonP]

The Kahlers feel lighter. I have an 86 M4 as my only Kahler, and it feels easier to bend than my fulcrum axes. I do have the heavy springs if I decide I want to swap for more tension in the Kahler.

[jwoods986]

^ Good point. My good friend has an '88 (firecrackle finish, I told him to NEVER sell it) and my '86 w/kahler definitely has lighter tension. Other than the finish, I prefer my guitar. I'm not a fan of the JT-6 and his '88 has a noticeably chunkier neck. Was there a difference in necks over the model 6 run? Or is his just an odd-ball?

[DonP]

I'm not a fan of the JT-6 and his '88 has a noticeably chunkier neck. Was there a difference in necks over the model 6 run? Or is his just an odd-ball?

I have 2 M6's, and an M4 with thin necks. But I have a 5FX (firecrackle) and a 550XL (metallic black) with fat necks, the 550XL being the fattest. Not sure what to make of this. The 550XL while a little boring in the looks, sounds great with a tight punch!

[Rich#6]

right now I have an 86,87, and an 88 model 6. the 88 is a lot thicker of a neck. the 86 is different from both and is not like any other 86 I"ve played(at least 2 more-those others were thin necks).

[jwoods986]

What's the FB radius on Model 6s? Is it the now common 12"-16" compound radius or a set one?

[CaptNasty]

This thread is about 4.5 years old. You might want to start a new thread to get better visibility to your question.

[Vass]

Saw a “new” post from Cygnus and my head was swimming for a sec.