Charvel USA Productions Models made by who? Click for the answer!

[jmsaxon69]

All I know... I don't really care where they are made or who by. I'm happy with mine and have no complaints. It could have been built by a monkey on the moon and I wouldn't think any different of it

Could you imagine how much a guitar that was made by a monkey on the moon would be? It'd be out of this world!

:ROTF:

[Zaneus]

I have photos of a paint stripped production charvel which has a 3 piece body, not a two piece like you've said.





It was a Candy Green socal.

[Carbuff]

" It was a Slime Green socal. "

Really, Ive never seen one of those. You must mean candy green.

[metalhobo]

That natural look would look so good if it was a one-piece body.

Did you just not like the color or what?

[Zaneus]

That's not mine, its some images i found on another wbesite.

[85 San Dimas]

Well, 85 SD was right, then.

However, since the guys in Japan who build the import Jacksons were trained by Jackson employees (long before the Fender thing) aren't making the USA models, does that make the imports "Jackson copies", as was argued about the "Charvel copies made by Fender"?


Still a Charvel to me, because it has only the basic Fender specs (body and headstock shape).

Newc (and all),

on this topic (first thanks for the thread by the factory tourists):

1) I didn't want to be "right" but no other conclusion fit the few facts we had. I tried like hell to get FMIC to open up on all this in the other thread to no avail....

BUT IMHO correct me if I'm wrong...

2) What we have learned is that the Pro-Mods ARE equal to the Fender AM. Std. Strat. Now, I read in some posts where people are down on them being built by Fender employees. BUT re-read the first sentence...."EQUAL to an Am. Std. Strat." Pat yourself on the back again. Since Bionic said that they charge more for Fender as the "premium brand" the Pro-Mods are therefore hot-rodded, custom-contoured, compound-radiused versions of Am. Std. Strats (quality and build-wise) with lock trems on some of them. Limited runs and high-profile colors. It ISNT an Am. Std. but its EQUAL to it for build quality AND you get to save 200-400 bucks. That is a GOOD thing.

3) The Pro-Mod is a "real" Charvel, but of a different kind. My argument real vs copy still holds all the water in the world BUT that argument came about because there were some who insisted that "no corners were cut" when obviously they were, and that was the thread topic.

4) A lot of blood has been spilled on this topic, and I lay the blame for that right at the feet of the people who knew the facts and wouldn't disclose them honestly and openly to the very people who love and support the brand-name with their money. Instead it was splitting hairs and dealing in legalisms when the questions were simple and the answers could have been just as simple.
THAT created the argument.

Thanks for the tour report guys...it may have been the most valuable post all year.....except for Newcs PG upgrade problems Peace.

[jet66]

I pretty much expected at least some of the work to have been done on the Fender side, so no shocker for me. And as mentioned, that means it was built by the same people who build US standard series guitars. Seeing how my second favorite guitar is a '99 American Standard Strat, it's fine by me.

[6string40]

BUT IMHO correct me if I'm wrong...

2) What we have learned is that the Pro-Mods ARE equal to the Fender AM. Std. Strat. Now, I read in some posts where people are down on them being built by Fender employees. BUT re-read the first sentence...."EQUAL to an Am. Std. Strat." Pat yourself on the back again. Since Bionic said that they charge more for Fender as the "premium brand" the Pro-Mods are therefore hot-rodded, custom-contoured, compound-radiused versions of Am. Std. Strats (quality and build-wise) with lock trems on some of them. Limited runs and high-profile colors. It ISNT an Am. Std. but its EQUAL to it for build quality AND you get to save 200-400 bucks. That is a GOOD thing.

Exactly how I see it as well. I think FMIC made a great business decision and strategic move in doing this. Why was Charvel first started? Basically a mod shop to hot rod MIA Strats (as well as others). So, instead of providing more options for MIA Strats, such as a Floyd or dual humbuckers or hot rod colors, that true Strat guys would thumb their noses at, why not purchase Charvel and market a production model of the very guitar the hot rod enthusiasts are after? It doesn't seem as though it would take very much on their part to alter the production of MIA Strats for these Charvels considering they are of equal build quality and similar specs.

Those that are true strat guys can continue to pay the premium for the Fender styling and branding, while those of us who prefer the old school hot rod styling can pay a bit less for the options we prefer and the Charvel branding.

Plus, the 'savings' that we see can be put toward a hardshell case and other mods if we're so inclined.

Almost a win/win for both sides.

[Rich#6]

Newc (and all),

on this topic (first thanks for the thread by the factory tourists):

1) I didn't want to be "right" but no other conclusion fit the few facts we had. I tried like hell to get FMIC to open up on all this in the other thread to no avail....

BUT IMHO correct me if I'm wrong...

2) What we have learned is that the Pro-Mods ARE equal to the Fender AM. Std. Strat. Now, I read in some posts where people are down on them being built by Fender employees. BUT re-read the first sentence...."EQUAL to an Am. Std. Strat." Pat yourself on the back again. Since Bionic said that they charge more for Fender as the "premium brand" the Pro-Mods are therefore hot-rodded, custom-contoured, compound-radiused versions of Am. Std. Strats (quality and build-wise) with lock trems on some of them. Limited runs and high-profile colors. It ISNT an Am. Std. but its EQUAL to it for build quality AND you get to save 200-400 bucks. That is a GOOD thing.

3) The Pro-Mod is a "real" Charvel, but of a different kind. My argument real vs copy still holds all the water in the world BUT that argument came about because there were some who insisted that "no corners were cut" when obviously they were, and that was the thread topic.

4) A lot of blood has been spilled on this topic, and I lay the blame for that right at the feet of the people who knew the facts and wouldn't disclose them honestly and openly to the very people who love and support the brand-name with their money. Instead it was splitting hairs and dealing in legalisms when the questions were simple and the answers could have been just as simple.
THAT created the argument.

Thanks for the tour report guys...it may have been the most valuable post all year.....except for Newcs PG upgrade problems Peace.

What to you has changed? Production line guitars made by people trained by the charvel guys to do it the charvel way. So fucking what if for the rest of the time they make fenders. If someday charvel sales go way up I am sure they won't be. Stop being such a charvel purist and stop living the late 70's and early 80's over and over again.
there is nothing new here to say see I told you so. You seem like a nice guy but give it a rest already. Go buy your superior old ones with the v trems, kahlers, or jt6s and let us be happy with our inferior guitars that stay in tune.
Thank you

[Rich#6]

FYI for anyone who doesn't think fender players want floyds
MIM standard $500 it's new floyded friend $700
http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/p...tar?sku=501161

[6string40]

FYI for anyone who doesn't think fender players want floyds
MIM standard $500 it's new floyded friend $700
http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/p...tar?sku=501161

Simmer down now. Don't put me in the same realm as the purists just b/c I made that comment. I didn't mean that no Fender player would ever want a Floyd. But you have to consider the fact that there are Fender purists that swear a strat HAS to have 3 single coils and a stop tail or non-locking trem or it's not a 'real' strat. I think it's great that Fender can provide those options on their Fender models as well as their Charvel models.

The point I was trying to make was that each branding can target specific audiences and that as a company, they don't have to create an entirely new assembly line to do it. If you read and comprehended my post in its entirety, you'd see this.

I love a good quality guitar when I see it, no matter the name on the headstock. As long as it feels good and sounds good, that's what matters to me.

[Carbuff]

FYI for anyone who doesn't think fender players want floyds
MIM standard $500 it's new floyded friend $700
http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/p...tar?sku=501161

Just think, if the pro-mods were made in Mexico, thats what you would be paying for them new.

[Rich#6]

Just think, if the pro-mods were made in Mexico, thats what you would be paying for them new.

I think I would buy one of these new before I would buy a new promod charvel or even a dk2m.

[Rich#6]

Simmer down now.

I didn't think an FYI was getting my blood pressure up.:think:

[Dogbone]

Really from a business standpoint, it makes perfect sense to use the Fender line and workers to build the Pro Mods. I can't see how FMIC could justify hiring a crew, and setting up a production line to just build the Charvels. Maybe if they were turning out a thousand guitars a year or what not, but for the limited number of the Pro Mods made, it just makes more sense to me to use the Fender guys. Really, as has been stated, everybody is a Fender employee, even the guys in the Charvel/Jackson CS, so what really is the big deal. Because Mike Shannon doesn't build or do the setup on the Pro Mods? Did anyone really think that he did? I know I didn't and wouldn't expect it for what we pay for the Pro Mods.

Bottom line, the guitar is made in the US, by the same guys that make the American Strats, that have been trained in the Charvel way. Not a bad thing in my book