NGD Model 5A

[TKEblue]

Binding on the headstock? What binding?

I wasn't sure if he meant that it looked like binding or thought it's a bound headstock so I just left it alone. Lol

Looking at the picture at the angle I took it I guess it does look bound in red. That would be pretty cool actually.

[xenophobe]

It's painted. You see the paint. Those are really freaking awesome.

[XSvmbraDensX]

Binding on the headstock? What binding?

My mistake, I had quickly looked at the headstock and thought it was bound in red. Whoops

[toejam]

Oh, I see what you're talking about now. I had a Model 5A at one point, so I knew there wasn't binding on it. The angle of the pics does give off the binding look a little bit.

[Johnnyryche]

Congrats! I also have a 5A and love it.

[bombtek]

Not hijacking
Just had to....
Good to see two, possibly built at the same time back in 88'

[TKEblue]

Not hijacking
Just had to....
Good to see two, possibly built at the same time back in 88'

Looks great man! Super clean! What Floyd do you have on yours? And I love the slanted single on the FX but also love 1 hum.. Would be tough deciding between them.

And yeah, I would think built pretty close to each other.. could be old friends. Lol

[bombtek]

It's a Jackson Floyd I had lying around forget from what. I wanna say it's a 580 maybe?
Ya, if I had to choose, I don't know which way I'd go. I HAD a 5A Firecrackle way back when and loved it, but had to sell it for needed money. I got this 5FX in 99' and love this just as much. Ideally, I'd have one of each, but 5A's in Firecrackle are tough to find.

[TKEblue]

That sucks that you had to sell, but that's cool that you've had this one as long as you have. '88 is actually the year I was born so that's kind of cool. I know a lot of you guys were rocking these back then and I'm a little jealous. They've got me convinced and addicted I think.

[bombtek]

Let me know if/when you want to part with that.

[Sanctuary]

I'm amazed at how expensive the model series is becoming. But then I guess with the new Pro series being so dear it's only going to drive up the prices of the older, (arguably) better guitars up. I don't feel too bad about the price I paid for a mint Model 6 Rainbow crackle a few years ago now.

[TKEblue]

I'm amazed at how expensive the model series is becoming. But then I guess with the new Pro series being so dear it's only going to drive up the prices of the older, (arguably) better guitars up. I don't feel too bad about the price I paid for a mint Model 6 Rainbow crackle a few years ago now.

It is a little odd, mostly because it seems that everything else is plummeting in value. I know the 2000s era Jackson's are going dirt cheap now (insultingly cheap), and I've read lots of complaints about USA models used values dropping..but really if you look on reverb and eBay, there aren't a lot of model series available anymore where the others are a lot more common.

And a rainbow crackle model 6 would sure look great with my others! xD would love to add one to the stable.

[bombtek]

The model series guitars have steadily increased for years. Up until the desolation series (the rebirth of the Charvel name as far as I can tell), model series guitars in decent shape were selling for less than$100 on eBay, even less on Craigslist. From 1997-2002 was the prime period in time to buy used Charvel model series guitars. YOU knew what you were buying and just how good they were, but the general public had no clue.
Enter the desolation series.
Cheap, decent playing guitars with the Charvel logo.people bought, and people talked. The uninformed learned about these older Charvels and how some folks equated their quality to just below USA Jackson guitars of the same time period, and both the used Charvel model series guitars and the Jackson Professional series guitars of the early 90s started attracting true attention, and not just from the J/C fan circle. They crept up in price year after year. The more well known early 90s Jackson's seem to have leveled off, but the model series Charvels, although slowed, continue to creep higher as the supply dwindles. Seems people that bought them realized what gems they are, and the only time they're sold, they get top dollar.
Example:
1999....1988 Model 5FX Firecrackle was bought for $275. Good luck finding one for less than $700
2001....1996 Model 3 was bought for$90. Good luck finding one for under $350.
Back in the 97-02' time frame, if you were to type Charvel into an eBay search, the ONLY guitars that would appear are the model arteries and the occasional earlier USA Charvel which sold for big money. Once the dealers, stores, and people started selling new and used modern Charvels on the bay, it was as if a time fuze was lit and the Charvel name exploded.
Even the custom shop joined the party. You always could order a CS Charvel from them, but honestly it was pretty rare aside from those who remembered them from the early 80s. Again, enter the desolation series, and the resurgence of the Charvel name. Custom Charvels started becoming WAY more common. Guitar shops and stores started to order customs in RUNS simply to stock them and sell outright rather than the CS relying solely on singular orders from individual customers.
I attribute all of this to the emergence of the Desolation series Charvels. They weren't/aren't unbelievably great guitars, but what they did do was bring the Charvel name back. Maybe even saved it from being non existent.

[TKEblue]

Pretty solid theory.
Don't forget about the promods! The USA and mij so-cals were a very popular guitar. I plan to add one to the arsenal at some point.

And you can still get lucky, some sellers don't know what to value them at, based off the guy posting his 650xl on the jcf classified FB page, if he gets anywhere close to asking price then I got an amazing deal. Based off of my perceived market value of the trade I did for the Model 5, I'd say I gave roughly $350-400 for it as well.

[bombtek]

I didn't forget the pro mods, but my thinking was that affordability of the desolation series is what kicked off the Charvel recognition again.