When is a Jackson/Charvel no longer a Jackson/Charvel?

[EVOLVIST]

As many of these guitars get older and (hopefully) become more collectable, how do you see modifications to these J/Cs making them no longer what they originally were...even if they sound better? It's a bit of philosophical question, too, isn't it? To wit, in theory they are supposed to be bad ass right out of the box, but we mod things to tailor them to the player, making them in essence a utilitarian thing, eschewing the intent of the manufacturer, thus, in affect (perhaps),diminishing why we think these guitars are so great in the first place. You feel me? I mean, what makes a J/C aJ/C? Is it just the label on the headstock, or is it where the body was originally manufactured…or is it more…or even less?

This question really popped into my mind when I bought a very clean 1986 Model 3A, with the intention to mod it. I got the guitar in, and when I saw it, played it, and really began enjoying it, as is, I began to wonder what I should do. As beautiful as it is…unmolested,all original, and aged just perfectly, I began wondering if modifying it would be almost sacrilegious, given its condition. At the same time, I very much want an instrument that I will play andrecord with. Like most of you, I findJ/Cs to be very versatile, but this one, with its J-80C pups, without the benefit of the active mid-boost circuitry, sounds pretty flat with distortion,yet beautiful on clean. I don’t want it to sound muddy, distorted. I want it tobe as versatile as my Model 6 (yet obviously in its own unique way).

So, is it okay, to change outthe pups as long as I keep the originals? Would that make it any less of a Charvel if I did? I begin to ask, then, what makes a J/C a J/Cif I can change the sound so much by putting new pups in. I mean, wouldn’t that nearly be the same astaking a mid-80s Kramer and putting Jackson pups in it, or taking a Washburn and putting a Charvel neck on it? In theory, I suppose, one could find a $175 new guitar body and neck that feels great, and then load it up with anything you want to suit the player, and there would be no need for loving J/Cs or Les Pauls…or any brand of guitar for that matter, yes? Or no?

What say you?

[Axegrinder87]

I say pass the blunt.

[Force]

Not everyone can afford custom shop, that's the only way to get exactly what you want but totally made by your preferred brand.

Until cheap models come like this (& that can never happen) we will mod something to get it how we want/need it.

For some of us, modding is a rewarding experience because we have put the work in to achieve our goals.

You start with a brand that fits closest to what you like & go from there, who gives a shit if it's that heavily modded, it's yours & you love it.

[VitaminG]

body & neck. Anything else is ripe for change. Hardware, pickups, electronics, all of it can be changed and improved without losing the essence of the manufacturer's intent. I never understood why someone would buy a Model series Charvel and then look to put a strathead neck on it. Strathead Charvels are cool and all, but if you take away that Charvel neck the guitar is no longer a Charvel. It's a mutt - Charvel body, some other manufacturer's neck. And with Jacksons & Charvels, it's all about the neck

[pickford1625]

all my crazy jacksons had all the pickups and some hardware changed by the original endorsee.... the body and neck are the guitar, the rest is us.

[EVOLVIST]

body & neck. Anything else is ripe for change. Hardware, pickups, electronics, all of it can be changed and improved without losing the essence of the manufacturer's intent. I never understood why someone would buy a Model series Charvel and then look to put a strathead neck on it. Strathead Charvels are cool and all, but if you take away that Charvel neck the guitar is no longer a Charvel. It's a mutt - Charvel body, some other manufacturer's neck. And with Jacksons & Charvels, it's all about the neck

Body and neck, huh? I can dig that. I've never played a Charvel older than 1995 that I didn't love.

Still, playing devil's advocate here, so many J/Cs with bass wood bodies how would you know the aforementioned mid-80s Kramer body from a J/C simply by sound alone? I knew a guy who took the wiring, pups, knobs and hardware from a 1973 Les Paul Custom and put it all in an Epiphone LP body, and guess what? Same sound, same feel, minus the fret wear of the custom.

I guess I'm just trying to come to grips with something I had only previously thought about in theory. I guess I cod always try to add the JE-1200 mid range boost to my model 3A...but damn, either the battery would go under the pick guard, or run a long wire to the trem cavity

Or screw it, just put a Crunch Lab in the bridge and still call it a Charvel? Or would the purist at least go with all Jackson parts and put a hotter period pup in there like a J-90c or a J-95? I'm really not asking how to mod my guitar, though. I'm just trying to demystify the concept.

[walshula]

I would say the build of the guitar is what considers it a J/C, you know... the materials used in making of the guitar, the balance of the guitar, the shape and feel of the neck and fingerboard, angle of the headstock, and most important, the attention to detail. I believe the hardware and pick-ups are a afterthought and can be easily swapped back and forth. I say if you are into originality and want to change the pick-ups or hardware, just hold on to the originals so they can be out back to they way it was. I have a Jackson Snowblind that came with all chrome hardware but I swapped it all with USA spec black hardware and I believe it upped the value but some would disagree with that I would think. But you know... it is in the player playing the guitar that it really matters. So... if you are unhappy with the sound of the pick-ups, change them... it will still be an awesome J/C either way!!!
Because they all are

[VitaminG]

I don't believe in change for changes sake. If the stock pickups are ringing your bells, leave them in there. But I'm not precious at all about swapping in a part that works or sounds better. My only regret in changing the pickups in my Jackson Fusion Plus is that it took me so long to get around to it. Funny, really, because I've never hesitated to experiment with pickups in other Jacksons & Charvels. Fear of fucking up that 5-way megaswitch probably. Some are still stock, some came with pickups/hardware already changed by previous owners, and some I've changed myself.

[Hellbat]

First thing I changed on my RR1T were the stock pickups. The second thing I changed was putting on locking tuners, doing the drilling out of the existing holes to allow them to fit myself. For a minute I thought about "What if I damage the finish?" or even worse "What if I have a sudden seizure and bore out a hole sideways?"

Then I picked up the drill and did it. The guitar is way better with locking tuners. I did minutely chip the clear around the holes, even though I used tape, but the chips are so minor that the hardware covers them while it's on. Did it affect the resale value? Possibly, but hey, it's not for sale so who cares? I play the thing every day. It doesn't hang on a wall or sit in it's case collecting dust.

[DK2M92]

The King V Professional I bought a few months back had the original bridge pickup swapped out by previous owner. Is it still a 93' King V Professional? I like to think so myself.

[xenophobe]

As many of these guitars get older and (hopefully) become more collectable, how do you see modifications to these J/Cs making them no longer what they originally were...even if they sound better?

Even if they become more collectible, it's unlikely they'll get more valuable. With the exception of real Artist Customs, rare Sig guitars and very low production number models, Jacksons and Charvels have not kept up with inflation over the past 15 years or so. Unless you managed to get a few of those rare guitars, you would have actually lost money investing in them. That being said...

Do whatever you want to your guitar to make it your own. Buy it to play and enjoy, you'll most likely never see much of a profit.

At one of my local consignment shops, there are two USA KV's for $999 and they haven't moved for over a year. Another SL1 that's been sitting there, and a bunch of $99-$149 imports... At the local GC's, Jacksons are considered bottom of the bucket, not high end. They lost that war to ESP last decade. Hell, a minty Siamese Soloist is on ebay for $5k. 10 years ago, it may have sold for more...

[charvel750]

You needn't worry yourself about modding a "Model" series Charvel, there is not a lot of value in them to start with, they are not collectible guitars.

[EVOLVIST]

You needn't worry yourself about modding a "Model" series Charvel, there is not a lot of value in them to start with, they are not collectible guitars.

I'm not sure if that's really the point. Value or collectability is subjective anyway. You could have someone who loves Ford Gremlins and would shit a brick if anything less than all original parts were in the car. You see? When does it become something other than what it was originally? I think we're getting to consensus, though.

[Metal Spawn]

*cough* AMC GREMLIN!!! *cough* *cough*

[CowboyFromHell]

A car with a bodykit and rims is still the same car it says on the title.