Van Halen Charvels

[Ricey]

I saw a picture of EVH in a workshop applying tape to these guitars. Is the tape going to be under or over the finish? I know on his original 5150 the tape was over the finish, but this seems a bit impermenant for a $3,000 guitar.

[mm2002]

Re: Van Halen Charvels

The tape is just masking for paint. There isn't any tape left on the finish when it's done. Still, those are WAY over priced guitars no matter who put the tape on! That whole deal is a big fiasco as far as I'm concerned.

[surfreak]

Re: Van Halen Charvels

Fiasco? With a starting price of $ 5,150 and an avg. selling price of $ 15,000?

I wish MY business ventures were fiascos like these!

[guitar08man]

Re: Van Halen Charvels

fyi, the 5150 was all paint. the frankenstrat was all paint too. the only tape that was on the frankenstrat was the pinstriping tape he had on it when it was white and black. sorry to be a dick. GOOD lord i have been on the interent for too long

[mm2002]

Re: Van Halen Charvels

[ QUOTE ]
Fiasco? With a starting price of $ 5,150 and an avg. selling price of $ 15,000?

I wish MY business ventures were fiascos like these!

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, well let's see what those guitars are worth in a few years. The "fiasco" term was meant for the people stupid enough to pay those prices, not to imply that it wasn't a good marketing scheme for the sellers. Hey, Eddie's gotta make money somehow while he still can!

[Joe_Steeler]

Re: Van Halen Charvels

I agree with the fiasco as far as a well crafted gimmick.
Yes wayyy! over priced.

But, there is a fool born every minute and I know there are some wealthy VH fans out there that will pay for them.
Worth it or not, he will get his dough and some individual will own a one hum, stripped guitar.
That is the extent of it.

[hippietim]

Re: Van Halen Charvels

mm2002 and Joe_Steeler, please explain why the people that bought those guitars are "stupid" and/or "fools".

[Joe_Steeler]

Re: Van Halen Charvels

Well hippietim,
I did not mean to mock or insult any prospective owner, it is just my opinion.
At the risk of starting a flame war I will try my best to explain why I think the way I do.

It is a one humbucker Strat!!! with a uncommon paint job, that is it.
$7K+ guitar that has no exotic wood, say Brazilian RW, gold leaf emblem, real gold hardware, titanium saddles or any other thing that screams and justifies dollars.

At the end of the day it is no different than a new retro Charvel with a funky paint job. A brand new retro Charvel could be had for just over $1800.

I don't know about other people, but I think I can device a few other ways to part with such amount of cash.
EVH as a player is a part of rock history, EVH as a person well.... you've heard. Could be a bit unpleasant at times.

So, a one humbucker superstrat with a funky paint job in your hands. How much is it worth? to you? to me?
Would you take it out to a gig and leave it on a stand while you go to the restroom? someone throw a bottle at you and hit it?
Would you take it to practice and have the singer knock it out of the stand (like it happened to me)?

Would you get your money out of it? or is it a piece like a hard rock cafe piece of memorabilia?

Would I like to have one, hell yes. For that amount of cash, hell no.

Now you know what might really screw up the whole thing? how about if people justify it by think that EVH himself had that guitar in hand and worked on it. Well, his fingerprint must be worth something.
How about if you find out, years later, that he never touched it and he had some tech help him with the guitars while he was drunk somewhere.
Happened to many people buying Ted Williams memorabilia.

I don't mean disrespect or sarcasm, I've just seen to much in my lifetime and have a family that I can help better by not filling EVH pockets.

[mattsmusiccenter]

Re: Van Halen Charvels

Do the nay sayers here think that Clapton's strats are worth $400000.00 or more? His guitars are no different than these EVH guitars are, they're just wood, wire and metal. Yet one of Claptons guitars recently sold for over $900000.00. Granted these are Claptons personal guitars, but when you look at it this way the EVH hand striped (which are also signed and played by Eddie) guitars are a bargain at $15000.00.

Keep in mind, these EVH's will probably skyrocket in value if anything ever happens to Mr Van Halen. From an investment standpoint, they're probably a good purchase.

Matt

[shreddermon]

Re: Van Halen Charvels

Well said, Matt. Just because we either simply can't afford it or prefer to not spend that much of our hard-earned cash on one, doesn't mean the buyers are fools or idiots.

Those are personal choices and preferences. Yes, at the end of the day, it's just another guitar. The total parts and labor don't justify the price. But that's a narrow view that only considers them as just another musical instrument. It totally ignores the famous rock star memorabilia collectability factor that these have going for them. And, actually, I'd bet you that many of the folks buying them can't even play a note. Does that make them even bigger fools? No.

Would I spend that kind of dough on one guitar? No way, even with the magic EVH dust sprinkled on them. But that doesn't mean I look down on the buyers' choices to do so themselves. To each his own, and cool for them.

[Cleveland Metal]

Re: Van Halen Charvels

Naysayer here.

Those prices are ridiculous. They're just pieces of wood that are reproduceable. Nothing amazing about them, unlike pieces of fine art that is not reproduceable and command understandably prices.

Anyone that pays 400k for Eric Claptons guitars deserves to not have that money anymore. Pretty much the same for the Eddie guitars.

I also wouldn't count on them becoming major investement pieces, especially being they are Charvels and not say, Les Pauls or Fender Strats.

Man, amazing what people will burn money on... Must be nice.

[kmanick]

Re: Van Halen Charvels

I'd say there is a big difference here between these and Claptons guitars. Now how about auctioning off Eddies REAL red , white and Black striped 5150 guitar, that he played for all those years, or any of the other guitars that he used on tour and recorded with back in the day. THOSE guitars are what would be equal to claptons guitars. You don't see clapton signing a bunch of brand new strats with his name on them causing such a stir.
Now if could get Eddie to auction off some of those old Original guitars that he really used for years...Now we're talking big bucks!
just my 2 cents

[mattsmusiccenter]

Re: Van Halen Charvels

Exactly... that's why these hand striped EVH guitars are only going for $15K. If and when Eddie's personal guitar collection ever goes up for sale, then we'll really see some money being spent!

[Joe_Steeler]

Re: Van Halen Charvels

I agree with Matt and shreddermon.
Beauty is on the eye of the beholder and if they want to burn their hard earned cash on spicy haired gremlims, more power to them. Really.
The people paying that much of Clapton's are just as much of whatever they are as the one's buying EVH's.
They all make a PRS Dragon price tag seem like a box of vanilla wafers, yet the Dragon has more craft, art and taste than 20 Blackie's or 20 Frankenstrats. See! another opinion.

It is all a matter of opinions and we all have one.

Again, don't get me wrong I'll like to get one. My goodness I remeber back in the day looking at EVH's red/white/black strat in total awe.
Today, even earning money and probably having the cash to buy it, I just couldn't do it and look at my wife and baby in the face.

BTW, Clapton's Blackie IS a memorabilia piece that more than likely nobody will play!! how about that?
I read an article on which Clapton mentioned how unplayable that guitar is today. It was refretted once and could not take another one. He said the neck was so worn, the wood, that the low and high E strings were fretting out.
He auctioned off and now plays Fender CS Stratocasters, just like the ones you and I can buy today.

I am having a Fender CS Masterbuilt being worked on right now and on several conversations with the Master Builder he mentioned to me how Eric calls the artist relations guy on the shop puts in an order for a guitar, or few, and gets it just like you and me. In some cases he has them painted with some custom graphics, by a third party, but the guitar is THE same as the one GC has hanging on the wall. So, it is all in the mojo ah? Eric touched it therefore it turns into gold.
Sometimes we put way too much value on intangible things.

IMHO

[hippietim]

Re: Van Halen Charvels

Look, this is the equivilant of Clapton auctioning off some guitars that he only used at a single gig (which he has done). Those guitars fetch the same amounts of money.

Joe_Steeler you said:

[ QUOTE ]
$7K+ guitar that has no exotic wood, say Brazilian RW, gold leaf emblem, real gold hardware, titanium saddles or any other thing that screams and justifies dollars.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ya know what, none of that stuff would justify the high dollars either. Not even close. The value has nothing to do with whether it's a maple fingerboard or Brazilian rosewood. It's about the fact that Eddied painted them and played them (even if for just one song). That is more desireable to me - I just can't afford it or I'd do it.

You also said:

[ QUOTE ]
Would I like to have one, hell yes. For that amount of cash, hell no.

[/ QUOTE ]

How much would you pay then?

Plenty of people here have guitars that I wouldn't pay ten bucks for. But I don't call them stupid or fools for paying thousands of dollars for them.