Need help identifying Charvel

[Libtech]

Hey everyone,

Newbie to the forum here. Hope this post is ok here. I just obtained this guitar through a divorce/home foreclosure situation and dont know much about the guitar itself. It looks like it was played fairly often at one point of its life.

Any and all information would be greatly appreciated. I took a quick look at it while taking the pics and i dont see any serials or stamps anywhere . Perhaps under the covers inside the body

https://imgur.com/gallery/tejV9D3

[CaptNasty]

You need to post some pics. You can use an image hosting site like Imgur.com then link your hosted pics in this thread.

[Libtech]

Thanks cap. I tried uploading them as attachments but it looks like that didn’t work . I’ll do that today

[Libtech]

https://imgur.com/gallery/tejV9D3

[Libtech]

From looking around the internet I’m guessing it’s a Prepro 1981??

[pianoguyy]

I don't see any dots on the side of the fretboard.
So, it is possible that you have a left-handed neck on a right handed body.

[CaptNasty]

I think pianoguyy makes a good observation. Couple the lack of side dots with the upside down logo (Reverse headstock guitars have the logo “properly” oriented so it can be read) and I think you have a left handed neck mounted on a right handed body.

Floyd rose tremolos were an underground phenomenon in the late 70s with only a handful of players having access to them (EVH, Neil Schon, Brad Gillis, and Steve Vai). Floyd filed for his first patent in 1979. If this were a prepro neck it would have been manufactured with some type of slotted nut.

Additionally, the early necks did not include the “Made in the USA” on the Charvel logo. That started in the mid 80s when some production shifted to Japan.

The way the A string goes through string tree also looks weird to my eye.

The pickups are not stock, so this also shows someone altered this instrument.

The tuners are not original for that neck. Note the missing screws and lack of holes for those screws. The tuners are also somewhat askew.

Digging further into the Floyd Rose, in the early 80s Floyd Rose entered into an exclusive agreement with Kramer. The only way for other builders to get their hands on a Floyd Rose was to buy a Kramer and remove the Floyd Rose. Through 1990 non-Kramers with a genuine Floyd Rose were uncommon. By the mid 80s some builders were copying the Floyd Rose in violation of FRs patent. FR then instituted a licensing program. In 1991 FR terminated the exclusive agreement with Kramer. The OFR is using screw in mounting studs. While OFR still sells screw in mounting studs, the insert studs are far and away the most commonly used studs. I think the OFR is probably 90s era given the screw posts, the bridge condition, and the other tells on the guitar. The OFR IMO moves this guitar body out of the 70s or 80s.

Finally, the neck plate. Unmarked neck plates were used until late 1981. I am guessing this is why you focused in on prepro? The unmarked black plates were only used in early 1981, but... nothing else on this guitar points to it being a prepro. I think this is a replacement neck plate that was not original or even Charvel.

Put it all together and I think you have a parts mutt. A left handed neck mounted on a right handed body, after market pickups, replacement tuners, an after market neck plate, and possibly an upgrade to an OFR.

Have you removed the neck to check for any markings on the neck heel or in the neck pocket? You can also check the tremolo cavity to see if there are any markings there.