Is there anything better than a Charvel?

[thiswaythatway]

And BTW, Charvel is THE original superstrat. The Suhrs, Andersons, etc....all came into the market due to Charvels engineering in the 80's.

But the most popular company making superstrats in the 80's was Kramer. But you can blame EVH for that. When i was in high school anyone i knew that played had a Kramer.

 

[rupe]

And BTW, Charvel is THE original superstrat. The Suhrs, Andersons, etc....all came into the market due to Charvels engineering in the 80's.

You know better than that Shawn. Wayne was doing this (parts) alongside contemporaries like Lynn Ellsworth and Dave Schecter (who gave us Tom Anderson) back in the 70's. The original superstrats were built from the parts that these guys offered. Although they all ended up building guitars, Grover Jackson got EVH to play one of his...game over. Charvel certainly owned this market until production ended in '86. Kramer, BC Rich, ESP, and Ibanez were waiting in the wings.
If by "THE original" you mean the most popular, you're right and I'll shut up

 

[Tawlks]

Great guitars, but the look really isn't for everone. The generation that I think alot of the members of this board belong to are heavily influenced and inspired by the 80s heavy rock/metal guitarrists, specifically EVH, Garry Moore, Gilbert, etc.

The taste in tone and appearence for guitars kinda goes along with that I think. But my generation, not so much. Don't get me wrong, I'd love a black or purple (I'd love a purple) San Dimas or SoCal..

..That is, if it had a rosewood/ebony fretboard, less rounded bevels (more like an ibanez), 24 frets, etc etc. That's the generational gap. My ideal guitar looks more like an ESP Horizon, whereas I think if I were 30 years older it'd be a red San Dimas with a lovely blonde fretboard.

I dunno, most of my guitars are ESP or Schecter or something but I want a black So-Cal something fierce I will get one once I get the cash. I think if you stay away from the skittles colors ones, they still look classy even for today....

Oh don't get me wrong I wouldn't pass up the chance to own a Charvel, one in a classy colour, not bright orange/yellow/pink/whatever. Great guitars.

 

[Scuba200ft]

And BTW, Charvel is THE original superstrat. The Suhrs, Andersons, etc....all came into the market due to Charvels engineering in the 80's.

You know better than that Shawn. Wayne was doing this (parts) alongside contemporaries like Lynn Ellsworth and Dave Schecter (who gave us Tom Anderson) back in the 70's. The original superstrats were built from the parts that these guys offered. Although they all ended up building guitars, Grover Jackson got EVH to play one of his...game over. Charvel certainly owned this market until production ended in '86. Kramer, BC Rich, ESP, and Ibanez were waiting in the wings.
If by "THE original" you mean the most popular, you're right and I'll shut up

Well, true, but Waynes last name IS Charvel.....

You know what I meant!


lol

 

[Meathead]

Guitars are personal, it doesn't have to be an expensive one at all.
A guitar that feels real comfy to play on and sounds awesome to you is the one that's for you.
I had two USA Charvels and sold them pretty quickly, just not for me...but no knock against Charvel, they just weren't in my comfy zone.

 

[Chubtone]

But the most popular company making superstrats in the 80's was Kramer. But you can blame EVH for that. When i was in high school anyone i knew that played had a Kramer.

In the midwest and east coast yes. If you were in LA, it was all about Charvel and Jackson.

 

[charveldan]

Just a guitar dude.

That I didn't feel a $300 Charvel should be used in an argument representing Charvel against $3000+ Anderson and Suhr guitars doesn't make me a cork-sniffer. I would be happy to rock that Charvel of yours. If anything, the Charvel side of this argument is the least aligned with the whole "cork-sniffer" movement than the other side. If I put up a pic of a Marshall Valvestate in a Marshall thread featuring amps like the one in your avatar, you might want to give me a little smack down too, right? And it would be warranted.

If any of this stuff was "just" guitars or "just" amps we'd be awfully bored.

On the Marshall amp forum, they consider [for the most part] no difference between a Haze, MA, JMD or old JMP, the rationale being we all have amp ect.....i don't like any of Marshalls product after the DSL.

I can't afford 3K for a guitar, it's not in my budget, i have 8 guitars including a Les Paul which is my favorite, 3 Fenders, 3 Jacksons and a Charvel, the Charvel in the photo i bought for $190 bucks, Basswood body, Indian rosewood fretboard, i put an EMG 81 in it, it's got quite a bark, see for yourself.

 

[thiswaythatway]

But the most popular company making superstrats in the 80's was Kramer. But you can blame EVH for that. When i was in high school anyone i knew that played had a Kramer.

In the midwest and east coast yes. If you were in LA, it was all about Charvel and Jackson.

I know Charvel/Jackson was always popular in LA, but Kramer outsold everyone, including Fender in the 80's. Amazing they managed to screw it all up. I liked the old Kramer headstock and some of their neck shapes were cool. Well, actually, these guitars were probably all Warmoth's because the guy in the Kramer custom shop told me he made the guitars for the pros himself with parts from Warmoth. But still, those Nightswan's sure were cool.

Weird to see Menneketi without a Les Paul.

 

[romanianreaper]

When I was in high school in the mid-80's, Charvels and Kramers were the guitars my friends and I would salivate over owning. Living in Germany at the time, you didn't see those guitars over there so people settled for other guitars. I had an Aria Pro II "The Cat" and Robert Keeley had a black Ibanez Roadstar II. He wanted to trade guitars at the time and I couldn't believe he was willing the trade his Ibanez for my Aria Pro II. My other friends owned Fender Strats. The guitar stores were pretty small over there back then.

 

[Rev]

Well I finally got to play an Anderson today and wow what a great guitar. Absolutely majestic in its appearance and sound. Extremely well balanced and defined in its approach. A very solid guitar and I can easily see why so many guys like playing them.

However, for me I still love the Charvel. Maybe its because my first guitar was a bare oiled neck Strat that was molded with sweat and oil which eventually conformed to my hand and visa versa; therefore the Charvel neck feels like that first guitar that I fell in love with. Charvel feels like a nice La-z-boy chair that you sit in so long that it takes on your rear end shape and just hugs you after a long days work.

 

[the rossness]

Is there anything better? yes. I I had the oppertunity to get one of these ESP's I'd take it-

But in reality, no there isn't. Suhr makes great guitars as does Anderson as does Caparison and Vigier (PRS is crap, IMO), but I'd gladly take a Charvel over them any day of the week. Charvel guitars just fit me. Their necks are as comfy as necks get. I own 4 Charvel's right now. Each of them have different pickups, graphics and sounds. I feel my arsenal of Charvel's could put down other higher priced bolt on's without a problem.

I owned a CS Charvel star and loved it. It was a 2004 retro star. It felt great, looked incredibly cool and freaking ripped! Mine had a Duncan EVH pup and nailed Ratt and Dokken tones. My only gripe was the vintage trem and lack of a floyd.

Recently I was demoing a Suhr OD100se plus and pulled a charvel CS off the wall to try it out. It felt like I'd been playing it for years and was top quality.

I think Wolfgangs are very close to the feel of a charvel and would rank them a notch below. I'd also say that a Wayne is as good as a Charvel too. and technically, it is a charvel

call me crazy, but i just love these guitars.

I think i might even want to order another custom shop axe, but I want to design it to my specs. Hey chubtone, do you have any idea how much something like this would run me? They're the basic specs for my dream axe.

Model: Star (with an arm contour)
Body Woods: maple center, alder wings
Neck: Rosewood Neck, DeMatrini San Dimas neck profile, 5A Birdseye maple fingerboard, stainless steel jumbo frets, fully scalloped, 23 frets, Vigier locking tuners, reverse jackson headstock, 25.5" scale, glow in the dark spider inlays
Pickups: Overwound Seymour Duncan Custom Custom [A8] in the bridge, Dimarzio Chopper in the middle, Sustainer in the neck,
Controls: Volume (kill pot), Tone, Treble bleed, 3 way blade PU selector switch, on/off mini switch for middle pup, sustainer controls 2 9-volt batteries, Coil tap for the bridge pup
Finish: Old school pink spider web graphic updated to modern standards- The spider webs are fiber optic light strips embedded into the top of the guitar. They randomly change color. .
Hardware: Floyd Rose pro (Top Mounted), Vigier locking tuners, gold hardware

 

[Scuba200ft]

Stars are wonderful.......Very comfy when sitting and playing......

 

[marshall]

Never heard a TA guitar to have the FAT 80's tones guys were getting with their Charvels. Only Suhrs I heard get that fat tone are the Moderns.
I think nothing beats Charvels for 80's rock tones.

 

[Juggernaut]

when they first came out, a bro won one in a guitar competition. it was by far and away one of the baddest guitars i have ever played, to this day. it was always sitting out in the front foyer of his moms house. another bro found it in parts at his house and put it back together recently. the damned this still smoked like a mofo.

his old lady had a different neck and a real floyd installed on it a few years ago. my bro found all the original parts in a box and put it back like it was when we were 16. brought back some memories....

neck is nice and worn in. fretboard looks like it got some serious wear over the years. will ask juggernaut if he has pics of it.

sure do....

FYI, this "bro" of his was Dimebag.

 

[Anonymous]

But the most popular company making superstrats in the 80's was Kramer. But you can blame EVH for that. When i was in high school anyone i knew that played had a Kramer.

In the midwest and east coast yes. If you were in LA, it was all about Charvel and Jackson.

Or if you were in LA and poor. I got my '82 Kramer Pacer for $300 or so. The Charvels I lusted after were out of my reach for a couple years still...

Steve

 

[thiswaythatway]

Never heard a TA guitar to have the FAT 80's tones guys were getting with their Charvels. Only Suhrs I heard get that fat tone are the Moderns.
I think nothing beats Charvels for 80's rock tones.

The only superstrats I've heard that come close to a LP are Anderson's. I played a Suhr Modern and my Drop Top smoked it for fat tones IMHO. And my buddy Robotechnology has a Drop Top I've been trying to buy off him for years. It comes damm close to a fat LP in tone. No coincidence that it's mahagoney/maple with a hardtail. I owned one of the newer Charvels, it was ok, but it doesn't come close to how fat my Drop Top sounds.

I know guitars are individuals and you have to judge them like that, but these are my findings. My friend Dave has a good sounding Charvel though, but it not like it can't be beat.

 

[Scuba200ft]

They are all just bolt on put together parts, its not rocket science and there isnt any special tree that one builder has access to. There isnt anything that Anderson, Suhr, Charvel, Tyler, etc.. can do thats a secret or magic. To me, it all comes down to the fit and finish and the pickups. Some Charvels are perfect, some are awful. There's an awful Anderson in a shop here, but I had an amazing one years ago. As far as sounding like a Les Paul, the keyword there is "like". Close enough for a band in a bar with drunks? Sure. Sitting there playing at home through tube goodness? No way.

I own in excess of 30 USA Charvels. They are all cool and play amazing. I love Charvels.

But the best superstrat I have ever played is my Tyler. A singular experience. It's not the wood. Its the fit and finish and the pickups.

 

[thiswaythatway]

They are all just bolt on put together parts, its not rocket science and there isnt any special tree that one builder has access to. There isnt anything that Anderson, Suhr, Charvel, Tyler, etc.. can do thats a secret or magic. To me, it all comes down to the fit and finish and the pickups. Some Charvels are perfect, some are awful. There's an awful Anderson in a shop here, but I had an amazing one years ago. As far as sounding like a Les Paul, the keyword there is "like". Close enough for a band in a bar with drunks? Sure. Sitting there playing at home through tube goodness? No way.

I own in excess of 30 USA Charvels. They are all cool and play amazing. I love Charvels.

But the best superstrat I have ever played is my Tyler. A singular experience. It's not the wood. Its the fit and finish and the pickups.

I somewhat agree. But i feel there's some guitars that are beyond saving no matter what pickup you throw in them. Some guitars are just made of wood that's just dead. I think i do love the Anderson H2+, in fact i know i do and it's why i feel Anderson's for the most part sound great. My friend threw an H2+ into a GMW superstrat, i mean that guitar is basically a Charvel. Anyway, with the H2+ it sounded killer. So there you go with the pickup thing which is also true.

 

[Scuba200ft]

They are all just bolt on put together parts, its not rocket science and there isnt any special tree that one builder has access to. There isnt anything that Anderson, Suhr, Charvel, Tyler, etc.. can do thats a secret or magic. To me, it all comes down to the fit and finish and the pickups. Some Charvels are perfect, some are awful. There's an awful Anderson in a shop here, but I had an amazing one years ago. As far as sounding like a Les Paul, the keyword there is "like". Close enough for a band in a bar with drunks? Sure. Sitting there playing at home through tube goodness? No way.

I own in excess of 30 USA Charvels. They are all cool and play amazing. I love Charvels.

But the best superstrat I have ever played is my Tyler. A singular experience. It's not the wood. Its the fit and finish and the pickups.

I somewhat agree. But i feel there's some guitars that are beyond saving no matter what pickup you throw in them. Some guitars are just made of wood that's just dead. I think i do love the Anderson H2+, in fact i know i do and it's why i feel Anderson's for the most part sound great. My friend threw an H2+ into a GMW superstrat, i mean that guitar is basically a Charvel. Anyway, with the H2+ it sounded killer. So there you go with the pickup thing which is also true.

There is NO questoning one thing. Anderson pickups are likely the best I have ever heard. His old monstertone pups are amazing. That guy really knows how to make a pickup scream.

 

[gibson5413]

A word of advice to you from one dad to another. My oldest needs braces right now and there's a chance yours will too someday. Hold on to that Anderson because you will get a sweet trade in when the time comes with the orthodontist.

I am hanging on to my Andys but I just had my 3 oldest kids in to the orthodontist. After insurance covers 50% it will cost me about $7k for braces. Only one of them truly needs them but it seems like if you don't get them these days you are putting your children at a disadvantage. Every kid seems to have the perfect smile these days.