looking to clarify Charvel model- late 80's

[screamndemon69]

i bought this guitar new in '88 (my first guitar purchase and my second guitar ever owned). it is a H/S/S config (pups say Jackson on covers) that have an active EQ, with a Strat style body, no pickguard, three on-off switches, two tone and one volume knob, liscensed Jackson Floyd, 22 fret rosewood fretboard w/ real pearl shark tooth markers and the original pointed headstock (non-reverse). i believe i paid around $600-$700 w/ tha OHSC back then. i thought maybe it was a model 3 but i'm not sure at this point. the guitar was originally a deep metallic purple and has since been given a COMPLETE facelift with '03 BMW metallic smoked silver paint, a fretdress, new original hardware and new cavity plates custom made.
if anybody has any info, i would be appreciated. thanks

[Integrum]

I'm pretty sure it isn't a Charvel Model 3. I've owned a 1988 Model 3, and it was pretty musch like your guitar, except for that it had no active electronics, and had the std. dot inlays.

[screamndemon69]

i saw some on eBay with dot markers and that is why i am not sure of the model i own. i always thought it was a model 3 - but it is possible that it is a model 4 even though i had thought the model 4 was a neck thru guitar
the guitar is heavy so i am guessing it is not a basswood body - not quite sure what it is

[EnigmaUV7]

That's a Model 4, which later became the 475 Deluxe by about 1990, I have one of those. Great guitar, I only paid about $425 slightly used at the height of the Grunge Age (also called the Dark Age by me ), it retailed for about $1000 in 1990. It is a total shred machine.

Model 3= lower-end version of the same guitar, became 375 Deluxe
Model 5= Neck thru with H-H, I don't remember a 575 although the later 750XL Archtop H-H w/neck thru was the best import Charvel ever made IMO
Model 6= Neck through with H-S-H, became 650 Custom (AWESOME guitar, basically a Jackson Soloist Pro without the graphics options)

[screamndemon69]

thanks bunches! i love this guitar but the pots need to be changed as i get some really bad "short" type sounds when rolled up all the way. noone here in town wants to touch it to replace them as they are active controls and i'm no tech in these matters.
i love the guitar and would never sell due to it being my 1st guitar i ever purchased myself.

[The Eristic]

Originally Posted by EnigmaUV7

Model 3= lower-end version of the same guitar, became 375 Deluxe
Model 5= Neck thru with H-H, I don't remember a 575 although the later 750XL Archtop H-H w/neck thru was the best import Charvel ever made IMO
Model 6= Neck through with H-S-H, became 650 Custom (AWESOME guitar, basically a Jackson Soloist Pro without the graphics options)

Correct. The Model 3 and 4 were almost identical, save the inlays (dots and fins, respectively) and switches (5-way and micro-toggles, respectively).

A variation of the Model 5, the 5FX (S-H, floyd), became the 550XL. The regular Model 5 (H-H, Kahler) and 5A (H, floyd) were dropped. Also, the Model 6 was S-S-H, not H-S-H.

[jwoods986]

Yep, you got a Model 4. I bought a model 6 in 87 (it may have been a leftover 86, it's got a kahler) and I can still shred on that thing better than any other guitar I've owned - a Jem, Wolfgang, Yngwie strat, and on and on....
But I do love Ibanez and would love to have one that is similiar to my model 6 (24-fret, neck-through, bound fretboard) but with a Lo Pro and H-H. I recently discovered the RGT3120TV on ibanezrules and GAS is kicking in. Of course, it's been discontinued (I'll be starting another thread about that) so I might have to act soon

[screamndemon69]

pics here: http://www.ofoto.com/PhotoView.jsp?U...id=65614512506
not the best pic - i'll have more soon.
Todd

[rlintz]

Here's a pic of my Charvel Model 3 purchased in '87 for about $700.

http://www.lintzland.com/music/pictures/charvelmod3.jpg

Randy

[screamndemon69]

i was talking to my Mom over Thnksgvng about the Charvel being the first guitar i bought myself (they did help out a little - what can you say, i was in high school and that was a lot of dough) and she said she still has the receipt somewhere . i think i paid $750 or so, but i'll find out when she recovers the original papers.
nice color on your Charvel rlintz.
mine now looks like a silver bullet after the re-finish. i still need to rework the electronics as the volume pot "grounds" out when it is turned all the way up. man, that guitar is HEAVY! i'm spoiled with my Ibanez guitars being so light. especially the S520 i just got.

[data187]

i had a couple model 3's and they all had pickguards ala a strat.
they were all exceptional and is one of the best values on the used market.

[pro-fusion]

Originally Posted by screamndemon69

thanks bunches! i love this guitar but the pots need to be changed as i get some really bad "short" type sounds when rolled up all the way. noone here in town wants to touch it to replace them as they are active controls and i'm no tech in these matters.
i love the guitar and would never sell due to it being my 1st guitar i ever purchased myself.

The only problem you may have is that the active electronics circuit in your guitar, the JE-1200, is physically attached to the volume pot. As such, you can't really replace that pot without ditching the JE-1200 as well. However, you might try spraying the pots with the proper cleaner (I'm not sure what it's called)--that often fixes the scratchiness problem.

If you wanted to ditch the actives, you would also have to change out the tone pots, which are 50k, I believe, rather than the 500k you would want to use in a passive setup. The Jackson active setup sounds nice, even though I hate the Jackson pickups themselves. The great thing is that since the active circuit is not within the pickups themselves, you can use other pickups with the JE-1200 circuit.

I'm a big fan of the old Japanese Charvels. They are just an insane value nowadays. I just bought a '90-91 Charvel Fusion Deluxe, with active Reflex pickups and a Schaller Floyd, for $200. That's crazy, considering that the Japanese Charvels and Jacksons of that era ('86-'91) were pro-quality guitars 95% as good as what you can get out of the USA Jackson shop, and way better than the current Japanese Jacksons.

Better still, those early Japanese Charvels from that era were built using the exact hardware used by the USA shop, and first rate construction, so that many of them are still in very playable shape today, if they've been even moderately well cared for.

[pinto79]

Originally Posted by screamndemon69

thanks bunches! i love this guitar but the pots need to be changed as i get some really bad "short" type sounds when rolled up all the way. noone here in town wants to touch it to replace them as they are active controls and i'm no tech in these matters.
i love the guitar and would never sell due to it being my 1st guitar i ever purchased myself.

Which active circuit do you have in it? I have a couple that I would be willing to sell if it helps you out.

If you can take a photo of it, I can help identify if needed.

Let me know!

[jim777]

As has been mentioned, the Model 6 is S/S/H. Mine's here: http://jim777.com/images/family_shot.JPG

jim

[PoolieFritz2]

Hey guys,

EnigmaUV7, The Eristic & jim777: OK so this is splitting hairs, but re: the comments on Charvel Model 6 pickups - at first glance they seem to be a standard S-S-H configuration but the two 'single coils' are actually stacked humbuckers, at least mine is in OEM spec.

Hey, if I can't be a guitar anorak on this website then where else can I go?

I have to agree with an earlier comment too - my Model 6 is still the most comfortable & playable guitar I've ever played in 20 years; a shredder's dream! But with its electric blue finish it's still looking a bit too dated and 80's to break out a gigs - oh, the shame! I suppose it's just a question of time before they come back into fashion again, I'm just glad I didn't buy the Rainbow Crackle version like my pal did, LOL.