Just got a Charvel 650xl

[kudogg]

I think it's a 650xl. Neck thru, 3 knobs, SSH, toothpaste logo with Schaller trem, sharfin inlays. It's silver flake model,kind of glittery, I paid 400 bucks for it and it is in excellent condition. I must say, the trem is phenomenal. I've been playing around with dive bombs for like 20 minutes and it still is in perfect tune.

The neck is a bit thicker than a typical shred guitar. It plays very well. The stock pickups are okay. The two single coils sound fenderish, and one of the knobs actually changes the tone from single coil to humbucker.

I also recently bought a Jackson Soloist Professional XL, a japanese soloist. THe guitars are similar in layout but the Jackson has a thinner and wider neck. I love it. It's amazing. The tone is similar, I have EMG's in the Jackson though. Kind of a toss up if I were to have to pick one over the other.

All in all I am very pleased with the Charvel. I think for the price, it really plays like a USA soloist, and I definitely have not seen much difference in the XL Professionals, the Charvel Imports, and a USA Jackson soloist. Sacrilege? Possibly, but I just play em man. Very pleased, and currently Jackson/Charvels are my new drug of choice. My Ibanez S540LTD is pretty nice too, but I think these ones blow them out of the water, and they were the same price!!!

[Nazgul]

Cool! Snap some pics too! The knob you were talking about is a midboost (JE1200 electronics).

If you don't like the bridge pickup, let me know!

[jcm800x]

Nice man, killer guitar.

[Sunbane]

The 650XL's are great guitars!
I have the predecessor, a Model 6 with an upgraded trem.

[GTarman68]

Cool, Nice Score...

[kudogg]

Cool! Snap some pics too! The knob you were talking about is a midboost (JE1200 electronics).

If you don't like the bridge pickup, let me know!

Hey, how do I post pics? The buitar is friggin silver glitter though but it plays like a dream

[Nazgul]

Here's how to post pics:

http://www.jcfonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29708

[Sunbane]

Here's how to post pics:
http://www.jcfonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29708

That guide is as close to unreadable as you can get.
Posting pics is as easy as this:

1) Go to http://imageshack.us/

2) Browse for your image and then click "host it!".

3) You will now be taken to a page with a bunch of code lines. Copy the code that is labelled something in the vein of "direct link to image", and paste that code here in the forum. Done!

[Tiddles]

Hey Kudogg, congrats v.nice guitar … or at least the one I just picked up is terrific … know what you mean about the colors, they do seem a bit odd (mine’s metallic blue), but I love the feel & finish of the guitar, just great to play.

Not convinced about the pickups though,... they’re OK, but could maybe get an improvement there & I wonder what guys here are using in 650’s/Model-6 … what do you guys like for fairly high gain shreddy sort of tones, or maybe for slightly more restrained more bluesy tones?

Ian.

[Danacus]

Nice! I used to have a couple 650XL's. Great guitars. THey play very easily and look great too. I love the matching headstocks.

[Sunbane]

Not convinced about the pickups though,... they’re OK, but could maybe get an improvement there & I wonder what guys here are using in 650’s/Model-6 … what do you guys like for fairly high gain shreddy sort of tones, or maybe for slightly more restrained more bluesy tones?

I don't have much in ways of answers, but I can tell you what I've used in my M6.

I wasn't all that thrilled with the original pickups. IMO they need a bigger gain boost than what the JE-1200 preamp can muster. The bridge pickup had a nice enough tone, but the middle/neck pups just felt dull.

I then had EMGs in mine. I found out that I personally don't care for the EMG singlecoils. The EMG-85 worked very nicely in the bridge position though. I have since started disliking the "EMG sound", so I tore them back out. If you can stand the EMG sound, then they are a good choice for high gain "shred playing".

I then had a DiMarzio X2N in it. Very high output and plenty of very tight bass, but too mid-scooped for me. I think it would be excellent for death and thrash. On the plus side, the X2N sounded really great when split; like a very hot strat! I wonder if DiMarzio are making a singlecoil that sounds like a split X2N - that would definitely be my choice for a neck pickup!

I have since discovered the perfect bridge humbucker for a classic 80's metal sound: The Jackson J-80C. It is fairly hot, with a load of high mids, and plenty of screaming overtones. I love it in the M6 - it fuggin' screams! I have yet to find a good neck pickup to complement it - I'm still searching for that.

[dg]

I've got a Duncan Custom in my Model 6 along with a Hot Rails in the neck position, and I think it sounds great. As far as a lower output option, the Pearly Gates is pretty nice, though I only have experience with it in the neck position.

[Tiddles]

Sunbane, dg --- thanks for the experience on those pups (& sorry about my slow reply…was away a couple of days) …. well I’m not really a shred player at all, though I teach guitar so I have to teach some shred stuff…but really my original/personal love is for early Clapton blues stuff, so in theory I guess I’d be happier with less scooped tones and maybe less than ultra high output.

Still the X2N sounds like I might like it, eg if it tends towards tight bass & lots of top end … I like piercing lead tones (& often play a Tele), and pet hate is sloppy loose base tones.

Ian.