The post 2000's Charvel and Fender plastic neck feel...

[EXPcustom]

I know I am not the only one that has noticed this, I have owned a few old strat head Charvels from the early to mid 80's. Nice raw maple necks and maybe lightly oiled. Pretty much all the new Charvel stuff post 2000 USA relaunch has the processed "plasticized" feel on their maple necks. This isn't limited to just Charvels, just about all the Fender CS reissue stuff uses that same plasticized maple.

I do remember my 07 Lynch Sub Camo had a neck that was just about raw and felt almost like it was 95% there in the same feel as those old Charvel maple necks.

I had asked dealers and Fender in the past if I can order a guitar without the "plastic" or "plastized" neck and was told there is no such thing and the necks are made the exact same way they were in the past.

I just started this thread to confirm that I am not crazy, I mean other people with experience and have had a chance to compare these guitars to vintage stuff noticed this as well?

Is there a secret term for this process and a way to get a neck without this "treatment" done to it or is this all in my head and I am crazy.

 

[Dave L]

I can imagine that twenty-thirty years of playing could wear in those new finishes pretty well too.

With that said, as far as I can remember most of the modern Charvel necks I´ve tried have been oiled instead of finished, but not all oil treatments are identical. The finish on my PC1, for example, definitely feels different from the custom San Dimas I had and they were just a year or so apart. But I´ve never heard about reissue Fenders using oiled necks, though, since Fender never did it back in the day... are you sure you´re not just comparing oils or waxing to thin coats of poly or nitro?

 

[Racerxrated]

I've had 2 83/84 Charvel pointys and 4 Jacksons from 87-88. The difference is what Dave said, age and wear. I have had probably 20 USA Charvels post Fender and have kept an 05 Pointy Custom and an 09 SoCal USA and the 09 had THE neck...it blows away all the previous 20 something USAs I've had, it's how I imagine a prepro neck would feel, even though they varied a bit. I'd bet that in 20 plus years of wear these necks will feel more like those 80s necks. All those vintage Charvel necks were darkened from all the play/wear and was so set into the wood, that even 0000 steel wool wouldn't totally get it any lighter, all that previous use was a part of the neck permanently.

 

[paulyc]

I get what the OP is saying to a point, but I see the difference between MIA and MIJ/MIM, all the USAs feel and look the same. The MIJ maple has a yellow tint that looks gross and feels not the same. Even the old Model series MIJs had it.

 

[Deleted member 13074]

your sanity is intact - I have noticed the same
the poly finish on those necks is way too thick and creates a separation between the hand and the neck

 

[Racerxrated]

your sanity is intact - I have noticed the same
the poly finish on those necks is way too thick and creates a separation between the hand and the neck

Not sure what you have on the backs of your USA Charvel necks, mine are bare wood. And they are darker than new since my hands are transferring the oils to the back of the neck. I've never owned any USA Charvel out of the 20+ that had any finish of any kind.
Hamer USAs, now that's a neck that has poly or something....that's a finished neck. WAAAY different than a bare wood Charvel.

If any of the Charvel USAs had a finish out of the factory, then the original owners ALL took the finish off because every single one of mine was bare wood, just like the two early 80s pointys I had.

 

[cardinal]

The neck on mine feels like bare wood to me as well. Some Charvels and Jacksons I think have a wipe-on poly coat, but at least the custom shop stuff can be ordered with the typical oil/wax/whatever finish.

 

[psychodave]

Interesting. None of my custom shop Charvels feel like there is any plastic on the necks. Just raw wood. I will say that my hands don’t sweat, so my necks are super smooth.

 

[Wayniac3]

I remember the Model series (Ft Worth) had that "plastic" feel to them - but they were nice.
But I prefer the oil/unfinished feel of USA Charvels, 80'S BC Rich, GMW's.
Ernie Balls are nice too, though the have an oil/wax mix on them.. not quite bare., but close enough.

 

[XSSIVE]

Charvel switched to a "Hand rubbed urethane gel" neck finish on several models, aka wipe on poly. Others have a "satin urethane" neck finish, aka sprayed on satin poly. Hence the change in feel from the oiled necks since they're now essentially plastic coated. Check the website, it has the neck finishes listed for all models under the "specs" tab. The only ones that have the classic gunstock oil necks are the old custom shop models.

 

[Racerxrated]

Charvel switched to a "Hand rubbed urethane gel" neck finish on several models, aka wipe on poly. Others have a "satin urethane" neck finish, aka sprayed on satin poly. Hence the change in feel from the oiled necks since they're now essentially plastic coated. Check the website, it has the neck finishes listed for all models under the "specs" tab. The only ones that have the classic gunstock oil necks are the old custom shop models.

So I'm assuming that this thin coat comes off with some 0000 steel wool cleanings over time? Because my 05 Custom and 09 SoCal are exactly like the two early 80s Charvels I had....

 

[XSSIVE]

Charvel switched to a "Hand rubbed urethane gel" neck finish on several models, aka wipe on poly. Others have a "satin urethane" neck finish, aka sprayed on satin poly. Hence the change in feel from the oiled necks since they're now essentially plastic coated. Check the website, it has the neck finishes listed for all models under the "specs" tab. The only ones that have the classic gunstock oil necks are the old custom shop models.

So I'm assuming that this thin coat comes off with some 0000 steel wool cleanings over time? Because my 05 Custom and 09 SoCal are exactly like the two early 80s Charvels I had....

Those two should still have oiled necks, certainly the 05 custom and if the 09 is USA then it does too. The switch to the two types of urethane seems to have come well after the USA Pro-Mods when they went to MIM. The banana yellow color MIJ Pro-Mod necks are something else too because that yellow can actually be removed from them without leaving the neck all blotchy as if it were a stain, dye or oil carrying the yellow color. Not sure what that MIJ yellow finish actually is to be honest.

 

[Racerxrated]

Charvel switched to a "Hand rubbed urethane gel" neck finish on several models, aka wipe on poly. Others have a "satin urethane" neck finish, aka sprayed on satin poly. Hence the change in feel from the oiled necks since they're now essentially plastic coated. Check the website, it has the neck finishes listed for all models under the "specs" tab. The only ones that have the classic gunstock oil necks are the old custom shop models.

So I'm assuming that this thin coat comes off with some 0000 steel wool cleanings over time? Because my 05 Custom and 09 SoCal are exactly like the two early 80s Charvels I had....

Those two should still have oiled necks, certainly the 05 custom and if the 09 is USA then it does too. The switch to the two types of urethane seems to have come well after the USA Pro-Mods when they went to MIM. The banana yellow color MIJ Pro-Mod necks are something else too because that yellow can actually be removed from them without leaving the neck all blotchy as if it were a stain, dye or oil carrying the yellow color. Not sure what that MIJ yellow finish actually is to be honest.

Got it. Makes sense, I haven't owned one newer than 09 in USAs and had a couple MIJ from 10-11, which were coated.

 

[EXPcustom]

Charvel switched to a "Hand rubbed urethane gel" neck finish on several models, aka wipe on poly. Others have a "satin urethane" neck finish, aka sprayed on satin poly. Hence the change in feel from the oiled necks since they're now essentially plastic coated. Check the website, it has the neck finishes listed for all models under the "specs" tab. The only ones that have the classic gunstock oil necks are the old custom shop models.

That's what I thought, thanks for this info.

Nice to feel I am not crazy.

I knew I was always right because I have two very rare Charvel telecaster necks from Grover Jackson's garage sale via Rob Lane.

 

[Racerxrated]

Charvel switched to a "Hand rubbed urethane gel" neck finish on several models, aka wipe on poly. Others have a "satin urethane" neck finish, aka sprayed on satin poly. Hence the change in feel from the oiled necks since they're now essentially plastic coated. Check the website, it has the neck finishes listed for all models under the "specs" tab. The only ones that have the classic gunstock oil necks are the old custom shop models.

That's what I thought, thanks for this info.

Nice to feel I am not crazy.

I knew I was always right because I have two very rare Charvel telecaster necks from Grover Jackson's garage sale via Rob Lane.

But, take note as to WHEN this happened. As XSSIVE also said, it happened WELL after Fender bought the rights to Charvel in 2000, in 2012 or so when pro mod production moved to Mexico. Neither of my post 2000 USA Charvels have any coating, and are EXACTLY like my old 83 and 85 Charvels.

 

[EXPcustom]

Charvel switched to a "Hand rubbed urethane gel" neck finish on several models, aka wipe on poly. Others have a "satin urethane" neck finish, aka sprayed on satin poly. Hence the change in feel from the oiled necks since they're now essentially plastic coated. Check the website, it has the neck finishes listed for all models under the "specs" tab. The only ones that have the classic gunstock oil necks are the old custom shop models.

That's what I thought, thanks for this info.

Nice to feel I am not crazy.

I knew I was always right because I have two very rare Charvel telecaster necks from Grover Jackson's garage sale via Rob Lane.

But, take note as to WHEN this happened. As XSSIVE also said, it happened WELL after Fender bought the rights to Charvel in 2000, in 2012 or so when pro mod production moved to Mexico. Neither of my post 2000 USA Charvels have any coating, and are EXACTLY like my old 83 and 85 Charvels.

Remember the first Charvel strathead reissues that came out in 03? They were a single pickup red-yellow burst... Anyways I distinctly remember those having the plastic treatment. My 07 Lynch Sub Camo was almost exactly like my old Charvel stuff. Had an 05 custom shop strathead but the neck had such backbow I was too pissed too even remember how the neck felt over that situation.

 

[Racerxrated]

Charvel switched to a "Hand rubbed urethane gel" neck finish on several models, aka wipe on poly. Others have a "satin urethane" neck finish, aka sprayed on satin poly. Hence the change in feel from the oiled necks since they're now essentially plastic coated. Check the website, it has the neck finishes listed for all models under the "specs" tab. The only ones that have the classic gunstock oil necks are the old custom shop models.

That's what I thought, thanks for this info.

Nice to feel I am not crazy.

I knew I was always right because I have two very rare Charvel telecaster necks from Grover Jackson's garage sale via Rob Lane.

But, take note as to WHEN this happened. As XSSIVE also said, it happened WELL after Fender bought the rights to Charvel in 2000, in 2012 or so when pro mod production moved to Mexico. Neither of my post 2000 USA Charvels have any coating, and are EXACTLY like my old 83 and 85 Charvels.

Remember the first Charvel strathead reissues that came out in 03? They were a single pickup red-yellow burst... Anyways I distinctly remember those having the plastic treatment. My 07 Lynch Sub Camo was almost exactly like my old Charvel stuff. Had an 05 custom shop strathead but the neck had such backbow I was too pissed too even remember how the neck felt over that situation.

I've never bought new, so I can't comment on how all of mine over the past 7 years came out of the box but I can say that ALL of them were bare wood when I got them. Maybe whatever coating they put on is easily taken off with steel wool, and everyone removed it prior to me? Who knows. I wonder what practical reason they would use it for?

 

[paulyc]

My MIJ So Cal was new to me (first year), and it has that nasty yellow tint to it, I’ll sand it off, but not on the headstock (don’t want to lose the Charvel logo), but it is there for sure. My MIA So Cal is just oiled wood.

 

[Racerxrated]

My MIJ So Cal was new to me (first year), and it has that nasty yellow tint to it, I’ll sand it off, but not on the headstock (don’t want to lose the Charvel logo), but it is there for sure. My MIA So Cal is just oiled wood.

Exactly my experience.

 

[///MK]

I totally agree. 85 strat head on left and USA promod on right. They feel night and day even if the profile is pretty close.