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NGD: Charvel Surfcaster (tremolo) in Trans Red

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  • NGD: Charvel Surfcaster (tremolo) in Trans Red

    Picked this beaut off of eBay a few months back. It was listed by a pawn shop with really crappy cell phone pics so I took a chance and made an offer that was 60% of the asking price and they surprisingly accepted. I have been absolutely in love with this guitar since. There was a slight neck alignment issue (that's visible in the pics but has been since fixed).

    The lipstick pickups sound amazing and I generally play heavier music. With a boost in front of the amp, the sound is immense and clear. There's a push-pull pot to reverse the phase of the bridge pickup so in the middle pickup position, you can get a decent humbucking tone too.

    The stock tuners really sucked though so I replaced them with locking Gotoh Klusson style tuners which made a huge difference. It makes the tremolo much more pleasant to use too. Having a floating trem on a guitar like this is really strange. The whole floating bridge is kind of strange but it works well. I've put a tremel-no unit in there now to let me switch tunings during shows.











    First show playing the surfcaster live:

  • #2
    Nice score.
    METAL, LIVE IT!

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    • #3
      Nice Score!!!

      I always liked those. In the mid 90's Tommy Victor from Prong and I think Scott Ian played those. And I'm pretty sure that is the guitar Mark Morton based his sig off of.
      I DESPISE ROSEWOOD WITH A PASSION!!!

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      • #4
        Nice, very nice indeed.
        I would love to get my hands on a Surfcaster.

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        • #5
          Congrats! Great looking guitar.

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          • #6
            HNGD!! Nice find!

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            • #7
              Very nice. Different.I would like something like that for the stable......
              -Now....shut up n play yer guitar

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              • #8
                You need to fire that truck up and take the show on the road, Dokken style!
                GTWGITS! - RacerX

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                • #9
                  Beautiful!

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Hellbat View Post
                    You need to fire that truck up and take the show on the road, Dokken style!
                    Nice refernce to "The Hunter" video lol.
                    Gear:

                    Jackson DK2M (07')

                    Jackson PS-4 (99'?)

                    Charvel Model 5 (86')

                    Randall RG50TC

                    Maxon OD-9

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                    • #11
                      Nice grab!
                      _________________________________________________
                      "Artists should be free to spend their days mastering their craft so that working people can toil away in a more beautiful world."
                      - Ken M

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                      • #12
                        Good score those are great guitars.
                        Really? well screw Mark Twain.

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                        • #13
                          Thanks guys. I'm really GASing for another now ... AGHH. Hardtail + humbucker, 12-string, gotta have em all!

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                          • #14
                            Just out of interest, why are these so sought after / high priced?

                            I got into Charvels in the late 80s with the Model series when they could be picked up for around £300 secondhand here in the UK, at a time when our heros were appearing with them on MTV rock shows. Fast forward a few years and Charvel bring out the Surfcasters, which aren't as popular / "with the times" as the pointy Model series. Yet trying to pick one up for a decent price is impossible over here: they command a premium: one currently on eBay for £1100 buy-it-now, compared to around £300 that my Model 4 is worth. Seems the wrong way round to me? I'd love a Surfcaster but can't understand the high prices.

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by darrellm View Post
                              Just out of interest, why are these so sought after / high priced?

                              I got into Charvels in the late 80s with the Model series when they could be picked up for around £300 secondhand here in the UK, at a time when our heros were appearing with them on MTV rock shows. Fast forward a few years and Charvel bring out the Surfcasters, which aren't as popular / "with the times" as the pointy Model series. Yet trying to pick one up for a decent price is impossible over here: they command a premium: one currently on eBay for £1100 buy-it-now, compared to around £300 that my Model 4 is worth. Seems the wrong way round to me? I'd love a Surfcaster but can't understand the high prices.
                              I think it's due to the uniqueness and rarity, both traits that tend to result in higher prices. Surfcasters don't show up on ebay all that often and when they do, they are either snatched up immediately if the price is palatable or they don't sell because the seller is asking for an absurd price, but even those get sold sometimes. In terms of features, the Surfcaster has a premium set, full neck+headstock+body binding, sharkies, 24-ish frets, premium pickups, high quality floating bridge, roller nut, semi-hollow, etc. They certainly feel like a premium instrument and one that I am completely happy to pay for.

                              There are countless guitars that look like model 4's, very few that have the timeless aura of the Surfcaster.

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