Is this a 3A?

[Inazone]

I'm not up on my Charvel imports. Is this a Model 3A, and if so, does the Kahler trem make it an `86?

[Grandturk]

Well, they never came with that particular Kahler. I can't tell where the studs are on that one. The one Model 3's came with had narrow studs like a Wilkinson trem rather than a Floyd. 87 and later models came with a licensed Floyd.

[Tekky]

Yes, it's a 3A, but given the floyd spacing and lack of a pickguard it would be an 87/88.

[Inazone]

Here's a closer shot of the trem.



The guitar belonged to a local guitarist who passed away last year, and his family is selling most of his gear, so I can't exactly ask if he modded it himself or bought it that way. He played in one of my favorite local bands, so I'm hoping that there is some residual mojo in this guitar. Not a big fan of the blue pickups, but they look like DiMarzios.

[Grandturk]

I'm guessing Super Distortion and PAF Pro. Regardless, that trem did not come stock on any Model series guitar. It looks like the one they used on the Fender HM Strats.

[Tekky]

That Kahler is for sure a replacement, while I don't know Kahlers that well, I believe that's the one with the Floyd spacing (Steeler?), so it is a relatively easy swap for the JT-6.

[GTarman68]

Pup selector switch has been changed...

[VitaminG]

didn't the 3A come with a blade switch? Could it be a modded Model 2?

[chrisolson]

didn't the 3A come with a blade switch? Could it be a modded Model 2?

Good catch. I woulda said 'yeah' until you pointed that out.

[Inazone]

Well guys, I bought it for $200, but what "it" actually is may forever be a mystery. It's basically a parts mutt. Here are the specs, such as they are:

- Charvel neck, originally had rear-mounted (two screw) locking nut, but replaced with front-mounted Kahler nut.

- Unknown body at this point. I haven't removed the neck to check the pocket for a model number, but the neck plate is actually a Charvette. It could potentially be a Charvette 150, which would explain the three-way toggle, but the neck humbucker would have required routing as the 150 had a slanted single.

- Kahler trem is bolted or glued into the body *on top* of the posts. In other words, it was permanently made into a fixed bridge.

Whatever this thing really is, it played perfectly right out of the case, and the DiMarzios sound great through my recording rig. It was owned by Earl Root, guitarist from female-fronted metal band Aesma Daeva as well as owner of the Root Cellar Records store and the Root of All Evil label *and* host of the long-running radio show of the same name. He usually played a Pile o' Skulls Y2KV or Gibson Flying V live, but this was one of his backups. Earl was a cool guy, and Aesma Daeva is/was probably the best local metal band. Hanging out in his store is what put me on the path to starting my own band, in a very long and drawn out way.

Not necessarily a great deal as parts guitars go, but that wasn't really the point. The fact that it plays and sounds really good was more of a bonus as far as I'm concerned.

[VitaminG]

the price seems alright to me. Sounds like some serious mojo in that guitar, particularly given your connection with the guy who owned it.

fwiw, I think the blue pickups really spark the guitar up. Definitely a cool look.

[chrisolson]

Earl Root - cool, man. He's a part of the scene that will never be replaced. I went to his shop a few times - he was always cool and would talk shop to anyone who stopped in, regardless of the type of metal you liked.

[Jackson-Charvel]

Tremelo is a Kahler Killer. I have 2 of them and they are direct drop in replacements for Kahler traditional fulcrum series trems. Quite rare but very good tremelos.

Edit: Upon closer inspection it does seem to be a Kahler Spyder tremelo. If so that should be stickied somewhere that a Spyder will drop into a Kahler traditional fulcrem trem slot and the posts are the same spacing. I say this without knowing if there were mods done to redrill mounting holes or such.

[Tekky]

Are you sure that's the Spyder? That tremolo post spacing is the same as it would be for a JT-6. If that guitar had a Kahler Fulcrum tremolo, it would also have a pickguard.

[Carbuff]

Its definitely a spyder. Thats what it says on it right under the trem bar hole. Its not mounted properly on its posts The post edges should not be visible all the way round like that. The trem is most likely just laying there with the mounting posts being used to screw it down to the body. I think the post spacing has been worked a bit as well. Kahler studs shouldnt screw into jt-6 mounts. Its probably a Charvette body with the added spyder and charvel neck. Oh, and a spyder will not drop right in to replace a fulcrum. Spacing is totally different. The killer is the one that drops right in.