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Hi All,
I am an active reseller on Reverb and other online markets. I purchase from the largest wholesale company in the US who buys 2nds/blems and close outs from the OEMs. A few months ago I purchased a killer Charvel they had in their storage there for what they estimate to be at least 10 years. It's a Custom Shop that was painted by Mike Learn. I verified this with Mike directly through his FaceBook page. He said he'd painted about a dozen of these "Toll Keeper" designs for Charvel from 2004-2006. That story fits perfectly with what I was told. The guitar itself has a blank back plate and no serial stamped anywhere that I can see. Haven't taken the neck off. However, I do still have the build tag with a lot of info. I'll include that here for you all.
While I was originally looking to flip it, I've decided to keep it. It's never been owned before, and the story from the wholesale company is it's a custom that was ordered by a buyer who couldn't pay the balance when it was done. They sold it to my guys who held on to it and basically forgot about it in their warehouse for a good decade or so. The case was as dusty as can be, but once cleaned, it was also in brand new condition.
Sorry for the long post here. Just hoping to get some info from the experts. Thanks, guys!
Jeff Martin
Phoenix, AZ
PS...See the photos in the link here.
Those missing serial plates are usually seen on guitars that have been reconditioned because of a flaw of some sort.
It's reasonably common on imports, but this may be the first I've seen it on a USA model.
I can't think of anything more to add.
You have both the work order # and the serial number on the hang tag. You can contact Charvel support with that info and get an order sheet that will give you all of the specs and any notes regarding the build.
A lack of serial # can also indicate the instrument was a prototype or that it was built for an employee.
I have a Charvel star that was officially released in 2006. It was the prototype Star that Charvel used at Winter NAMM 2006. Serial # C7007.
But... the history of the guitar is a bit more convoluted than that. It was a prototype built in early 2005 when Charvel and Fender were finalizing licensing to allow Charvel to use the Fender style headstock. My Star was a prototype and the first Charvel built with a licensed Fender headstock. Dimebag Darrel's old lady had walked out on stage with it at Summer NAMM 2005 when the guitar was not supposed to officially exist and was quickly shepparded off stage. Mike Shannon and other builders denied the existence of the guitar... until the photos of Dime's OL on stage with the guitar emerged.
My point in that story is that even though my Star was photographed and documented on stage at Summer NAMM 2005 (June 2005), albeit accidentally; my hang tag still claims a final inspection date of November 2005. It is my understanding that the guitar had a blank neck plate at Summer NAMM 2005... as a control so that the guitar was not inadvertently sold. A guitar is not considered “manufactured” until it is stamped with a serial # so they can hold a guitar off the books by not stamping the instrument.
Your serial # is C7415. Below is a build log that includes my Star (C7007) and should have yours (C7415). But C7415 is missing from the build log. Leads me to believe that Charvel considered your guitar to be "unreleased". Probably a prototype, employee build, unclaimed order, or blemish that does not “officially” exist.
http://weber.de1.cc/charvel/7000-7499.html
Here is the listing for my actual Charvel Star: https://www.gbase.com/gear/charvel-e...ro-flames-2005
Here is a Winter NAMM 2006 video that has the my actual guitar in it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6qf5lwatIk
An interesting note is that the Charvel Frenchie and Rising Sun in that NAMM video was also in limbo for licensing of the graphic art. The guy I got my Star from bought the Star, Frenchie, and Rising Sun guitars in that video. All three were still in some type of legal limbo at the time and Charvel tried to buy the guitars back from him for considerably more than he paid. He declined. I almost bought the Frenchie and the Rising Sun from him too, but decided not to.
I am an active reseller on Reverb and other online markets. I purchase from the largest wholesale company in the US who buys 2nds/blems and close outs from the OEMs. A few months ago I purchased a killer Charvel they had in their storage there for what they estimate to be at least 10 years. It's a Custom Shop that was painted by Mike Learn. I verified this with Mike directly through his FaceBook page. He said he'd painted about a dozen of these "Toll Keeper" designs for Charvel from 2004-2006. That story fits perfectly with what I was told. The guitar itself has a blank back plate and no serial stamped anywhere that I can see. Haven't taken the neck off. However, I do still have the build tag with a lot of info. I'll include that here for you all.
While I was originally looking to flip it, I've decided to keep it. It's never been owned before, and the story from the wholesale company is it's a custom that was ordered by a buyer who couldn't pay the balance when it was done. They sold it to my guys who held on to it and basically forgot about it in their warehouse for a good decade or so. The case was as dusty as can be, but once cleaned, it was also in brand new condition.
Sorry for the long post here. Just hoping to get some info from the experts. Thanks, guys!
Jeff Martin
Phoenix, AZ
PS...See the photos in the link here.
Those missing serial plates are usually seen on guitars that have been reconditioned because of a flaw of some sort.
It's reasonably common on imports, but this may be the first I've seen it on a USA model.
I can't think of anything more to add.
You have both the work order # and the serial number on the hang tag. You can contact Charvel support with that info and get an order sheet that will give you all of the specs and any notes regarding the build.
A lack of serial # can also indicate the instrument was a prototype or that it was built for an employee.
I have a Charvel star that was officially released in 2006. It was the prototype Star that Charvel used at Winter NAMM 2006. Serial # C7007.
But... the history of the guitar is a bit more convoluted than that. It was a prototype built in early 2005 when Charvel and Fender were finalizing licensing to allow Charvel to use the Fender style headstock. My Star was a prototype and the first Charvel built with a licensed Fender headstock. Dimebag Darrel's old lady had walked out on stage with it at Summer NAMM 2005 when the guitar was not supposed to officially exist and was quickly shepparded off stage. Mike Shannon and other builders denied the existence of the guitar... until the photos of Dime's OL on stage with the guitar emerged.
My point in that story is that even though my Star was photographed and documented on stage at Summer NAMM 2005 (June 2005), albeit accidentally; my hang tag still claims a final inspection date of November 2005. It is my understanding that the guitar had a blank neck plate at Summer NAMM 2005... as a control so that the guitar was not inadvertently sold. A guitar is not considered “manufactured” until it is stamped with a serial # so they can hold a guitar off the books by not stamping the instrument.
Your serial # is C7415. Below is a build log that includes my Star (C7007) and should have yours (C7415). But C7415 is missing from the build log. Leads me to believe that Charvel considered your guitar to be "unreleased". Probably a prototype, employee build, unclaimed order, or blemish that does not “officially” exist.
http://weber.de1.cc/charvel/7000-7499.html
Here is the listing for my actual Charvel Star: https://www.gbase.com/gear/charvel-e...ro-flames-2005
Here is a Winter NAMM 2006 video that has the my actual guitar in it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6qf5lwatIk
An interesting note is that the Charvel Frenchie and Rising Sun in that NAMM video was also in limbo for licensing of the graphic art. The guy I got my Star from bought the Star, Frenchie, and Rising Sun guitars in that video. All three were still in some type of legal limbo at the time and Charvel tried to buy the guitars back from him for considerably more than he paid. He declined. I almost bought the Frenchie and the Rising Sun from him too, but decided not to.
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