Charvel Identification

[lewis2112]

Hello, I'm new to the board. I bought a Charvel back around 1993 or so. I bought it form Musician's Friend (mail order). I've never been able to find out the model name or number for this guitar. If anyone can help I'd appreciate it.

The SN is 375951

[VitaminG]

Re: Charvel Identification

I believe that's a 275DLX. Made in Japan between '89-91

[lewis2112]

Re: Charvel Identification

[ QUOTE ]
I believe that's a 275DLX

[/ QUOTE ]

I thought the 275 had two single coils and a humbucker at the bridge. Did they make them in different configs?

http://www.guitarmaniacs.de/html/use...-charvel.shtml

[RacerX]

Re: Charvel Identification

Gary is right. Made in Japan from around 1989 - 1991, these are known as the "toothpaste" Charvels. That bridge pickup does not seem stock.

[lewis2112]

Re: Charvel Identification

[ QUOTE ]
Gary is right. Made in Japan from around 1989 - 1991, these are known as the "toothpaste" Charvels. That bridge pickup does not seem stock.

[/ QUOTE ]

I bought it brand spanking new, would Musician's Friend modify a new guitar and then sell it?

[RacerX]

Re: Charvel Identification

http://www.jacksonmuseum.com/archive...-90-page13.jpg

[RacerX]

Re: Charvel Identification

[ QUOTE ]
I bought it brand spanking new,

[/ QUOTE ]

If you got it in '93 it wasn't. Maybe it was NOS, because the toothpaste Charvels ceased in '91.

[ QUOTE ]


would Musician's Friend modify a new guitar and then sell it?

[/ QUOTE ]

I wouldn't put it past 'em, but it could've been a return...or...maybe that pickup IS stock.

[lewis2112]

Re: Charvel Identification

Well, I was wrong about buying it in 1993. The generic manual that came with it has a copyright of 1990.

[RacerX]

Re: Charvel Identification

BTW this should be in the Import Charvel section. Newb! [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Welcome!

[VitaminG]

Re: Charvel Identification

[ QUOTE ]
I thought the 275 had two single coils and a humbucker at the bridge. Did they make them in different configs?

http://www.guitarmaniacs.de/html/use...-charvel.shtml

[/ QUOTE ]
That doesn't look like any 275 I've seen. Rear-loaded AND a pickguard? Possibly modified when they installed the EMGs?

Have you pulled out the bridge pickup on your guitar? Does the rout look factory? It's possible that someone opened up the rout to accommodate a humbucker and then sat the guitar under their bed until they traded the guitar in. If the warranty card says '90 but you didn't buy it until '93, it's possible

[lewis2112]

Re: Charvel Identification

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I thought the 275 had two single coils and a humbucker at the bridge. Did they make them in different configs?

http://www.guitarmaniacs.de/html/use...-charvel.shtml

[/ QUOTE ]
That doesn't look like any 275 I've seen. Rear-loaded AND a pickguard? Possibly modified when they installed the EMGs?

Have you pulled out the bridge pickup on your guitar? Does the rout look factory? It's possible that someone opened up the rout to accommodate a humbucker and then sat the guitar under their bed until they traded the guitar in. If the warranty card says '90 but you didn't buy it until '93, it's possible

[/ QUOTE ]

Well I assumed that I bought it in '93 but I wasn't sure. In my first post I said around 1993 or so. So I must have bought it in '90 or '91.

The rout looks factory. I didn't pull the pickup, but you can see that the paint job goes into the routed area.

[VitaminG]

Re: Charvel Identification

it wouldn't require much additional routing to allow a humbucker to drop in there. The two single coil routs side by side create a kind of "v" shape at either end of the rout. You would only need to cut down those two "v"s to make room for a bucker, so the paint would remain untouched on the floor & sides of the rout. If any paint is missing (assuming it wasn't touched up again) it would around the area of the height adjustment screws.

[Tekky]

Re: Charvel Identification

If the guitar in the german link was a 275DLX, it has been modified beyond identification. (as VitaminG pointed out) I believe that the configuration of the 275DLX has changed at least once. The very early ones had a straight humbucker and a straight single-coil. Then they started producing the two slanted single coils in the bridge with the straight single coil in the neck. It is quite possible that they may have had a "missing link" configuration like this one. Though the pickup in this one is baffling, since it's not used with any other Charvel or Jackson.

[VitaminG]

Re: Charvel Identification

Todd, wasn't that pickup used in the neck position of one of the myriad of Jackson Fusions? I'm at work now, so don't have to time to dig through the Jackson Museum for supporting evidence, but I'm pretty sure that is a Jackson pickup, although most probably never used in a stock 275.

[lewis2112]

Re: Charvel Identification

[ QUOTE ]
If the guitar in the german link was a 275DLX, it has been modified beyond identification. (as VitaminG pointed out) I believe that the configuration of the 275DLX has changed at least once. The very early ones had a straight humbucker and a straight single-coil. Then they started producing the two slanted single coils in the bridge with the straight single coil in the neck. It is quite possible that they may have had a "missing link" configuration like this one. Though the pickup in this one is baffling, since it's not used with any other Charvel or Jackson.

[/ QUOTE ]

OK, I didn't completely pull the pickup but i did remove the 4 screws that secures the pickup to the body. It is definately a factory rout. You can see how the bevel along the pickup rout has the factory paint and the screw hole at the bottom of the picture is also beveled and painted.



Sorry about the angle, but I couldn't get the camera to focus to show the inside of the pickup well because the strings messed with the auto focus.