Charvel 750XL VS Charvel SLA-160

[ykrop4ik]

Let's compare Charvel 750xl, everyone knows it by US name, and the Japan-market-only analog Charvel SLA-160.
Correct me if I am wrong, pls. After your comments we can edit the fist post and make a diagnosys.
0) 750XL for USA, SLA-160 for internal Japan market.
1) SLA 160 is 22 frets, while 750XL is 24.
2) SLA 160 has no floyd machine at all, most 750XL has it.
3) Switch is different, SLA-160 has a 3 pos gibson thumbler type, 750XL has 5 way jackson switch.
4) Gold hardware is declared for SLA-160, should be gold plated.
5) SLA-160 is thinner body than 750xl. SLA-160 body is mahogany, 750xl is mahogany too (but not all of the colour finishes of 750xl are mahogany body)
6) SLA-160 has mahogany set neck, while 750xl has a maple neck (tbc)
7) The logo on the neck, SLA 160 has a stencil type logo, 750XL toothpaste type logo.
8) pick ups, SLA-160 J50N/J50B; 750XL J-80C bridge / J-80C neck or J-80C bridge / J50B neck or J50C bridge / J50B neck
9) both of the guitars look like solide piece of wood mahogany. (tbc)

[xenophobe]

Gold hardware is gold plated.

It's unlikely someone here owns both. As for which one sounds better? Some guitars just sound better than others. It just depends on which one you get. 750XLs that are painted are notorious for sounding more muted and not as lively as a trans finish.

As for just deciding you want a non-US market guitar? You'd need to be pretty lucky to find exactly what you want because they don't come up often.

With similar configuration and materials, it's possible they sound very similar. Or you could find the one that sounds different. You can't really say which one sounds better, but which one has features you're more interested in? If you want a Floyd, you need to get a 750XL. If you want 22 frets, you need to get the non-US market guitar.

[ykrop4ik]

I absolutely agree that the "sounds better thing" is strictly subjective.

[ykrop4ik]

ohh boy, I edit the first message and it's gone.

[ykrop4ik]

.

[toejam]

Hmmm, I knew about the solid finished 750XLs being basswood. I thought they all had mahogany necks, though.

[ykrop4ik]

[ykrop4ik]

quote from audiozone
C901063 A good view here of how the maple neck is joined to the mahogany body by glue - the original expression being set-in neck, I believe.
Tip: all string-thru 750 XL's seems to have transparent finishes, which again makes them mahogany guitars.

[dg]

Hmmm, I knew about the solid finished 750XLs being basswood. I thought they all had mahogany necks, though.

All had maple necks, which is one of the many things I like about them. Here's a pic of the neck joint of my old 750XL that shows it pretty well:

[toejam]

Oh, how about that! Always thought they were mahogany for some reason. What model am I thinking of that had mahogany neck and body?

[ykrop4ik]

Oh, how about that! Always thought they were mahogany for some reason. What model am I thinking of that had mahogany neck and body?

It can be some of the SLA-160 or some 750XL, as long as the owners of those don't keep quiet and tell us this ))
The other mahogany model is model 88, but it has african mahogany body, but neck is bolted. Some japanese market models: Charvel SDK-100-SH CharvelSDK-110-SSH
are claimed to be mahogany too.

[ykrop4ik]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Charvel-750xl-IMMACULATE-CONDITION-VERY-RARE-NOT-JACKSON-/321852880999?hash=item4aefed3867

charvel 750xl for sale

http://www.mercatinomusicale.com/mm/a_charvel-750-xl_id4277536.html

not by me obviously

[pro-fusion]

I believe the SLA-160 is quite rare (much more so than a 750xl), and that's true even in Japan. I've only ever seen one for sale. There are tons of folks selling Japanese-market guitars on eBay now, and you still don't see any of these, which tells you something.

[ykrop4ik]

SLA-160 neck compared with 750xl neck

[xenophobe]

I believe the SLA-160 is quite rare (much more so than a 750xl), and that's true even in Japan. I've only ever seen one for sale. There are tons of folks selling Japanese-market guitars on eBay now, and you still don't see any of these, which tells you something.

Most of the Japanese market guitars (early to mid 90s) are small batch or limited run. If you're lucky you can find a catalog page with specs, but they made a number of small batch runs for the popular music chains in Japan and many of them aren't documented, but turn up from time to time. There are people who specifically collect non-US market Charvels, but they either don't come here or just lurk. But just finding a random owner of some specific off-market Charvel isn't easy. For any of them. Try finding a MIJ Jake or a USA reissue SD Strathead made for Europe. They probably made less than 20-30 of the Jake and made a couple hundred of the SD Reissues... you still never really see them ever. Even the Model 88 is fairly rare than they made what... 1100 or so? 500+500+some extras, if I remember correctly.