New Guitar Day! Charvel style!

[irondeth21]

Just got a new to me San Dimas Charvel in candy red. I swapped the tuners with my explorer, threw on an old 80's floyd rose from a Kramer, put the string bar from the kramer on there as well, blocked the trem and put a drop-d tuna I had on, and swapped some creme rings I had laying around. Also put schaller strap locks I had on as I'm not crazy over dunlops. I was going to buy a brass knob but just scraped away the black paint on the stock one and its brass under neath. Here's some crappy cell pics:

It took me a while setting it up to play how I like, but I got going really well now, really low action with just a minimum amount of buzz you can't hear through an amp. I have 9-46's on it, but I think I just prefer 10's and will be going to that. Theres a pair of vintage double creme dimarzio pup's (thinking they are a Super Distortion and PAF) for sale in the classifieds I'm thinking about picking up for it. I'm a little hesitant though as it sounds pretty killer with the current pup set. I'm stoked, I haven't had a NGD in a few years and I'm really liking this one. Any other suggestions for pup's? I wanna go double creme for the look. I like the super distortion in my les paul and think it would sound good in this. Also thinking about a set of breed's as I had good experience with them too.

 

[ttosh]

Looks great, love those guitars they are great players for the money. They would be great players for even more than they are asking IMHO. Love the modifications you did to the guitar!!!

 

[irondeth21]

Thanks! Yeah I think for the price paid this is a killer guitar. It doesn't play nearly as well as my les paul, but thats a custom shop. I would put in above any Ibanez, Jackson's or ESP's I've had in the past that were in it's price range. This one has some big tone too, really thick sounding with some nice snap from the maple neck.

 

[Shawn Lutz]

Congtulations. It looks great with the changes although I like black tuners on Charvel/Jackson stratheads regardless of Floyd color. Double creams would look good but I like how you have it now...great Charvel look.

 

[joepete77]

looks a thousand times better!! i dont like the looks of the black hardware either

 

[jkdsteve]

That's rockin, there was one on the bay like that...I just flaked and missed the auction end...killer guitar! \m/

 

[Isaac]

I was going to buy a brass knob but just scraped away the black paint on the stock one and its brass under neath.

Really? The regular knob of death is decent brass underneath? How hard was it to get all that gunk off round the knurls?

 

[Chubtone]

I was going to buy a brass knob but just scraped away the black paint on the stock one and its brass under neath.

Really? The regular knob of death is decent brass underneath? How hard was it to get all that gunk off round the knurls?

Seems like way more than $13 worth of trouble

 

[RockNRun]

But one thing it's looking like all San Dimas owners agree on...regardless of body color, hardware color, ring color, etc, it's a brass knob FTW? I may have to slap mine back on and see if it grows on me.

Congrats on the new guitar!

 

[Les Zombie]

Looks nice

 

[MississippiMetal]

I was going to buy a brass knob but just scraped away the black paint on the stock one and its brass under neath.

Really? The regular knob of death is decent brass underneath? How hard was it to get all that gunk off round the knurls?

Seems like way more than $13 worth of trouble

Oh ye of little faith and no Dremel.

 

[irondeth21]

I was going to buy a brass knob but just scraped away the black paint on the stock one and its brass under neath.

Really? The regular knob of death is decent brass underneath? How hard was it to get all that gunk off round the knurls?

It came right off with the edge of a scissor. I actually took some off the side by accident, I took the whole guitar apart when I got it and the knob was really stuck on the shaft and I had to use pliers to get it off. Some of the black came off on the pliers and I just scrapped the rest off in about 5 minutes.

 

[irondeth21]

But one thing it's looking like all San Dimas owners agree on...regardless of body color, hardware color, ring color, etc, it's a brass knob FTW? I may have to slap mine back on and see if it grows on me.

Congrats on the new guitar!

Lol I know right. I think it's a lot of the old ones having brass hardware. Thanks!

 

[Ayrton]

I was going to buy a brass knob but just scraped away the black paint on the stock one and its brass under neath.

Really? The regular knob of death is decent brass underneath? How hard was it to get all that gunk off round the knurls?

I dropped some paint stripper on mine, and it literally took 2-3 minutes to bubble up all the black. Very nice brass knurled knob underneath.

However, for that "correct" vintage vibe, you will want the more traditional brass knob.

 

[MARK1970]

Congrats! I have an old Kramer Striker with that same color.

 

[Isaac]

Thanks for the knob tip! I just stripped mine a few minutes ago. Looks pretty good!

 

[irondeth21]

Any pick up suggestions? I normally don't care about cosmetics but really wanna go double cream. The jb in this thing sounds awesome and I don't normally care for jb's. I'm thinking about ordering a cream one, but am still considering a super distortion. The neck pick up is a little to open sounding though, sounds great for cleans but I usually prefer a compressed fluid feeling neck pup for leads.

 

[Marshall Law]

looks great

 

[RockNRun]

Any pick up suggestions? I normally don't care about cosmetics but really wanna go double cream. The jb in this thing sounds awesome and I don't normally care for jb's. I'm thinking about ordering a cream one, but am still considering a super distortion. The neck pick up is a little to open sounding though, sounds great for cleans but I usually prefer a compressed fluid feeling neck pup for leads.

You know the drill, so much depends on the other rig variables you have (amp voicing, speakers, etc). I have two Pro Mods, a San Dimas and a So-Cal. With my main amp (Quick Rod), the Super Distortion (bridge) in the San Dimas smokes, friggin' LOVE IT! Absolutely killer sounding in these guitars. I have a Duncan Custom in the bridge of the So-Cal, and it's also really nice, especially for chunky rhythm work while retaining clarity, much better than the JB was through my setup anyway (the Splawn is already upper middy, the JB is as well, together it was way too much for me - the Custom balanced eveything out just right). The Paf Pro and '59 in the necks both sound great, never bothered experimenting with 'em.

Go troll through the JCF forums a bit and check out dudes with similar amp types to yours and see what they went with, that's what I did.

 

[irondeth21]

Yeah, I feel you on the upper mid thing with the jb. I use marshall voiced amps and had the same results with it. This one sounds pretty thick though, it might just be the guitar. I stalked the jcf forums a lot lately lol, seems like the super d is popular there. Not helping my gas lol. Right now I'm playing through a jvm 210 and the super d in my Les Paul sounds good. I bet those charvels sound killer through your splawn!

Any pick up suggestions? I normally don't care about cosmetics but really wanna go double cream. The jb in this thing sounds awesome and I don't normally care for jb's. I'm thinking about ordering a cream one, but am still considering a super distortion. The neck pick up is a little to open sounding though, sounds great for cleans but I usually prefer a compressed fluid feeling neck pup for leads.

You know the drill, so much depends on the other rig variables you have (amp voicing, speakers, etc). I have two Pro Mods, a San Dimas and a So-Cal. With my main amp (Quick Rod), the Super Distortion (bridge) in the San Dimas smokes, friggin' LOVE IT! Absolutely killer sounding in these guitars. I have a Duncan Custom in the bridge of the So-Cal, and it's also really nice, especially for chunky rhythm work while retaining clarity, much better than the JB was through my setup anyway (the Splawn is already upper middy, the JB is as well, together it was way too much for me - the Custom balanced eveything out just right). The Paf Pro and '59 in the necks both sound great, never bothered experimenting with 'em.

Go troll through the JCF forums a bit and check out dudes with similar amp types to yours and see what they went with, that's what I did.