Charvel Appreciation Holiday Thread

[rupe]

Here's my "feel good" thread for the holiday season
I broke out my old pre-pro Charvel mutt last night after having it in storage for quite some time...what a freakin' awesome guitar! Since I've been playing mostly blues/blues rock these days I haven't had any need for it...but just picking it up again has me wanting to revisit my roots and play some classic metal. IMO, they were really the first company to place quality materials/construction and customization at the top of their priority list...they were simply "better" than most (perhaps all) of the competition at the time.

Pretty much all of the players that influenced me played one of Grover's creations back in the day. Here's somewhat of a "who's who" of players from that era slinging their Charvels:

And the guitar that inspired the thread:

Post up any stories, pics, and memories you have of this iconic brand and the players who used them!

 

[jcmlespaul]

Thanks for posting the pics! I am still waiting for mine due in February. I have played one of the guitars in the pics you posted. A local guitar tech was working on Allan's charvel. I felt the neck and have been lusting after one ever since.

 

[jerrydyer]

I still have a 1987 Mod 5.. granted it was a japan made but it still gets played a lot.

 

[Bronco]

Thanks for posting that...

 

[blackie13]

Love my Charvel...

 

[59Bassman]

Mines a new So Cal, but this guitar has seriously changed how I approach playing, and made me a better player for it.

In the 80's, I was into Kramer and Ibanez guitars. They were available in northern MN (Ibanez was harder). There was only one dealer for Jackson/Charvel, and he tended to keep the higher end models in stock. I had a couple friends with the MIJ Charvels, and they were good guitars (the model 6 my friend had was outstanding). I REALLY wanted a Predator at one point, but dropped out of playing metal before I ever got one.

I'll pick up another one of these before too long.

 

[parntz145]

I have a GMW which is an exact replica of a Charvel. greatest feeling necks I have ever played.

 

[Orbis_Mortis]

I've got two Charvels and can't shred at all. I play mostly bluesy rock and hard rock but I love my Charvels. You don't have to be a shredder to love charvels. I hope that one day I will have the time to learn how to shred though

 

[Toshiro]

I love my Charvels, though only one is 100% from them, the other 2 are their necks(awesome) on other bodies.

 

[MrDan666]

Here's my modded 2011 MIJ So-Cal. Best guitar I have ever had!

 

[mooncobra]

charvel custom shops, imo, the best there is, hands down!!!!

 

[Zachman]

 

[scottywompas]

I grew up in the Charvel/Jackson era. I don't have any USA made but I had a fair amount of the import stuff from 86-91. I still have a couple and they are really solid guitars. (You can seem me sinking my teeth into one in my profile pic)

 

[rupe]

I always dug these ones back when Moore was playing them:

And this one is cool although I don't know what Gary was thinking when he posed for this pic:

 

[gtrwun]

I've got a few..... Love me some Charvel's!

 

[joepete77]

Really regret note picking up the blood spatter limited edition custom shop when they were clearing them out

 

[Mailman1971]

Man I saw this pic and busted out laughing!
I used to own this Charvel.....but it was a Performance guitar when I had it....(well the neck was Performance) but this was the body that was resprayed with "Ferarri" graphic stripes. It was starting to chip and you could plainly see that Camo graphic under the new paint job. Neck as awesome.....had his Name stenciled at the headstock...
Should of kept it...but eh....its just gear.
Thanks for posting this thread and bringing back a memory.

 

[JohnSykes]

I bought mine because of Gary Moore.

And because its just an awesome, simple, rock machine. Mine has a V-trem (i dont use the bar), one humbucker and thats it.

 

[fek]

Here's my modded 2011 MIJ So-Cal. Best guitar I have ever had!

Yep. That is how I like them. I will own one someday that has the HS set up. I could always mod my SoCal. Just might have to do it.

 

[rupe]

Man I saw this pic and busted out laughing!
I used to own this Charvel.....but it was a Performance guitar when I had it....(well the neck was Performance) but this was the body that was resprayed with "Ferarri" graphic stripes. It was starting to chip and you could plainly see that Camo graphic under the new paint job. Neck as awesome.....had his Name stenciled at the headstock...
Should of kept it...but eh....its just gear.
Thanks for posting this thread and bringing back a memory.

Funny you brought that up. The only thing that was actually "Charvel" about that guitar was the neck (the body is a Warmoth) as seen in this old ad:

A buddy of mine now owns the guitar and I rebuilt it for him back around '06 (he handed me a box of parts). It's a great playing and sounding guitar...very light weight and resonant. Once I slapped it together I took a few pics of it (as well as a few shots of it posing with another former celeb owned guitar

Then we played them at a gig the following weekend: