San Dimas

[ifly_65]

Hello,I am the owner of the San Dimas #4531 '85 red strat shown in the gallery (photo submitted by a previous owner). It is a sweet guitar. I have a few questions that have plagued me for years. I am very interested in the history of the early Charvel/Jackson San Dimas guitars. Is it true that 'San Dimas' was Wayne Charvel's office p.o. box address and there never was a San Dimas plant? Were all of these early 'San Dimas' stamped guitars made at the Ontario Plant from '82 to '86? Where were the '79 to '81 era Charvels produced? I saw a pic on the internet of Wayne winding his own pickups at a small shop. Are the 'Jackson' stamped, active pickups on my Model 6 Charvel an 'off shoot' of these? They are my favorite pickups out of all my charv/jacksons. Thanks. James

[dg]

Re: San Dimas

They were made in Glendora. The P.O. box was in San Dimas. Wayne Charvel sold the company, which was a parts & repair business, to Grover Jackson in late '78 & was out of the picture by '79.

Check out the "History" section here for lots of info:

http://jacksoncharvelworld.net/Home.html

[ifly_65]

Re: San Dimas

Thanks!

[ifly_65]

Re: San Dimas

The more I read...the more Im confused. Ed Roman is on the net talking about how there is "no San Dimas", yet I find pics showing them building guitars at the San Dimas shop. Was this a repair shop at first? As mentioned above, my '85 San Dimas strat was built at Glendora. When were they at the Glendora Factory and was this a brief location prior to the Ontario Factory? Why cant someone put this in an easy to understand family tree of sorts? Are there any good books out there on the early history of Wayne Charvel and Grover Jackson? Thanks

[StukaJU87]

Re: San Dimas

First off, Ed Roman is an ass. The way I understand it is, the actual facility where the guitars were built was in Glendora, Ca., but their mailing address was a PO Box in San Dimas, Ca. Correct me if I am wrong.

[JimmyApollo]

Re: San Dimas

[ QUOTE ]
First off, Ed Roman is an ass. The way I understand it is, the actual facility where the guitars were built was in Glendora, Ca., but their mailing address was a PO Box in San Dimas, Ca. Correct me if I am wrong.

[/ QUOTE ]

You are correct on all counts.

[sl2lover]

Re: San Dimas

Ed Roman does agree that Jackson/Charvel guitars are the best american made guitars around though! Anyone ever been to his store?

[sonicsamurai]

Re: San Dimas

so if i read this right....wayne charvel never actually made a single charvel guitar???

[RR05xx]

Re: San Dimas

Depends. Wayne did not have anything to do with the serialized "Charvel" guitars as well as the last prepros (which, interestingly enough, is what most of us want when we say we want a Charvel). He was doing things before that, but anyone who says they have say an '80 Charvel prepro (or any guitar made later) "built by the man himself" is full of sh!t.

Like 90% (or more) of the guitars the USA made "Charvels" produced before 1986 were actually built under Grover Jackson's watch.

[ifly_65]

Re: San Dimas

The link suggested by 'dg' was great. I received this email from that link, about the history...here it is:

No there are no actual San Dimas Charvel guitars built
in San Dimas, that was just there business mailing
address that was right on the boarder of the Glendora
factory..but everyone just forgets about Glenodora and
calls it San Dimas as that was the mailing address.

Wayne Charvel was a parts and full guitar production
company with his friend Linn Ellsworth..Wayne taught
Linn who was a talented carpentar how to make guitars.

Once Van Halen spread the word about Wayne Charvel,
Wayne needed to hire some management and office help.
He hired Grover Jackson and his wife Joann. Wayne got
into legal battles with ISA who controlled the cash
between several other outsourcing guitar parts
suppliers.

Grover and Joann bought Wayne out just a month or so
after Wayne and Linn had made a complete inhouse
Charvel guitar for Eddie Van Halen..the black and
yellow one AKA the VHII..this was around Sept and Oct
of 1978..Wayne left in Nov of 78.

By Jan. 1981 the Charvel mfg business and guitar
productin was in fullbloom for Grover and Joann with
the manager Tim Wilson. TIm still managing Charvel
Jackson today along with 2 of the main luthiers, Mike
Shannon and Mike Eldred.

Charvel Jackson is now owned by Fender, they are made
in Ontario CA, Same building as Fender but with the
same San Dimasm PO box for the business address for
historical purposes the rented the box again.

[sonicsamurai]

Re: San Dimas

so wayne probably made at least one guitar then under the charvel name....i heard van halen didn't like the sound of the yellow and black one that much - he only played it coz it looked good....