Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: Transcend on August 02, 2011, 09:49:44 PM
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(http://media.fmicdirect.com/charvel/images/products/guitars/2931210557_frt_wlg_001.png)
(http://media.fmicdirect.com/charvel/images/products/guitars/2931010557_frt_wlg_001.png)
(http://media.fmicdirect.com/charvel/images/products/guitars/2931110557_frt_wlg_001.png)
To me a charvel is meant to be
bolt on
superstrat
not too glitzy
alder/basswood
whilst these are
neck thru
monstrosities (other than the LP even if it looks a little weird)
too pimped out
mahogany.
It seems like Gibson aren't the only company who wants to ruin their traditional image
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Rip charvel
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Not too glitzy! Have you actually seen some of the finishes on the early prepro charvels?
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Not too glitzy! Have you actually seen some of the finishes on the early prepro charvels?
was the fretboard blathered in abalone like these?
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I've no problem with a company going a bit off piste and trying something that isn't perhaps at the core of what they're known for - PRS have done it a few times, with varying degrees of success and without putting many potential buyers off a Custom 24. Plus Charvel were beloved of a lot of players on the 80s glam rock scene.
But that said, I don't think these are particularly great looking guitars. The tops aren't brilliantly matched and there's way, way too much pearloid/abalone for my taste! The LP style looks the 'best' to me, but I'm not wild about any of them.
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I've no problem with a company going a bit off piste and trying something that isn't perhaps at the core of what they're known for - PRS have done it a few times, with varying degrees of success and without putting many potential buyers off a Custom 24. Plus Charvel were beloved of a lot of players on the 80s glam rock scene.
But that said, I don't think these are particularly great looking guitars. The tops aren't brilliantly matched and there's way, way too much pearloid/abalone for my taste! The LP style looks the 'best' to me, but I'm not wild about any of them.
The LP type one looks best to me too but that fretboard looks set way too far in
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I've no problem with a company going a bit off piste and trying something that isn't perhaps at the core of what they're known for - PRS have done it a few times, with varying degrees of success and without putting many potential buyers off a Custom 24. Plus Charvel were beloved of a lot of players on the 80s glam rock scene.
But that said, I don't think these are particularly great looking guitars. The tops aren't brilliantly matched and there's way, way too much pearloid/abalone for my taste! The LP style looks the 'best' to me, but I'm not wild about any of them.
The LP type one looks best to me too but that fretboard looks set way too far in
Yeah it does. It's tough to tell with the odd inlays, but could it be a 24-fret?
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I thought Jackson had about gone mad with this one...
http://www.jacksonguitars.com/products/products.php?group=Dominion-Body&page=1&product=2910515382 (http://www.jacksonguitars.com/products/products.php?group=Dominion-Body&page=1&product=2910515382)
(http://www.jacksonguitars.com/images/products/products/2910515316_md.png)
...but, it turns out that it's right up my alley.
Much better representation of the "Skatecaster" design, if you were to ask me.
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I actually like the first two a lot, but they should have used ebony fingerboards.
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They do seem overly blingy in a Cort/Michael Kelly kind of way.
Interesting that they've (almost) resurrected the Surfcaster headstock.
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They look like a mutated child of Cort/Schecter/ESP (inlays and finish).
Still, I prefer the superstrats. Nothing else. Oh and the old Stars, of course.
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I thought Jackson had about gone mad with this one...
(http://www.jacksonguitars.com/images/products/products/2910515316_md.png)
...but, it turns out that it's right up my alley.
That's just about the only Jackson design which appeals to me. Nice mix of traditional and modern, and it looks like it would be comfortable to play. I do hate the squashed-together controls, though - I'd be happy with just one volume, one tone.
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That's just about the only Jackson design which appeals to me. Nice mix of traditional and modern, and it looks like it would be comfortable to play. I do hate the squashed-together controls, though - I'd be happy with just one volume, one tone.
I'm of that opinion, now that I'm out of high school.
The controls are okay with me, as I like to make crazy wiring jobs (inspired by Jimmy Page and Buckethead) but hate routing.
You can actually get a good grip on the neck and the chambered body gives a delicious midrange Santana would be content with.
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I quite like them. Remind me of Shecters somehow.
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the first one should look more like this
(https://www.petesrareguitars.com/product_images/z/299/surfcaster_green_01__85877_std.jpg)
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I quite like them. Remind me of Shecters somehow.
Yeah, but is that what Charvel should be about? There's plenty of Schecter wannabe guitars out there already...
This is one of the worst ideas in marketing in a long time. Brand identity does mean something, and they've just gone and thrown it out of the window.
I'm glad they've kept the ProMod series (for now), but I'm afraid this move might indeed herald the end of Charvel yet again :(
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yeah i saw these last night, I check out the charvel site periodically to see if they have the newest wildcard (more like the last :lol: ) up.
agreed with all the "if i wanted a shecter i'd buy a schecter" posts. I mean I know I'm an 80s fanboy, but the superstrats and stars are where charvels are at, if you ask me.
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I check out the charvel site periodically to see if they have the newest wildcard (more like the last :lol: ) up.
Same here. I keep hoping for a Star. And then they do this...
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i'm not keen on all the abalone, but the basic look is fine. however, the "surfcaster" is the only one that actually works. what's the point in putting a 24 fret board on a guitar, then stopping the cutaway at the 18th!? stupid. i love the idea of a 24 fret Les Paul with a back routed Floyd Rose, but it needs an extended cutaway.
i do like the Surfcaster though. hmmm. damn things probably about 3 grand :(
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i do like the Surfcaster though. hmmm. damn things probably about 3 grand :(
D'you mean the top one?
$930 RRP.
(Apologies if you meant the real Surfcaster Wez posted)
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i did mean the new one, although i always liked the originals too. they've been going up in price recently, and aren't exactly your typical Charvel either!
$930? that's pretty good, although it'll probably translate to about £1200 here! instead of the £570 it should be going by the exchange rate
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^ probably not. for some reason those charvels aren't too bad value in europe, the MIJ pro mods are around the £600 mark, and the rrp according to the site is $1100-odd, so I'm guessing these new ones (which don't appear to be MIJ) are going to be cheaper.
Same here. I keep hoping for a Star. And then they do this...
yeah a star would be awesome. if the next wildcard were a star in a half-decent colour and with a half-decent spec, I dunno if i could resist :lol:
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^ probably not. for some reason those charvels aren't too bad value in europe, the MIJ pro mods are around the £600 mark, and the rrp according to the site is $1100-odd, so I'm guessing these new ones (which don't appear to be MIJ) are going to be cheaper.
Yeah, I don't know much about Charvel, but these new models have a Korean (or Chinese?) look about them to me, so presumably cheaper than the surprisingly-reasonable Pro Mods.
(In fact, if I was a superstrat kind of guy, I'd say the Pro Mods are crazy bargains for MIJ guitars. Is there a catch I don't know about? :? )
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no catch with the promods. might just need a setup like mine did. mine also had a faulty toggle. not that its a complex thing but it didn't make a good connection at one side. I swapped it but I only had to do that because I wanted to pick it up before coming back to london, otherwise the shop would have sorted it. metal cavity cavity, stap locks... its got everything covered down to some small details.
the san dimas 1 and 2's they've been doing, and the MIJ's seem really really good. I don't like the look of these knew things, and agree with most of the commets.
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The ProMods are excellent guitars. I have two, no catch with either of them :wink:
These new "Desolation" models are apparently made in China.
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Charvel... you're doing it wrong.
I wonder if the guys at Charvel did any sort of R&D before deciding on stuff like this. I mean, change is fine... especially in a market where popular culture has such a strong influence on what sells... but I agree that it looks like Charvel decided to follow the Gibson route, which is basically throwing handfuls of unnecessary guitars at the wall to see what sticks.
If you ask me, companies like Fender, ESP, Ibanez, PRS all seem to have the right idea. They don't sway too far from the original formula, but they do just enough to stay relevant.
I thought Jackson had about gone mad with this one...
(http://www.jacksonguitars.com/images/products/products/2910515316_md.png)
...but, it turns out that it's right up my alley.
That's just about the only Jackson design which appeals to me. Nice mix of traditional and modern, and it looks like it would be comfortable to play. I do hate the squashed-together controls, though - I'd be happy with just one volume, one tone.
... and strangely, I think Mark Morton and Jackson really hit the nail on the head with the Dominion. I've got an Old School Burst Dominion loaded with a calibrated BKP Mule set and dual Tonestylers... combined with the option to split the coils, this guitar is an absolute tone monster! It's easily the most versatile and comfortable guitar I've ever played.
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I think people are being a trifle overdramatic. These are guitars that people are probably going to want to play, and the range starts at super-cheap. I personally don't like the abalone binding, but some people must as there's so many guitars with it.
I've never seen people actually complain that a manufacturer has started doing mahogany neckthru guitars before.
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... and strangely, I think Mark Morton and Jackson really hit the nail on the head with the Dominion. I've got an Old School Burst Dominion loaded with a calibrated BKP Mule set and dual Tonestylers... combined with the option to split the coils, this guitar is an absolute tone monster! It's easily the most versatile and comfortable guitar I've ever played.
I must see this.
I think people are being a trifle overdramatic. These are guitars that people are probably going to want to play, and the range starts at super-cheap. I personally don't like the abalone binding, but some people must as there's so many guitars with it.
I've never seen people actually complain that a manufacturer has started doing mahogany neckthru guitars before.
Mahogany should be set, IMO.
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I think people are being a trifle overdramatic. These are guitars that people are probably going to want to play, and the range starts at super-cheap. I personally don't like the abalone binding, but some people must as there's so many guitars with it.
I've never seen people actually complain that a manufacturer has started doing mahogany neckthru guitars before.
Its not that theyre mahogany or neck thru that was just an extra point as to why these guitars are so far from what charvel do.
If they were mahogany neck thru superstrats without the abalone i would have no problems with them
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I think people are being a trifle overdramatic. These are guitars that people are probably going to want to play, and the range starts at super-cheap. I personally don't like the abalone binding, but some people must as there's so many guitars with it.
I've never seen people actually complain that a manufacturer has started doing mahogany neckthru guitars before.
Wonky analogy, but this feels like Ferrari making SUVs to me.
It's so far removed from what Charvel has always been about. And it's the first step towards binning the ProMod series, or moving production to China...
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I think people are being a trifle overdramatic. These are guitars that people are probably going to want to play, and the range starts at super-cheap. I personally don't like the abalone binding, but some people must as there's so many guitars with it.
I've never seen people actually complain that a manufacturer has started doing mahogany neckthru guitars before.
Wonky analogy, but this feels like Ferrari making SUVs to me.
It's so far removed from what Charvel has always been about. And it's the first step towards binning the ProMod series, or moving production to China...
And let's face it, Charvel do have a history of "losing their way" - and each time the company is successfully resurrected (be it as Wayne guitars or the now Fender-owned Charvel itself) it's been by going back to the simple superstrats they were best known for.
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Yeah, I don't know much about Charvel, but these new models have a Korean (or Chinese?) look about them to me, so presumably cheaper than the surprisingly-reasonable Pro Mods.
(In fact, if I was a superstrat kind of guy, I'd say the Pro Mods are crazy bargains for MIJ guitars. Is there a catch I don't know about? :? )
Yeah :lol: I haven't got round to trying the MIJ ones yet, but aside from the korean-made floyd (which isn't a gigantic problem, you're not getting a schaller OFR on any other £600 new guitar either, and most of them aren't MIJ either) and the annoyingly-safe pickup choices (again, not too many other companies offer any more esoteric models, just it's annoying that everything comes stock with the jb), I don't see any catch.
And it's the first step towards binning the ProMod series, or moving production to China...
That's my concern. I've put off getting one on the basis that they're still making them, so there's no rush (ok so some of the colours have changed, but aside from that). If they do stop making them, it'll maybe force me to get one :lol:
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You should get one. They are totally killer guitars.
(http://i966.photobucket.com/albums/ae150/YellowSoCal/Guitars/Charvel4some.jpg)
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^ Your own collection?
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You should get one. They are totally killer guitars.
(http://i966.photobucket.com/albums/ae150/YellowSoCal/Guitars/Charvel4some.jpg)
Theres atleast one with a recessed floyd :)
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This won't last very long. I hope they see it as an experiment and haven't produced 1000s of them, so they can easily back off.
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^ Your own collection?
Yep.
Theres atleast one with a recessed floyd :)
Blame Charvel mate :)
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You should get one. They are totally killer guitars.
(http://i966.photobucket.com/albums/ae150/YellowSoCal/Guitars/Charvel4some.jpg)
yeah. another reason i've sorta been holding off is in case they release something cooler as the wild card :lol:
Nice collection there :)
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So how often do they issue a new Wild Card - is it like a monthly thing?
Presumably some people actually collect them all.
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it was supposed to be every 3 months. the last one's been out for about 6, despite only being put up on the charvel site when it was redone about 2 days ago :lol:
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Thinking about it ... I get it. Here is proof that Gibson acquired Charvel!
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Thinking about it ... I get it. Here is proof that Gibson acquired Charvel!
No, it was Fender! :P
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Thinking about it ... I get it. Here is proof that Gibson acquired Charvel!
No, it was Fender! :P
Wasn't that because jackson part owned Charvel when fender bought Jackson?
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Thinking about it ... I get it. Here is proof that Gibson acquired Charvel!
No, it was Fender! :P
Wasn't that because jackson part owned Charvel when fender bought Jackson?
I think Jackson fully owned Charvel. Grover Jackson bought the Charvel company from Wayne Charvel way back when, before he even started making Jackson guitars. Then he sold Jackson/Charvel to a Japanese company in the '80s, then Fender bought it about 10 years ago.
I was just looking how many well-known brands Fender own now, it's amazing - Gretsch, Guild, Jackson, Charvel, EVH, Tacoma, Ovation, Hamer.... it's a huge corporation.