Where the hell are all the cool Charvels?

**Big D** · 01-02-2012, 09:05 PM

I've been a little absent from the boards lately, so if something happened that everyone else already knows about, my apologies. Why are there almost zero new, cool Charvels on any of the dealer sites? Seemed like 6 or 7 years ago every week there was a SWEET new custom shop run coming out from DCGL, Music Zoo, etc. (Camo Subs, Bullseyes, etc). WTF happened? None of the dealers have anything new really, even eBay seems rather sparse. Sad...

**dannyr** · 01-03-2012, 06:51 PM

Well, I'm sad to say it, but I feel like Charvel has run its coarse. I remember all the cool Custom Shop models from a couple years ago. Then the USA Pro Mods came out and that seemed to kill the Custom Shop momentum. Stores like TMZ got stuck with a bunch of the unsuccessful Custom Shop runs and had to basically give them away. Then they switched the Pro Mods to Japan and the Desolation Series came out. And that my friend is the state of Charvel as we have it today. Bummer IMO!

**Axewielder** · 01-03-2012, 07:00 PM

I guess it's 1986 all over again!

**tonemonster** · 01-03-2012, 07:45 PM

Originally Posted by dannyr

Well, I'm sad to say it, but I feel like Charvel has run its coarse. I remember all the cool Custom Shop models from a couple years ago. Then the USA Pro Mods came out and that seemed to kill the Custom Shop momentum. Stores like TMZ got stuck with a bunch of the unsuccessful Custom Shop runs and had to basically give them away. Then they switched the Pro Mods to Japan and the Desolation Series came out. And that my friend is the state of Charvel as we have it today. Bummer IMO!

I think you hit it on the head. I do think the market has been a bit saturated with them. I think they need to scale back production a bit to keep it going. if they flood it, its going to tank. it was a nostalgia thing for alot of gen X'rs to have Charvels again. sure, their cool, but man, they sure as hell overpriced the shit out of them IMO. The pro mods were decent priced, but the limited runs and custom shops were insanely priced. I mean come on, your basically paying for a simple paint job. I mean if it were a very complex graphic I could understand, but a bullseye? 3K? please. So I think they soaked up the market with them. the demand was met, and now the well has gone dry. the pro mods will still sell, in fact I still think the CS models were a rip off compared to the pro mods. the pro mods are so upgrade and mod friendly, that is why they will still sell. you can have your dream charvel by buying one and putting a bit of money into it to make it unique.

**MikeStrat** · 01-03-2012, 08:31 PM

Originally Posted by Axewielder

I guess it's 1986 all over again!

I wish! Not to be all doom and gloom but I have to agree that the Charvel that we know and love is all but gone. I'll be holding onto my custom shops until I'm old and my kids sell them.

**shreddermon** · 01-03-2012, 08:43 PM

To quote a former president: "It's the economy, stupid"

At least, IMHO, that's a big part of it. Dealer aren't going to stock their own runs, if they don't think they'll sell reasonably quickly. And some dealers went overboard with their stock expectations. Ex. The various MZ naturals. Cool guitars, but IMHO they've way over-saturated that niche buyer base.

**Chief_CrazyTalk** · 01-03-2012, 09:35 PM

LOL, the cool ones are all coming from Charvel japan right now.

**coloradoman25** · 01-03-2012, 10:52 PM

There are like 455500000 naturals on the bay right as we speak....I like a trans finish and even a natural Koa and the like but for a shredder guitar it just doesnt do it for me

**tonemonster** · 01-04-2012, 06:23 AM

Originally Posted by shreddermon

To quote a former president: "It's the economy, stupid"

At least, IMHO, that's a big part of it. Dealer aren't going to stock their own runs, if they don't think they'll sell reasonably quickly. And some dealers went overboard with their stock expectations. Ex. The various MZ naturals. Cool guitars, but IMHO they've way over-saturated that niche buyer base.

I agree with that for sure. there were stores that went Kukoo for coacoa puffs over them and had like 30 of them in stock. if they would have had like 5 or 6, they wouldnt have lost their ass.

its all supply and demand. low supply creates demand.

**tonemonster** · 01-04-2012, 06:24 AM

Originally Posted by coloradoman25

There are like 455500000 naturals on the bay right as we speak....I like a trans finish and even a natural Koa and the like but for a shredder guitar it just doesnt do it for me

I agree totally. I feel that you just cant rip it up with a brown guitar.

makes me think I am in a country band.

paint those fukkin shredders!!!!!!

**Tekky** · 01-04-2012, 04:52 PM

muhahahahahah....

**tonemonster** · 01-04-2012, 07:34 PM

so...... this has probably already been discussed here at some point, but what do you think about the possibility of Charvel changing gears and building the model series again? I know they dont bring the big $$$ like the traditional Charvels do, but if the market has dried up on them, maybe they will get creative?

**Chief_CrazyTalk** · 01-06-2012, 12:11 AM

I would sell my ass for a reissue model series!

**markD** · 01-06-2012, 07:12 AM

Originally Posted by tonemonster

so...... this has probably already been discussed here at some point, but what do you think about the possibility of Charvel changing gears and building the model series again? I know they dont bring the big $$$ like the traditional Charvels do, but if the market has dried up on them, maybe they will get creative?

who knows? one could argue that it is a market that charvel has yet to exploit. the only thing i see keeping them from going full steam is that a lot of the model series guitars - the higher numbers - were more akin to being affordable jacksons rather charvels. with jackson having guitars as cheap as $100 (round abouts), i don't see much need for reissues of the model 4, 5, 6.....

the other thing to consider is that charvel started with the pointy head reissues, then due to demand (most from us here at the JCF) switched to the strathead. at that point, the pointy head seemed extinct except for custom shop guitars. i guess if enough people demanded them, charvel MIGHT do import pointy heads.....

i guess you could say "never say never" with charvel, but i would be surprised if they did model reissues unless it was the model 1 and 2.

**Robert Burns** · 01-08-2012, 11:08 AM

IMO...were being quiet cause our Custom Shops are worth 1/2 of what they were 3 years ago...gotta wait for the turnaround if it ever comes? Ive thought of selling my HRF...but
dont want to let it go for $1500.00! The market is that crazy low right now.

**tonemonster** · 01-08-2012, 12:48 PM

IMO the CS charvels were way overpriced to start with. I mean you can buy a Jackson soloist with binding, shark fins, neck thru body, and a trans maple finish for about $1000 less than those CS Charvels sold for. to me thats just insane. the value is clearly in the soloist. way more features for way less money. one thing that really gets me is you have to take the damn neck off a charvel to adjust the frickin truss rod..... that alone pisses me off to the point I wont buy one. (I know, the Warren model has an adjustment on the bottom). but that really puts me off. To me its all about value for the dollar and I just didnt see it in the Charvels.

**surfreak** · 01-09-2012, 04:51 AM

Sad as it might sound, Charvel CS also got outplayed by other makers which are building better guitars, similarly styled, with a similar price point, and no horror 2 years wait. Think Suhr, Anderson, Tyler.

I've always been very fond of Charvels, I have owned 4 TMZ naturals, a EVH BY and still own a great 1984 real San Dimas. But I've played many new Charvel CS side by side with Suhr, and there is no comparison: the Charvel invariably feels and plays "cheap" compared to the Suhr.

**tonemonster** · 01-09-2012, 06:16 AM

Originally Posted by surfreak

Sad as it might sound, Charvel CS also got outplayed by other makers which are building better guitars, similarly styled, with a similar price point, and no horror 2 years wait. Think Suhr, Anderson, Tyler.

I've always been very fond of Charvels, I have owned 4 TMZ naturals, a EVH BY and still own a great 1984 real San Dimas. But I've played many new Charvel CS side by side with Suhr, and there is no comparison: the Charvel invariably feels and plays "cheap" compared to the Suhr.

Thats interesting. I played a a few new Suhrs a year or so ago and I wasnt impressed. I thought the quality was not reflected by the price. they were much more than you can buy a neck through soloist for, and they were bolt on neck, had a pick guard. I just couldnt see the value. when I played it next to a soloist, there was just no reason to buy it. the soloist played just as good (IMO it played better) and it was built better. the Suhr didnt even have a OFR on it. it was a knock off brand floyd. I wont pay $2500 for a knock off floyd, bolt on neck, and a pick guard.

**loud_and_dirty** · 01-10-2012, 11:32 AM

i don't think Charvel has even come close to running it's course. Charvel has barely started...or should i say "restarted." 90% economic. At every shop i know they aren't even selling cheap guitars right now. Our distributors are begging us to take guitars, even offering them at 1/2 the normal wholesale prices, buy now pay later deals, etc. The owner said he's NEVER seen it this bad and he's been operating since the late 80's.