Charvel USA body construction

[jackson1]

Here's a couple of shots of a USA Charvel Standard alder body. What puzzles me is the construction seen in the pics. Is this normal procedure and how is it glued together? It seems like a darker wood type has been glued on to the perimeter of the body (which of course isn't the case i'd say). Have you seen this "sandwich" before and why is it made like that?

[Lazar Gajic]

I find that odd to see this on a painted body but again anything is possible. Generally this is done to disguise bodies that are made from more than 2-3 or even 5!!!!!!!!!! pieces of timber, this is found alot on import guitars "NOT" USA guitars?? When the veneer is applied usually 2 pieces that are centre joined so it looks like the body is 2 pieces and then normally these are sunbursted so the edge of the body is black and opaque so you cannot see the number of pieces the body is made of and the top given the traditional sunburst paint so it is transluscent and all you will see is the top burst without the ugliness of 5 pieces of wood. I have seen many horrors that lurk behind many expensive guitars as I am a custom guitar maker/repairer so nothing is new to me but for the unsuspecting punter who has shelled out a small fortune for their "dream" guitar well I do sympathise.

[mm2002]

I've uncovered a few bodies like that, even some "model" series were done that way. It is a thin veneer over the front and back of the body. The purpose is to keep the joints from showing up in the finish (where they spliced together two or three pieces of wood to make the body).

[jackson1]

Thanks for replying, guys. To explain the difference in wood color, i'd say that the veneer is maple and the body is alder, don't you think?

I've removed some more paint and got another surprise and puzzle. This Charvel SD Series Standard (originally blue) has been drilled for a neck hum! WTF?! But the single neck route seems untouched, so the person who drilled it, didn't finish the job i guess. Confusing! How would you explain it, any better ideas?





Also, there's a crack around the top most trem bushing, but i hope it is only a crack in the thin venner. It looks like it anyway.

I scraped some paint off inside the control cavity and the neck hum route and it seems like the body is a sandwich construction, made out of two thinner pieces of wood glued together. Normal procedure regarding this sandwiching?

Damn it, i didn't expect to find all these weird things under the 6-7 layers of paint!

[jackson1]

After closer inspection i cannot guarantee that it is a sandwich construction. Actually, i think i was wrong. But i found that it probably is made out of 3 pieces of wood, two wings and one center piece. Not sandwich.

[Postal]

The body is solid alder- 2 or 3 piece, and you are correct, it is a maple veneer front and back. I was told this is to prevent the finish from sagging into the glue joints- Over time, the glue shrinks just a little, and *can* pull the finish down with it.

This is the normal construction method for Charvels, or hadnt you seen any of the factory pics of unpainted bodies? (basswood bodies as well, with the maple veneer)

As for the humbucker ring holes.... Looks like a mistake to me-

Postal!

[rjohnstone]

So was the guitar original blue and then someone painted it black?
As for the construction, my JDR-94 looked just like that when I stripped it.
If the veneer would have been over the entire face, I would have done a trans finish on the top. Mine had a really nice looking piece of wood on the top, but it did go over the contour.

[jackson1]

I find it a bit strange too, that the veneer does not cover the contour. There's a glue line right there. But the veneer is a good idea. My old 80s guitars like the Jackson CS Soloist and Fernandes Rhoads clearly shows seam lines through the finish.

So was the guitar original blue and then someone painted it black?

Yeah long story, it was eventually prepared for me in black base coat, but i decided to strip it. During stripping i think i counted these layers:

white base coat
blue color
clear coat with reddish sparkles in it
black base coat
silver sparkle clear coat
grey base coat
black base coat

Would you believe it!? The guitar was originally Sapphire Blue i think.

I started stripping it because i had an idea of natural sides or binding on a white pearl body, but that's shot now.

[Postal]

The veneer is done before the body shape is cut out, so the glue line shows at the edge. You really cant compound bend the veneer during application to completely wrap the entire body in maple. (although I've been surprised at flamed maple import carved tops that were veneer topped which are hidden by binding or burst finish)

This is done on solid color only because of the glue line I mentioned above. However, I *think* that sagging finish on the radiused edge itself would be much less noticeable than on the front/back flat faces on the guitar.

BTW, the one in the pics looks like 3 piece.