Is this a real Charvel USA ?

[RampantLion]

I ended up paying $450. The serial number is 960120. It has Jackson tuners on it and a Wilkinson VS-100 trem. I don't see any markings at all on the pickups, I attempted to remove the pickguard, but there wasn't much play at all under the neck cavity, so I didn't want to break anything. There were decals with numbers, but I googled them and nothing came up relative. The maple board is also a nice touch on it, although it was probably the most filthy neck I've ever seen. It took me about 20 minutes to scrub it clean and now the entire guitar is flawless except a tiny mark on the back of the body. I added new strings 3 nights ago, tuned it, tuned it again the next morning and it hasn't lost tune again. Very impressive. I emailed Charvel, but except for the initial auto response, I haven't heard anything else. I really am interested in finding out as much as I can.

The guy I bought it from said he was the original owner and he got it at Sam Ash. He claimed they were limited to 50 each color and his friend bought a black one at the same time. It turns out the seller was a childhood best friend's older brother and we grew up in the same town, so I have no reason not to believe him. But it's definitely one of the most difficult guitars I've tried to research. Normally, you can find some examples sold on Ebay, etc, but not with this one.

It's a Traditional model.
Though not pictured in the catalog, some were made with a humbucker in the bridge position, not sure if that was a limited run for a store or not.
Early ones should have Sperzels, and a graphite string tree, later had a the normal brass round tree. Towards the end of the reissue run you begin seeing standard Gotoh tuners.

Pickups should be Dimarzio's and the singles will have covers embossed with Dimarzio on them. '95 does anyway.

'95 used a Wilkinson VS-100 trem.
'96 used the 2 point Gotoh looking trem. Likely to cut cost, but Wilki's do appear on custom guitars.

I see yours has the later style phenolic nut , that's a quirk I have not seen, cool vibe.. Maple fingerboards are uncommon on this model as well.
What's your serial number ?

I think Jackson used whatever was laying around towards the end of that run. My '96 playing card inlay tele headstocked tele has black Gotoh tuners and a black oxide coated round brass string tree, yet has a chrome Wilkinson Ht100 tele bridge with hardware to match. That's the way Juan made it, weird.




I've had a bunch of these over the years , never paying more than $450 for mint examples [early 2000's]. If you got it anywhere near that price, you got a good deal.
My eldest son has a blue one [3 singles] that he's played the crap out of. Great guitars for the money. Anything made in the USA under a grand is a deal today. Well made, but sadly the traditional only came in a few different colors. Black , Red , Blue, Green and White.

[peedenmark7]

Here are some production figures on the Reissue series that Tim Wilson gave me way back.
1995 about 1500 guitars were built.
1996 about 220 guitars were built.

The first 2 numbers in the serial number do not always indicate the year. There is some carry over of the 95 plates into the 96 production year. Whether the 220 number is taking that into consideration I don't know.

Also, and off topic, there were 96 plates being used up on "some" custom shop Charvels all the way up until the Fender buyout, which generally causes confusion on the actual build dates of those CS guitars.

Yours having a 96 plate would jive with my previous post, about the humbucker in the bridge, Maple fingerboard, phenolic nut, & round brass string tree. All late Reissue series production quirks.

Though nothing reissue about them really, they were VERY well made .

All in all, I'd say you got a pretty good deal for a USA made guitar ,much less one with Charvel on the headstock.
Enjoy !

[shreddermon]

Great guitars, nice grab. Congrats!

[BLOOD SPLATTER]

Great score for $450....congrats!!

[RampantLion]

So you'd basically guess that this specific guitar was assembled late 1996? I guess that would explain why it doesn't really match the specs of the others, if they used random parts that were sitting around. I'm really happy with it, especially the neck. It's impossible for me compare my guitars, but it has a lot of really nice characteristics that my high end US guitars have. So I'm glad I didn't drag it out any more and just purchased it. The guitar shops up here all jack up prices on older Charvels and Jacksons, so the best avenue is checking out Craigslist and contacting the sellers as they pop up.

Here are some production figures on the Reissue series that Tim Wilson gave me way back.
1995 about 1500 guitars were built.
1996 about 220 guitars were built.

The first 2 numbers in the serial number do not always indicate the year. There is some carry over of the 95 plates into the 96 production year. Whether the 220 number is taking that into consideration I don't know.

Also, and off topic, there were 96 plates being used up on "some" custom shop Charvels all the way up until the Fender buyout, which generally causes confusion on the actual build dates of those CS guitars.

Yours having a 96 plate would jive with my previous post, about the humbucker in the bridge, Maple fingerboard, phenolic nut, & round brass string tree. All late Reissue series production quirks.

Though nothing reissue about them really, they were VERY well made .

All in all, I'd say you got a pretty good deal for a USA made guitar ,much less one with Charvel on the headstock.
Enjoy !

[peedenmark7]

There may be a date stamp in red/black ink in the neck pocket , Ive seen them with no markings as well.

No idea when the actual Reissue run ended in '96 , but going by your serial number of 120 in a run of potentially only 220 that year, you are halfway through the run numerically, though they were not always built sequentially.
Merely pointing out the production quirks lead me to believe it was made later in the Traditional model run.

[5074charvel]

Maples are not easy to find. Nice grab.

[pjg]

I have an 86 USA Jackson soloist 1-hum with a strat input type Jack on it.

Pics?

[Tubescorcher]

I ended up paying $450. The serial number is 960120. It has Jackson tuners on it and a Wilkinson VS-100 trem. I don't see any markings at all on the pickups, I attempted to remove the pickguard, but there wasn't much play at all under the neck cavity, so I didn't want to break anything. There were decals with numbers, but I googled them and nothing came up relative. The maple board is also a nice touch on it, although it was probably the most filthy neck I've ever seen. It took me about 20 minutes to scrub it clean and now the entire guitar is flawless except a tiny mark on the back of the body. I added new strings 3 nights ago, tuned it, tuned it again the next morning and it hasn't lost tune again. Very impressive. I emailed Charvel, but except for the initial auto response, I haven't heard anything else. I really am interested in finding out as much as I can.

The guy I bought it from said he was the original owner and he got it at Sam Ash. He claimed they were limited to 50 each color and his friend bought a black one at the same time. It turns out the seller was a childhood best friend's older brother and we grew up in the same town, so I have no reason not to believe him. But it's definitely one of the most difficult guitars I've tried to research. Normally, you can find some examples sold on Ebay, etc, but not with this one.

Hey Ramant,
Do you still have the guitar? I'm the friend the seller of the guitar you bought was referring to. I still have my black one! Wouldn't trade it for anything! I put a SD P-Rail in the bridge, Twangbanger in the middle and a Van Zandt in the neck. Great guitar. Mine to has the Maple neck. I bought mine from Sam Ash on Clearance for $199.00 brand new. They are in fact a USA built Charvel. You bought this guitar from a Guy in Blackwood, NJ correct?
Peace,
John (Tubescorcher)

[RampantLion]

Hello John,
Yes, I am Steve and bought it from guy, ironically I was great friends with his younger brother growing up.

Still have it, I rarely sell any guitars.

Hey Ramant,
Do you still have the guitar? I'm the friend the seller of the guitar you bought was referring to. I still have my black one! Wouldn't trade it for anything! I put a SD P-Rail in the bridge, Twangbanger in the middle and a Van Zandt in the neck. Great guitar. Mine to has the Maple neck. I bought mine from Sam Ash on Clearance for $199.00 brand new. They are in fact a USA built Charvel. You bought this guitar from a Guy in Blackwood, NJ correct?
Peace,
John (Tubescorcher)