Charvel Expert needed here! NGD!!!!

[Dallas Marlow]

Hey Guy!

So I just got this sick ass late 70's early 80's guitar, either it's a pre-production Charvel, or one hell of a clone, according to all this history I've read, Charvel used Dimarzio parts really early on, which this has, the Stars Brass Trem (aka, the reason for this thread) and Brass neck plates, all of which this axe has, so regardless this thread isn't about IDing this guitar, I picked it up from Forumite Dougiefresh (thanks dude!) and he got it from Wayniac but no one knows the real history.

Long story short, the trem on this thing is UNREAL, it's SOLID milled Brass, like HUGE chunks of it, BUT it has no trem arm, it also is using a Dimarzio branded brass block as well, what I need to know is 1 if the damn Charvel trem arm will fit the current one, and 2 if so where to get it, and option 3 if it wont fit this guitar, where the hell do I get a trem arm that will, because this trem is honestly easily on par if not BETTER than my Mannmade bridge which I paid a pretty penny for on my custom axe, so let me know dudes!

Guitar pics are here of course too... sorry they are shitty bad lighting and a camera phone

I've spent the past 7 hours tweaking this thing out a bit, since it's got that oh so genius truss rod you adjust at the heel... where the neck screws holes are have been doweled and puddied and refilled or something, well they were, so I ordered a neck insert kit from Onyx guitars simply because it's only a matter of time before they strip again, and I drilled out the holes, installed the inserts (A MAJOR PITA to get just right by the way especially with refilled holes as your guide...) finally got that aligned right and stuff, I resanded the neck joint and the neck it self, to make everything more level for contact, I cleaned the fretboard, and then polished the frets, and did a decent setup on it, along with changed the pickguard (which I'm not so much digging the sound of this metal one even though it's DEAD quite... it kind of makes the guitar acoustically akin to a dobro a little bit haha), anyway. Give me a hand Charvel experts I need a trem arm!!!

OH and where do I get fatty nobs that will fit these big ass pots, the knobs I have laying around are to small bore.

Thanks!!!!

Dallas

 

[jlbaxe]

Take it to guitar center. They have a drawer (usually) with a lot of random trems floating around, just start trying them out.

 

[AmpliFIRE]

I saw that one for sale here as well. Have you taken the neck out of the pocket yet? There should be some tell-tale markings either on the neck or in the pocket...

 

[Dallas Marlow]

I saw that one for sale here as well. Have you taken the neck out of the pocket yet? There should be some tell-tale markings either on the neck or in the pocket...

Hey man yea I have, because I put in those neck inserts. There is only the "Dimarzio" logo that is branded into both of them, however; on the end of the neck it says 78/79 in pencil... thats all it says though. As I said it very well may not be an actual Charvel, BUT I would imagine there is a HIGH possibility it was assembled by the same people/area/local - I find the likelihood of all the things that add up, that it isn't at least related in some way or another.

any idea on where to get a trem arm?

 

[dougiefresh]

either it's a pre-production Charvel, or one hell of a clone, Charvel used Dimarzio parts really early on

It's not a Charvel, but was possibly made by Charvel.

The body and neck are branded Dimarzio.

Dimarzio sourced their parts from all over.

Some of the bodies and necks were made in the original Charvel shop, and some were MIJ.

 

[jlbaxe]

^^^^^^^^^^^^ look up.

 

[Dallas Marlow]

either it's a pre-production Charvel, or one hell of a clone, Charvel used Dimarzio parts really early on

It's not a Charvel, but was possibly made by Charvel.

The body and neck are branded Dimarzio.

Dimarzio sourced their parts from all over.

Some of the bodies and necks were made in the original Charvel shop, and some were MIJ.

If you check out this page, http://www.usacharvels.com/history/pg1.htm, it says that not only did they make some for Dimarzio but at one point they were actually using Dimarzio branded guitar parts along with others - "Charvel" guitars had been built either in whole or in part from pieces supplied by other manufacturers (Boogie Bodies, Schecter, DiMarzio, etc.) - That's what I don't know, it could have been made by Charvel, Boogie Bodies, or Schecter or possibly that other Japanese manufacturer, but based upon the hardware was why I was thinking it's possible it was something from that Charvel area over there.

This bridge is actually called a "Stars Brass Bridge" under the hardware section theres actually a link to what they looked like along with the fact they were used on early Charvel guitars. So thats why I said I have no clue!

I just want a tremolo arm hahaha.

 

[Dallas Marlow]

^^^^^^^^^^^^ look up.

I read man, going to call ours down here tomorrow and see if they have any! Thanks Our guitar center down here in Miami is a little weird, it's less guitars and more everything else it seems like lol...

 

[Chubtone]

I have the original Charvel tremolos and the original trem arms that I sell on ebay. I don't know if they will fit the Stars brass bridge, but they are the real deal Charvel ones with the stainless steel arms and the brass tips. PM me if you want to try one out.

 

[Dallas Marlow]

Thanks man! PMed!

 

[rupe]

The body could have been made by Charvel, the neck wasn't...most likely it's an ESP product. I seem to recall this guitar floating around in parts form a few years back and finished by Wayniac...it's definitely a mutt (not a bad thing IMO).

This guy makes/sells repros of old Charvel parts...Dave is stand up guy without a doubt:

http://www.fretsonthenet.com/USACharvel.htm

 

[Shawn Lutz]

its a Dimarzio parts guitar...cool as hell nonetheless. Great score there...

 

[Dallas Marlow]

The body could have been made by Charvel, the neck wasn't...most likely it's an ESP product. I seem to recall this guitar floating around in parts form a few years back and finished by Wayniac...it's definitely a mutt (not a bad thing IMO).

This guy makes/sells repros of old Charvel parts...Dave is stand up guy without a doubt:

http://www.fretsonthenet.com/USACharvel.htm

Absolutely the same guitar from Wayniac! Cool man, as I said it wasn't really about what it is as much as where the heck to get a trem arm, the info for everyone was mostly history based to find a trem arm haha.

 

[Dallas Marlow]

its a Dimarzio parts guitar...cool as hell nonetheless. Great score there...

Thanks dude, really digging this axe after some setup stuff done to it, it's kind of a fretless wonder though, not TOTALLY gone, but I'm used to playing much higher frets, the dressing on these is great and it plays like butter... once I get some fretware on it though I'm going to hit it with some new stuff!