Q for Charvel guys: how reliable are these necks?

[cardinal]

I have a recent Charvel custom shop and it's my fav guitar. But I rarely play it and even then only in perfect conditions because I worry about the oil-finished neck doing a pretzel act.

Do I actually need to worry about this? How have your Charvel necks held up to use?

 

[steve_k]

I have a recent Charvel custom shop and it's my fav guitar. But I rarely play it and even then only in perfect conditions because I worry about the oil-finished neck doing a pretzel act.

Do I actually need to worry about this? How have your Charvel necks held up to use?

Not sure about the neck itself regarding remaining true, but their fret work these days is absolute shit. Last two guitars from the CS have needed fret dressing before I could even think about playing them. Both necks bare and I don't know if a climate change caused any of that or not due to contraction. It's the only guitar I have had this happen to. Could be they are rushing the wood and not allowing it to dry properly.

 

[cardinal]

Weird. On the one I just bought, the fretwork is brilliant. Action is slammed and it just sings everywhere, no strange buzzing.

 

[neilli]

I have a CS with a birdseye neck from 2008 or so and it moves a little, but nothing dramatic..

 

[guitarmike]

I have a recent Charvel custom shop and it's my fav guitar. But I rarely play it and even then only in perfect conditions because I worry about the oil-finished neck doing a pretzel act.

Do I actually need to worry about this? How have your Charvel necks held up to use?

Not sure about the neck itself regarding remaining true, but their fret work these days is absolute shit. Last two guitars from the CS have needed fret dressing before I could even think about playing them. Both necks bare and I don't know if a climate change caused any of that or not due to contraction. It's the only guitar I have had this happen to. Could be they are rushing the wood and not allowing it to dry properly.

I had that happen to me with a 2003 ESP LTD. The guitar was neck through and it kept moving. Turned out they had a batch of guitars with wet necks. Just sucks, especially if you like the guitar.

 

[greatmutah]

I can't speak for current CS guitars but I can say that my 83 San Dimas, also oil finished, has no issues with its neck. And I play it all the time. Also I'm in Michigan so humidity changes abound here. It's stayed straight and true the time that I've had it for the last year and for the 30 years plus before other owners have had it.

 

[steve_k]

Weird. On the one I just bought, the fretwork is brilliant. Action is slammed and it just sings everywhere, no strange buzzing.

my problem was the fret dressing on the ends. not sure if there was some contraction of the necks (related to the OP's question of bare wood stability), or what. level was, the fret work was OK. but, i literally cut my left hand on one of them, they were so bad. in general though, i don't care for snipped off frets. i want to see them rounded off and a little work put into the dressing.

 

[cardinal]

^ oh, I get what you're saying now. I don't have that issue either. The fret ends aren't as pretty as a J Custom, but they're perfectly fine. Hmm.