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First off I want to say thanks to everyone for the info here, I have used this site as a reference a few times. Especially the links to the old 86 and 87 catalogs.
Back in 1987 after I had been playing the guitar for a few years I purchased a Model 3A new, after having a white JB Player telecaster, then a different strat that didn't stay long. I finally saved up enough to get a nice guitar and bought this blue Charvel. I used it in my hight school jazz band my senior year, then in a few cover bands I played in during college. After college in the early 90's I stopped playing with others, but would pick it up occasionally and play here and there for fun. Then around 2003 we moved to Germany and it went into it's case and was in our basement storage room for a few years. We had kids, I wasn't playing at all, and it just sat.
About 10 years ago we were moving again and I found it at the back of my closet and thought "I wonder what this is worth" and at the time I could only find them listed for $100 or $200 so I figured it wasn't worth the time to list it for sale, so I just kept it.
About 5 years ago I looked again and suddenly they were selling for over $500! Yikes! I'm almost afraid to play it now! But I'm excited to see it's worth closer to what I paid for it.
But I have taken good care of it over the years, it's in great shape since it usually lived in it's case and I never abused it.. I still obviously have the case, the Kahler tremelo manual, and the tremelo bar. It still plays great but could use a tuneup as it's been a few years since I have used it regularly.
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But what about the free guitar?
Well about three years ago I was biking home from pre-school with my daughter and she was on the back of our bike. As we got close to home she says "hey dad, there's a guitar over there". People are always putting stuff out for free on the curb in Portland, but I assumed this was an old, cheap broken guitar. Still, we turned around to take a look.
It turned out to be a cheap acoustic guitar, with a gig bag, and this black Charvel! I think it's an 86 or 87, but I'm not sure. It was broken when I got it, or at least when you plugged it in no sound came out. I opened up the jack and sure enough one wire was broken at the solder joint. A quick repair with a soldering iron and it works!
It's a little beat up, it's obviously been well used and has a few chips and scratches. It's missing the bar and someone swapped out the bridge pickup, but it still plays well. I put new strings on it and messed around with it for a month or two then I set it aside and kind of forgot about it. Just recently I was looking at picking up a cheap Fender Squire Strat when I realized I should just get the model 1A tuned up and play with it.
So I figured I should introduce myself so I can ask a few questions. I want to pick up a tremelo bar for it, and swap out the bridge pickup for an original Jackson again. A few of the frets are a little worn, but I'm just got to clean it up and leave it alone for now.
Anyway, I was amazed to find a free guitar so similar to my pride and joy. And I always wanted a black guitar, so I'm thrilled to have found this one. And I look forward to poking around here a bit more.
Back in 1987 after I had been playing the guitar for a few years I purchased a Model 3A new, after having a white JB Player telecaster, then a different strat that didn't stay long. I finally saved up enough to get a nice guitar and bought this blue Charvel. I used it in my hight school jazz band my senior year, then in a few cover bands I played in during college. After college in the early 90's I stopped playing with others, but would pick it up occasionally and play here and there for fun. Then around 2003 we moved to Germany and it went into it's case and was in our basement storage room for a few years. We had kids, I wasn't playing at all, and it just sat.
About 10 years ago we were moving again and I found it at the back of my closet and thought "I wonder what this is worth" and at the time I could only find them listed for $100 or $200 so I figured it wasn't worth the time to list it for sale, so I just kept it.
About 5 years ago I looked again and suddenly they were selling for over $500! Yikes! I'm almost afraid to play it now! But I'm excited to see it's worth closer to what I paid for it.
But I have taken good care of it over the years, it's in great shape since it usually lived in it's case and I never abused it.. I still obviously have the case, the Kahler tremelo manual, and the tremelo bar. It still plays great but could use a tuneup as it's been a few years since I have used it regularly.
​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​But what about the free guitar?
Well about three years ago I was biking home from pre-school with my daughter and she was on the back of our bike. As we got close to home she says "hey dad, there's a guitar over there". People are always putting stuff out for free on the curb in Portland, but I assumed this was an old, cheap broken guitar. Still, we turned around to take a look.
It turned out to be a cheap acoustic guitar, with a gig bag, and this black Charvel! I think it's an 86 or 87, but I'm not sure. It was broken when I got it, or at least when you plugged it in no sound came out. I opened up the jack and sure enough one wire was broken at the solder joint. A quick repair with a soldering iron and it works!
It's a little beat up, it's obviously been well used and has a few chips and scratches. It's missing the bar and someone swapped out the bridge pickup, but it still plays well. I put new strings on it and messed around with it for a month or two then I set it aside and kind of forgot about it. Just recently I was looking at picking up a cheap Fender Squire Strat when I realized I should just get the model 1A tuned up and play with it.
So I figured I should introduce myself so I can ask a few questions. I want to pick up a tremelo bar for it, and swap out the bridge pickup for an original Jackson again. A few of the frets are a little worn, but I'm just got to clean it up and leave it alone for now.
Anyway, I was amazed to find a free guitar so similar to my pride and joy. And I always wanted a black guitar, so I'm thrilled to have found this one. And I look forward to poking around here a bit more.
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