Oddball Charvel So Cal/San Dimas finish question.

[thisguy]

I just got a Japanese So Cal in the mail that I bought off Ebay. The guitar looks flawless except for one thing. The fretboard and decal side of the headstock have a LOT of obvious sun exposure. The back of the neck is much lighter and at the fret ends the fretboard is fairly dark. Also, the headstock is much darker than the fretboard. How much of this variation in color is normal?

The guitar has marks on it from being in a wall hangar so it must have been near a window.

I guess I just find it odd looking since the guitar looks pristine except for the sun darkening which would take years of normal use to accomplish.

If you're wondering, the seller did not use photos of the actual guitar in the auction. I realized this afterwards and his reply was he had several of the same color so he only took photos of one of them.

It's funny because my previous So Cal is a US model and the fretboard is really white. When I look at it I think about how I need it needs to get some wear on it so it won't look so brand new.

TLDR
How much of this variation in color is normal?

 

[thisguy]

It seems like in some photos I can see a difference in color between the headstock and the fretboard and on others I can't.

 

[Chubtone]

The new ones hanging on the wall in my store have no variation between the headstock and the fingerboard and/or back of the neck. There is a yellowish, oil glaze on these necks that you might want to try using #0000 steel wool on it to even out the color. It will make them a little lighter, but not as light as your USA Pro Mod neck was. I would be careful using the steel wool on the headstock around the logo. There might be a satin clear coat on the face of the headstock and if so, you ashould be ok to steel wool the whole headstock.

Make sure you use the steel wool with four 0000 and you can do every bit of the neck with it including the frets.

 

[thisguy]

Thanks, Chubtone.

I'll take a look at it and see what's up. I also sent the seller a message about it but haven't heard back yet.

This is the annoying thing about buying guitars on Ebay. I bought one that was supposed to be in very good condition but in reality was 100% flawless. I bought a guitar that was supposed to be new in the box and never played that has wall hangar marks, discoloration with light fret wear.

 

[Chris O]

If it has wall hanger marks and fret wear, it is NOT "new in box"; it just never been sold. I'd ask for a partial refund, or at least a box of strings.

 

[thisguy]

Still haven't heard back from the seller. I'm also out of town this weekend so I can't look at it right now.

 

[thisguy]

I was out of town this weekend but I'm back so I took a couple of photos of the discoloration. It hard to get right but I think it looks more drastic in person. I also checked a few at a store and of course they didn't look like this at all.



Notice how the fretboard is darker than the back of the neck in this photo.



What do you think?

 

[jmgman69]

I recently picked up one from curt,and it is definitely yellowish at the headstock compaired to my buddies usa,but mine plays,sounds and looks better Rock that fucker!!!!!

 

[thisguy]

I recently picked up one from curt,and it is definitely yellowish at the headstock compaired to my buddies usa,but mine plays,sounds and looks better Rock that fucker!!!!!

Is the headstock darker than the neck? Also, on this one the fretboard is darker than the back of the neck. I'm just trying to find if it what possible for the guitar to leave the factory like that.

 

[jmgman69]

My headstock seams to be more yellowish than the rest,fretboard and back of neck seem the same,I dont remeber if it was like this new but I think it was,looks vintage

 

[thisguy]

The darker coloring isn't much different than this neck http://www.ebay.com/itm/2011-Charve...452?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item231b870384

I guess mine is just looks weird because the coloring isn't even.

 

[jmgman69]

The pics look cool tho

 

[Chubtone]

After looking at the photo, here is what it looks like to me. Someone already steel wooled the back of the neck. That's exactly what they look like when you do that. Yank the strings off and do the fretboard and I will bet they will be a perfect match. As for the headstock, I wouldn't worry about it. Does the thing sound good? Does it play good? If so, it's an oiled neck. The colors of that neck will change over time anyway. Once you start really playing the neck it will get that cool, dirty, oil finished maple type patina and will never match the headstock.

It looks to me like you've got a "player" there. I say it!

 

[Chubtone]

I was out of town this weekend but I'm back so I took a couple of photos of the discoloration. It hard to get right but I think it looks more drastic in person. I also checked a few at a store and of course they didn't look like this at all.

Notice how the fretboard is darker than the back of the neck in this photo.



What do you think?

I looked again. Yeah, I guarantee the back of the neck was steel wooled and the fretboard was not. I would say the neck is halfway there to feeling killer. And this same sort of thing happens when you have an old Charvel and the neck has yellowed and looks great and the time comes to re-fret it. You have this old looking headstock and then the fingerboard gets sanded and re-fretted and looks brand new against this cool, old looking headstock. It all fixes itself once it gets played more.

IMO, you have a perfectly good guitar there. And I wasn't the seller trying to cover my own butt here either

 

[thisguy]

Thanks guys.

I guess I was just a little psyched out on it because at first I thought I was getting a barely touched guitar in mint condition for a good used price. I was then told by email it was actually new in the case making it an even better deal so I was a little disappointed to see it wasn't actually brand new.

As far as the discoloration goes, I don't really care as long as it looks natural in the sense of being what would normally happen to the guitar. All of my guitars get played and show it. Another issue is that since I am buying these sight unseen I want to be able to resell them and break even if I decide I don't like the guitar for whatever reason. If something screwy had happened and killed the resell value on a guitar I didn't want to keep that would have sucked.

I'll do what Chubtone said and steel wool the neck down and see what happens.

 

[Chubtone]

Thanks guys.

I guess I was just a little psyched out on it because at first I thought I was getting a barely touched guitar in mint condition for a good used price. I was then told by email it was actually new in the case making it an even better deal so I was a little disappointed to see it wasn't actually brand new.

As far as the discoloration goes, I don't really care as long as it looks natural in the sense of being what would normally happen to the guitar. All of my guitars get played and show it. Another issue is that since I am buying these sight unseen I want to be able to resell them and break even if I decide I don't like the guitar for whatever reason. If something screwy had happened and killed the resell value on a guitar I didn't want to keep that would have sucked.

I'll do what Chubtone said and steel wool the neck down and see what happens.

Again, if you want to do the headstock, be very careful to see if the logo has a clear coat sprayed over it to protect it. Otherwise you could really kill it's value if you mess up the logo,. And remember #0000 steel wool, nothing with less zeroes. Good luck.

 

[thisguy]

Last week the neck got the best of me. The photos really didn't show how dark it was and the fretboard was chalky so I stripped it and finished it with Birchwood Casey gun stock oil and wax. It looks tons better and feels silky, smooth now. I still need to get a new logo for it but I'm not worried about it at the moment.

 

[AndyK]

You sanded off the Charvel logo?? I find these necks change color as you play them, and the headstock stays the same since you rarely touch it. As long as the guitar plays well, leave it!

But without the Charvel logo, it might as well be a Warmouth parts guitar - fix that!

 

[thisguy]

You sanded off the Charvel logo?? I find these necks change color as you play them, and the headstock stays the same since you rarely touch it. As long as the guitar plays well, leave it!

But without the Charvel logo, it might as well be a Warmouth parts guitar - fix that!

The photos didn't show it right but the headstock was dark, burnt orange looking. I hesitated putting the photos up because it didn't look near as bad in the photos.

I tried to avoid sanding the logo off but failed so I stripped it clean. Like I said, I'll put another logo on it. As far as being a Warmoth parts guitar I guess you're referring to value. I'm planning on keeping it and It's going to look a lot worse after a while anyway.

 

[AndyK]

I just meant that without a logo, your guitar would be hard to sell - similar to a Warmoth parts guitar.

But, it's YOUR guitar, and you should do whatever you want to it to make it better.