New vid on Charvel website

[Habanero]

I find it hard to believe that making stuff in Japan is now a significant cost saving compared to the USA. These days even the iconic Japanese electronics brands are manufacturing in China to reduce costs.

[BenoA]

I find it hard to believe that making stuff in Japan is now a significant cost saving compared to the USA.

+1 What I was trying to explain in one of my previous post... :think:

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

+1 What I was trying to explain in one of my previous post... :think:

I wonder about that, too. :dunno:

It seems like it should be as expensive... Maybe even more expensive, considering the shipping and all that. :think:

[powermacho]

I wonder about that, too. :dunno:

It seems like it should be as expensive... Maybe even more expensive, considering the shipping and all that. :think:

Probably The employers are getting paid way less and working more hours than they should, also the material could be cheaper to get there. And maybe the charvel could be produced on a company that makes all kind of guitars from different brands

[BenoA]

It seems like it should be as expensive... Maybe even more expensive, considering the shipping and all that. :think:

:think: x2

[plexipwrd]

:think: x2

I work as an engineer for a Japanese owned power supply manufacturer. Some time ago we transferred a product from the US to Japan for volume production. The manufacturing cost was comparable to the US. The product eventually ended up in one of our manufacturing facilities China.

I don't think Charvel will be saving much in labor or material by producing to Japan.

[ralph]

I work as an engineer for a Japanese owned power supply manufacturer. Some time ago we transferred a product from the US to Japan for volume production. The manufacturing cost was comparable to the US. The product eventually ended up in one of our manufacturing facilities China.

I don't think Charvel will be saving much in labor or material by producing to Japan.

Moving to Japan may help shipping to other world areas, im not certain but i believe it is cheaper to ship from Japan to Australia for example rather than from the U.S. to Australia, due to U.S. trade/customs etc. Just throwing this out there...

And before anyone mentions it, I know Australia is a small market, more talking about everywhere outside of North America, maybe Fender wants to expand Charvel throughout the world so that the Fender line doesnt have to support shredder guitars. Again just throwing this out there...

[veniculum]

All I have to say is...I'm checking with the Charvel dealer near me to see what's in their inventory...I still need a SoCal pro mod...if they don't have one that suits my taste (color-wise), I'll be out on ebay soon.

I really love the USA pro-mods...I own two of them, and I'm real proud to own Charvels that are made in the USA. My buddies see the Made in USA, and it always impresses. I know..I know...Japanese made guitars are, in many cases, just as well made...and just as expensive...or at least close to USA prices. Still..I'm a die hard, and quite frankly, I'm a bit disappointed that they're doing production runs out of the US.

So like I said...it's time to grab another pro-mod (USA) before they get harder to find. Of course...that's just me

[RacerX]

And maybe the charvel could be produced on a company that makes all kind of guitars from different brands

No. The Nagano factory makes Charvel & Jackson guitars exclusively.

[BenoA]

No. The Nagano factory makes Charvel & Jackson guitars exclusively.

Fender owned probably? As I just noticed the new Wolfgang Special is also made in Japan now.

[beachjammer]

To me, one of the whole points of having the USA Pro Mod series was that Charvel diehards could get an actual "Made in USA" Charvel at an affordable price. There's the key to me "made in USA" where the originals were. I know it's not the same factory or the same people but you know what, Henry Ford isn't making the new Ford trucks either now is he? If you buy a new Ford though you're still getting a Ford that's made in USA. Samething here in my opinion. I play my USA Pro Mod So Cal more than any other guitar I have. I'm not knocking guitars made in Japan because I know that those guitars are made well. My point is that I'm an American, Charvel is an American company and I want to support Americans making a product that I want to buy.... in America. I have a model series made in Japan and it's a great guitar but is it a USA Charvel like my So Cal, 2005 Reissue or 86 San Dimas.... The answer is "NO". If they are in fact making them in Japan then I'll just stick with buying NOS or used USA promods.

[DHardmanJr]

My guess is that these won't be a Japanese-made version of the USA pro mods. They'll be different in some significant way like Dinky bodies or something like that.

[Jack Napalm]

If they do start making them in Japan it seems like they have gone through a lot of work to build a USA brand just to take production overseas. They came back with a big bang with bringing back USA production Charvel's and Custom Shops, then to the Pro-Mod USA series. How many years has that been, five or six all together? Its been two years of Pro-Mod's plus the three or four before that. If they do take production to Japan I think it would deserve a WTF? People will obviously argue the quality of the Pro-Mods to a Japanese made one and the used market will go crazy for Pro-Mods. Charvel doesn't make money on that. There has to be more to the story. I'll reserve my WTF until the truth comes out.

[Predator1]

I was just on the Sweetwater web site and saw that they are offering a price drop on Charvel Style 1 guitars. I called just to check and sure enough they are made in Japan with a MAP of $899.00 They are offering them in Snow White, Black and Red. The specs, appear to be the same as the USA pro mods. They have a delivery ETA of Augest 10th.

[BenoA]

From the sweetwater page:

This Charvel Solidbody Packs Monster Tone!
The Charvel San Dimas Style 1 2H solidbody electric guitar puts top-notch quality - along with massive tone and great playability - into an axe you just won't want to put down! This ultra-playable axe features a well-balanced (and comfortablly lightweight) double-cutaway alder body, a super-playable 1-piece maple neck with a compound fingerboard radius, and classy-cool black hardware (including a stellar Floyd Rose trem). Two hot Duncan humbuckers are onboard, so you know you'll have plenty of amp-driving output. A single volume knob and 3-way selector put you in easy control. When you want incredible tone from a premium guitar that's built to get the job done, go with a San Dimas Style 1 2H!

Charvel San Dimas Style 1 2H Solidbody Electric Guitar Features at a Glance:
Color: Ferrari Red
Alder body
1-Piece maple neck, bolt-on
Compound radius 12"-16"
Neck width at nut: 1-11/16"
No. of frets: 22
Bridge pickup: Duncan JB
Neck pickup: Duncan '69
Floyd Rose locking trem bridge
Grover mini tuners
Black hardware
One volume control knob, knurled
3-position pickup selector toggle
Includes hardshell case

The Charvel San Dimas Style 1 2H puts a purpose-built, no-frills tone machine in your hands!