The Green Meanie- Two bodies?

[whatshisname]

I've been wondering about this for a while, but for fear of feeling stupid for some reason have just now decided to bring it up.

Were there actually TWO bodies that Steve used for the Green Meanie? If you look at earlier pictures, it has the Lion Claw route under the trem, but, in later pictures, it has a "normal" floating trem route.

You can see this in the gallery here(The bottom picture). http://www.jemsite.com/axes/model/charvel2.htm

Also, there's a very clear picture in the "Collector's Choice" page, from the August 2002 Guitar World, where you can plainly see that there is no lions claw route.

[dex]

Seriously doub't it as Steve get's very attached to his guitars and as far as he is concerned the body IS the guitar.
Everything else is replaceable, neck, trem, electronics but the body must stay the same.
Just have a wee look at "All About EVO" on his site and you'll see what I mean.

ilia

[whatshisname]

You're right, but I still don't understand why there is no lion claw route, in the later pictures of the guitar... I mean, everything else looks the same, even the wear on the body?!

I know that before he painted the lion claw pink, it's not quite so easy to see, but, in this picture it's just not there!

[jemsite]

the history of that axe never made sense once it was stickified. i always assumed the body was replaced (or significantly repaired/filled & refinished) .. glen

[whatshisname]

Originally Posted by jemsite

the history of that axe never made sense once it was stickified.

Much like EVH's Frankenstrat.

Originally Posted by jemsite

i always assumed the body was replaced (or significantly repaired/filled & refinished) .. glen

I thought that maybe he replaced the body, after it "died", when he ripped the entire trem assembly out of it at the Garden. But then... Why replace the entire body, when something like that is easily repaired? If it was repaired, then why fill in the entire route??? That must be what it was, though.

I KNOW! Maybe he filled in the route, to perfect it, so that he wouldn't have to use the arm rest anymore?

Oh, who the hell knows? Maybe Mr. Vai could pop in and clear it up? Hey, it's happened before!

[steve]

If you look closely, you can see that the 'standard' type route covers the original 'lion's claw' area that was done, thereby eliminating the claw.
Remember, that claw job was done with a hammer and screwdriver in leiu of a chisel... I'd suspect that it was cleaned up later with a standard route to allow for more pull-up... perhaps after the repair of the damage after he ripped the Floyd Rose out, the guitar intonated a little differently, or the bridge was replaced, and the new positioning of the saddles was such that the string lock screws stuck out the back far enough that it reduced the pull-up too much... or didn't clear in the slots at all any more. Those were pretty tightly-fit rakes for the clamp bolts...
That's my take on it.

[green meanie]

he probably routed it after he had it for awile.

got it as a plain charvel and didnt like the tremolo up so high so he routed it out.